Mid-Autumn Festival

It's the time of year again, when we all get to eat mooncakes and play with lanterns. I remember when i was young, every year without fail i would light my lantern and walk around the neighbourhood. I used to have a few of those paper lanterns (somehow the whole thing tends to catch on fire and burn up) and then one year somebody gave me a battery operated one in a shape of a dragon. The dragon has been passed down to Josh and is sitting in his toy basket rite now.

There are so many varieties of mooncakes nowadays, all sort of fillings and crusts. But i still like the normal brown glossy crust with lotus seed paste & yolk. Don't really like those fancy ones though i don't mind trying.

The other day, me and my colleagues were discussing on the story behind the Mid-Autumn Festival. One colleague was telling his version of how some people were hiding in the forest and sent messages by hiding it in the mooncakes.............i think he got it confused with another story.

Another popular story is about a husband and wife called Houyi and Chang'e. They were kickout of heaven and sent to earth. One day, the Emperor of China gave Houyi a pill of eternal life. Houyi went home and hid it and of course Chang'e found it and swallowed it. Chang'e realised that she could fly (Weeeeeee!). When Houyi found out, he scolded her, so she merajuk and flew out of the window. Houyi went after her with his bow and chased her halfway through the heavens (how come he can fly? oh ya, he's an immortal. forgot to mention. but can all immortals fly?). He couldn't continue after that because of strong winds (i didn't make this up). Chang'e reached the moon and was quite breathless by then, so she coughed. Half of the pill fell out of her mouth. So she asked the Hare (i don't know how this bunny got on the moon) to make her a pill so she can go back to earth. Until today, the Hare is still pounding the herbs trying to make the pill. Houyi built a palace on the sun as 'Yang' with Chang'e as 'Yin'. So on the 15th day of the fullmoon every year, Houyi visits his wife, and therefore the moon on that night is shining brightly.

Moral of the story, do not get on the pill. Haha. Kidding... ;)