Happy Birthday!
Today's 人日 (ren ri) also known as People's Day; the traditional seventh day of the first lunar month that Chinese celebrates the birthday for everyone. Despite the fact that i should only be 31 years old based on the gregorian calendar, i am in fact 32 in Chinese terminology.
And in Singapore Chinese custom, today is by right the official day to 捞鱼生 (lo-hei)!
Each ingredient is followed by auspicious sayings that wish for a better year and usually in terms of prosperity and wealth! In the picture above, my brother in law was saying "whole floor full of gold bars"; signifying that the whole year will be (hopefully) full of wealth for the family.
This colourful Singaporean dish is only completed when all family members partake in the messy mixing!
So how is my Rabbit Lunar Year so far?
The first day was filled with visits to my relatives on my paternal side! The above is a picture of the three Teo siblings in my eldest uncle's house wishing everyone a Happy Rabbit Year!
Second day was the annual visit to my second uncle's house on my mother's side. As usual, it was a delicious steamboat lunch with loads of big, fat prawns and golden needles mushrooms!
Bratty Jerald was damn happy because there were so many kids his age! The poor mummies had to take turns taking care of these monsters! Gosh, all the more why i would not want to get married and have kids!
Almost synonymous with CNY is gambling! After most of the relatives had arrived, we knew it's time to "open the table" and play blackjack!
My lady luck wasn't shining on me; a bad omen to the new year when i had a really crappy one for the last. Night time was a visit to Swee Yi's house at 10pm! Gosh, it was the latest "pai nian" i ever have but it was really enjoyable! Pity Priscilla could not attend!
Third day was a visit to Vanessa's place for lunch! Alex insisted in helping auntie with her cooking and judging from his usual lack of personal hygiene, i was thankful i am still standing today!
In addition to my favourite game - in between, weirdo Alex suggested playing a really stupid yet fun game where each of us select a card (without knowing what it is) and place it on our forehead. Since we can see what the others have, guesses were necessary to see what our card was and raise the stakes accordingly! A bit like Texas Holdem!
Last day of the four-day holiday was spent in another cousin's house! And that was the day i realised the kid above has to call me grand uncle!!! Argh!!!!!
I am only 31!!!!! How come the generation can jump so much!?
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