Chinese New Year Musings

I am always really happy whenever my family gets together and is complete. Chinese New Year is one of those times… when my brother comes back from the States and we can all sit together, enjoy a Starbucks coffee or o-chien and laugh over silly things. This year, he’s only in Malaysia for a week. The problem about time is that it just flies by so quickly. Soon, it’s time to say goodbye. Unwillingly.

Speaking about goodbyes, my entire family, including my brother’s friend Ariel who’s visiting from the US, helped to clear up our Malacca house over Chinese New Year. Some say that it’s pantang or bad luck to do that during CNY, but to us, it’s about being practical. I wrote about my home in Malacca some time back. This Chinese New Year, we cleared a lot of things, and said goodbye to many items that held memories. Some things will be kept purely because it’s sentimental, but lots of stuff will just need to be put aside, just like these plants that were left to fend for themselves.

My mom’s collection of recipes. Sadly I did not inherit her cooking skills.

My mom’s sewing kit, where she used to sew homemade Barbie doll clothes for me. They were pretty fashionable too.

My mom’s fridge magnet collection and my eraser collection. By the way, the fridge magnet collection thing is now a family hobby. My siblings and I have fridges full of magnets.

My figurine collection… I used to collect other things too, like stamps, postcards, sometimes I even joke that I collect dust too!

I used to be a school prefect. I can’t believe my blazer was still hanging in the cupboard. And on the right… that was how I looked like when I was 14. Thank God I look waaay better now.

One of the Chinese New Year dinners… held at home.

My family. Love them all.

Though the photo below is blur, I kinda like the moment. Alex and I were trying to do the joget at a Nyonya restaurant and then failing miserably. Taken on the 1st day of Chinese New Year.