人强马壮，龙马精神

As I grow older, I begin to appreciate and cherish the intricate rituals of Chinese New Year. How festivities and routines are completely similar year after year. How our elderly relatives ask the same old questions year after year. These grew more endearing to me these days, reaffirming just how precious family ties are. 

We are lucky to have very close bonds with all our relatives and family members. Which is why we had 8 family gatherings and visits over the first week of Chinese New Year - and enjoyed every single moment of these. The girls got to know 4 sides of their different families from Hubby's and my family trees, and they delighted in getting to know their great-grandmothers, grandparents, uncles, aunties and cousins more. Little Bee is the one who really looks forward to such gatherings, and would often feel sad whenever these occasions come to an end. She would not fail to entertain everyone with her outspoken antics and her comical expressions! 

Big Bee, on the other hand, is now a little adult. She had stopped playing with the little kids totally (much to Little Bee's distress) and had become more self-conscious. Most of the time, her nose is buried in her current favourite book (which is the Divergent series by Veronica Roth for now). Other times, she would join the adults for some casual chatting. She is in an in-between stage, and is finding her way around, yet enjoying the process, which I am relieved about.

This year, we also visited Chinatown in early January, where we were privy to the celebrations of the Chinatown light-up. We did not even plan for it, so we were pleasantly surprised to hear the deafening firecrackers and be dazzled by fireworks exploding in the skies just above us. Most of all, we enjoyed eating super yummy food in the Chinatown hawker centre and strolling around in the nostalgic People's Park. 

On the eve of Chinese New Year, we had a sumptuous and festive reunion dinner with the girls' great-grandmothers. How rare it is to have a four-generational reunion dinner! That is so special in every way. 

As we wind down from these convivial celebrations, I constantly have to remind myself not to limit our interactions with the extended families just to an annual New Year gathering. Let's hope we get to see more of our family members this Horse year! 

瑞龙送福

The Year of the Water Dragon blasted in swiftly but surely. The long weekend of continuous enjoyment, festive feasting, family bonding and incessant chatting created a post-holiday shroud of moodiness when everyone started school and work in the middle of the week!

For us, the fun started on Saturday, as written in a previous posting. To be followed by even more conviviality the next few days...

Sunday (除夕)
Being the early birds in the family, Big Bee and I sneaked off to Holland Village in the morning for a little mother-daughter date, and to shop around for Big Bee's Chinese New Year clothes (Little Bee already had aplenty). With Big Bee in her tweens, she prefers to select and choose her clothes, so this was a wonderful shopping outing for both of us to spend some quiet, quality time together! We had fantastic bonding time over breakfast and shopping, before Hubby and Little Bee joined us much later.

We then went to the plant nursery to immerse ourselves in the dense festive ambience amidst an opulence of vividly psychedelic blooms! We bought 2 big pots of orchids and tangerines (橘子) for my parents as well as 2 big bunches of ethereal pussy willows and a small pot of 橘子 for ourselves.

The Bees love decorating pussy willows, so we spent a good part of the early afternoon beautifying and sprucing up our pussy willow and other plants - adorning them in auspicious red and gold trinkets and angpows!

Eventually, after embellishing the whole house with festive decor, we set off early for our reunion dinner with my in-laws at Teochew City in Centrepoint. We arrived at 6pm, and it was surreal to see almost the whole of Orchard Road in darkness, with most shops and large department stores closed!

Dinner was meaningful and scrumptious. The Bees got to spend time with 2 of their adoring great-grandmothers. How rare can that be!?

At night, after the Bees slept, Hubby and I once again - like so many years before - snuggled in front of the TV, watching the Channel 8 Lunar New Year TV festivities and revelled in our Chinese traditions.

Monday (初一）
The day dawned balmy and sunshiny. The mood at home was cheery and jaunty. We set off in our brand new clothes for a whole day of family visits - from my parents' home in the morning to my maternal uncle's house where all our maternal relatives had gathered for decades, and where we cousins had so much fun bonding once again. Followed by Hubby's parents' place and a couple more of Hubby's aunts' before we called it a long day past 10pm!

As I grow older, I love the fact that we have so many relatives to visit, and simply appreciate that having strong family ties are gloriously blissful. And I think the Bees had enjoyed all these varied visits to different relatives' homes too!

Tuesday (初二）
We spent the morning making fluffy pancakes with blueberries. The Bees were helping me to sift the flour, pour in the ingredients and mix the dough. They are becoming the able little chefs that their Mummy never was!

After a leisurely early afternoon, we received our first visitors at home - our immediate families! The Bees were really excited as they love visitors at home, and I could relax a little while they were entertained by all their doting grandparents, uncle and aunts. We then set forth to my brother's house where we chilled out in his cosy apartment, before settling for the dinner (and the rest of the evening) at my paternal uncle's house, together with all my cousins and relatives. Had such a wonderful time chatting with them!

2 days, 7 families - this Chinese New Year was too brief and fleeting, swirling out of our lives before we can yell out "pause"!

But, for now, I am thankful that we have all 15 days in the lunar calendar to continue our merry celebrations, joyous feasting and mirthful bonding!

Preparing For The Dragon's Roar

I had been working 12 consecutive days without any rest - throughout the entire weekend last week too. Which is why I started off this Saturday a little edgy, tense and a wee bit tired, unable to shake off that clingy irritant called Work.

However, I gradually got into the mood of the imminent Dragon year this morning when I had the opportunity to shop around for new clothes, pyjamas and other Chinese New Year trinkets for our home.

Traditions and rituals have a funny way to slither unknowingly into our memories - enticing us to travel back in time to those wonderful days when we were young, when life was carefree, when our parents planned elaborate lunar new year celebrations. By replicating some of these age-old rituals, we are perpetuating not just traditions to pass on to future generations, but also social constructs of self and society for our children.

For me - these familiar rituals, these proverbial practices act as a powerful life buoy for me, imbuing a sense of calm, the significance of stability and a stalwart anchor that reassures and sustains me. The world around us might change, but such familiarity ensures me deep down in my soul that so long our essence, our awareness of what truly matters and our love for our closest family and friends remain the same - everything else is irrelevant.

I also hope to create this bubble of familiarity, tradition and reassurance for the Bees so that they can look back at their childhood fondly in future.

Which was why Hubby and I were invigoratingly packing the Bees' room this whole afternoon, although it can get tiring at times! And since Chinese New Year this year has a weekend before 初一, I was delighted to be able to indulge in a reunion dinner with my family. This year, we had dinner at Guilin Restaurant with my entire maternal family as well as Uncle Pat and Auntie Rose - and it was so heartwarming catching up with everyone despite all our hectic schedules.

I am certainly looking forward to more family bondings in the next few days! Happy Dragon Year, everyone! 

迎兔年

我们最喜爱的农历新年不知不觉又过了。在新年四天的假期，我们跟九家亲戚拜年，也吃了丰裕的佳肴 - 太幸福了！过年过节最有意思的是跟亲密的亲人一起欢聚一堂，凑热闹，聊天，还有多多培养亲情。血浓于水，能年年跟我们的亲人聚会简直象在世外桃源！










除了热忱地拜年，我们初三在家也观赏了一个意气风发的舞狮表演。两只舞狮表演得非常矫捷，孩子也看到太精彩了！






我们在初四去春到河畔走走，可是我觉得这个新年景点不怎么可观，蛮差劲。不过，孩子们特别喜欢春到河畔的娱乐场，玩了两个刺激的游戏。






四天无忧无虑地过了 － 真的是太完美了！

In Hops The Rabbit

We did not manage to descend upon Chinatown on 除夕, as it fell on a working day this year. Thankfully, we were on half day, hence Hubby and I could do some very last minute shopping in Holland Village. 

I love the jubilant mood every 除夕. The smiles on shopkeepers' faces seemed wider, early auspicious greetings abounded, loud Chinese New Year songs blasted out as we were shopping - the entire atmosphere around us was dense with exhilarated anticipation of Chinese New Year, which is so immensely fundamental to our family and many others. 

I love how most families were bustling with eager spring-cleaning before the all-important 大年初一, and how they decorated their homes with vibrant red and gold trinkets. I love going to the plant nursery to feel the efficacious mood of people buying beautiful plants in all kinds of hues and shapes by the dozens. Most of all, I truly relish immersing in the ambience of department stores, shopping malls and supermarkets, where people are buying new clothes, new bedsheets and endless jars of delectable CNY goodies frenetically. 

Being brought up in rather traditional Chinese families, Hubby and I were infused with the spirit of Chinese New Year every year. This year, we spent the idyllic and balmy afternoon of the eve of the Rabbit year sprucing up our house with vivid red trinkets to intensify the festive atmosphere of CNY. Somehow, these resplendent red and gold decorations and the umpteen plants that Hubby is fond of buying never failed to bolster the mood by several notches. 

In the evening, we set off - together with droves of Chinese Singaporeans - for our reunion dinner with Hubby's family. This year, we booked a table in a country club's ballroom, and the experience was very pleasant. The lofty ceiling coupled with ample space in the ballroom created a very memorable reunion dinner experience for all of us. This was further amplified by the excellent food and scrumptious lo hei that I enjoyed thoroughly. What a perfect start to the Rabbit year! 

Back home, the Bees were very eager to 守岁, yet it was very apparent that they were thoroughly fatigued by 11.30pm. They managed to keep awake until 11.50pm, by which Hubby and I snuggled alongside each other to countdown to the Chinese New Year, with the decades-old familiar New Year tunes belted out on TV. 

It is familiar rituals like these that make important festivals so significant and fundamental in our lives - so that we are grounded in our values and are comforted in the knowledge that traditions are carried out generations after generations. 

兔年快乐，心想事成！

CNY Lunchbox

Last Thursday, Big Bee wanted a CNY-themed lunch box to bring to school, much to my surprise. So I woke up a little earlier to decorate her favourite buttered bread with colourful froot loops and some love letters. 

I think I am blessed that Big Bee is a simple girl with easy favourites for her recess lunchbox. Like me, she can survive daily on bread and butter, and loves it! Being in primary 3 also means that she doesn't cherish those cutesy bento boxes she used to like (they need to look cool with friends now, in their tweens!) 

Hence, it does lead me to be a wee bit lazy in preparing her lunchbox at (most) times. I am glad it is festivities like this that would prod my lazy pre-dawn bones to create something a little more presentable for her, so as to elicit a small smile from her and to remind her in school that someone at home cares for her immensely :)  

I think I shall work on a Valentine's Day lunchbox for her next week! 

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! 

The Night The Tiger Pounced In

The entire family woke up on the eve of Chinese New Year imbued with much anticipation for a marathon of family bonding, gatherings and feasting. This is one of our favourite festivals and we try to observe as many of the centuries-old traditions and joyous customs as possible. 

We launched the jocund festivities with a trip to Chinatown, one of the few family traditions we are trying to carve in stone for our girls in future. Passing on family traditions is fundamental in building a sense of self and community in our children, which is why we had been indulging in several similar rituals and customs year after year. A visit to Chinatown on Chinese New Year's Eve is one of them. 

We descended upon Chinatown amidst a blazing sun and escalating heat. We started the trip with a solemn visit to the majestic Buddha Tooth Relic Temple in the heart of Chinatown. The Bees were awed by the glittering surroundings and the devoted worshippers. Hubby and I were fascinated by the grandeur of the interiors and the architecture. 

Thereafter, our hearts were warmed by the jaunty hawkers exhibiting and marketing their wares. It was spellbinding to meander through the narrow labyrinth of stalls selling an opulent plethora of Chinese New Year memorabilia. 

Quaint traditional Chinese New Year mementos and delicacies in Chinatown! 

Red was the order of the day. We spotted rows and rows of crimson Chinese New Year decorations. Big Bee was beguiled by the myriad replicas and puppets of Chinese mythological lions and dragons - so much so that we bought a charming Chinese lion in the guise of a string puppet, to her immense delight. We stopped at dusty ancient shops selling traditional and well-loved Chinese delicacies and sank our teeth with glee into succulent egg tarts and scrumptious Hong Kong-style po lo bao. We were charmed by rows upon rows of nian gao, a delectable delicacy that we indulge in only once a year. What a wonderful way to spend a sweltering morning! 

The Bees, though fascinated, were a bit more perturbed by the oppressive heat, so we had to leave too soon, although Hubby and I would gladly lose ourselves in the maze of stalls and rambling twisting walkways. 

It was love at first sight for Big Bee when she set her eyes on the blue Chinese lion (bottom left). Back home, the Bees indulged in some serious lion dancing with Little Bee stomping on her Chinese drum and Big Bee manipulating the lion merrily! 

In the evening, we went for our reunion dinner in a Chinese restaurant. It was amazing to see how organised these Chinese restaurants were on the eve of Chinese New Year - 2 shifts of dinners, rapid serving of dishes and compliant customers chomping down the food way before the start of the second shift. 

Happy Bees, in anticipation of a few days of non-stop feasting and merrymaking! 

The food was delicious and highly palatable, and we truly enjoyed the dinner with 4 generations at one table - from the Bees to their paternal great-grandmother! 

One of the best CNY traditions in this part of the world - Lo Hei! 

As the Bees drifted off to dreamland, Hubby and I cosied up on our couch to watch the usual countdown programme on the Mandarin channel - a tradition that we carried on from our childhood days. At the stroke of midnight, we did something silly - throwing pellets of tiny noisemakers on our balcony floor that erupted in miniscule flares of sparks and ear-splitting crackles! We were giggling like teenagers, enjoying ourselves thoroughly, transported back to our youth again! 

A happy roaring year of the Golden Tiger! 

And Here Cometh The Ox...

The Bees' favourite: LO HEI!

The Ox trampled into the new lunar year yesterday amidst much fanfare and customs - resonant with traditions well-loved by millions of Chinese across the world. Traditions of family togetherness and bonding.

In a small corner of Singapore, we celebrated Chinese New Year in a rather big way. Visiting 7 families in 2 days. Plus juggling 2 very active girls with a strong penchant for heaty and junk-food tidbits. At the end of each day, Hubby and I were drenched in fatigue.

Yet, it was lovely meeting up great-grandparents, grandparents, aunties, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews, some of whom we sometimes only meet once a year. Catching up eagerly with them, feeling the invisible yet stalwart strength of our family ties that lasted through many generations before us, bonded by a similar surname and common ancestors. And anticipating the following year when the same gathering will occur in the same mien. This annual ritual is so comforting, heartwarming and reassuring in its enduring predictability.

The Bees enjoyed themselves tremendously, munching non-stop on the goodies to my dismay, and charming all the older relatives. I hope they will grow to love Chinese New Year as much as Hubby and I do.

'Twas The Night Before The Ox Year

Chinese New Year's Eve is rife with centuries-old rituals, traditional merry-making and convivial family bonding. On the morning of the Eve, we decided to embark into Chinatown to immerse in the boisterous festivities and soak in the mood yet avoiding the overpowering night crowds.

The Bees were excitedly looking through pasar malam clothes and trinkets, and Hubby bought his favourite bak-kwa, all ready for feasting throughout the 15 days of Lunar New Year! I love the narrow, hot, quaint pasar malam stalls, although Big Bee was not too thrilled by the heat. Little Bee was smart - incessantly extending her arms out and calling out to me to "bao bao" her, so Hubby and I had quite a load to carry!

As the Eve fell on a Sunday, I could adjourn to my Mum's place for a reunion lunch. It was heartwarming to see Mum's dining table laid out with a cheery tablecloth and an impressive New Year's feast. It was one of those rare Kodak moments, and I so enjoyed spending time with my family, which brought a whiff of nostalgia back to my childhood.

The reunion dinner was spent with Hubby's family in a simple, fuss-free steamboat style. Lo-hei followed shortly after, and it never failed to bring megawatt smiles to all our faces. Big Bee and Little Bee were also excitedly tossing the lo-hei goodies. Big Bee was yelling out wishes cheerfully, though they were ostensibly different from the usual adults' wishes of prosperity and health. Hers revolved around the present moment like "I wish the lo-hei will not fall to my hands!". I need to educate her next year on what to say during these sessions.

Little Bee was just delighted she could hold on to a pair of chopsticks and tossing FOOD. Her favourite moment came after the session, when we sat down and she could feast on the lo-hei goodies. She was the last to leave the table, no doubt. She also tried lugging a big box of bak-kwa from the in-laws' place when we were leaving, much to my embarrassment!

We went back home in high spirits, filled with the usual jubilation that imbue us every Chinese New Year's Eve. The most sentimental ritual for the night was really the packing of ang-pows, ready for full blown festivities the following day.

Gong Xi Fa Cai!