How I Spent My CNY: Part 1

How was your CNY so far? Mine.. well, lets look back..

On the eve of eve, my grand uncle treated us to a sumptuous CNY dinner. This is like a yearly affair and I'd attend if I'm back to hometown early. So happen, that I am this year.

CNY in Melaka (this is the area at Bukit China). This shot was taken on the way to the restaurant.

On the eve, it was time for some spring cleaning.. however, there's not much time to help with the spring cleaning except cleaning my room and the porch & garden in front.

Anyway, on my room - no matter how much I clean it, there are stuff to throw away yearly. That's kinda surprising cos I don't really use the room in my hometown in Malacca.

Amongst the many things I found in my room.. ahh, memories.

CNY eve dinner was yummy - with homecooked Nyonya dishes by my grandaunt.. We had the yearly stuff of chap chye (mixed vegetables), ayam buah keluak (beetlenut with chicken), and babi pongteh (pork cooked with tiaochew sauce).

And as our yearly routine, we helped mum to 'decorate' the fruits with the red paper. We used to think of this as a chore, but now with ready cut papers, it was quite a breeze! (no more cutting zig zags!).

And next, using the ang pow wrappers to be hanged on trees. Btw I thought that this ang pow wrapper was kinda Valentine's :)

We waited for the countdown and then, I went out for a drink.. Usually, for the past years, I've not gone out late for the Eve... but somehow, that was the first difference I did this New Year.

And yes, I slept late (which some say is good so your parents can get longer lives). Okay... I played my part. Ehem!

On the first day, I went to the temple in the morning.. this is not the temple I went to, but it was not too far off from Cheng Hoon Teng Temple, and every year, I'll pass by it. What I love about it - the huge joss sticks that they burn yearly on CNY!

Bumped into a friend at the temple.. and chit chatted quite a bit. Yeah, was a good catch up.

Then on the way back to the car, I saw the lion dance.. It was unique cos, I don't remember seeing lion dance on the pole before - at least not live.

In the afternoon, some friends and parents friend came over. And in the evening, I actually napped for a good 2.5 hours! Was simply too tired for the late nite earlier.

Dinner - was Pizza Hut. Another first for this CNY.

We ordered the coin pizza that was made for the CNY (u can't see it properly here cos it's been taken off the plate that fast by family members haha!).

And then, at night on Day 1 - having maggi mee goreng with mata kebab (ie sunny side up). Had this with blogger friend, Erika. Again, another first of sorts for me.

So for the first few days to and even on CNY day, it has been a somewhat different CNY for me. Not wrong, but simply different & unique.

*Now writing this, makes me kinda feel for this CNY. I've thought that it was a 'not so good' CNY, but looking back, it wasn't too bad after all? Anyway, there's more to come! :)