Every new year makes me think of days of childhood when CNY was something that I was looking forward too. My family would go to my grandparent's house for tuen nien dinner. There were so many people. My grandparents had 9 kids and all married, and some with children. Easily more than 25 people in a moderate double storey terrace house. What's fun? It was actually the noise. The noise of us children playing. The noise of the adults chattering away. The noise of my gramps cooking in the kitchen. And then... later the noise from gambling... including the children. All for the fun of it. It was great. That was so many years ago.
The 1st day, as usual, my late gramps would start chasing for us to reach their house in the morning. No matter how early, it was never early enough for them :). My gramps were very particular about the color of our clothes. I'd be in for trouble if we came in black, white or blue. I remember I made that mistake once. I had this nice matching top in electric blue and black. Just about the only think I could find it in that odd adolescent age. Boy, did I get it from my grandpa. Red is good. Red is safe. This is another thing that has changed over time. I don't see people, at least those around me, that particular anymore. Then the 'hoi nien' lunch... specially cooked by my gramps. Till today, noone can beat my grandpa's 'suen chi lei' (koi (the edible ones) braised in garlic). And there were always a 'pak jarm kai' aka boiled kampung chicken, the vegetarian dish with fat choy. So forth. As children, we were just happy to get together with our cousins, playing fire crackers.. and of course the gambling session :)... controlled la of course. My gramps were very particular that these sessions were only valid for 3 days only. Then close shop. My parents with my uncles and aunties would be playing mahjong till the early hours in the morning. It was certainly a visa to stay up late then.
It is good thinking about it. Now that I'm a wife and mom, it feels different. Responsibilities to balik kampong, visit and greet. Obviously not as fun as when I was a kid. But then again, it is a perfect time to rest too. In fact, I am very bored. Why do you think, I'm blogging now :). There were occasions when I'm sorely tempted to go on a holiday during CNY. Why not??
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