Family

15 days of Chinese New Year

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Origins • Traditions • Food • Decoration • 15+ Days

Eve | First Day | Second Day | Third Day | Fourth Day | Fifth Day | Sixth Day | Seventh Day | Eight Day | Ninth Day | Tenth Day | Eleventh Day | Twelfth Day | Thirteenth Day | Fourteenth Day | Fifteenth Day

Origins of Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year (CNY) or Spring Festival, 春節 chun jie, is a huge celebration, and one that is the most important of Chinese holidays, for more than a billion Chinese people around the world. The origin of this celebration is by itself centuries old and has gained significance through myths, superstitions and traditions.

My father once told us that CNY began with the fight of men against a beast. Every year, on the first day of New Year, a mythical beast called Nian 年 would attack livestock, crops, villagers and even children. To protect themselves, the villagers would offer food to placate the beast. After much trial and errors, it seemed that Nian was also afraid of the color red and loud, explosive noise from firecrackers. So from then on, overcoming Nian became 過年 Guo Nian and the tradition of preparing food, wearing red and playing with firecrackers carried on.
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12 Days of Christmas

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First Day • Second Day • Third Day • Fourth Day • Fifth Day • Sixth Day • Seventh Day • Eight Day • Ninth Day • Tenth Day • Eleventh Day • Twelfth Day


On the First Day of Christmas…my true love gave to me,
A PAIR OF EXCITED TRAVELERS
Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2009

For more than a month, our bags were packed and we were so ready to go…That’s THREE luggages, one camera bag, one backpack, one carry-on and a big handbag to put my bolster. 😀 The better part of the three luggages were filled only with presents or things for people at home. That left only enough room for the bare essentials, ie. underwear, toothbrush and sunglasses.

We were boarding the first flight out of JFK to HKG bright and early in the am. The night before was a mad rush to finish all the chores and last-minute packing before leaving for KL. After a quick dinner and washing up, we packed all of Jessie’s essentials and dropped her off at her sitter’s. She didn’t realize what she was in for. She has known for a while that something was happening. It was the what, when and how that she didn’t understand. I tried to tell her every night, but instead of listening, she either dozes off from my rubbing or spreads eagle for more belly rubs. I’m overjoyed to be home, but am dejected for leaving my baby behind.
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The one day King and his hobos

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It promised to be a busy weekend, what with us leaving for Malaysia in a few days for my younger sister’s “extended” wedding.

My Saturday began with the realization that I did not pack a few important things. So much for sleeping in. I “temporarily” placed the items in “assigned” locations in our luggages, and finished the wrapping of the final presents. After walking and feeding Jessie, I proceeded to do spring cleaning on my computer and spent the rest of the morning and the better part of the afternoon with my hard drive. We were going to head out for lunch, but thought otherwise. Not only was the weather uninviting, but since we were going to go into the city for hub’s birthday dinner, we ate in instead. As the king of the day, he did utterly nothing, until it was time to leave. All he did was play XBox the entire day.

The plan was to leave the house at 5 pm, avoid the Saturday evening jam, head towards Jackson Heights, Queens to drop off cheh’s luggage and then meet TnT for dinner at an Argentinian restaurant in the neighborhood. Oh yes, and before that, we had to pick up a birthday cake too. The intention was good, but it was definitely lacking in the execution department.

We left the house at 6 pm. Cutting across town was a nightmare. Not only were there crazy shoppers we had to jostle around, but there were an insane number of weekend road warriors maneuvering the asphalt. When we finally reached 59th street Bridge, it was 15 minutes pass 7. Did I mention that Lincoln Tunnel is only 5 minutes away from my house?

Finding parking at my younger sister’s place is next to impossible. When you want to park, there is never any in sight. When you don’t want to park, the empty spots miraculously appear. So instead of parking, hubs dropped cheh and I, the luggage and presents off at the apartment. The moment we stepped out of the car, there is no mistaking the unique scent of the Indians. Little India, here we come!
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Jolt to the economy

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Thanksgiving. Time for family. Time for food comatose-s. Time for shopping!

DAY 1 & 2 : Thursday & Friday Nov. 26 & 27, 2009

We picked my Canadian aunt aka Ta Mai up from Newark in the morning. We hung out a bit at home, before leaving for my other aunt’s place in Wayne for lunch/dinner at 2 pm. The spread was mouth-watering. We had the traditional turkey, stuffing, a salad made of celery, tomato, almonds in a sun-dried tomato pesto, seafood and kilbasa paella, and french beans with mushroom and carrots casserole. After two helpings, we adjourned from the dining room to the dessert room and proceeded with our next course. This year’s turkey was extra moist and extra yum-o-licious. Dessert was peach jello, pumpkin and blueberry pie with vanilla ice cream, spicy and tangy cashews with lime, sweet potato chips and liquored chocolates. Phew!

The Thanksgiving spread

The Thanksgiving spread


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Gratitude

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Tomorrow’s Thanksgiving and I have plenty to be thankful for.

1. Family.

My parents. Even though my parents are miles away, I know they are just a phone call/email/im away. They never express their feelings but their actions speak louder than words. When we were younger, my mom would wake up at 4 every morning to prepare our breakfast and lunch for the day. The moment she reaches home from work, she’s making dinner for us. Even as adults now, my mom still worries about our nutrition. My father took the night shift, and stayed up with us as we did our homework. As a child, I had trouble sleeping from time to time. I would creep into my father’s room and wake him up. He would take me back into my room, sit next to me until I fell asleep before he left. He’s still sharing in my worries and happiness today. He’s my counsel and my ready ear. I am thankful for parents who doled out corporal punishment, but meted out an equal amount of tlc after. I am thankful for parents who didn’t give gifts for birthdays, but gave me the presence of friends and family for my birthdays. I am thankful for parents who don’t say I love you, but showed me they love me instead. I am thankful for parents who didn’t read me to sleep, but gave me books so that I can read myself to sleep. I am thankful for parents who gave me culture, but sacrificed everything so that we are who we are today.

My sisters. Even though we grew up fighting each other tooth and nail, and are still bickering, we have always had each other. They are my shoulder to cry on, my friend, my reason for happiness, my equal. I adore them not for their smarts or their grace, but for their quirks and irritating habits. I am thankful for their wit, because no one else would laugh at my jokes. I am thankful for their fighting spirit, because without them, I would never have been a soldier. I am thankful for sisters who cry with me, laugh with me and share all my pain and joys. I am thankful for sisters who scaled gates with me, learn to ride the bike with me and played imaginary roles with me. I am thankful for sisters who keep me in line – who until today, humble me. I am thankful for one sister for letting me be a spoiled brat when I feel like it, and the other for letting me be a mother when I choose to.

My better half. When I am unable to move, he doesn’t just carry me. He’s standing next to me, helping me. He chauffeurs me to work everyday, while I sleep, and drops me off right at the door before he parks the car. He tucks me in at night, every night. I am thankful for his one-track mind, which leaves multi-tasking a chore. I am thankful for his short-term memory, which makes what I said a week ago null and void. I am thankful for his height and my lack of it, which makes asking him do chores that much more logical. I am thankful for his humor, which amuses me to no end. I am thankful for his reticence, which makes me his mouth piece. I am thankful for the useless things that he sometimes thinks I need – wii, pda, iTouch, new cell phone, flowers, love – which I begrudgingly and secretly enjoy.

My four-legged baby. I am incredibly thankful for her. I am thankful for her adoring eyes, although it was scared when we first picked her up from the shelter 7 years ago. I am thankful for her unfailing gift of greeting me at the door everyday after work, although it was a gift of poop and pee at the start. I am thankful for her health, although she gave me quite a scare today, having to rush her to the emergency late tonight. I am thankful for her energy, although she did tear up my piano bench a long time ago. I am thankful for her devotion, although it was difficult having to leave her at home at first without making her think we were abandoning her. I am thankful that I have an excuse to leave a party/dinner/gathering because I have to return home to walk/feed her.

My jee mai. Without her, I wouldn’t have a scar on my nose to remind me that tantrums will never win. Without her, I wouldn’t have known what strength is. Without her, I wouldn’t have someone to turn to for wisdom and unbiased truth. Without her, I wouldn’t have two gorgeous, intelligent and dear cousins. Without her, the family up in Canada won’t be whole.

My ta mai, who will be visiting from Canada this Thanksgiving. Without her, I wouldn’t know that I abhorred gooey food – chicken skin, fish skin, fat, cartilage, which she forced down my throat and I promptly threw out. Without her, I wouldn’t have seen Edmonton during my time in Minnesota. Without her, I wouldn’t know what waking the dead means. Without her, I wouldn’t have gloves, zip-locs, trash bags, pain meds and jello. (trust me – they are ALL related)

My unc. tak. Without him, I wouldn’t know the difference between a positive and a negative integer. Without him, I wouldn’t know how to tell a joke with crudeness and innuendos. Without him and my ta mai, the first batch of cousins would never have spent countless school holidays together – picnicking, going to the museum and Lake Gardens, frolicking in the chilly waterfalls, spending precious time together.  Without him, I wouldn’t have two young cousin brothers, who we watch grow up before our eyes.

My er peh. Without him, shopping in Singapore wouldn’t be a delight. Without him, my daddy would never have had the opportunities he had in life, and I wouldn’t be where I am. Without him, I wouldn’t have a cherished elder cousin sister to look up to and a dear aunt to be fond of.

My aunt and uncle in Wayne. Without them, I would have been on the streets when we first moved out here from Minnesota. Without them, I have no place to go for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Without them, I wouldn’t have known my extended family.

My maternal and paternal family. Without them, I wouldn’t know the joy of talking at the top of one’s lungs just to be heard. Without them, there will be less hugs and kisses. Without them, I wouldn’t know what a family truly means.

2.  A roof over my head.

I am thankful for my blind luck of getting and liking the first place that I see. I am thankful for the diy work on my kitchen, bathroom, and laundry room. I am thankful for a home to call my own and return to everyday.

3. A job.

I am thankful for a job that I still enjoy. I am thankful that I am still abusable, and am thankful for that leverage.

4. My health.

I am thankful for learning to deal with tough things in life. I am thankful for my weekly injections. I am thankful for my lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Raynaud’s and eczema, because I can sometimes use it as an excuse to get out of housework. I am thankful for my lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Raynaud’s and eczema, because I have learned to live.

5. Food.

I am thankful for (good) food. Amen!

6. (Last but not least) Friends.

My school/childhood friends. Thank you for your loyalty. Thank you for your trust. Thank you for your reliability. Thank you for taking me the way I am.

My college friends. Thank you for the years of small talk and big talk. Thank you for cramming with me during finals. Thank you for showing me life is more than just hitting the books.

My colleagues, who have gone from mere acquaintances to life long friends. Thank you for witnessing our growth. Thank you for your patience and time. Thank you for painting my house. Thank you for filling my house with laughter. Thank you for house-sitting miles away.

Getting young, quietly

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O hisashi buri dana! It has been a while…

My sisters are finally together again this weekend to celebrate my birthday.  Since young, we have always spent all our birthdays together.  It starts with a cake cutting and photo session at home, and ends with us having thoroughly stuffed our faces with a 10-course meal at a Chinese restaurant. No presents were exchanged, but there were plenty of laughter with friends and family.

Well, my birthday isn’t officially until a few days later. But we all work.  So the weekend will have to do.
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Trick or Treat for UNICEF!

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Planning for Halloween is harrowing.

For the pass few years now, we have been volunteering for UNICEF’s Trick or Treat for UNICEF campaign to raise money for children of the world. The first year that I did it, the economy was still good.  People were in a giving mood.  All I had to do, was lay out a bowl of candies, and people were just happy stuffing $20 bills in my box. That year, I didn’t have to fork out my own cash to reach my goal (even though I do donate on a regular basis – in case you think I’m a schmuck who asks for donation but doesn’t give a penny).

The second year, the economy tanked. People were stingy with their cash. At work, I even dressed up as a Harajuku girl to “beg” for money. I even threw a Halloween party, lavished with good food and fun games. Only a handful of truly good friends showed up. At the end of the day, even though we had an awesome time, I dug into the piggy bank to make up for the difference.

This year, with the economy barely on the upturn, I don’t know what the reception will be. How do you ask people to donate when they don’t even have a job?

First of, hubs, Cheh and I are going to be characters from an anime (surprise surprise!). Our props have been ordered and hopefully we can walk around town with it. Secondly, we have to actually scout for donors. Thirdly, making up the event and finding the location.

Last year, a friend had a birthday party at a club and wanted us to join in the celebration. I didn’t think it was appropriate. This year, I’m too lazy to throw an in-house party and I really hope by joining the crowd, we can get more donation for the children.

At the end of the day, it’s not how much you give, even though the money does come in handy.

“You give little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself, that you truly give.” – Khalil Gibran

I choose to volunteer my time with UNICEF because the children of the world are the hope for the next generation. They are not only vulnerable, but precious and will play an integral role in changing the vicious cycle of status quo in the world. There are few issues in the world that are as important and as solvable as saving children. And, because of that UNICEF’s work transcends those things that tend to divide us and our world. Their work ranges from small projects in remote villages to sweeping changes in health care interventions. UNICEF has played a leading role in reducing polio transmission by 99% over the past two decades. They’ve got political capital, allowing them to negotiate cease-fires in war-ravaged countries to immunize children.  Over the years, some 100 million children have been immunized against the most common vaccine preventable illnesses, saving 2.5 million children each year and reaching 40% of the world’s children.

UNICEF knows a little education goes along way. An educated woman is 3 – 5 times more likely to raise healthy, educated children, which means her children are much more likely to raise healthy, educated children. UNICEF is able to break the cycle that dooms so many children to malnutrition, lack of healthcare, and illiteracy- all of which contribute to children’s survival.

Whether it’s medicine, health care, education, or emergency relief, UNICEF is able to deliver it faster, and on a greater scale.  UNICEF’s goal is simple: we will do whatever it takes to save children’s lives. Only UNICEF has the global experience, resources, and reach to give children the best hope for survival. By working together, we have the power to change the world. When you support the Trick or Treat for UNICEF campaign, you help save a child’s life in a developing country by providing access to better nutrition, clean water, medicine and immunizations, education, and emergency relief.

Trick or Treat for UNICEF

Trick or Treat for UNICEF

http://inside.unicefusa.org/goto/achong

Chilling – but not really

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After our, I mean my, big clean out, I just veg-ed out today. I started the day im-ing with daddy while painting my nails green.  I even did a frenchie on it! Then I spent the rest of the morning blogging.

Hubs was out in the city, trying to renew his passport at the embassy.  No such luck.  Wasted the morning because he didn’t have a certified copy of his IC. He came back in time for lunch, in time for me to pick him up and stop at McDs. I am not the biggest fan of the fast food chain, but I really wanted to do everything bad today – including eating artery clogging food and washing it down with battery water.

While I chomped down on my burger and oily fries, hubs was scarfing his down – as he has another errand to run: fixing the alignment on the Acura. He replaced all four tires when we were in Toronto for my sister’s wedding.  The car has a mind of its own now in steering us to the right side of the road. Back to the shop it goes. Anyway, I sat at home, ate my heart-attack-waiting-to-happen-food and watched the return of InuYasha. Sit boy!

Since I couldn’t sit still, I started “cleaning” up things in the house. I put away the mail, paid the bills, shredded a few spams and I even tried to rearrange the study.  No such luck.  I need more time than I had. Instead, I went into hubs’ other closet and started ransacking it. Next week – I’ve got my project all planned out for me.

By the time dinner rolled around, I felt very much like sleeping, although the hunger pangs and rumbling clearly would have kept me up. Caught up with House and more anime.

Spring cleaning in Autumn

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I’ve never cleaned this much and thrown away so little in one day.

That’s four loads of laundry – darks, grays, whites and bed sheets, pillow cases and an ultra thick duvet cover – washed, dried, folded and stored in record time.

There was the switch over too, from summer to winter clothes.  Don’t mind me, I always do things ahead of time.  Although a few days back, I could have sworn that it was already winter, what with the morning temperature hovering in the low 40ºs. Today, however, is a different story. While pulling out woolen turtle necks and long johns, the temperature decides to rise to the mid-70s.

This changing of the guards shaved 5 hours off my day. Every time I do this, I swear my closet gets smaller and smaller. The sweaters that use to fit in one closet now has to be forced in. It starts out neat and orderly.  By the time I’m done, it looks like the clothes were just haphazardly shoved in in different directions. I never realized I have that many gloves, scarves, socks, wraps, and sweaters!
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Mooncake Festival

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We had an involuntary furlough day from work today. It was supposed to be doing things that we LIKE.

We were at the doctor’s for most of the day. My arms, yes plural, were stabbed four times before they were able to squeeze two vials out. One side has turn black and blue as we speak. The other side is just holey. Since they were short-handed, we have to return tomorrow to get our EKG done.

Had batten ramen for lunch at 2:45. By the time we got home, it was time to meet my sisters for dinner in the city.

We took the bus before 5. Finally reached Chinatown before 6. We went straight to buying groceries first. First stop – we bought fuji apples the size of two baseballs melded together.  Then we stopped at the tofu shop. I tried to get the auntie’s attention to sell me a pound of bean sprouts.

“Auntie, mm koi, yat pong ngaa choy.”

I must have said that five times and yet, nothing. The “auntie” helped everyone around me except me. Must be my invisible cloak that I have on today.

Then cheh stepped in.  Nothing.  Hubs had to ask too. Nothing. Finally, I gave it one more try, before I got my pound of sprouts for $1. By that time, we added a tumbler of tau fu fa too.

Just as we walked towards Nyonya, a Malaysian restaurant, we saw a bakery that was selling mooncake and mooncake biscuits, which we call, chuu chai – little pigs. I got one big chuu chai (for hubs and I) and two smaller ones (one for each sister), in the shape of a fish and buddha. I tried to pay, but once again, it seems like I am invisible. I tried all the “excuse mes” in Chinese.  Nothing.

Then, rather haughtily, I said, “Excuse me,” in English. That got their attention.

Cheh will be off to Vancouver tomorrow morning so we had our family dinner for Mooncake Festival (aka Mid-Autumn Festival 中秋节) tonight instead.

We ordered oyster omelet, kangkung sambal belacan, stingray in lotus leaf topped with sambal belacan (again) and tofu casserole. YUM!

After dinner, we went hunting for more chuu chais because my younger sister wanted to buy some herself. We stopped at the same bakery. While the three of us fussed over what we were getting, hubs waited outside the store. When he finally came in, my younger sister got herself a bun and chuu chai, cheh got about 6 buns, and I got a mango bubble tea. Hubs found a $20 bill.

A few days earlier, while walking Jessie in the morning, I found a dollar.  I thought it was my lucky day.  Hubs wins.

To celebrate our “good fortune” for the week, we purchased $2 worth of lottery, drawing for $105 million tonight.  A little luck or an invisible cloak goes a long way.

As of this morning, the lottery pot has gone up to $122 million.