I remember vividly, Chinese New Year was always a big do when my grandmother was still alive. We'd have the whole family at the house in Hai Sing. Back then, it was the norm for people to come around unannounced and there was always loads of food and drinks ready. My grandaunties and granduncles would come around and all would gamble. The children would always be the little nuisances and run all over the house.

I remember getting to drink F&N Orange in a glass bottle with a straw! I'd hang on to it like something precious and slowly sipping away to make it last longer! xD

The kids would all gather in the garden and play the swing or play 5-stones. The uncles and aunties would take turns keeping their eyes on us too. We've always managed to get up to some kind of mischief though!

I always look forward to the fastive season as that was one of the few occasions where I'd see all my cousins and of cos, HONG BAOS! I used to get loads of MOOlah ok! It started out $20 per relative and that grew to $50 thru the years!

I do miss those days... miss the times when the whole family would gather. There were soooo many members in my immediate family that we'd always have to eat in shifts! There'd always be sambal prawns with belimbing, minced meat balls, crabmeat soup, fish etc!

How I miss homecooked peranakan food!

Well, enough of all that! Happy NIU Year to all and may the year of the OX be a BULLISH year for one and all! Health, wealth & happiness!

Labels: just me