SELAMAT TAHUN BARU

Yes, these were the few photos I took with my 400D before it ran out of juice. Meanwhile....

I used to love and hate Chinese New Year as a kid. Love - the ang pows (now called hongbao), pineapple tarts, waking up in the morning and smelling the scent of spent firecrackers and seeing the colourful confetti they made on the grass. Hate - the scratchy new clothes that came in twin sets! Why did I have to dress like my sister!

Reunion dinner the night before usually meant buah keluak, chicken curry and hokkien mee. While we kids went out to play with firecrackers and sparklers, the adults were busy in the kitchen. My dad would help chop pineapple and cucumber for the yummy sambal to go with the noodles. Better than the lame sambal belachan some self-proclaimed "good" stalls now offer.

Later, we decided to have steamboat. But my mum wasn't happy with that - no leftovers to eat the next day. Especially after church and before visiting relatives. But not wanting to make her slog in the kitchen, we settled for reunion buffets cos the kids love picking their own food.

Alas, some things never change. Mum still insists on having something to eat on the new year itself. So after reunion dinner, she goes back into the kitchen. Hence, the buah keluak that had been soaking for days earlier. This year, she made three batches - one for our home, one for my sis and one for my uncle. I see some keluak meat in the freezer - set aside for chap goh mei.

Buffet at The Line this year came with lion dancers. But not all diners were pleased with that as you can see from the photos! The spread included foie gras with caramelised onions. The sashimi was fresh because of the high turnover - quite a crowd there that night. The squid ink pasta was undercooked though. Quite a selection of food, but I don't think I ate enough to justify the auspicious price tag!

Here's the other I had mixed feelings about doing as a kid - having to go on my knees to wish the elders long life. As a reward, I got an ang pow. But after inspecting the packet, I sometimes regret wishing the measly giver long life. These days, I'm at the giving end - only for the nieces, lah. Still have to "soja" to my aunts and uncles (no more grand ones!) when I visit them. Photo below is of the 3D hongbaos I gave the kids.