Chinese New Year 2013 - Day 1

Happy Chinese New Year again! :D It's the time of the year where I look forward to meeting up with family/friends over good food. Day 1 is almost coming to an end...and I am thankful to God for a new beginning of the year :)

This year, as my parents will be away for holiday during CNY, we took the opportunity to visit as many relatives as we can on CNY Day 1 itself. For my family, family-relationship is core (of life) & it's an important value that we've been practicing since....birth!

Honouring our parents :)

* Photos of us serving tea didn't turn out too well...heh...

Just like the previous years, we started Chinese new year with an act of respect to our parents by serving them sweet red dates tea, followed by a warm & homey vegetarian meal cooked by my youngest aunt at the family home. A "family photo" is almost like a must each year...we will just take a "family photo" with everyone who's around at that time - precious moments to remember. I look forward to the day where EVERYONE will be back in PJ from Singapore, Australia, UK, & the USA so that we can take a really full family photo! Perhaps that will happen when I get married, eh? :P

Traditional (MUST-HAVE) Vegetarian Dish + Family

Once we're done with that, we headed over to our grandaunt's place to visit her family. Grandaunt left us last year, but as her family are still gathering at her house, we ceased the opportunity to meet up again for some chit-chat & snacks. To my surprise, her home-made prawn crackers are still in stock! Ah, what a "legacy" to leave behind :) She's certainly well-known for her cooking skills, especially for her accar, prawn crackers, & pickled mangoes. This year around, as she has left the world, her husband continued her footsteps by frying her prawn crackers. I think this is all that's left....ah.....

Home-Made Prawn Crackers & Family

We also had the opportunity to visit my mum's siblings i.e. eldest uncle, eldest aunt, & my 6th aunt. Fuh. The most precious part of such visitations was the opportunity to snap family photos together! How rare!! *super like!!* Most of the time, we just get to snap photos with my dad's side of the family. This year, I have photos with mum's side of the family as well! *joy*

In Hokkien, having a bowl of porridge (in Cantonese = "chook") means to be satisfied/contented with life (in Cantonese = "moon chook"). 

I am indeed contented & thankful for the blessings that God has showered upon my family & I.

I look forward to greater days ahead this CNY & the year 2013 - closer relationships with family & friends & no doubt, more opportunities to savour good food! :D


With love,