Well, finally i managed to update my blog after 2 week 'deactivated'! lol.
It is time again for our Chinese festive seasons where angpau are expected to be given and taken and lots of delicious and yummy delicacies are to be served. Well, this year celebration was a bit different from last year. The difference is in term of the number of people paying a visit to my hometown – Malacca as well as the number of angpau I have received. As far as I remember, when my late grandma was present, we will expect lots of relatives influx for a visit , greeting , angpau etc. But now, her absence makes this slight difference. Put aside the slight difference, an obviously huge difference is that this year Chinese new year , I hardly taste any delicious and yummy dishes. Simply to say I miss my grandma’s cook so much!
During the eve, we usually have a praying ritual with food served to pray our ancestors. I remember when grandma was present, lots of delicious food will be served, especially sea cucumber, but now no more. I can’t criticise much on the cook by my aunt and my mum but anyhow, grandma who was known as the ‘manager of the kitchen and domestic’ still produce the best cook. Her absence is felt strongly and a great loss to us.
Chinese New Year is indeed a great time to be deaf, here in Malacca. Why I say so? Well, you need to duck and cover when meeting unexpected firecrackers while you are walking around outside your house during the celebration. It goes on from the eve till the 15th day( Chap Goh Meh) with eve, 1st, 2nd ,9th ,Chap Goh Meh being the day with the loudest firework!
Fireworks are all well and good, due to the belief that the louder the celebration , the more luck this new year will bring. At one point, lighting fireworks was supposedly illegal but many locals still do this at their own free will.
Chinese new year also come with the colour RED which is an auspicious colour for Chinese. Those who wore black, grey or other dull colour would have gotten a tongue lashing from their mother ,aunts and old female spinsters lurking around nearby. For us this year, red is a no no! This is due to the passing of our beloved grandma and we are not allowed to wear red and other bright colour clothes for 2 years. Thus, only dull colour clothes are allowed.
Another thing about Chinese New Year is the imminent onslaught of the annual interrogation continues and will continue until years to come.
The interrogation are as follows: ( I even can list them out!)
- - Got a girlfriend already or not?
- - Getting married or not? ( at least this doesn’t apply to me yet! But my eldest brother is the one being bombarded by this question lol )
- - Working already or not? ( I am glad to answer : With God’s will, will be soon!)
- - How is your study?
- - Why you never look fat? Not enough eat? thanks to high metabolism! I eat a lots but cannot gain weight easily! Err…but isn’t it a good thing? But some of them believe fat is wealth! so am I poor? lol
Never mind that I probably have a bunch of busybody relatives who ask me this constantly anyway. To me, it is a form of interaction after a long time hiatus.
Well, to put it simple, here come the pictures of my neighhbours who were so excited in playing firecrackers.
We went to Funfair Melaka Raya on the 3rd day of Chinese New Year night.
On the 4th to 7th day of Chinese New Year, unexpectedly, I went to my cousin brother- Ah Qiang’s Zu Chuang Restaurant at Gajah Berang there to help out with some chores like taking an order, prepare beverages, serve and keep the bowl and glasses etc- A typical work of a waiter. But I am glad during the 4 days I worked there, I have learnt to act fast, communicate effectively with customers while taking the order, learn to prepare beverages like Kopi, Tea, honey lemon, 3 layer coffee/tea, cendol, ABC, barley, Luo Han Guo, etc. Though I felt exhausted working from 10am- 12pm, it is a fruitful experience of having to know how a typical Asian restaurant is operated and able to deal with customers from all walks of life.
During the first day ( 4th day of Chinese New Year) of work, I was fortunate enough to witness a lion dance which Ah Qiang hire. Sound of reverberating drums ,clashing cymbals and a thunderous gongs filled the restaurant where the glittery and majestic lion perform in sync with the percussion team. For a while, the lions paused to greet the customers and spew the orange peel to the cheering customers. The lion is seen as icon of power, wisdom, and good fortune that chases away evil spirits and bring happiness and good fortune.
Well, definitely, I believe with the large influx of customers everyday to taste the speciality – Mee Hoon Kuih etc at the restaurant, it is no doubt that Ah Qiang managed to expand his business by opening another few more branch at Malacca.
