Creating greeting cards

A personalised card

It’s your colleague’s wedding anniversary

Your friend is celebrating her birthday

A family friend just passed away

A festival is coming your way

            How do you wish someone or tell him you care on special occasions?  Say it with a card! 

It is fashionable to send a card all types of occasions in countries abroad.  In Malaysia, we send cards 

during festive seasons like Hari Raya, Deepavali, Christmas and Chinese New Year.  Young people 

like to send birthday cards to each other.

A greeting card is short and sweet and very easy to pen.  It takes a little effort on

the giver but it gives immense pleasure to the receiver. Cards with special messages are very expensive in the market.  Many people turn to electronic cards which are hassle-free and convenient. But after some time, the novelty wears off. 

Why not make your own greeting cards?  Use your creativity and ingenuity to bring joy and happiness to someone far away or give special meaning to someone with a personalised message.  
 

A card made from cut-out peacock picture

 I have been making greeting cards for family and friends on festivals and special occasions.  I find it relaxing and I get my rewards from the happy faces and exclamations.

Making cards requires some sacrifice and effort - something original for someone special.

One of my favourites is making cards from pressed flowers- beautiful preserved works of nature.  Let me share some simple steps of card making with you.

A card made with pressed flowers

          The materials you need are: white paper, hard cover paper (purchase from book shops, recycle from book covers), paper cutter or scissors, glue, double sided tape, fine forceps and your pressed flowers.

            For the pressed flowers: pick your flowers in the morning while they are fresh.  Choose small petal coloured ones (yellow, red or purple). Place them between newspapers, making sure they do not overlap.  Insert these folded newspapers in thick books.(share reports or the telephone directory ).

After about a month, when they are completely dry, sort them out into flowers and leaves that make compatible pleasing designs.  Use a fine forcep for easy handling of such delicate dry flora.

            Arrange your design on to a prepared cut-to-size white paper. Use glue to make them permanent.  Let’s call this (a).

          Cut your coloured hard paper to size.  Fold it into two, the front is top face and when this is 

opened, you have two interior faces.  Let’s call this (b).

Place the completed design (a) on the front face.  Use double-sided tape to glue it.  A finished self-made personalised card is ready.

Use your creativity to write a phrase on the cover – the fewer the words the better.  Words like, for someone special, thank you, happy birthday etc.  Then write simple verses or messages on the folded interior.  The personalized messages inside your card is the one that will give pleasure to the receiver.     

A pressed flowers card with words Thank you

Hey presto, you have created a special card. Send it to someone special. Have fun!    

Start a new hobby of creativity

Use unique ideas and ingenuity

Touch someone’s heart today

And bring joy in a special way

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This article was published in ehomemakers.com
Photos are added here.

Update in 2019:

Nowadays people use social media - like facebook, twitter, whatsapp or email - to send greetings to
each other. Sad, but making or sending greeting cards is a dying art.

A Toi Shan Convention and Finding our Roots

6 of us at the Toi Shan Convention

Where do you come from? Very often we are asked this question. It is not about the birds and the bees that you tell your children. It is about what your roots are and where your ancestors come from.

My husband and I were keen to find our roots. Last year in 2017, my husband’s cousin from Singapore invited us to join a group of Singaporeans (Ning Yeung Wui Kuan) to go to Toi Shan, Guangdong Province in China, for a Toi Shan Convention. As my husband’s family come from the town Toi Shan and they speak the Toi Shan dialect, this was the golden opportunity to find out more about his roots.

So 4 of us from Malaysia (my husband and I, his sister and brother), my husband's cousin and wife. and the Singapore contingent flew to Toi Shan to attend the International Convention (9 – 10 Nov 2017).

We arrived in Toi Shan on 8^th November in the evening. We checked in to the JOS Hotel and took a taxi to Phoenix Hotel for a delicious welcome dinner. The menu was mouth-watering with roast goose, roast duck, chicken, cauliflower, bitter gourd soup, ma-ka herbal soup and all varieties of dim sum for dessert. 

Lobby of  JOS Hotel

Next morning (9th November), after a hearty breakfast, we were off to the Phoenix Hotel again to attend the Convention.  

A hearty breakfast

Called Convention of Hoy Sun Ning Yung Association, (hoy sun is the local dialect) it was quite a grand affair. At the entrance, we could not hide our excitement at the charming decor. Everyone tried to capture some memorable photos.

5 of us at the entrance

Delegates taking memorable pictures at the entrance

Delegates taking memorable shots at the entrance

As we entered the hotel, we were welcomed by a lion dance. 

3 of us posing with the lion dancers

Singaporeans welcomed by lion dance

We walked through a long artistically-decorated passage to the Convention Hall, passing through many placards showing maps of the various villages, agriculture and industries in Toi Shan.

A beautifully-decorated passage to the Convention Hall

Angelic decor on ceiling in passage to Convention Hall

The impressive artistic arched ceiling along the passage

Map of  Toi Shan

Toi Shan Agriculture

Toi Shan Industry

Map of Guangdong

 Just outside the Convention Hall were congratulatory flowers and messages.

Flowers with congratulatory messages

As we entered the Convention Hall, I was amazed to see a very big crowd, about 900 people, greeting and chatting with one other. Most of the crowd were senior citizens. They come from different parts of the world and they were all conversing in the Toi Shan dialect!

About 900 people from different parts of the world

This was the 8th International Convention.The organiser for the Convention, on a rotational basis, was Peru, South America. The event was sponsored by Peru Hoy Sun Association and co-sponsored by Hoy Sun City Council. 

From a book distributed, the number of representatives from each country was: United States (288), Canada (210), South America (77), Singapore (49), China (27), Australia (26), Hong Kong (15), New Zealand (13), Myamar (10), Malaysia (4), Taiwan (2) and others (5).

The Opening Ceremony started with a roar - a Lion Dance. Amidst the beating of the drums, the lion dancers pranced up to the stage, causing ripples of excitement.

Lion dancers on stage

Next, there was an introduction of the organisers and all countries' representatives. This was followed by China’s National Anthem.

The President then gave a welcome speech. He proceeded to give a short history of the Association, which started 15 years ago with 300 delegates that in 2017 has increased to about 900 delegates. Following this was a slide show of previous Toi Shan Convention, from 2002 to 2015. Finally, the Heads of Delegates exchanged souvenirs. 

President giving a speech

Lunch was served at about 12 noon. The waiters and waitresses, dressed impressively  in red jackets, black pants and black hat, weaved in and out of the tables expertly balancing appetising dishes. 

Waitress in formal attire

An appetising abalone dish

Yummy roast pork and roast duck for lunch

Steam prawn

Steam fish

Steam chicken

Rainbow coloured vegetables

Rice with nuts as garnishing

Delicious Dessert

We were happy to meet so many people from all parts of the world, all speaking the familiar Toi Shan lingo. The atmosphere was warm and friendly and everyone felt at home, like they were one family. 

As we enjoyed the many varieties of Guangdong cuisine, we exchanged ideas, and learned of each other's experiences in the countries they have migrated to.

Our table of 6 members with other Singapore delegates

While we dined, an ongoing variety show entertained us. Led by Chinese TV personalities, these included songs and dances, both modern and classical, performed in Toi Shan dialect, Cantonese and Mandarin. Some of these were: I am a Toi Shan, I love you, Southern Sea and  Meeting in dreams.

Entertainment while we dined

Entertainment while we dined

After lunch, we went back to our hotel. In the evening, we went back to Phoenix Hotel for dinner and the second part of the programme.

The programme started with speeches by the Peru organiser, Mayor of Toi Shan city, and the announcement of Vancouver, the next conference organiser, scheduled to be in 2019. There was a “handing over” of the next sponsorship just like in the Olympics.

Handing over ceremony

Throughout the dinner, there were musicals, group songs, solo, folk songs and dancing. Among the items, many were famous Toi Shan celebrities. The last item was a group song We belong to one family.

Dinner entertainment:

The programme ended with a photography session. The delegates moved up to the stage orderly when their country’s name was called, group by group. There was laughter and cheer as the individual groups arranged themselves, posed and smiled into the myriads of cameras focused on them from all angles.

Delegates from Singapore

Next day (10th November), there was an organised tour of Toi Shan for all delegates. Our number was so big that we had to travel in 5 buses. The visits showcased the contribution and remembrance of Toi Shan migrants.

1. Mui Family Garden

This place, a setting for filming movies, had only a few rows of shophouse along a street. 

It was quite deserted except for traders who were selling preserved vegetable, herbs, dried fruits, fried chicken, arrowroot and sweet dessert (sesame and beancurd). When we arrived, the whole place came alive, swarming with Toi Shan delegates!

With a Canadian couple in Mui Family Garden

A trader selling dried foodstuff in Mui Family Garden

2. Taishan Haikou Port

This Port and Memorial of Yinxin, Memory of the World showed Historic Trials of the  Chinese emigrants and Memorial of Overseas Chinese. Historically, the Chinese who wished to migrate to overseas countries chose this Port to sail out of China. 

The Memorials there were built by overseas Chinese who send money back to finance it.

The Port where emigrants sail out of China

The Memorial

One memorial detailing the Chinese who migrated overseas

3. Chen Village. 

The Chen family migrated to the United States and Canada. They returned to Toi Shan to build homes with foreign architecture. Now, they do not live there anymore.

The Chen Village

Buildings with foreign architecture in Chen Village

Homes with foreign architecture

4. The Xinning Railway 

The railway station is a 2-storey building of brick and concrete with stained-glass windows. Mr Chen Yixi (1844 - 1929) who migrated to Seattle in the early 20th century came back to Toi Shan to help modernise his hometown. He built this private railway (the first railway in China) with money he raised primarily from Chinese-Americans. There were statues, placards and a locomotive to commemorate this historical figure.

Mr Chen Yixi and the Railway system

Railway Station with statue of Mr Chen Yixi and locomotive in background

Our group of 6 with statues of people in the past

5. Her Shan County Museum

Her Shan County Museum

The most absorbing visit was Her Shan County Museum. The exhibits there showed how migrants struggled and survived overseas. There were also stories of those who were successful who came back to contribute to the development of Toi Shan, their fatherland, as well as to their homeland.

One story I found most interesting was how the overseas Chinese embrace their fatherland but love their homeland. It is quoted here:

"Generations of Toishanese left their villages. When abroad, they suffered discrimination, exclusion and oppression. Their arduous and brave efforts, however, eventually enabled them to persist for generation after generation. Together with the people of their countries of residence, they blazed new trials in industry and commerce, exploited natural resources, opposed colonialism and made indelible contributions to the economic development and social progress of the countries where they lived. Although they live overseas, the overseas Chinese both embrace their fatherland and love their homeland."

Some of the striking exhibits:

Brave emigrants sailing away and waving goodbye to family members

An immigrant panning for gold in a foreign country

In the 19th century, some Toi Shan people
were abducted and signed up to work abroad

Toi Shan immigrants worked as farmers
in California in the 1880s

Mr Ou, a Toi Shan, became
"pineapple king" in Hawaii

In between the visits, we had lunch at a restaurant with Toi Shan specialities. With about 900 of us, it was a merry and noisy lunch.

The Toi Shan specialities:

Salty Smoked fish with Chinese Sausage

Steam chicken with kum cham (lily buds)

Braised pork with lotus root (leng ngau)

Porridge with boneless fish and lean pork

Winter melon (Toong kua) soup

Winter melon (Toong kua) soup

After the informative tour, we went back to Phoenix Hotel for another sumptuous dinner.

Basket of healthy nuts (cashew,walnut, ginkgo) with vegetables

Chicken soup

Squid-sea cucumber (hoi sam) -mushroom-broccoli dish Different varieties of Dessert

Squid-sea cucumber (hoi sam)
-mushroom-broccoli dish

Different varieties of Dessert

Appetising Scallops

   

Basket of healthy nuts (cashew,walnut, ginkgo)with vegetables 

We were pleasantly surprised that all of us present (delegates) were given a set of souvenirs to take back.

A set of souvenirs: jewellery box, maca herbs, cordyceps
and packets of pu'er tea with orange peel

All too soon, the two days of Toi Shan Convention and Tour came to an end. We bade farewell to new friends and hope to meet up again for the next Convention in 2019.

After the Convention, the 6 of us went to Sheung Moon Village in Toi Shan to find out more about my husband's ancestral village. A cousin of my husband's Singapore cousin who lives in Toi Shan, guided us there. 

My husband and his siblings were delighted to see the home of their father and grandfather. The house is about 90 years old. Some of the furniture were still good and usable, which we would call antiques in this modern era.

Rice and corn field at the village

Lane leading to ancestral house

Entrance of grandfather and father's (Chia) ancestral home

6 of us with China relatives in the hall of  Chia ancestral home

My husband (centre) with his sister and brother in their ancestral home
A ladder on the right leads to an altar for ancestral worship

Kitchen of Ancestral home

Visiting the humble abode of ancestors gave us a better perspective of how our parents and grandparents lived.

Attending the Toi Shan Convention and touring Toi Shan were great eye-openers. We discovered that the Toi Shan community is very large and that it has spread to all parts of the world.

We learned how our ancestors left the fatherland, how they struggled and suffered when they migrated to foreign countries to make a living. We learned how successful migrants returned to the fatherland to help develop it. 

Attending the Toi Shan Conference and finding our roots was an enlightening and enriching experience.