Do you cheena?

The MIL was dressing up to get ready for the reunion dinner at ours. She had her jeans on. The FIL took a look at her and immediately said she should wear something more appropriate. To which she asked why. His reply was, Chinese New Year is a special occassion for Hoonie, therefore, it's only right they should wear something smart to mark this festival together with her. He himself had a pair of trousers on instead of his usual shirt and jeans.

A man of few words but certainly very kind and considerate.

This year's reunion dinner was not much different from 2008's. I slaved in the kitchen for amost 2 days just so we could use this festival as an excuse to pig out. We indulged in the binge that was:

Braised Duck

Meat Balls (instead of Ngoh Hiang upon the man's request)

Roast Pork

Stir-fried Prawns

Not forgetting Bak Ku Teh and Stir-fried Snow Peas. Okay, it's very similar to what we had last year. Either I am rather unimaginative in terms of menu-planning or I am simply too traditional when it comes to the practices or customs in the Chinese New Year sense.

An ex-colleague from many jobs ago who is now living in a foreign land observes that being away from home helps you find out who you really are. I couldn't agree with her more.

I may be educated in English, speak and write the language much better than my mother tongue and may be very much influenced by the western cuture, but I discovered that I can be quite old-fashioned when it comes to Chinese New Year.

Someone said the practice of Chinese New Year is shallow. I beg to differ.

Yesterday was my first time giving out hong baos properly. And you know what? It feels extremely good seeing the joy on the kids' faces when those red packets were placed in their tiny little hands. Suddenly, I was 5 years old once more, feeling the same joy too.

No, the practice of Chinese New Year is so not shallow. And I am only too glad to be part of it.