It's a Chinese custom to kick start the lunar new year with a reunion dinner the night before. As it's too much of a hassle to prepare and cook the food at home; we had been dining out for the past few years!
This year, our dinner was at Clark Quay's Upin Hot Pot (優品火锅) as our family had a great time when we visited a few months back. Given the bigger crowd, service standard fell a little short of expectations although i can see that the staff was trying their best to manage.
Tossing the yusheng - with auspicious denotations, it's another popular activity that starts maybe about two weeks before lunar new year and continues for the first 15 days after the new year.
A group photo for our family of eight;
Satisfied expression, filled tummies and a dirty table!
Clark Quay is just an MRT station away from Chinatown and we decided to check out the festive bazaar and street light! In addition, it's beneficial to walk off the load in our stomachs! In a way, we were thankful that the rain started after we arrived at Chinatown.
The rain resulted in lesser crowd and the lower temperature made it rather comfortable to shop! Just beware of the accumulated rainwater on the unstable awning!
Vendors had already started slashing their prices with a few already clearing up for the day. Bouquets of flowers (like the above) were going for seven for S$20 and discounts for others can be hefty like 50% off. Nearing the strike of midnight, i can bet with you that the discounts would be even more irresistible!
With the rain clearing up, the crowd started accumulating again.
I was thinking of buying piggy banks and maybe a few more packets of the easy-to-make chawanmushi that i chanced upon on my visit two weeks ago. Alas, i can't find them! Jovyn managed to buy two plushies though.
Remember the ageing looking, overhanging lanterns i mentioned about in my post here? Guess the organiser did change it and it was a beautiful sight at night!
On our way out; our intention was just to check out bazaar and make our way out earlier as my family isn't much into crowded places and mom, especially, had to prepare for the offerings for the deities and ancestors later at midnight.
Road closure! Don't drive, take public transport!
Photographs of mom with the icon of the festive light up; the family of pigs! I can only wish that i wouldn't grow bigger in the year of the oink oink; it's so hard to cut down my weight with reduced metabolism.
The pigs looked glittery nice at night; with all the backlash pertaining to the design, i personally thought the pigs are better than the dogs last year.
Anyway, it's the start of the lunar new year and our family would like to wish everyone a happy and healthy year ahead. We can earn all the money we want but we wouldn't be able to enjoy it without happiness and a healthy mind and body.
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