Chinese Lunar New Year (CNY)

With less than 2 weeks to go… it’s that mad rush to buy stuffs for CNY again. Have you bought your new year clothes ? Is it red in color ? Hahaha…. Ok, pink can pass too… I bought a really red blouse this year, when I showed it to my dad, he said “Ok, very good”.. haha.. To fully appreciate the festive atmosphere, one should really make a trip down to Chinatown, join the “people mountain people sea” crowd.. squeeze through those lanes (watch out for your valuables !) … see how those hawkers raise their voices to promote their goods… oh yes, and see that long queue of people buying the famous “Lin-Zhi-Yuan Barbecued Pork” (aka “bak-gua”). I always find it comical for those people to start queuing to buy bak-gua during this period of time only while there is literally NO queue at all during other times of the year. I had a bad experience previously… the bak-gua was not thoroughly cooked and very soon, it turned mouldy. Besides, there are so many other brands/stalls to choose from and some do taste really good as well. For a first timer however, no harm buying some from the above-mentioned store though … just be prepared to sun-tan & queue. My personal suggestion, go prepared, wear something comfortable (preferably those that can absorb your perspiration), bring a foldable chair/stool, a bottle of mineral water, a portable mini fan, an umbrella (for ladies who are afraid of freckles)/suntan lotion (if you aim to sun-tan) and also a book along… you may perhaps be able to finish at least half (if not the whole) book during your queue ! Hee hee… For me, CNY means a time to gather with my relatives & cousins (some of us meet once a year only), collect ang-baos (one of the major highlights of CNY), eat plenty of goodies (dieting can wait) and watch TV programs (though recent TV shows are really not very interesting, they keep on repeating those old shows… yawn, boring…DVDs or VCDs may be a better choice ! hee hee). I used to go down to Marina Square on CNY eve (after reunion dinner) to watch the fireworks which will go off at 12.00 midnight. But eversince the “durian” (aka Esplanade) is up… seems like the relevant authorities had scrapped the idea of having fireworks. I remembered last year there was a heavy downpour during CNY eve and I believed the fireworks display was cancelled… what a pity… that was also one of the major highlights for CNY for me… anyone knows if they are still having those fireworks elsewhere this year ? Anybody interested to meet and go down together to see fireworks ? The living room of my house is almost fully decorated with “red” color by now (thanks to my parents) and we have also gone through several rounds (small little “exercises”) to clear out those stuffs which we no longer need or want. I really enjoy these small little “exercises”… although I “suffer” from nagging from my parents for accumulating certain stuffs. There is a reason why we keep certain things, some of them brings really good memories and some not so good ones. Anyway… sigh….. All in all, am looking forward to CNY still… taking time to smell the flowers along the way… and like the Chinese saying goes, after CNY, it would mean you have gotten one year older…. Well, that’s fine for me, as long our hearts are kept young.... age, being numbers doesn’t really matter. Here's taking this opportunity to wish everyone a blessed Chinese Lunar New Year too ! Enjoy !