Tag Archives: Chinese New Year

What a Show Off

16 Jan

I was at the hair salon last Friday to get a haircut in preparation for Chinese New Year and there was this lady, sitting on the opposite side and being such a show off in her conversation.

Yes lady, I heard you when you bragged loudly about the gemstone you intend to purchase.

Yes, I heard you when you asked if the stone was 12 carats and gushed about the color and clarity of it.

Yes, I also heard when you praised the vendor for the quality of the gemstone yet complained that the price was exorbitant.

Gee… There was no one else besides me and my regular hairdresser, you didn’t have to speak so loudly to let me know. Unfortunately I heard you loud and clear even though I did not want to.

Any person doing something like this should just be discreet. Openly bragging would just invite trouble.

Who was she trying to impress? Certainly can’t be me? I should have plugged my earphones in to drown out the conversation. It was distracting my reading the gossip tabloid about the UK Royals.

When I was done and at the counter to pay, there she was again, at my side, talking loudly. This time it was about a 15-carats stone.

What an obvious show off.

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Feeling the Change

10 Jan

You know the holidays are definitely over and Chinese New Year is around the corner when the heat has arrived. The weather has suddenly changed. Last week, it was still very cool and even rained. Heavily at it too.

This week with everything settling into routine, the girls back in school and us back to work, the heat has crept in. Yesterday at gym, the humidity and the heat was really stifling, even indoors. As a result, the session became very taxing.

On the home front, the garden is thriving. Birds of different species come together and eat the seeds we put out. And big birds would just lounge on the dry deck!

It’s heartwarming to see such harmony but the heat… getting unbearable. Sigh.

  
 

M2 snapped this huddle from the kitchen

 

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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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I Gotta Do Something

18 Feb

This constant eating or should I say, over eating, is getting to me and I decided not to wait until after Chap Goh Meh to do something about it.

On Monday (night), being the 8th day of Chinese New Year, we were visiting a friend and the food spread beckoned. Oh dear, I was actually still feeling stuffed from lunch! I was cautious and conscious to eat in moderation. I even minimised my beer intake because my Liz Claiborne pants never felt so tight. Groan…

The next day, there was another Yee Sang dinner scheduled with our Tuesday Food Club friends but I opted out because I had to send M2 to her tuition class; hubby went for the dinner alone.

On Wednesday morning, I decided to walk and play 9-holes of golf in anticipation of yet another Yee Sang meal ahead, lunch with my office staff. I think it’s the least I can do for now. I managed to burn 282kcal in my 5.8km walk, recorded by my Mi Band.

There’s still the finale Chap Goh Meh big feast ahead and who knows, some impromptu in between meals may crop up. So I gotta do something to reduce my guilt and my waistline…Today, I will walk 9-holes again. I need to.

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Back to Normal?

15 Feb

The long stretch of the Chinese New Year holiday is over as we go back to work today. Are things back to normal? Yes and no.

The weekday routine remains the same; M2 is back in school with her extra curricular hours as before the break and work in the office continues where we had left off. It is only up to here that things seem normal. 

Beyond this, my pants feel tighter as I am pretty sure my waistline have expanded, what with all that eating or should I say excessive eating, and there are several more Yee Sang tossing lunch/dinner sessions lined up, so how can this be back to normal?

I guess I just have to face it until Chap Goh Meh, then it’s really back to normal.

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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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Chat

Busy Nights Ahead

5 Feb

This year, it’s an important exam year for M2 and she has taken the initiative by enrolling for extra tuition classes. And when I say extra, it certainly is. What this actually means is hubby and I will have to dutifully play chauffeur to send and pick her up from these weekday night classes, and it has been three days in a row starting this week!

As a result of this new schedule, my Wednesday gym session was cancelled and shifted to a new slot, Monday, the only tuition-free night. On top of this, there will also be a Friday night class and this will commence after Chinese New Year. Dang… It makes me feel like it’s a marathon studying period and we are part of it as well.

It has been hectic for M2 lately because everyday she finishes school at 5.30pm having to stay back for games and sports practice. This is how the routine has been the past few weeks, coming back later than usual after school. Add in the new extra classes… Tiring. And it will be like this until Sports Day in March. After that, school hours are back to normal but tuition hours continue.

Well, it’s for a good cause and we have to do what is necessary to ensure she is well prepared for the big exam.

Thank goodness, next week is Chinese New Year and we look forward to the week long break. But once the festivity holiday is over, the hectic schedule resumes with the busy nights ahead.

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Yes, Progress!

4 Feb

The three-day weekend proved to be fruitful. I met up with old school friends; I finally put up the red cloth in front of the house entrance to usher in the Lunar New Year and I made tremendous progress in my virtual games.

For Candy Crush, I reached Level 1485, surpassing all other candy crushers on my playlist, playing it on the laptop because the iPad has yet to be updated. For Soda, I moved to 615, Jelly at 84 and Monster Blasters at 856. Farm Heroes was super slow. I did not make any progress for the longest time, stuck at Level 854 and managed to only move one level yesterday, playing it on the phone. 

Still, it’s progress.

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