Suitcase and World: January 2009

Monday, January 26, 2009

To the lands of my ancestors and Chinggis Khan.

Today is the start of the Chinese Lunar Year - it's the Year of the Ox. Gung Hay Fat Choy to all my Asian friends. I wish you much health, prosperity and happiness in the coming year.

I figure that this first day of the New Year ought to be an auspicious day to start this travelogue - my fourth in as many years.

This time around, I am travelling to a place that I've always dreamt of going to - China. Technically speaking, I have been to China numerous times - Hong Kong on more occasions than I can remember and Tibet in October 2007. But I've never been to the land of the Han Chinese - the land of my ancestors.

Both my maternal and paternal grandparents emigrated from China to Malaysia. Both my parents are first generation Malaysian and although I am Malaysian by birth, I am very much Chinese by heart.