'Family' Reunion

CNY, Day 12

This is a gathering cum reunion I wouldn't miss for the world. Every year, we set a date during the CNY period to meet up together; they are my college mates and we have all known each other for more than 10 years now. Yup, still going strong.. ;)

Alicia's place has become pretty popular somehow for our reunion. Don't know why. Guess it is more central for all of us. I was the first to arrived, since the rest were all working and *ahem* usually late too. Fortunately Danny was home to greet us!

By the time the rest of them arrived, namely 7, Olivia, Charmaine, Charlize, Donald and Jenneifer, I nearly fainted from hunger.. lols! Without further ado, we quickly set up dinner cooperatively...

Don prepared the 'Yee Sang'

Btw, I brought the 'Yee Sang'! ;p

Oli squeezing out the tomato sauce into a bowl.

Ali graping cutlery for our dinner.

If you are wondering why I took a photo of this - it is because for the first time I see a box of KFC drumsticks!! Long Live Oli!! (7 & Oli brought KFC)

Our Muhibbah-1Malaysia dinner - Satay (from Don & Jen), Yee Sang (me), Nasi Lemak (Ali & Danny), KFC (7 & Oli)

Healthy Orange Juice to complement our dinner!

And lovely Oreo Cheesecake baked by Ali for dessert! It was yummy!!

Dinner proceeded without waiting for hubby's arrival. He was working and promised to join us at Ali's place straight after work. During dinner, we were already discussing what we game we should be playin' - Black Jack, Texas Holdem', In-between... We reminisce on the laughter we had while playing Texas Holdem' last year but couldn't remember the game rules. And I thought it was one of us who suggested the game! Little did I know, 7 reminded that it was hubby who taught everybody how to play that game last year! lols! And I thought my hubby was innocent! Hence, hubby was labeled as the 'Big Head Ghost'! a.k.a. 'Tai Tau Kwai' in Cantonese! Lols!

So after his arrival and indulgence into our Muhibbah-1Malaysia dinner, here's the rest of us trying our luck at Texas Holdem'!

All of us happily exchanging abundance! lols!

On the other hand, the kids were having a great time themselves! Actually I didn't have plans to bring Thea along because I knew it'd be a late night. But lovely Charmaine asked her mommi Oli to call me and said, "Auntie Moon... will you bring Thea tonight?" Seriously, didn't know how to say no to that... so she got her wish - I brought Thea!

They were initially shy when they first met each other again (they only meet each other once a year during such gathering), but hit it off almost immediately after some time to 'warm up'! They had so much fun that they all fell asleep together in Ali's AV room!! Lols.

We didn't realise that time flew so fast, part of the reason was because our reunion started pretty late. It was already 2am when we decided on the last 3 games. Despite everybody's sleepy faces, I insisted on our annual family portrait! Lols!

Me, Hubby, Donald, Jenneifer, Olivia, Richard, Danny, Alicia.
Love Live The Family! :D

Sometimes I wonder, if we kept in touch with each other more often would we then lose the excitement and fun while being together just this once a year. I guess not. It is truly the company. All different special characters being moulded into one big happy family... lols!

I am thankful for habit of smoking 10 years ago - for that was how the some of us met and allowed the friendship to blossom from there on...  :)

*Note:- Donald quit smoking more than 2 years ago and we are all awfully proud of him. :)  

New Home

I've been tired. But no matter how tired I physically am, I would never allow myself to miss the opportunity to visit my baby brother's new home.

Didn't know that he is actually so traditional - stick a 'fook' wording on the front door, upside down somemore! lols!

We arrived there at about 8ish. Everybody wanted to head downstairs beside his condominium for dinner, except me. They were very excited that Bee was actually staying within the vicinity of popular food joints and wanted to patronise these restaurants to experience the short distance within reach. I kept saying, "Eh, I thought the objective tonight is to hang out at Bee's place? Let's just order in lah!" Although everyone agreed with me, I still lost :-/. They still wanted to do 'the walk'.

Had dinner at Pasta Zanmai. While in the restaurant, couldn't help thinking about Alina's mention about how she absolutely loves this restaurant, lols! I've tried the branch in 1U before, and found the food menu very authentic and interesting. Hubby loves this place since because it is a fusion of his favourite - Japanese & Italian, though Pasta Zanmai is not really that in its case.

After dinner, we took 'the walk' back to his home again. It's a cozy place. He keeps saying that this place is for investment - for rent or sale, eventually if the price is right. Secretly, I think he will just stay put there. It is afterall, his own home; and it is always nice to stay in our own homes, right?

To add the flavour, dear baby brother single-handedly (with the help of Phua's workers, of course) renovated the unit all by himself, with a proposed design plan by our darling SIL, Paul. Paul's an excellent ID, by the way! :D 

I remember when he first brought Paul and me to the bare unit, I was thinking to myself what a small unit! But with Paul's design, Bee's handy mandy skills and Phua's workers' tireless assistance and support, the place actually turned out to be spacious and cozy! Now, that is what I call space planning! Both Bee and I agreed that the spacious and cozy feel would not have been made possible without Paul's design! So, credit goes to Paul too! Check out her other work here!

Some snapshots I took of his unit. Pictures taken not so 'chun' in my perception, but ah-well, practice always makes perfect! ;)

Walkway from front door.

Cozy hall.

The unit is a studio-see-all. Just one straigh forward hallway, some people call it. He manually put up the partition separating his hall and bedroom.

His self-made kitchen. FYI, where the sink is now was previously the toilet door (the toilet door is now on the other side in the picture). He somehow concealed it so well that it didn't look like there was a door there before. You see, he's got potential! lols!

Would you believe if I tell you that he fixed up the panels/partition or whatever you call this thing that separates the bedroom from the hall, himself? He really did, with help from Phua's workers.

 Below are KL views from his bedroom window: - 

Nice right? :)

I am very very proud of you, little baby brother, for having now own a little place of your own with minimum financial aid from anyone, especially so for fixing up the place so nicely mostly on your own! :) Just remember to come home for dinner whenever I cook (and you know that is rare, right?) and whenever I have computer/laptop/printer problems ;p! I love you always! *muaks*

Lovely Moments

I had a lovely evening today. Met up with Soon for a short session of tea albeit with purpose. And then proceeded to meet Terri for dinner.

No details required. The evening's moments are embedded in the heart. :)

Thank you, Munchkins, for a lovely night.

A Celebration of the Past

CNY, Day 8 ~ 9
The Hokkien Big Celebration

I only arrived at Jon's place at 1030pm because I had to put Thea to sleep. I wasn't going to let her miss her rest since both of us had came down with flu. Because Jon & Paul's hasn't picked a guardian angel for themselves, I agreed to 'loan' my guardian angel to them, which means that hubby, Thea and I had to 'fix' ourselves during the time when guardian angel was not around. Because I had to go to Jon's house to pray anyway, I had hubby pick guardian angel up to come home to accompany our sleeping princess while hubby and I headed back to Jon's place to assist in the preparation of the CNY 9th Day prayer.

Fireworks that greeted us shortly after our arrival. :)

Preparations for the prayer

Scattering 'gold paper' a.k.a. heavenly cash in front of the porch to be lit up after prayers.

Offerings to the Gods/Heavens

Everybody lighting up the joss sticks for prayers after 12am.

This is dad's very2 old friend - uncle Lou Kam. He was tasked to light up the firecrackers.
Oh yes, please ignore the 'NO PARKING' sign. ;p

The 'gold money' being burnt as 'offerings' to the Gods/Heavens.

My family celebrates this 9th Day prayer in a very elaborated way since I was a little girl. Friends would come by our house on the 8th Day night annually to dine with us and then join us in our prayer followed by supper which would consist of freshly cut roasted pork, duck, chicken, fish and etc. Yes, it is enough to feed an entire village. To prepare for this event is no joke, because there are lots to prepare (obviously!). Since no guardian angels around to assist, I offered myself as 'ah sei' a.k.a. guardian angel for the night albeit the flu! ;p

There was soooo much food that we had to pack and give away to our guests (to be honest, this itself is a yearly ritual too). Everybody keeps saying, "aiyoooo, so much food! so much food!" and Paul was like, "you wanna take back? you wanna take back?". Both her fridges were stuffed with food even from the eve of CNY! So you can imagine!

And I had not done so much cleaning for a long time. Thankfully, some guests helped and Jon had 2 male workers from the office to assist too. Without these 2 guardian angels, I think Paul and I would have fainted. Where were the guys (as in hubby, Jon, Bee & dad)?!? Oh, they were all drinking and gambling away. :-s

To be honest, I do not understand why this celebration still exists. Long ago as I understood it, we give gratitude to the heavens for 'saving' the Hokkien clan because they were able to escape from their enermies by hiding themselves in a sugarcane plantation. I don't know how long ago this happened, but this year is already 2010. Why are we still celebrating that day? So much has evolved since then! Why not celebrate (without the josssticks, the burning, the firecrackers, the candles and extra food for prayers - seriously, some loving thoughts and actions for Mother Nature?) the gratitude and appreciation for what we already have NOW? The past has gone, the future doesn't exist and what we have, is actually just this present 'Now', yes?

I was surprised when one of dad's friend also highlighted to dad that this kind of celebration is history, he said, "Dom, it's history! Let's celebrate just for the sake of having a party and enjoy ourselves because the only thing we have now is the present!!" Apparently, he is a Maoist. First time I heard it. What he explained is also similar to what I believe - live in the present. :) Kudos Uncle Jimmy!!

Prosperity

The Sun rises over the Earth;

The Image of Prosperity,

Thus the superior man himself

Brightens his bring virtue.

***

Your own prosperity depends on using the gifts already in your hand generously.

The more you assist others to flourish,

the more, in return, you will receive

ongoing support from the people you cherish.