Embrace love and life.

mood: happy

music: American Baby - Dave Matthews Band

         

I love celebrating Chinese New Year for it is the only time of the year when my extended family comes together. They are not as enthusiastic about Christmas, maybe because it has a religious history tied to the celebrations. As for CNY, it's more of a traditional gathering, where the inner Chinese ruffians inside us yellow-skinned, black almond shaped eyes people get unleashed.

How then can you explain the deafening 'pongs' when it comes to playing mahjong, the endless cracking of melon seeds and peanuts, with their shells littered all over the floor? Come to think about it, if one were to listen closely to the sounds of CNY, you can expect to hear a myriad. There's the clanging music (if you even call that music) with Chinese niang-niang singers blasting from every shop with their gaudy gold and bright red decorations everywhere, babybloomers and Generation Y people trying their best to stutter a few Chinese idioms in exchange from the sought after red packets! Haha, I was trying my best to impress with some last-minutes picked up phrases from the Chinese dictionary. 

It was cool catching up with my relatives and cousins. And this is the newest addition to my mum's side. Nathan baby, he's only 10 months old, so this is his first CNY he is celebrating!



I tried feeding him, and I've learnt that it really takes patience to feed a baby. 40 minutes of feeding gooey oats. Yucks, my mum had to take over from me after 20 minutes. :/

And what is CNY without the food? Bak-wa, love letters, prawn crackers, pineapple tarts, chocolate nut cookies, kueh bangkit, and all the various tidbits. Streamboat has got to be my favourite; I love slurping up the soup especially, that's where all the flavour of the various ingredients have gone to. I'm glad I'm very Chinese at heart and I believe in remembering one's heritage and culture. Trust me, I prefer using the 2 sticks known as chopsticks over the Western fork and knife, anytime. My aunty's vegetarian lunch yesterday was equally scumptious. Who knew vegetarian would taste this good?

My neighbour across the road, who lives in a bungalow, has invited a couple of lion dancers to his place this afternoon, much to the enjoyment of my entire family who looked from our 3rd story balcony. I remember I used to be really terrified of the large flapping mouths, bulging huge eyes and their weird neon-coloured scales. If only someone told me it was a symbolic ritual to evict the evil spirits and to usher in the new year, then the adults need not be amused by this little girl all afraid of the endless clanging of cymbols and the highly energetic beating of drums (da gong). 

Tomorrow, it's AA3 gathering with my much missed JC classmates. To tell the truth, I really don't miss the workload, but I do miss the people- my classmates, my tutors, and the rest of my JC friends. Crazy how two years flew by like that. I do hope people turn up, if not the next time we would meet up would be the dreaded result day. I'm not feeling anxious over it, yet, but whatever it is, I trust God would open many doors for me even if this one may close. Which reminds me, go check out the universities' websites to read up on the courses available.

and...

Ok, this is sad, but I'm off to complete some marking... huge stack of math worksheets to be checked. Enjoy what's left of CNY everyone, and watch the bak-wa, pineapple tarts, love letters... oooh the waistline! I swear, detox is coming up and exercise regime has to be upped. (The leisurely swim I had this morning is not counted!)