Tag Archives: Chinese New Year

What! No Wifi?!

23 Feb

The few days we were back in hubby’s hometown was good and tough. Good because we got a chance to see all the elders and hubby’s cousins with their young families, enjoy his aunty’s mouth watering home cooked food and basically have a good time away from the office. The children also had the opportunity to bond with their cousins too.

The tough part was having almost no wifi, hence no connectivity. All of us had our devices but only two phones had data plan, so we were forced to practice limited usage and just learn to live life without internet. It was indeed tough.

Luckily my games could be played offline and I progressed on to Level 829 for Candy Crush, Level 678 for Farm Heroes and Level 208 for Candy Crush Soda during my time there. Otherwise, I think I would rake up my data plan bill!

Thank goodness we are back home (by Saturday) and connected (to the internet) again.

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Eat ’em and Weep

20 Feb

Two days ago, we left our home early for the Reunion Dinner at hubby’s hometown up north. In the early hours of the morning to avoid the anticipated massive jam, we thought this was best to avoid arriving late. All these years we have never left at 6.30am on the day itself, as it is usually a day or two earlier. Typical times when we leave home at this hour are only to catch a flight at the airport or going for a 7.30am tee off golf game.

Anyway, being so early, breakfast had to be on the go. I was chewing on a doughy piece of bread with nuts when suddenly, I felt a sensitiveness at the back of my mouth. Oh dear.

I probed the bottom left side with my tongue and to my horror, discovered a gaping hole in my lower molar! Did I just swallow a portion of my tooth? Or was it the filling? What bread was that that caused the tooth to crack?

Dear, oh dear. Being away for several days without immediate rectification work on it by my dentist, it will be a challenge to savor all the delicacies this reunion has to offer.

And because it’s Chinese New Year and we cannot be rude or not obliging to the family, it’s been an eat ’em and weep experience so far.

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Gong Xi Fa Cai

19 Feb

Today is the beginning of the Year of the Goat in the Chinese Lunar calendar. May the year bring abundance prosperity, happiness and peace in the world.

Here’s wishing all a Happy and Prosperous New Year or in various dialects (Mandarin, Cantonese, Teochew & Hokkien): Gong Xi Fa Cai, Kong Hey Fatt Choy, Sin Chia Ju Ee and Kiong Hee Huat Chai!!!

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The Reunion Dinner

17 Feb

The reunion dinner is very important for Chinese families during Chinese New Year. All, if not most, family members will make the effort to be present for this occasion if possible. Every year, hubby and I alternates this duty with our parents, even years with my mom here and odd years with his parents at their hometown. This year, it will be with his parents.

And every year when we have to hit the road, the typical four and a half hours journey doubles in its duration because half the country will also be traveling either for this occasion or simply take this opportunity to go away for a road trip holiday. It gets worse upon return because that half of the country that travelled earlier decides to return all at the same time, clogging up the highway all the way; there was a year we took 10 hours to reach home.

With such ghastly hours, I dread the journey sometimes but it has to be done. So we brace ourselves with all comforts thrown in: iPods, iPads and phones fully charged for entertainment and connectivity, several powerbanks for backup power for the devices, lots of snacks and water for survival. It can be fun sometimes but only if we make it so. The girls would bring along pillows and blankets to make their travel more comfortable.

Well, we can’t really tell the traffic volume until we hit the road tomorrow and regardless of the duration—be it five, seven or ten hours—we will be there for the reunion dinner with hubby’s side of the family.

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Fruitful Weekend

16 Feb

I feel as though I should give myself a pat on the shoulder for accomplishing quite a bit over the weekend. It wasn’t the big battle with the Chinese New Year crowd that I thought I’d have to do but my games!

The pat on the shoulder was for me finally crossing Level 185 of Candy Crush Soda, which was so difficult and also Level 821 of Candy Crush, which was even more difficult. I have been stuck at these two for sometime and perseverance finally paid off.

Honestly, I also managed to complete my Chinese New Year purchases without stressing too much. The secret? Online shopping! The bulk of the necessary was made easy with Tesco’s online services. With free delivery for this festive occasion, I totally took advantage of it and saved the hassle of going to the mall and fight with the last minute shoppers.

I am ready to usher in the Year of the Goat come Thursday.

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Mushroom Head

6 Feb

As Chinese New Year is just around the corner, getting a haircut is one of the preparations. I visited my stylist three days ago, seven weeks from the last visit (I go for my haircut every six to seven weeks). For someone with short hair, that’s a lot of trips to the hairdresser in a year compared to the two girls with long hair. They have their haircut twice or maybe three times a year.

Whenever I come back with my usual short hairdo, it hardly gets noticed and when the girls do notice, they’d say,”Oh. You got your mushroom head!”

Eeesh.

This time, thank goodness they did not pass the mushroom head comment but instead admired the new color of the hair.

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Celebration After Celebration

3 Feb

Today is yet another public holiday, celebrating Thaipusam, but it feels like a weekend because we lined up activities that we normally reserve for the weekend. We did not want to stay in Penang until today knowing we will be caught in a big traffic jam upon our return, hence the journey back yesterday.

The next big festivity coming up is Chinese New Year or the Lunar New Year. It is approaching fast and there isn’t much time left to prepare for it. I should be doing my New Year shopping but as always, am procrastinating. It’s the same every year, Queen of last minute.

I may go fight with the crowd this coming weekend to settle the preparations once and for all.

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Am I Italian?

19 May

It was during Chinese New Year/Lunar New Year that we discovered some very enlightening facts about hubby’s side of the family. Hubby’s uncle and cousin had painstakingly researched the family roots, tracing back to his great-grandfather, who was born in 1881 and emigrated here from China.

This means his grandfather is the first generation of the clan, hubby the third generation and my girls the fourth generation. I was awed because on my side, my only sibling and I are first generation; my Dad came from Singapore.

During the PowerPoint presentation, the whole clan learnt of the beginnings of the ancestors: how they met, when, where and all. There were even mug shots of the great-grandparents and it was one of the mugs that I commented, “Gosh! He looks European! Almost like an Italian!” to which M2 overheard and perked her up.

“Am I Italian?” she said.

Tickled by her question, I merely raised my eyebrow. She persisted.

“Am I Italian?”

I rolled my eyes and ignored her.

“Hmm. I must be because I like pizzas!” she decided and beamed.

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I Wanna Go Home

17 Feb

There has been an increase of fireworks display in our housing estate within a span of 16 days. From the eve of the Lunar New Year, the 9th Day (commemorating the belief that the Jade Emperor protected Hokkien ancestors from being caught) to the 15th Day, Chap Goh Meh, the family has had to endure loud crackling noises and explosions; yet at the same time, admire in awe the beauty and colors of these generous private fireworks by our neighbors.

Every evening Rooney comes out to the garden at the back to play. However, on these particular nights, my poor Roo is scared senseless and barks non-stop as if pleading, “I wanna go home!” and wants us to accompany him back to the kitchen. Poor fella. He may be a fierce looking pooch but he’s such a baby when it comes to simple things like being independent or going back on his own.

Well, the Lunar New Year is officially over and peace will prevail again in the skies and neighborhood until another festive occasion comes around.

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All We Do is Eat

7 Feb

These past few days and the next few, it seems that all we do and think about is eating and eating well. Perhaps it is still the festive Lunar New Year/Chinese New Year that is in the air that we are making the extra effort to meet up with friends (and family) for the must-have Yee Sang for good luck along with hearty sumptuous Chinese meals.

We’ve been calling Chinese restaurants all over town to book tables only to be turned away as they have been fully booked. It looks like we are not the only ones with this eating mission in mind during this festive period. After all, Chinese New Year is celebrated for 15 days and there’s still a week to go.

Despite the set back from the more renowned restaurants, we managed. Today, I am booked for lunch with a girlfriend and later, dinner with friends and their children. Then the gastronomic adventure continues, with hubby and the girls, with dinners on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights with different groups of friends, culminating with a family dinner on Chap Goh Meh, the 15th and final day of the Lunar New Year on Friday!

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