Happy Chinese New Year 2010

Happy Chinese New Year to one and all...! :D We have now left Mrs Cow to graze on the fields and bravely jumped onto Mr. Tiger's back for an exciting and happening year ahead. Yee-ha! (Ok that's for a horse..)

Anyway, CNY is like its usual. Routined and predictable. A difference in this year and last, is that we no longer go to my grandma's house for the reunion dinner on the eve as she has left us to go to a better place. Instead, we have it in our own house. I realize this year that reunion dinners are getting a wee bit bitchy. (Pardon the word) Gossips, 'busybody' interrogations (Gosh, how I hate this part), flaring of tempers and many more. I see people changing year after year (Not only physically mind you). Perhaps I have changed too, I do not know. Some people do not change, their annoying habits remain the same that continue to irk me year after year. Some people seem to have change a lot, from bad to worse, from ok to good and so on. Oh well. Reunion dinners are especially fun when you get to gossip about what happened afterwards...LOL. Sshhh...Sshhh... *in a small whispering voice* ~I hope no one from my family reads this.~ If not, I'm in trouble. :P

 

 We all know that CNY is not CNY without the cookies and tidbits that make us fat every year and we make resolutions each CNY that we will vow to cut back on the pigging. Unfortunately, it does not always seem to help. :(

 

Speaking of reunion dinners, a Malaysian invention that has become part of the must-have tradition is the Yee Sang. Crunchy biscuits, lemon sauce, raw fish slices, sesame seeds and other kinds of stuff that is guaranteed to tickle your palette. Yums. According to people, you're supposed to toss the dish as high as you can while uttering good luck words like "Bu bu gao sheng" and whatnots so that it supposedly comes true. However, during these dinners which involve over-enthusiastic younger kids (and adults), most of the dish ends up on the table. Thus, you can hear me shouting, "Don't waste! Don't waste! All on the table lo..!" Instead of, "Get rich! Get rich! I want more money oh." So, the whole year I end up picking food off the table (literally too) instead of earning more money lo! Eesh.

Oh yeah, CNY also involves little red packets that married adults give to young children and single adults. :D The giving of the red packets have gone slightly off the main purpose I'd say. It is given by the elders to the young ones with wishes of good intention and the young ones are to do likewise. "Shen ti jian kang" and stuff. But these days, the red packets are exchanged like what happens in a bartering market (from what I observe). "How many you got?" "Aiya, so sorry ya, I got four children." "Nevermind, nevermind, I will give birth to twins next year then can top you." "I give you already ah?" "Eh not chet leh I think."  "Hey, you haven't give me my children's share also." The red packets are no longer seen for what it symbolizes, instead it is judged by the amount of which is it carrying inside of them. Yours truly is also a bit guilty of doing that. :o

Oh, but I also adore angpau packets. Some of them are beautifully designed unlike the ones from Magnum and ToTo. Well ,what do you expect? Gambling ma...!

By the way, do you know that each dish you have during a reunion dinner actually symbolizes something good? You have steamed fish for "Nian nian you yu", meaning may you have extra (good stuff la) every year, you have a prawn dish for "Xi xi ha ha", I think, for laughter and joy throughout the year. There are many other dishes but I am just too lazy to put all of them down. Check out this restaurant's offerings below.

 

I certainly would not want to eat in there during CNY. It's pantang man! Of all the names, "Udang Kalah". Literal translation, loser prawn. Adoi! (It's supposed to be Galah... Chinese people... eesh.) :D

Ok, that's all for today's post. I know it's long and a bit choppy on the flow. But hey, it's CNY. I'm forgiven cause of that. :D Till we meet again.. ciao! Happy CNY...!