虎虎升威

The Year of The Tiger entered our lives with joyous cacophony, rambunctious merry-making and relentless feasting. Each year during Chinese New Year, familiar scenes since the genesis of my memories were re-enacted over and over again: entering a house full of beaming relatives, everyone dressed to their best, some of whom we only see once a year, shaking hands exuberantly and chanting blithe wishes for an auspicious year ahead. Dutifully dishing out angpows to all the children elatedly, while the Bees expressed wishes like "Happy New Year" or "恭喜发财" jubilantly, so that they could receive lots of angpows. They are beginning to appreciate the full pleasure of receiving angpows, especially Big Bee, who wants to keep her angpows for herself this year!

Then sitting down for a hearty homecooked meal of scrumptious food or settling down in the living room, listening to relatives catching up with each other cheerfully or engaging in small talk ourselves whilst nibbling on sweet sinful Chinese New Year delights. The scenes are always redolent with dense euphoria and mirthful cheeriness. 

Incessant visiting and feasting with all our close relatives :) 

This year, we visited 7 families in the first 2 days, and hosted 2 sets of paternal uncles and aunts for a boisterous lohei session as well as both of our parents and my brother with my sister-law for dinner on the 3rd day. 

With my paternal uncles and aunties as well as our immediate families. Hubby decided to serve his teppanyaki delights in pairs so that our parents can get romantic while feeding each other! Check out the karaoke kings and queens as well. 

The Bees gladly joined in the preparation by taking charge of the supermarket trolleys! Papa slaving away over the grill and teppanyaki station! 

Hubby set up an outdoor chef corner, rolling up his sleeves to prepare dinner for everyone, on top of the usual chicken curry and fried bee hoon to fill up our stomachs. In the balcony, he set up a teppanyaki station beside our outdoor grill, and set forth to cook up a storm - succulent and delicious satays which were all gobbled up before they could cool down, with verdant vegetables and juicy mushrooms stir-fried teppanyaki style! Followed by a second round of lohei! Hubby downloaded a list of lohei wishes from the internet and set forth to chant out the auspicious wishes during lohei.

Lohei after lohei! 

The Bees could not get enough of Chinese New Year - neither can I!