Zhong Ee CNY Dinner @ Joystar Garden

Yeah! This is about dinner again! Normally there will be a lot of dinners to attend around Chinese New Year season.

Last night I was invited by my cousin to a charity cum CNY dinner at Joystar Garden restaurant near Sungai Merah. It was organized by Sarawak Zhong Ee Association - a Buddhism based charity association origin from Sibu.

[Outside view of Joystar Garden restaurant]

[The stage]

[VIP table]

All the children from Methodist Children's Home were invited to the event. According to the host, they were fully sponsored by a philanthropist who wished to remain anonymous.

Did you feel something weird here? Did I mentioned about this is a Buddhism-base charity organization but Methodist Children's Home was invited? Buddhism-based versus Christian-based?

Ya, I think this is the most meaningful point about this event! Don't you feel this is what charity suppose to be about? Doing charity should be across religious, races, languages and on top of everything! Doing charity is borderless! At least in this aspect, the association had done a good job and worth a compliment.

Besides eating, the organizer as well as children from Methodist Children's Home (MCH) prepared a series of programs. There were angpow giving ceremonies by the association and also few philanthropists to the children from children's home. The association also given away scholarship for those MCH's children who achieved excellent result in their studies.

[Angpow and scholarship giving by the president]

Then the cute MCH's children performed a series of program to entertain the crowd including group singing and also street dancing! Their energetic performance really heat up the temperature! The crowd seems to be enjoying and cheering up by the hot dance. Cannot deny... some of them really have great potential to be a dancer!

[Hot dance performance]

[This kid has the potential to be a dancer, don't you feel so?]

These children really touched my heart! They let me see clearer what courageous and brave is all about! Although they were from less fortunate group, yet they enjoy their life with joy and laughter and they never feel shy to show their talent! Perhaps, a lot of fortunate children these days should take them as their role model how to appreciate their life!

[Joyful look on MCH's children which touched my heart]

One more thing I have to mention here.. the principal of MCH and her assistant who brought the children to the dinner were actually so young! I salute and praise them for their dedication and time spent to educate these children and shaped them to be a better person in life! Their contribution are great!

[Young MCH's principal and her assistant were asked to duet a song]

The organizer also prepared some games to cheer the dinner up. There were balloon blowing competition participated by children from MCH and they seemed enjoy the game a lot!

[Balloon blowing competition]

The second game was Guinness Stout drinking using straw competition. Personally I felt this game is not suitable for the night especially when it involved so many children.

[Guinness Stout with straw drinking competition - unhealthy!]

The 3rd game - beer drinking using straw competition. Honestly, I didn't sure what was the different between 2nd and 3rd game. Both were just alcoholic drinks drinking competition! It might give false education to the children that drinking alcoholic drinks is something very joyful!

The assistant principal of MCH was participated in the 3rd game. I think he was invited by the host. I am sure he's not a good drinker, yet he just be supportive and cheer up for the dinner.

[Assistant principal of MCH was invited to participate in beer drinking competition]

About the foods... well I would say "so so" only. Standard Chinese dishes.

[Hot plate combination]

This one was the most "special" dish that opened my eyes wide! Quarter fried chicken covered with keropok and salad fried sotong!! Yes, no need to rub your eyes! It's quarter chicken ok? Imagine - quarter chicken shared among 10 person within a table! And the fried sotong - this is the dish I like to order when yamcha with friend!

["Special" dish - Quarter fried chicken in Keropok with yamcha style fried sotong]

[Butter prawn]

[Fried noodles]

[The dessert]

As a whole, I noticed the children from MCH were really happy and enjoyed the dinner which served the purpose of the event. Hope God will continue blessing them!