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A Different Kind of Celebration

12 Apr

April is a special month. Not only it is the month of my birthday, it is also Mom’s and the twins’ birthdays. Dad was also an April baby.

Typically every year, it would just be a sit down dinner around town especially for Mom’s birthday followed by coffee and dessert at home. This year, we opted for a different kind of celebration. Combining all three birthdays for a one-day celebration, we had a really enjoyable time.

The evening started off with a Japanese buffet with a slight twist. We had to grill our own order which was quite time consuming but fun. The grill setup was smoke free, the choices pretty good and we chose what we fancied. I felt like a lion that night, consuming all that protein.

After the sumptuous meal, we were all ready… for bowling! Told you it would be different.

And you know what? I am terrible at it! I was consistently getting a dash for one of the two bowl attempts in each and every frame, it was almost embarrassing. Even Mom chuckled at my ability or should I say, inability. 

After two rounds of bowling, everyone was pumped from the excitement but tired plus it was getting late. We then headed to my sibling’s for the birthday cake.

This year, we all shared a cake. My niece took pains to bake a four colored cheese cake until the wee hours of the morning. She said each color was to represent each of us, which was really sweet and thoughtful.

The zesty lemon cheesecake was good. Not only I had seconds, I had three helpings. Burp…

Today is Mom’s actual special day, so Happy birthday Mom, happy belated birthday twins and happy advanced birthday me!

 

Beef? Bacon? Prawns? No problem!

  

Colorful bowling balls

  

Pink, Orange, Green and Blue, one color for each!

 

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Pre-Chap Goh Meh Dinner

22 Feb

The family actually had the Chap Goh Meh dinner last night instead of tonight, calling it the Pre-Chap Goh Meh dinner. A simple family get together for another hearty meal.

Having the dinner yesterday was a good decision as it was a Sunday and plenty of time for preparation. If dinner was held tonight, being a work and school day, preparations may not be so smooth and we would all end up having a late dinner and a long day.

As always with family occasions, it turned out well despite a lesser spread than the Reunion Dinner menu but this was not important. More important is the fact that with this occasion complete, and today being the 15th day of Chinese New Year, it marks the last day for celebrating. No more monkeying around the Year of the Monkey, pun intended.

I need a break from all this eating!

  

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The Eating Continues

12 Feb

It is the fifth day of Chinese New Year and today, we will eat the traditional ‘Mee Sua’ when we see my Mom shortly. This traditional noodle dish that she cooks every year during this festivity as well as during birthdays, comes with two hard boiled eggs, some meat and served with soup signifies the person being a year older, upon consumption, and wiser to face the new year. It is nice when tradition is still kept alive. Bless Mom for this.

Today we will also visit some relatives and I foresee more eating, if not a hearty meal, at least munching on cookies and sweet offerings, typically found during this time. I have not stepped on my scale in the bathroom. Maybe after Chap Goh Meh… Then the workouts will begin but until then, the eating continues.

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It’s All About Eating

11 Feb

Chinese New Year is all about eating. Traffic was not that bad when we traveled on Monday. And when we arrived, we had a late lunch. Then an early dinner.

The next day, it was a full three meals, starting with Roti Canai for breakfast and lunch, a home-cooked spread at an aunty’s place. As for dinner, we drove to Kuala Kedah to enjoy a sunset before having dinner at the seafood restaurant nearby the coast. Burp.

Thank goodness by Wednesday, the third day of Chinese New Year, we went off to play golf at Darulaman Golf Club. I should say a necessity so that I don’t feel so guilty with all these intake; burnt some calories I sure did. Lunch and dinner were again meals at home.

Today we head on home, after a meal of course. Hopefully traffic will be smooth. All in all, it has been all about eating more than catching up with family. 

Seafood galore at Kuala Kedah

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Happy Monkey Year!

8 Feb

Today is the beginning of the Fire Monkey year and it is our first Chinese New Year without M1. Feels funny. Last night, we had the Reunion Dinner with my Mom and my sibling and his family at his home. And as always, the home-cooked food spread is the highlight (save for the purchased roast duck and Siew Yoke) and the family bonding time precious. Tossing the Yee Sang was fun.

Later today, we will head on up North to hubby’s hometown. I hope traffic will be kind because I have read about people taking nine hours on the road for a typical three and a half hour journey!

Then again, the exodus began last Friday and Saturday for the Reunion Dinner on Sunday night; it is Monday today and we shouldn’t be facing heavy traffic. Technically shouldn’t… We shall see.

Nonetheless, being on the road, we will drive safe and be there when we get there. Here’s wishing everyone a safe, peaceful and more positive year ahead. Gong Xi Fa Cai!

   
 

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Squeals of Delight

1 Feb

Saturday night was such a trip down memory lane. I met up with old high school friends after so long. Arrangements were made several weeks ago to gather as many as possible as one of them was coming back from Hong Kong for a visit and requested for a reunion of sorts.

It took some effort but it happened. Thanks to Facebook and WhatsApp, within days most whom I reconnected with agreed to come.

When one by one walked into the restaurant on Saturday night, there were repeated squeals of joy and delight, followed by hugs and laughter. It was indeed a delight to see old friends again after 30 years. Yes, I admit, we are dinosaurs, 30 years.

Thank goodness, the restaurant was pretty noisy, so our squeals, giggles and chatter did not make heads turn nor bring the roof down. So many questions, so much changes (physically especially) yet we all still looked the same. For a brief moment, we seemed to have been transported back in time to our boisterous and giggly teen selves of the good old high school days. It was nostalgic.

In that four hours, much was exchanged amongst us, updates on life, pictures of family and all.

I am glad those who showed up did. As we are not getting younger, such occasions are moments to cherish. My only wish is we could do this more often, get together over dinner or drinks to continue to shape this beautiful thing we call friendship.

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Being Charitable

29 Jan

Being charitable is good. For society, the cause and also one’s inner soul. When you combine this with golf, it is more than good. It is fun! 

Today we take the day off to play a round of golf for a charitable cause and have some good fun with friends on the fairways and greens. Happy weekend ahead too! Whee….

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What a Feast!

25 Dec

Merry Christmas! The pictures say it all; the Christmas spread was all homemade-save for the two cold cuts-and prepared with love. Pre-dinner was red wine with salami and chocolates. 

For dinner, we had the traditional turkey, mash potatoes with bacon bits, salad, dinner rolls and a cake and lots of wine. And after dinner, out came the coffee and more dessert, pumpkin spiced Oreos and whiskey! It was a good time with everyone feted and happy moments forever in our memory banks now. 

When present wrappers were shredded, many squeals of delight and joy could be heard along with the oohs and aahs. The joy of giving and the joy of receiving is indeed priceless.

Sigh. Another year has gone by so quickly.

Merry Christmas again to everyone and thank you to the readers/followers of my blog. May your year end on a high!

 

Christmas Eve Dinner 2015

  

Toblerone cheesecake

   

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Chat

Christmas Eve

24 Dec

I cannot believe it’s Christmas Eve already and tonight’s the big family Christmas dinner at my only sibling’s house. This also means we have three days left with M1 before she returns to university.

Every year over at the Lee household, they would roast a turkey which has become a tradition in our family to dine on during Christmas, and I would supply the sides, the salad and hams, along with the wine. Mom would bake dinner rolls.

It will be a merry time with everyone around – the boisterous eating, chatting and laughing; followed by the present opening occasion and you can see everyone ooh-ing and ahh-ing at their presents. But it will also be a special time as M1 spends time with the whole family when she was not supposed to be back now but Summer next year. Oh well, plans change. 

Three more days… let’s make it memorable.

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Another Wedding!

16 Nov

I enjoy family wedding dinners whenever there is an invitation. It is more for the people than the food honestly. Two weeks ago, we were just in Penang for hubby’s cousin’s wedding dinner. Over the weekend, the latest honor goes to my side of the family. However, it is not a cousin but a nephew!

The groom is my First Aunty’s grandson, my cousin sister’s son. So this makes him my nephew, to simplify matters. Unlike the Penang occasion where we went through the Tea Ceremony because of the cousin hierarchy, we were not required to do so this time.

Mom has nine sisters (Mom ranking number six among the aunties) and five brothers, and I have a ton of cousins! Over the years when a happy occasion comes around, the whole clan comes together for the happy gathering. It would be a boisterous time seeing all the aunties and uncles, and catching up with all cousins who showed up.

As time passes, most of my older cousins are married and this created a lengthy lapse in meeting up. Then last year, came the turn of the last few younger ones and the family gathered for two more wedding dinners. It was wonderful. With this latest occasion, marking the third within a year and the first of the next generation, it was a great time for everyone to once again come together and make merry. Until the next occasion…

M2 was able to attend this time!

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