Gong Xi Gong Xi 2008

Chinese New Year came and gone too fast!! I love CNY!! Here are the reasons why I love CNY and also what I did this CNY 2008 *Not in any order*

1) Reunion Dinner

Though my reunion dinner has not been a full reunion dinner since I left for studies in UK till now which is 8 years ago in 2000. The 3 years I was gone and now the 4 years after, my sis Ah Shan has not been home for CNY!! Hopefully next year we will have a full reunion dinner!!

One thing about my reunion dinner is that every year my mum cooks the same old dishes but I still look forward to it every year! The thing I look forward to most is this!! My mum's signature "hoi mei" soup with shark fins, abalone, dried scallops, fish maw, fish lips *don't really fancy the last two though but totally love the rest*

Look at all the slices of shark fins!! YUMMMM =) Yes I know its cruel and I know a lot people do not approve of this but but but I love all these goodies. My mum will boil the abalone in slow fire for few hours everyday for 3 days before the eve of CNY to prepare for this soup.

All the yummy yummy goodies.... =D

The yummy yummy yummy "hoi mei" soup like a mini buddha jump over the wall =)

2) New Clothes

Get to wear new clothes!! =D I have got like 5 dresses, 2 tops and a skirt for CNY =))))) You can see some of my new clothes from all the photos below but not all lar..... *keke*

3) Holidays

YIPPIEEEEEEE!!!!!!! CNY always bring along with it holiday mood =))))) Everyone is more relax at work and everything is pushed or delayed to after CNY *hehe* Who loves to go to work and doesn't like holidays!!! You tell me =P

Best of all.......... no need to wake up early!!!!!!!!! =)))))))))) *After so many years of working I still can't get up early!!*

4) "Lou Sang"

I love to lou sang. I don't really love to eat it but I don't mind eating it though =) The reason I love to lou sang is the atmosphere when lou-ing =) Everyone tends to say all the good things and everyone wants to out-do each other to lou the highest. It’s really fun!! This CNY I think I lou-ed about 8 times!! *Such a good number FATT*

5) Food

During CNY I tend to eat more and not care about diet or whatsoever! Won't feel guilty for eating and eating non-stop *Will feel guilty after CNY which is NOW!!*

Every year on the 9th day of CNY we will have a whole fatty suckling pig

Anyway all the CNY goodies, the various types of biscuits, nuts and snacks. All the packet and soft drinks *Which I avoid on normal days* All the open houses and the house visiting. Went to one of my dad's friend's open house in Bukit Gasing and his house is a huge huge bungalow with a basement car park that can park 60 cars and the spread of buffet available at his open house is like a food court where you can choose from thai, japanese, indian, malay, chinese and international cuisine.

Dinner at Oriental Pavilion =)

Peking crispy duck

Where the waiter slice off the crispy duck skin

Then you put some sweet sauce on the popiah skin like thingy and wrapped it with the crispy duck skin and a cucumber stick

From top left: Shark bone soup, the crispy duck meat is then cooked with ginger and spring onion as a separate dish, Hong Kong Kai Lan, Steam cod fish with garlic and ginger, Char grilled rack of lamb, Beef steak, desserts we have aloe vera with some fungus and chilled mango sago.

Dinner at Nagomi Shabu Shabu

The teapot for the soup is so cute! Mimi looks cute too =)

Chicken Shabu Shabu

Beef Shabu Shabu

Various side orders

6) House Visiting "Pai Lin" and Ang Pow$

One of the best thing about CNY is of course Ang Pow$ *hehe* All you need to do is to wish those who are married "Gong Hei Fatt Choy" and you will get ang pow!! hehe My biggest ang pow from outsiders gotta be Gu Yaw's dad!! *keke* He gave me RM30 ang pow =DDDDD Normally its only RM5 or RM10 mar....

This year's pai lin at some of my friend's house is a bit different as I brought my Wii along =) Everyone loves Wii =) Its really quite fun lor and not to mention addictive *at least for me lar - I am addicted to tennis*

You see I am a PRO already!! All my hard work and the hours of practice. When you are above 1000 points then you are consider PRO =) Actually I am already more than 1800 now =P

I also went to visit Christine and her baby Ethan!! Haven't got a chance to see her baby until now and baby Ethan is the most adorable baby!! He is super cute and will smile and giggle easily. A very happy baby indeed!!

7) St Mary's once a year CNY Gathering

I only meet my fellow St. Marian's friends once a year during CNY (with the exception of Ah Beng and Drama Queen which I meet once every one or two months). So it is an event that I look forward to and try my best to attend every CNY =) This year, we found Sandy as we had lost touch and hasn't seen each other since we left St Mary's!!

This year, the group is a bit smaller as some of them couldn't make it but nevertheless it was a fun catching up, gossiping and get together session! We had our usual lou sang session and as usual we were the loudest, noisiest and not to mention the most messy table at the restaurant. After we finish lou-ing, a quarter of the yu sang is on the table!

Everyone attacking the yu sang....

8) Gambling

I read a lot of chinese horoscope prediction for the year of rat and a lot says that I don't have money luck this year and all my money ar hard earned!! =(((((

And guess what?? I tried to prove them wrong but seems like its true =((((

I played mah jong with my family I lost, I played black jack and ginrami with my friends I lost. Seems like everything I gambled in also lose. But the weird thing is I went to Cindy Teh's house twice this CNY and twice also I won at her house!! The whole CNY I gambled almost every other day if not every day and I lost every single time except for the two times at Cindy Teh's house and also the last day of CNY I won =) But then I gambled the day after CNY and lost back all my winnings. So in the end I broke even and it’s true.... No money luck eh!!

This Drama Queen and Lai Yi are such good actresses. They are trying to act like they are kaki judi

Yes, we are that "mou liu"

According to Cindy Teh- the Little Miss Fun, the double Aces deserves to open a bottle of champagne to celebrate!! haha

OK I shall stop at No. 8 since its a good number *kaka*

Some of the CNY deco photos taken at Sunway Pyramid =)

p/s: My sis brought back lotsa dark chocolate for me =) Don't know why but I developed this cravings for dark chocolates!! Oh and thanks to her housemate who brought Lindt dark chocolates for me for my birthday *Feels a bit weird to accept but thanks and I have already eaten most of it hehe*

Oh and my sis bought this pretty pink princess file for me =)))))) I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!! From ESPRIT some more eh.... keke =)))))))))))))