FESTIVE FEEDING FRENZY

My cousins came over to wish my parents “Happy New Year” this morning. My niece is so cute, is she not? She’s growing up fast. Very soon she’ll be leading the boys in a game of chase.

Tomorrow I'll be returning to work.  So ends the 5-day festive weekend, for which I'm a tad glad.  We've been feeding non-stop. 

There is so much food in the house at the moment, it’s crazy.  Boxes of bak kua, pork floss encased inside crispy "love letters" are lying in ambush.  All kinds of chocolates, nuts, dried fruits and assorted cookies stacked up in various parts of the living room and dining area.  And if that ain't enough, Dad's friend brought us her homemade pineapple tarts and a HUGE orange chiffon cake. 

To take a break from the festive feeding frenzy we had canned sardines and bread for dinner tonight.

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BRING IT ON, DRAGON

The apartment is spick and span.  The floor in every room has been cleaned - once on Friday, twice yesterday and, at my mother's insistence, one more time this afternoon.  The glass in the windows are so clean, they squeak; new curtains are in place; even the new living couch has arrived!

What's the Year of the Dragon without some fierce decor?

It's kinda CNY tradition in my home to have steamed radish cake.  My mother makes a mean 萝卜糕 but she prefers to take things easy these days.  (Actually she spent all her time cleaning the house and left none to make radish cake this year.)  So I went out and ordered a radish cake from a restaurant.

In a few hours, we'll be riding with the Dragon so let me wish you a very successful and prosperous Year of the Dragon.  Eat well, stay healthy and be contented.  For with contentment comes happiness.

HOLIDAY READING

Brought books home from the local library for some holiday reading.

With Chinese New Year only three days away, the weekend isn't going to be a relaxing one.  My parents are getting on in age and its only natural that they expect me to take on most of the spring cleaning chores at home.  My mother is a neat freak who spends HOURS each day cleaning our flat.  As the festive season approaches, she becomes particularly obsessed.  So when she spotted me with these books, she flipped!

"When will you find time to read these?" she wanted to know. "Don't you have cleaning to do?!"

It's bad luck to fight with your mother during Chinese New Year.  I'm going to skip off to clean my bedroom right away.  

SURPRISE GIFT

A surprise gift from my charming French boss!  He wants to show his appreciation for his assistant of six years.  "How sweet!" the ladies in the office cooed.  Such a festive colour too!  This is going to be a great year!

不止一次了，老板曾半开玩笑地对我说：当年他刚进公司时原想把我给辞退了。但随着一天一天过去，也就懒了，就不裁了。“没想到你不知不觉跟了我六年。"

我当然也意识到当时的危机啦。毕竟我不是他亲聘的员工哪！- I'm just a hand-me-down; a "step child" - 所以我誓必要更争气，发挥新加坡人独特的“怕输“精神。同事努力我比他努力，人家拼我比他更拼，要做一名不可缺乏的助理。

所以说这份礼物得来不易呢!

BOX OF MEMORIES

On New Year’s Day I cleaned out my storage room and rediscovered a treasure box filled with wistful memories – letters from Tammy dating back to 1991, a bunch of cards from friends and ex-colleagues, handmade birthday cards from my aunt and a some photos.

Tammy’s letters were frequent. Sometimes two a month! Cindy sent greeting cards – one for my birthday, one for Christmas – for 3 years in succession. Anna shared photos of her trip to Australia and one of her niece - a smiling toddler in a bathing suit. Just yesterday, I opened an email from Anna and POOF! That toddler isn’t a toddler anymore but a drop-dead gorgeous young woman. Such a shock it gave me!

Going through all the old mail made me miss the days of the snail mail, when queuing for stamps at the Post Office was fashionable. You craft the letter on your best stationery, race eagerly to the nearest mail box to drop the letter inside it.  Then followed by weeks of sheer anticipation. 

Please Mister Postman, look and see

If there's a letter in your bag for me …

They say it’s a sign of old age when you start to feel nostalgic.