MINing of Life

Sunday, 1 February 2009

Lunar New YearY

This year's visiting should be all and done unless there are any other last minute invitation or guests.

The warmth of family cosiness was surely something to cherish and something which makes me look forward to the next Lunar New Year. Nothing else on this earth ever replace such warmth I'd felt.

It's really difficult to get to see everyone, be it immediate relatives or not. I haven't seen my dad's cousin's family for probably 6-7 years. Uncle Foo's place used to packed with people from the third level of his terrace house to the ground floor living room with his sisters and their family members, and especially the kids running everywhere. I miss those times.

At least, I'm glad that my dad started visiting his god-brother since two years back and his place is now one of our destinations of the routine annually. It's quite interesting to listen to the adults chatting about their history and all the exciting childhood they enjoyed.

Fate gave my god-uncle's younger brother and my dad the opportunity to meet each other once again after almost 2 decades! Cool, 1 more new family member to know =)

My paternal family tree is seriously so complex that I guess only he himself can understand.

On the second day, we visited dad's friend who used to be his business companion, Uncle Richard. See those floats during Chingay, the street decorations along Orchard Road, Chinatown and Little India? He has been bringing Singaporeans all these visual satisfaction for years, or even decades. (He doesn't get the bid everytime, so if you see not so pleasant looking fabric decos, that's most probably not done by him.)

Mum's side is more clear to everyone. We always go to Hua Yew Wee for dinner on the 1st night of the lunar year for dinner. It's my grandfather's sworn-brother's family business established by him. As the cousin-gang *ahem* ages, more people are joining the gang and upgrading to the adults level (or rather, the married level), we do have a junior cousin-gang forming up too!

Before I go on, there's this practise in the family that for any gatherings, there'll always be 2 tables, 1 for the adults and the other for the kids =D

Anyway, back to the leveling-up, 3 of the gang members had tied their knots, 1 is already on stand-by mode with the ropes (so that adds 4 more members in the gang photo). The junior gang is extremely green, with the oldest only 2 years old and the 2nd member just born in January. Cute right?

That's the 老大, Leanette (not very sure of the spelling). Her daddy is the 老大 of my generation's cousin-gang too.

I'm still young and youthful =D I'm the youngest in my gang, okay?! I'm the only one who's still schooling in a school ( as in not colleges or polytechnics). The problem about this wide age range is, whenever the I finally learnt how to play the games the older ones always played, they upgrade to something new when I've not mastered the old one yet -.-''' It started off with fire crackers, then they moved on to mass games like captain's ball (like I was 5-7-year-old only?), then to poker cards. When I finally mastered the game of Dai Di, they advanced to mahjong. Lucky they were as new to the game as I was, if not, how will I ever catch up to their pace?

I'm contented to have seen my grand-aunt (Mum's aunt) in better health this year. As she ages, she tends to get forgetful. However, she was very clear about her past, like how she got to Singapore and raised her children. Very adorable, and lovely lady; I wish her good health forever.

Last night, I invited the TK-HK-SLCs over to my place for dinner. Rifat or Siddharth, if you happen to read this, I didn't invite you 2 because I was afraid that the food preferences, so do understand. I think it was so fun and funny! Everyone STOOD up to cook their food. Then when the oil "pop-ed!" and spattered on us, you could hear people exclaiming in fright and sting.

Kenny, Ryan, Olivia, Josephine, Vivian, Sharmane, Estee, Clarissa and Sharon came. So fun, so fun... ok~.

I shall now reverse all the way back to the lunar new year eve night, also known as 除夕夜. It's a tradition to have reunion dinner on this night. So we prepared loads of food!

To include something new on the menu, korkor prepared soba noodles and raw egg for the cooked beef. It's vey Japanese style.

I love this year's Chinese New Year the most out of my 15 years! Oh, and I didn't eat Bah Kua!!! Yeah!
在此祝贺大家新年快乐,万事如意!

10:11 am;

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