Memories From Old Ang Pao

Maybe most will just clear their contents (money) and throw away the packets (ang pao). But for me, new or used, I will keep them (same as my mother). We keep the ang pao in albums, and boxes.

Here are some old ang pao that will bring back some fond memories;

At one glance, they don’t seem that old right? OK but before that, let me show you one very very old ang pao type that I’ve received when I was a few years old in the 60s;

Well the above seems like those used in funeral. But it was this type of ang pao that I received in the 60s and the amount usually like 2 5cents or 2 10cents. Close relatives usually gave more than distant ones. Some said certain dialects group gave more, I’m not too sure about that.

Some establishments still exit but some don’t in the following;

1.

This above was from Motorola. Many will remembered that Motorola is the brand that our 1st pager and handphone was. But now, there are so many brands to choose from for handphones.

2.

The younger generation may not know about this Oriental Emporium Holdings Group. They probably had more outlets (25 I think) than NTUC Fairprice then in the 70s or 80s. But one by one, they started to close down. Most town centres will have at least one Oriental Emporium like the one at Bedok Town Centre, now occupied by NTUC Fairprice.

3.

Maybe the ladies will know of this boutique shop Pisces. One of the outlets was located along Orchard Road just outside the Plaza Singapura (along the same side as McDonald House). Think these Pisces outlets are no longer around, am I right?

4.

For those interest rate hunters, Tat Lee Bank was probably one will go for in the past. Too bad, it had merged with Keppel Bank to become Keppel Tat Lee.

5.

It was an old ang pao envelope from NTUC Fairprice. Of course they are still around though the new logo already replaced the old logo above. The name NTUC was removed from the new logo (I think) and only Fairprice is used.

6.

It was so popular back then that SAFE (SAF Enterprise) branched into Travel business for the SAF personnel. I remembered I had even booked a tour to Taiwan and the price was so low that one need to be balloted. I was lucky then haha.

You may read about SAFE Trave here:

SAFE Travel

7.

Now known as M Hotel. But before that, it was also known as Copthorne Harbour View Hotel in 1995. And even well before that – Harbour View Dai-Ichi Hotel. Why all these re-naming of this hotel at Anson Road?

After doing a check on the internet, the hotel’s owner, Hong Leong Group, was legally barred from using the Millennium brand in Singapore as it could be confused with The Ritz-Carlton Millenia. So M-Hotel is ok as only the initial is used. So now, you can’t get the same ang pao with the old hotel name haha.

Before I end this post, I would like to wish all a Happy and Prosperous New Year!

From: timesofmylife.wordpress.com

Tiger fly Ang Pao

From: Behance.net

10 Technology & Ang Pow Tips for Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year is just around the corner. With the help of current technology, this Chinese New Year will be a special one. Let’s see what current technology can do for you for the coming CNY.

1. GPS

Pai Nian (Visiting friends and relatives house) for Ang Pao is the most important activity during Chinese New Year. Without Pai Nian, the whole CNY will not be meaningful because no Ang Pao = No CNY.

With the help of GPS and Satellite software like Garmin and Tom Tom Navigator, you’re able to locate your friends and relatives house without any hassle. Especially for friends and relatives who stay far away from the city or friends that you’ve lost contact for years, you can simply request for their GPS coordinates and your GPS device will guide your Ang Pao route.

2. Facebook

If you’re wondering what Facebook can do for you during Chinese New Year, here’s a suggestion…

First, wish all your friends happy CNY regardless of race and send them a virtual gift or ang pao. Second, create a RSVP event, gather all your friends to discuss and plan for group visit. An ang pao hunting event! Third, update your status. Tell others where you are and what are you doing so that your friends are able to join you. More people = more fun! Fourth, after visiting a friend’s house, don’t forget to upload the photos you’ve taken and don’t forget to tag them! Fifth, if you hate being visited by relatives and friends (or if you’re anti social) Facebook can help. Ignore them, turn on your PC and start Facebooking (play games). Start Facebooking only after you snatch your Ang Pao.

3. Twitter

Just like what you did in Facebook, you tweet your latest location and event with your iPhone. Let your followers contact you and join for Ang Pao hunting.

4. Digital Photo Frame

Visited by relatives and friends during CNY is pretty usual. Don’t just chit chat with small talk. Share your stories and impress them with your digital photos. A physical photo album is good but not as good as a digital photos frame that can store thousands of photos and stream photos from your computer through bluetooth or WIFI. Forget about your dusty photo album, Digital Photo Frame FTW!

5. Google Latitude

Google Latitude gives you the exact location of our friends and family. With Google Latitude, we able to locate and notify friends and relatives near our place so that we can pay them a visit or visit a place together.

6. Ipod / Mp3 player / Media Player

For those who’re going back to their home town for CNY, a long and boring journey is unavoidable. If you plan to relax or sleep for the whole journey, an MP3 player like iPod or iPod Touch is your best companion.

7. PSP / NDSL

If you plan to stay awake on the way back to your hometown, a portable gaming console is a must! For serious portable gaming, there’s not much choice out there. Try PSP (normally for guys) or a casual game oriented portable gaming console such as NDSL (normally for girls). If you’re bored with your PSP, you can always transform it to a portable media player. 4.3 inch screen for movie FTW!

8. Wii / PS3 / Xbox360

If you have kids visiting you, a gaming console is a must. Keep the kids and teenagers entertained. I’m not advocating violence but fighting games like Tekken and Street Fighter are always fun. Better live with the noise than the kids breaking all your other stuff.

9. PayPal for Angpau

If you can’t visit your kids or relatives during CNY, the least you can do is transfer some money to them. Besides Western Union and Maybank2u, PayPal is simple and fast, but note there is a 3-4% charge.

10. Skype / GTalk / MSN / Yahoo Messenger

Unable to visit your friends and relatives – Fret not! Audio and Video Conference with Skype, GTalk, MSN or Yahoo Messenger… do an online virtual Pai Nian (visit) and renew your friendships

From: kongtechnology.com

Angpao Money

It’s a Chinese custom to give out angpao money to young children, or elderly during Chinese New Year. My kids love the angpaos, especially since there is money in it! Normally, I will take out the money and let the kids keep the red packets for fun. I’ll get hubby to bank in the money back home, in my boy’s account, when he’s going back this weekend. We let the kids share one account so far, and haven’t got one for my gal. I know it sounds unfair, but we will get this done in the future. If I manage to get a work permit here, after taking over hubby’s company, I will try to get an account for her in Bangkok. So far, I can’t get my own account here either.

I guess we will bank in the equal amount of money into her account, just like her brother’s. By doing so every year, the kids might have quite a lot of money by the time they are 18 years old. Then, they can decide on what they want to do with the money. Hopefully, my boy won’t spend all on Ferarri Part and my gal won’t spend all on design brands.

From: motheringcorner.com

A lot of Ang Pao (red packet)

From: Flickr.com

When You wacth television, when you go to plaza or mall, When you go to China Home Town, you will see the building is domianted with red color, red lantern, cat statue waves hand, moon cake, angpao hang on a tree as a voucher, and the red colored ornaments. And for you who love shopping you will read on banner written “Special Price, 70% pluss 30% off, it means free”.
What happen with them. We have known that on January 26 2009 Chinese in the world and also in Indonesia will celebrate Chinese New Year!!

1. Red Color symbolizes goodness, ultimate joy and prosperity in Chinese culture. Red shows happiness and spirit which will bring them to fortune and good luck. Based on Kompas, Chinese Cultural Observer, David Kwa explained in www.kompas.com that “Red color means happiness, Chinese wish that they will create positive atmhosphere and dispell the negative one.
   
2. The special meaning of Angpao and its history? Based on Wikipedia.com Angpao is a red envelope which contains money as a present to welcome Lunar New Year “Imlek”.
   

Special Meaning

On The Chinese New Year angpao has special meaning “Ya Sui”, a present which is given to children to memorialize the increase of age and year commutation. In the last times Parents always gave their children a candy, bonbon, and small orange as Ya Sui. Then in the present period Parents feel easier to give money and let the children decide to buy what they want. This new tradition occurred during Ming and Qing Dynasty. In one of literature about Ya Sui Qian, It’s written that children used their money to buy firecracker, fireworks, and candy. It means that Ya Sui tradition participated in increasing money circulation and supporting the economy in Tiongkok.


The purpose of giving Angpao

Angpao, Hongbao, or Ya Sui. Sui means age, calamity, and disaster. So Ya Sui is symbolized as “chase away or minimalize the calamity”. Parents wish that their children will be able to pass next year safely and peacefully without any hard obstcle.

In Chinese tradition, the person who gives angpao is he or she who has got married. Marriage is believed as the constraint between children and adult period. Beside that, there is a belief that Someone who has got married is already in a proper life. Giving Angpao to the youth and elder. For the persons who haven’t got married, they stiil have a right to get angpao even they have become an adult. And the persons who give, wish that he or she will get married soon. Gong Xi Gong Xi. Gong Xi Fa Chai, Happy Chinese New Year.

Created and structured by Fitroh Akbar Aulia Primadiansyah

What Is Ang Pao?

Don’t know what is an angpao? It’s called Red Packet when translated to English, and Chinese adults usually put some money inside and distribute them to their children and relatives (a generation smaller than they are). However, an unmarried adult is not, erm, ‘qualified’ to distribute angpao.

I would still remember last year’s Chinese New Year festival when all of my extended family relatives, approximately 100 of them, swarmed to one of my relative’s bungalow to celebrate this unique festival. The entire house was so crowded that I nearly got squeezed into a pancake. We children went on a crazy goosechase after all married adults to get as much angpao money as possible.

The money in those angpaos is called ya-tsui-chian. Actually the very first meaning of ya-tsui-chian means money that would suppress those evil-spirits, but now it has evolved as money that would keep children young. It goes:

压祟钱 – money that suppresses evil spirits

Then it evolves into:

压岁钱 – money that keep children young