..Magazine Cover..

My Biodata

My name is Wan Nurul Azreen Bt Wan Abdul Aziz and I'm 21 years old. Most of my friend call me Yeen but my family call me 'angah'. I was born on 26 November 1992 in Kampung Kuala Rekang, Bachok Kelantan. My mother gave birth of me at our house, unlike my siblings who were born at Hospital Kota Bharu, Kelantan. I have five siblings including me, one brother and three sisters. As you all might guess, I'm the sister from that other. I live in  Kampung Kuala Rekang, the same house I was born.

My primary school life begun when I was 6 years old. The school is Sekolah Kebangsaan Tangok, Kelantan. I pass with flying colors in UPSR in standard 6. Then I went to secondary school, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Badak, Kelantan. I managed to do well in PMR in Form 3 and continued my Form 4 in the same school. Once again I did quite well in SPM and I have been offered to enter Form 6, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Tendung, Kelantan. I completed my study Form 6 in 2 years. Now, I'm a 4rd year student in Bachelor of Communication at University Utara Malaysia (UUM).

My favourite hobby is play badminton. Whenever I play badminton, I feel healthy and stronger. I not only like playing badminton, but I also enjoy watching badminton on television. So, during weekends, I would call up my friends to play badminton with me. After the intense games, I feel very happy to be able to play badminton with friends and get rid of stress. So, for me badminton is a part of my life and it means a lot to me.

Cultural Festival in Japan

Every city, town and village in Japan has at least one matsuri (festival) a year. Matsuri fall into two broad categories - smaller matsuri in rural areas, usually held in spring or autumn and based around the rice-growing cycle; and extravagant matsuri held in large towns or cities, often in summer and with a lot of interpersonal activity. In the post-war period this division has become more pronounced with the big matsuri becoming 'events' and attracting TV cameras and tourists from around the country and the world. Matsuri have their origins in ancient Shinto rituals and beliefs. Important elements include purification, offerings to the gods - such as rice, sake or fruit - and contests or games held on the day. The latter can get out of hand, even to the point of violence, but this is considered part of letting one's hair down for the day. Most community matsuri have omikoshi, or portable shrines which are carried from house to house or shop to shop to bestow good fortune on all.

1. Sapporo Snow Festival

Sapporo Snow Festival (Yuki Matsuri) - early February. Odori Park in Sapporo is the venue for an incredible array of huge and elaborate snow and ice sculptures. The festival is a major tourist attraction that brings millions of visitors from across Japan and abroad.

2. Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festival

Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festival - July 1-15th. A major festival that welcomes the arrival of summer in the southern city of Fukuoka sees colorful kazari-yamakasa floats paraded through the streets. Huge excitement is generated when the kaki-yamakasa are raced in the Oiyama on the final day. 

3. Aomori Nebuta Festival

Aomori Nebuta Festival - August 1-7th. Giant floats are paraded through the city of Aomori in the evening with musical accompaniment. On top of the floats are colorful, illuminated papier-mache nebuta, figures of warriors, kabuki actors or other famous people. On the last night, the nebuta are cast out to sea. This reflects the festival's origins whereby people threw paper images into the river to cast out fatigue, illness or bad luck - anything that might interfere with a successful harvest.

Malay Culture Dance

Malay dance portrays the customs and culture of the Malays. It depicts the true nature of the Malay people and their way of life. Generally, Malay dances are divided into two main categories which are the “original” Malay dances and “adopted” Malay dances. The “original” Malay dances are indigenous to the Malay region, encompassing Sumatra, the Malay Peninsular, Singapore, the Riau Archipelago and Borneo, and its origins can be traced back to the early Malay civilizations. The “adopted” Malay dances are influenced by foreign cultures due to political and historical events. The various forms or styles of Malay dance are further categorized by its beats and rhythm.

• JOGET 

The Joget dance (also called the Ronggeng) was introduced to the Malays in Malacca during the early 16th century. Its origins may be traced back to two popular Portuguese folk dances, the Branjo and Farapeirra. Throughout Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo and the Riau Archipelago, the Joget has been known as a fast-paced popular dance and is performed at cultural festivals, wedding celebrations and many other social functions. Its catchy beat and cheerful combination of fast hand and leg movements appeal to both young and old alike.

• ZAPIN

The influence of the Zapin dance on Malay culture and arts started alongside the spread of the Islamic religion, beginning in the early 15th Century. The Zapin dance and music were brought and introduced by the Arab traders and missionaries from Southern Yemen particularly from the Hadramaut region. From its original form of Arabic Zapin (Zapin Arab), the dance assimilated itself into the Malay culture and thus gave birth to a localised version known as Zapin Melayu. Originally, Zapin performances were popular among the royalty. It is believed that every palace had its own Zapin troupe which performed at various palace functions and every rehearsal was done under the watchful eye of the Sultan.

• INANG

The Inang beats and dance movements are fast. It portrays the grace and swaying movement of royal maids and has all the qualities of a palace performance. In olden times, the Inang dance was performed only by ladies, with very modest movements adhering to the strict palace customs and protocols. Eventually, the Inang dance evolved from strictly a court dance into a folk dance enjoyed and performed by all individuals. Nevertheless, its graceful and modest movements have always remained. Nowadays, it is performed at all social functions and usually by couples of men and women. Examples of songs with the Inang beat are Seri Langkat, Lenggang Mak Limah and Mak Inang Pulau Kampai.

Custom Chinese Food

"Chinese New Year's Eve Foods"

The night before the Spring Festival is traditionally called "New Year's Eve". Several special traditions are associated with the New Year's Eve feast. First, it is a time when the entire family gathers together. Whether the meal is cooked and eaten at home or enjoyed at a restaurant, all members of the family, old and young, male and female, attend the feast. A place setting is prepared at the table for any family members who are unable to get home for the holidays, symbolically filling their place in the family circle. Because it serves to bring the family together, the New Year's Eve feast is also called the Reunion Feast.

Second, the New Year's Eve feast includes a wide variety of delicious foods and drinks. After working hard all year, people can finally relax with their families and enjoy life. In some regions, it is traditional to drink a special kind of liquor, tushu jiu, steeped with herbs, which is said to provide protection against disease in the coming year.

Third, the food served at the New Year's Eve feast has rich symbolic meaning. The dishes definitely include fish and chicken, because their Chinese names are homonyms for "abundance" and "good luck." In Taiwan, it is traditional to eat fish spheres like meatballs, but made out of fish, whose round shape symbolizes the family circle and family reunions. The name for Chinese leek is a homonym for "a long time", so dishes made with Chinese leeks are eaten to symbolize long life. Turnips are another popular New Year's dish, because their name in Fujian dialect is a homonym for "good omen."

Hindu Culture

Hinduism derives from the word “India” and is an ancient religion with no origin date or founder. It refers to a large variety of religious traditions and philosophies that developed in India. Many Hindus believe in reincarnation, observe festive holidays, value the practice of meditation and worship one or more deities.

Hindus have special requirements based on their tradition, scriptures, culture and belief system. One of those requirements is a dress code. Men and women wear forehead markings. Women who are married have a red dot (bindi) and orthodox men have a religious marking (tilak). In today’s society, the bindi no longer represents marriage but has become fashionable among young girls who wear it in different colors. Women who are married wear a mangalsutra around their neck, which is a necklace tied around the bride’s neck by the groom on the day of the wedding. Though today many Hindu girls and women wear bangles it was also used as a symbol of marriage. Men are allowed to sport a sikha – a tuft of hair like ponytail – on the back of their heads.

As for traditional clothing, some Hindu men wear a dhoti kurta, a chaddar which can be wrapped around the shoulders and torso during cold weather and a churidar during worship, prayer or festival days. For women, a traditional dress is known as a sari or a salwarkameez. In India you will still see a lot of women wearing the sari, the salwarkameez consists of two parts a tunic (kameez) that covers loose trousers (salwar). During worship or other appropriate times, women will cover their heads.

Marriage Customs Of The Malays

The activities that take place during a Malay wedding come from the diverse cultural traditions –indigenous, Hindu and Islamic–that have together served to shape traditional Malay culture. The numerous activities constitute a Malay wedding may be conveniently be divided into three groups representing three stages.

The first group of activities, all of which precede the actual wedding ceremony, consist of:

(a) The investigation (merisik).

When it is time for a young man to get married his family will look around to identify a number of potential candidates. Having decided upon one particular young lady, then, the 'merisik' of investigation process takes place. For this ceremony one or more representatives (wakil) of the young man’s family will pay a friendly visit to the family of the young woman whom they have in mind as his potential bride. The visit is purely for the purpose of further investigation. Its allows the visitors to see the young lady. A hint will be given to her parents regarding the purpose of the visit, and their reaction will be assessed. The girl’s parents may also give the visitors some idea as to whether or not their daughter will be interested in the match. The 'merisik' does not constitute a formal proposal. Following the visit both sides can begin to think more seriously about the possibility or otherwise of the union. It is possible that no progress may take place, and the young man’s parents or representatives will then look for another possible candidate.

(b) The engagement or approach to formulate the arrangement (meminang)

Once agreement for the marriage has been reached between the families of the potential bride and the potential bridegroom, preparations for engagement (meminang) take place. Representatives from the young man’s side once again visit the house of the young woman, following the confirmation of a date and time for such a visit.

(c) The 'hantaran' or the sending of gifts and part of the amount of money (wang belanja) for expenses (wang belanja) which the boy’s family give to the girl’s side that will be incurred by the girl’s family.

The 'wang belanja' is usually an amount of several thousand ringgit. It is different from the dowry (mas kahwin) which is also paid by the man to his future wife. The amount of the mas kahwin is usually fixed by the Islamic Religious Council in each state, but a potential bridegroom may give any amount above the official figure.

The second group of activities consists of the actual marriage ceremony (akad nikah) and (berinai), while the third group of activities consists of 'berarak'or arriving in procession, sitting on a decorated dias ( bersanding and the welcoming of the married couple to the bride’s house ( sambut menantu).