It is Saturday already and another week has pass and we are already in the third week of the month of January, the first month of this new year, two zero zero four and in a few days time the Chinese all over the world would be celebrating the lunar New Year, this time it is the year of the Monkey...For us Malaysian a multiracial country... the Chinese New year is one of those many festivals that we Malaysian celebrate every year and with that the country would enjoy a two days public holiday...In this country the Chinese New Year is celebrated with the pomp and splendor befit the great tradition of the Chinese.... who work really hard throughout the years and when it is the time to celebrate like this New Year festival..., they would really celebrate..with all the grandness that only the Chinese know how....there would be lion dances everywhere and as usual in this country there would be an Open House hosted by the Chinese political leaders all over the country...where thousand would throng to visit these Open Houses and enjoy those Malaysian Food and meeting friends to wish them a Happy and Prosperous New Year....As I had indicated earlier the whole country could feel Chinese cultural influences in this Lunar festival...The Malls have been decorated to suit the Chinese culture and tradition.. great red lantern hung everywhere and the atmosphere has became chineseness with loud speaker blaring Chinese songs and music....In this country the cross cultural influences has indeed taken places and today the celebration has became Malaysianised and with everyone of its citizen enjoying...Malaysian of all races would take this long holiday to 'balik kampong' going back to the village or hometown to meet their parents or relatives or just to get out of the city and enjoy a holiday at the holiday resorts all over the country...It has been the tradition of Malaysian to leave the cities and head for the holiday resorts to enjoy the holidays with their families and love one....With prosperity and many holiday resorts dotted the countryside....Malaysian always would find excuses to leave the hassle of the city life to a more quiet part of the country...... So come this weekend the city of Kuala Lumpur would once again be deserted and the highways would be jam with cars heading in all direction...To the North is Penang and Langkawi, to the south is Johor Baharu, Malacca, Singapore and to the east is the coastal town of Kuantan, Kuala Terengganu, Kota Bahru..... As for us we would just stay at home and enjoy the peace and tranquility of the deserted Kuala lumpur... for a period while it last... for only these few days would the capital city of Malaysian is left with few cars on the roads and the streets deserted....So it is great for city folks like us...a change of city atmosphere..even for only a few days....it is indeed a change from the normal city life ..... before the 'balik kampong' group would start coming back to their domain in the city....That is life my friends.... and Malaysian are used to this and it happen not once a year..but many many time during each festival season...Well we are enjoying every minute of it.....Where else can you find so many festivals of these kind celebrated officially by all its citizen...But in this small nation in southeast Asia... Malaysia...A country that had quantum leap in a mere forty years or so... to became a developed country with the various races living in harmony and enjoying the prosperity of the country...Actually the living standard and the life style here is almost the same as in the west...We actually are already in the first world....... To all my Chinese friends...Kong Xe Fatt Chai......