Lifestyle
There’s A Hidden Beach Paradise In Vietnam, And Here Are 6 Reasons Why You’ll Fall In Love With It
Published
7 months agoon
By
If you’re thinking about where to go for your next exotic getaway, we have something that’ll tickle your fancy. Dubbed as one of Southeast Asia’s best-kept secrets (probably not for long though!), this slice of paradise not too far away from home will be the perfect choice for you.
Phu Quoc (pronounced “foo kwok”) is an unassuming Vietnamese island sitting just off the coast of Cambodia. If you need more convincing reasons why this should be your next beach vacation, read on.
#1 It’s surrounded by uninhabited islands
28 islands make up the Phu Quoc district, most of them uninhabited while some are planned for developments as private resorts. There are many tour companies that offer trips to these untapped islands, which are only accessible by boat. So, go ahead and find out what a real, untouched island looks like. We’re certain you’ll be amazed!
#2 The sandy white beaches ARE TO DIE FOR
Because not many people are aware of this hidden gem, the beaches are still pristine, and you can have it all to yourself! The soft fine white sand fringed by coconut trees makes it look like it came right out of a post card. Can you imagine laying around for a few hours, followed by a dip in the warm ocean, and then a delicious and freshly-caught seafood dinner on the beach with your loved ones?
Our favourites are the Long Beach, Sao Beach, and the Starfish Beach, known for its rich population of red starfish found bathing in the sun just a few feet from the water’s edge.
#3 There’s an old war-time prison on the island!
For the history buffs out there, Phu Quoc Prison is where Northern Vietnamese soldiers were imprisoned during the Vietnam.
It’s now a museum where visitors can see torture instruments, photographs of former prisoners and exhibits with life-sized mannequins depicting graphic scenes about what life was like when the prison was still in operation. It’s a great way for tourists to learn more about Vietnam and a reminder of how brutal wars can be.
#4 Half of the island is a protected natural park!
Set within the Kien Giang Biosphere Reserve, approximately 50% of the island is a national park. The tropical rainforests feature waterfalls, coral reefs, wetlands and other parts of the surrounding natural landscape.
The island also has a mountain landscape with 99 peaks running along the 48km length of the island! We can already foresee some Instagram-worthy spots.
#5 It’s known for its fish sauce and organic pepper
Did you know that Phu Quoc is famous for its pepper and fish sauce production? If you know this region well enough, you know that their food always has a little dash of fish sauce in them! Back in 2013, it became the first Vietnamese product to be given the European Union’s Protected Designation of Origin Status. There are around 85 fish sauce producers on the island.
The island also boasts the best organic pepper, producing around 1,1000 tonnes every year using traditional farming methods and sustainable agriculture technologies. Head to the fish sauce factories and pepper farms for a closer look at local life.
#6 Easy access to and from the island!
Phu Quoc is a mere two-hour flight away from Kuala Lumpur, thanks to Air Asia! They just launched a direct route to Phu Quoc, with four flights to the beautiful island four times a week starting 2 November. It’s AirAsia’s 5th route into Vietnam alongside Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Hanoi, and Nha Trang.
In conjunction with its launch, AirAsia is offering a special introductory all-in-fares from Kuala Lumpur to Phu Quoc from RM90. All you have to do is make your reservations from 8 August to 19 August with the travel period being 2 November to 29 March next year.
So, sway away from your usual beach options, and head to Phu Quoc for a new experience altogether. Rest assured, you’ll have the time of your life. 😉

Bubble tea fans will know the struggle when you’re having cravings at midnight but can’t get them because the stores are closed… well, you can worry no more!
Tealive is now available at ten 7-Elevens outlets in Kuala Lumpur 24/7, ensuring that you can satisfy your cravings anytime of the day!
But before you get too excited, there are only three types of drinks being sold and they are “Signature Milk Tea with Konjac Jelly”, “Original Milk Tea with Konjac Jelly” and “Superior Coco”!
And there are only 10 outlets that are selling them… Here is the list:
- Plaza Berjaya, KL
- Wisma Bukit Bintang
- Sidewalk Island Ansa Hotel, KL
- Changkat Thambi Dollah
- KL Sentral
- Nu Sentral
- Berjaya Times Square (1st Floor)
- Berjaya Times Square (LG Floor)
- Berjaya Times Square Hotel
- Kenanga Wholesale City
Also if you like to chew on the pearl/bobba in your milk tea, you might be disappointed because they only have konjac jelly…
So there’s the good and bad news! At least now you can avoid the long queues and buy them anytime of the day (that’s if someone else doesn’t buy them all before you do…)
Now go get your milk tea fix with your bubble-tea-crazy friends! Share your thoughts on the news with us!
Lifestyle
McDonald’s Is Giving Out Books With Their Happy Meals Now!
Published
2 days agoon
February 19, 2019
Books are becoming more and more obsolete. It is so rare to see a child holding a book nowadays, compared to seeing one holding a tablet! But it looks like McDonalds Malaysia are trying their best to keep books relevant to our youngsters!
Today, they launched Happy Meal Readers, a programme aimed to create a passion for reading among young Malaysians.
Now, when you buy a happy meal, you get to choose between getting a free toy, or a free brand new dinosaur-themed children’s storybook. What’s more amazing is that these books are by the world-renowned author and illustrator Cressida Cowell, known best for her bestselling How To Train Your Dragon series.
The book, titled Treetop Twins Adventures, will feature 12 standalone stories with one book released each month throughout the year. BTW, the 12 books were curated exclusively for McDonalds Malaysia by Cowell herself!

To make the reading experience of the books more interactive, digital versions of the books are also available through the Happy Studio mobile app which is free to download on the App Store and Play Store.
The app will make the books more interactive through it’s scan feature which is able to bring the book’s illustrations to life. You know lah, with all these smartphone and TV screens, it might take a bit of effort to keep kids engaged with pictures in a book.

The physical and e-books will be available in both English and Bahasa Malaysia versions, specifically for the Malaysian market.
McDonald’s Malaysia marketing director Eugene Lee said that the programme to promote reading culture supports the company’s efforts to bring families closer together and the government’s aspirations to make Malaysia a reading nation under the 10-year National Reading Decade Programme by the Education Ministry.
“We want to encourage families to spend more time together. The Happy Meal Readers programme encourages parents to enjoy quality time with their children through reading.
We hope that the initiative will instill a lifelong love of reading among children by making it a fun activity for the whole family.”
He added that over 300,000 copies of the book’s first edition was released in January and has been distributed nationwide. Meanwhile, about 300,00 mobile users logged into its Happy Studios App last month.
Good job, guys! We hope the kids will realise how valuable these Cressida Cowell books are and choose them over the toys with their Happy Meal!
Lifestyle
Traveling? Here’s 5 Ways You Can Save Money When Booking Your Flight Ticket!
Published
3 days agoon
February 18, 2019
You can gain real value for money by being strategic, not only when you book a flight, but what day you choose to start your journey. This is according to the folks at the Airlines Reporting Corporation and Expedia, who actually did a study on this.
1. Don’t wait till the last minute to book your flights! The ‘sweet spot’ for cheap flights is said to be 3 weeks before travelling.
PEAK PRICES: Flight tickets are most expensive closer to the departure date (duh)
2. Buy your flight tickets on SUNDAYS! It’s a myth that flights tickets are priced higher on weekends! By booking on a Sunday, you can save up to 20% on your flight ticket!
PEAK PRICES: Flight tickets are more expensive on Thursdays and Fridays.
3. Choose to start your journey (departure date) on a Thursday or Friday and enjoy up to 10% discount on flight ticket prices!
PEAK PRICES: Departures on Sundays tend to be the most expensive
4. Extend your weekday trip to include a Saturday night stay and save up to 25% on return fares!
For some corporate travel destinations (like the London- New York route) you can save almost half on airfare if you add a Saturday stay.
5. Make bookings for
PEAK PRICES: Sundays tend to be the worst day to make a booking!
MATTA shares the biggest tip of all – book early!
So, if you’re currently planning for your next holiday, be sure to check for the best time to go for a holiday by referring to our Instagram post above!
By Roshini Ravindran
Lifestyle
Here’s 14 Valentine’s Day Facts No One Asked For!
Published
1 week agoon
February 14, 2019
Valentine’s Day is regarded as the day we show our significant others that we love them and they matter to us. And this 14th February, we believe that regardless of whether you have a significant other or not, you’d probably still find these 14 Valentine’s Day facts interesting anyway.
1. Over 50% of Valentine’s Day cards are purchased in the six days prior to the day itself. Looks like most people who celebrate Valentine’s Day are clearly procrastinators!
2. About 1 billion Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged every year, making it the second-largest seasonal card sending time of the year, behind Christmas, of course.
3. If these were the Victorian times, on the other hand, it would be considered bad luck to sign a Valentine’s Day card.
4. 73% of people who purchase flowers on this day are men.
5. Women, meanwhile, are out buying almost 85% of all gifts.
6. In the US, over $1 billion worth of chocolate is purchased.
7. And some of these chocolates are part of more than 35 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate sold each year.
8. During the medieval times, girls were willing to eat bizarre foods, to make themselves dream of their future spouse.
9. Young people in the Middle Ages drew names from a bowl to see who would be their Valentine. They would then pin the name they picked to their sleeve for a whole week for everyone to see. And thus came the expression, “to wear your heart on your sleeve”.
10. The red rose was the favourite flower of Venus, the Roman Goddess of Love.
11. Teachers receive the most Valentine’s Day cards, followed by children, mothers, wives, girlfriends/boyfriends and pets.
12. Meanwhile, 3% of pet owners will give gifts to their pets today.
13. An average 220,000 wedding proposals happen each year on Valentine’s Day.
14. And, if you’re single, don’t worry about it! You can look forward to celebrating Singles Awareness Day tomorrow! No, really. It’s celebrated on 15th February every year, as if singles need a day to remind them about their single-ness.
There you have it! 14 Valentine’s Day facts whether you wanted them or not. Happy Valentine’s Day to all the lovebirds celebrating today!
And to all the singles out there, why not take the time to pamper yourself?
By Kyle Roshan
Lifestyle
Yes, Malaysia IS The Country With The Most Public Holidays In The World
Published
1 week agoon
February 13, 2019
It seems like a cuti is always around the corner of every month in Malaysia. From
New Year to Chinese New Year, Aidilfitri, Deepavali, Wesak, Christmas and even some
we’re not too sure about like Malaysia Day (what do you mean it’s not the same
as Independence Day?)
So this got us pondering, is Malaysia really the country with the most holidays
in the world?
If you guessed yes, you are absolutely CORRECT! With a whopping 50 days of holidays, we can safely confirm that Malaysia is the best place to be an employee and the worst place to be a business owner! Jokes aside, out of the 50 days only 20 are at the national level while the other 30 are at the state level. So, it’s not like a
What about the rest of the world? Cambodia comes in close at second place with 31 days, followed by Thailand with 26 days & Myanmar with 25 days. So now you must be wondering which countries have the least holidays right? Germany ties with Serbia & Hungary with only nine public holidays.
This is followed by the UK, Spain & Canada with only eight days. And the country with the least holidays? Ola Mr Potato, none other than Mexico! Seven days is all they are offering señor and señoritas. T
Oddly enough the countries with the most holidays appear to be in South East Asia while European countries are not very fond of giving away too many holidays. Oh well, that’s another thing to ponder about. The next question is what are we going to do with so many days off? The typical Malaysian thing, of course. MAKAN!
So many public holidays. Yet, we still complain about our working hours. 😅
By Megat Zahrin
Lifestyle
3 Toxic Chemicals That Might Be In Your Local Beauty Products
Published
2 weeks agoon
February 7, 2019
Do you ever look at the ingredient labels on your makeup and skincare products? Your pores will absorb anything you put on your skin. So, maybe it’s vital to start seriously thinking about what your beauty products contain.
Beauty brands will always market their products as safe and effective, whether they really are or not because they want to make money. Unfortunately, your health and the quality of your skin is very often a secondary issue.
Thankfully for us, we have agencies such as the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) and the Ministry of Health (MOH), to help test and warn us about harmful chemicals and products.
But sometimes, companies sell
Mercury.
Unless you weren’t paying attention in science class when you were in high school, mercury is super harmful to human health. Exposure to mercury can damage your kidneys and nervous system. Mercury can also interfere with the development of the brain in unborn and very young children.
When you use skin cream containing mercury, it gets absorbed into your body through your skin, it gets on your hands and you’ll end up accidentally eating it at some point too. On top of that, mercury poisoning can also happen from just breathing in the vapours. So you AND anyone around you are at risk. Symptoms of mercury poisoning include tremors, memory problems, irritability, and changes in vision or hearing.
Cosmetic products containing mercury are commonly marketed as skin lightening and anti-aging treatments. If you’ve been using a lightening skin cream, check the label for mercury. The ingredient might also be listed as “mercurous chloride,” “calomel,” “mercuric,” or “
So far, the NPRA and MOH have found mercury in these five local beauty products.
1. Tati Ultra Night Cream

2. Deeja Wrinkle Cream

3. ROBISIS Anti-acne Whitening Day & Night Cream

4. Asdanne Whitening Freckle Day Cream

5. Fulenze Whitening Freckle Day Cream

Hydroquinone.
The beauty world is somewhat divided about the harmful nature of this chemical. On the one hand, hydroquinone is able to decrease the formation of melanin (the pigment in skin that gives it a brown colour). But on the other hand, it’s depigmentation qualities also reduces the skin’s ability to protect itself from harmful UV rays, increasing the risk of skin cancer.
Due to this, hydroquinone is classified as a pharmaceutical product that requires registration with the Drug Control Authority (DCA) and can only be used under the advice of healthcare professionals. Unsupervised usage of hydroquinone can leave you vulnerable to many of its side effects, such as severe skin redness, discomforts such as a burning or stinging, blue or black skin discolouration (ironically) and hypersensitivity.
Skin products with hydroquinone are typically marketed as skin lightening and as a treatment for blemishes and uneven skin tone.
The NPRA and MOH found two local beauty products that have uncontrolled use of hydroquinone.
1. Tati Ultra Treatment

2. Deeja Dream Cream

Tretinoin.
Most dermatologists agree that tretinoin or retinol helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Retinol, a form of vitamin A, has been used for years to treat acne and undoubtedly makes the skin smoother. The benefits or rather short-term effects of using topical tretinoin products have been widely documented and encouraged by beauty influencers, editors, and celebrities too.
However, overuse of retinol can affect how well your skin cells can function. This is because the chemical causes your skin cells to rapidly produce which in turn makes your skin oversensitive and causes it to peel, become flaky and irritated. Tretinoin, similar to hydroquinone, also causes your skin to become sensitive to UV rays from sunlight.
Due to this, tretinoin is also
The NPRA and MOH found one local beauty product with uncontrolled use of tretinoin.
1. Tati Ultra Treatment

We’re not here to scare you! We don’t want you to have nightmares that your future offspring will be jeopardized all because you wanted to sport a red lip. But we want to remind you that you have options when it comes to what you put on your face and body.
If the makeup industry isn’t going to make transparency a priority, we have to take it upon ourselves to do our research so we can make healthy choices!
Lifestyle
Must-Try Halal Chinese Restaurants On Your Balik Kampung Journey
Published
3 weeks agoon
January 31, 2019
Chinese New Year – officially the time of the year where humans migrate by the billions. Also officially the worst time of the year to hit the highways in Malaysia because of the traffic. So what’s the best thing to do when you get stuck in a jam? You guessed it, MAKAN!
Since we’re in the spirit of Chinese New Year we thought of recommending some Chinese joints for a change instead of your same old “boar-ring” restaurants. (it’s the year of the boar, get it?)
These places are certified Halal so you can “pig” out guilt free! And as a bonus, these restaurants are situated quite near the highway so you don’t have to
1. YIK MUN, TANJUNG MALIM (HAINANESE)

First on the list is Yik Mun. It was established in 1926, so they’ve been serving mouth-watering Hainanese cuisine even before your mama was born. Besides the bouncy and soft kaya
Other must-try foods:
Beef noodle soup, Mee hailam, Kaya Pau & Nasi ayam


LOCATION: 6043, Persiaran Slim Permai 8, 35900 Tanjong Malim, Negeri Perak
2. RESTORAN YUT LOY, KUALA KANGSAR

So you’ve heard of beef steak & chicken steak, but how about Egg Steak? Legend has it that Yut Loy was the hangout for the students of MCKK (Malay College Kuala Kangsar). Not being able to afford a chicken or beef steak, a hungry Old Boy (that’s the nickname for MCKK students, ya. Not an actual old boy) requested for a fried egg with the usual sauce and serving of fries. The item has stuck ever since. But don’t just go for the egg steak, try everything else on the menu!

Other must-try foods:
Beef steak and Paus

LOCATION: 51, Jalan Kangsar, Bandar Baru, 33000 Kuala Kangsar, Negeri Perak (10 min drive from the Kuala Kangsar exit)
3. NEW HOLLYWOOD (COFFEE SHOP DELICACIES)

Do you have a craving for Char Kuey Teow or Chee Cheong Fan? If you’ve ever wondered what it feels like to eat at a Chinese coffee shop without worrying about the halal factor, this is the place. But the food is so good that even the Non-Muslims flock here all the time. And here’s a little trivia for you foodies out there; just behind New Hollywood is another eatery called Vegas Restaurant!

This photo of Restoran New Hollywood is courtesy of TripAdvisor
Other must-try foods:
Roti Telur Goyang

LOCATION: Taman Canning, 31400 Ipoh, Perak
4. MEE TARIK WARISAN ASLI (A TASTE OF XINJIANG)

For those of you who have never had the opportunity to visit the province of Xinjiang, worry not. Because the nice people of Northern China decided to open up shop right here in Sungai Besi! Savour the hot and spicy pulled mee, have some lamb on a stick, and wash it all down with Chinese Tea! Now you’re all set to hit the highway with a full tummy and happy feet.


LOCATION: 51, Jalan Tasik Utama 3, Sungai Besi, 57100 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
5. CHICKEN RICE BALL (Ee Ji Ban, Melaka)

There are so many reasons why you should visit the historical city of Melaka but if you need another reason to visit this beautiful place, it should be for the chicken rice ball. Ee Ji Ban, about a 30 min drive from the Ayer Keroh exit is a must-go if you’re looking for a place to have lunch en route to Johor, or simply just for fun. A slew of celebrities have been here so you know the food has definitely gone viral, in a good way. So, make the stop and let a ball of


LOCATION: 275, Jalan Melaka Raya 3, Taman Melaka Raya, 75000 Melaka
So that’s our list! We’re sure you have a lot of other places to suggest and we are all ears (and mouth)… so keep those recommendations coming! Last but not least, Happy Chinese New Year and drive safe. We hope these places will give you something for you to look forward to on your drive!
DISCLAIMER:
1. Yik Mun is certified Halal, while the other restaurants have been featured in halal blogs
2. All Muslims should exercise caution when dining out, and make the necessary checks to ensure the place is halal
By Megat Zahrin
Lifestyle
Here’s How To Check And Pay Your PDRM Traffic Summons Online
Published
3 weeks agoon
January 29, 2019
Recently, Bukit Aman advised Malaysians to refrain from using agents to pay their traffic summons. According to PDRM, some people have been cheated by third parties they had hired to help pay their summons. On top of losing their money, these people were still in the cops’ bad books for having outstanding traffic summonses.
So, now you must be thinking “if we can’t hire people to settle our samans for us, then, how do we settle the
1) Apps
Yes, there are apps for this too!
There are a number of apps out there, but the ones we found to be most reliable are Malaysia Police Summons by Maxim and the MyEg app.
Malaysia Police Summons by Maxsim
To check your summons by using this app, all you have to do is key in your IC number and it will display any offences that you have. Click on them and details, such as time and date of the offence,


The downsides of this app
MyEG
You’ll first need to register an account with MyEg before you proceed. Once you’ve registered, simply log in and click “Check and Pay PDRM Summons.” Then, key in your details and your outstanding summons will be displayed. The best thing about the MyEg app is that you can pay your summons directly through the app too!


But this app also has it’s downside… it isn’t available for iPhones 😔
2. SMS
Yes, there are apps but crime fighters don’t have WhatsApp yet.
SMS to POLIS<space>SAMAN<space>IC number OR vehicle number to 15888. So example: POLIS SAMAN 991122013344
The response will look something like this:

If you want a more
But of course, you can’t pay your summons through SMS just yet. Plus, by SMSing, you’ll incur telco charges (RM0.20 cent per text message) and we know how cheap we Malaysians are. So the third option:
3. Online
Everything, including checking AND paying your summons, can be done online these days. The sites recommended by PDRM are MyEG (myeg.com.my) and the government-linked portal RILEK (rilek.com.my).
To check your summons on these websites, you’ll have to register first. Once you’ve registered, log in and check your summons by clicking the “PDRM enquiry & payment” tile for MyEg or the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) tile for RILEK.


Then, simply pick which identifier you’d like to use and enter the relevant details.


If you have outstanding summons, they’ll be shown at the bottom of the page, together with the fine amount, details and a button prompting for payment. Unfortunately, we don’t have screenshots 😝, but both sites display this information similarly.
Once you’ve paid, you can print out the receipt for future reference. And you’re done!
So easy right? So, no more excuses for not paying your summonses!
Lifestyle
10 Chinese New Year Facts To Amaze Your Aunties With This Year!
Published
3 weeks agoon
January 29, 2019
Chinese New Year is one of the most celebrated festivals in the world, with more than a billion Chinese people partaking in the annual celebrations. How much do you think you know about the upcoming festive season? Read more to find out!
1. It is a day for fighting monsters and praying to the Gods
According to one legend, a ferocious man-eating beast named Nian (年) would come about every New Year’s Eve. Nian represented bad luck and hence, needed to be warded off. Acting on the advice of a wise sage, villagers used firecrackers to scare the monster off, which was how the tradition of welcoming each year by lighting up firecrackers was born.

Apart from that, it is also a ceremonial day to pray to the Gods for good luck and an abundance of wealth throughout the year. Believers also prayed to their ancestors, for they were also treated as heavenly beings. For instance, families would burn fake paper money and printed gold bars to honour their departed loved ones. They believe that their offerings will bring good fortune and luck to their ancestors in the afterlife.
2. China once banned fireworks due to air pollution
However, the extensive use of fireworks during the festival led to safety reasons and concerns for air pollution. Many Chinese cities have banned fireworks with more than 500 cities having restrictions. For instance, Beijing once prohibited fireworks for 13 years, however the ban was lifted in 2006 due to protests from the public. In 2016, Shanghai banned the lighting of fireworks within the metropolitan area.

3. No significant other to show off to your relatives? No problem!
In the traditional Chinese culture, it is of great importance to pass down the family name across generations to come. It is common for singles to feel immense pressure to tie the knot and have children to appease the minds of their parents. As we all know, finding a partner for life isn’t an easy task, hence some desperate singles have resorted to hiring a fake boyfriend or girlfriend to take home.

4. No cleaning – including yourself
Sweeping and throwing out the garbage before the New Year day is highly frowned upon, as it represents pushing away good luck. Furthermore, showering and cutting hair isn’t allowed either. Instead, families are advised to clean their houses (and themselves) thoroughly on New Year’s Eve. This is to signify sweeping away negative energy and to make room for good luck.
5. Red is an invaluable weapon, while black is a bad omen
During the festival, it’s important to get your colour scheme right. Family homes will be decorated in shades of red, for it is believed that the mythical monster, Nian, will also be chased away upon seeing the bright colour. Some homes will even go as far as hanging up red lanterns and strings of chilli peppers, as well as pasting red papers onto doors and windows. New clothes are bought in red colours to match the overall décor too. On the contrary, black apparel should be avoided during the festive season, as it is traditionally associated with funerals.

6. The festival causes the largest human migration in the world
Family reunion on Chinese New Year’s Eve is an important tradition each year. Children living in bustling cities will travel across long distances to their hometowns to reunite with their loved ones. The migration back home is referred to as chunyun (春运), or Spring Migration. In China, it is estimated that more than 200 million Chinese undertake long journeys to return home for the celebrations each year.
7. Your zodiac year is your year of bad luck
Your zodiac year (本命年—běn mìng nián) is your zodiac animal. There are a total of 12 Chinese zodiacs, and the year of the zodiac that you fall under is believed to be the unluckiest for you. There are multiple explanations for this – for one, the Chinese believe that children can easily be abducted by demons. During this year, your weapon of defense is the colour red. Hence, some superstitious believers opt to wear red apparel as often as possible, even to the extent of wearing red undergarments every day of the year!
8. There hidden meanings behind Chinese New Year desserts
The Chinese community is big on symbolic
- Tang Yuan means ‘soup balls’. It also sounds like tuanyuan (团圆) which means reunion.

- Fa Gao (发糕) is the hybrid of sponge cakes and muffins, usually dyed in festive colours. The ‘Fa’ is the same as in Fa Cai (发财) which means ‘to get rich’.
Watch our video on hidden meanings behind Chinese New Year desserts for more fun facts!
9. Tread with caution
There are many interesting superstitions during the festival. For instance:
- Do not give clocks as presents as they symbolize time running out
- Avoid the use of sharp objects as they ‘cut off’ good fortune
- Do not tell ghost stories that bring about negative energy
- Do not buy shoes, as in Cantonese, the word ‘shoes’ is a homonym for ‘rough’ and hence, will give one a rough ride for the rest of the year
- Do not throw away broken glass as that welcomes bad luck
10. Lantern Festival marks the end of Chinese New Year
The first full moon of the lunar year appears during the Lantern Festival or Yuanxiao Festival (元宵节—yuán xiāo jié). Back in the day, girls weren’t allowed to venture out themselves during the night. However, a special exception is granted during the Lantern Festival, as they were able to enjoy the bright moon and the beautiful lanterns. As a result, it is also known as Valentine’s Day in China.

Lifestyle
The Best And Worst Times To Drive This Chinese New Year According To Waze
Published
4 weeks agoon
January 28, 2019
If you’re planning to hit the road this Chinese New Year, there’s a right and wrong time to get behind the wheel. Waze just released their suggestions for when the best and worst travel times will be during the Chinese New Year week in 10 Malaysian towns as well as around Kuala Lumpur.
This festive season, the company also stepped up their game by looking at popular places where Malaysians like to celebrate the Lunar New Year, in case you’re planning some catch-up sessions away from your parents’ house.
The Best and Worst Times To Drive During Chinese New Year
Batu Pahat, Johor

Johor Bahru, Johor

Kuala Muda, Kedah

Kota Bahru, Kelantan

Kuantan, Pahang

Central Malacca

Larut & Matang, Perak

Kinta, Perak

Kuching, Sarawak

Kuala Terengganu, Terenganu

Kuala Lumpur

Meanwhile, dodging throngs of people when you’re out and about is a little trickier. Luckily for you, Waze has figured out where Malaysians love to celebrate their Lunar New Year. In case you’re planning your reunion dinner somewhere other than at home, here’s a guide for you.

As always, it pays to plan ahead. The best tips we can give you to have a pleasant drive this festive season is to make sure you get plenty of rest before you hit the road and plan your drive to avoid peak travel periods.
Have a happy and prosperous Lunar New Year, folks!

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