新年快樂

Every Chinese New Year, relatives from my mum's side never fail to take family pictures. On 初一, we missed one person though...my houseman cousin who had spent the last 24hrs on call at the hospital. She crashed the moment she reached home. In the words of her younger sister, cheh is in a coma now. I took a second look at this picture and suddenly it occurred to me that boys and men don't feature very much in our photos. I wonder if my bro feels left out! Anyways, I think the funniest thing about this CNY was my grandaunt telling me she tried to sell her peranakan *kam cheng (a porcelain container that holds spices and water) to the Nonya museum after seeing Jeanette Aw try to sell hers for $50,000 on the TV serial Little Nyonya. She reckoned her small kam cheng could fetch $5,000!!! Hahaha. She didn't finish her story, and it was lost in the din, but I think she wasn't very successful.

*Kam Cheng means 感情 in Mandarin. I tried to google an explanation of its symbolism, because I've forgotten what was said in the TV show. But couldn't find the explanation. Sorry about that! Anyone who knows, please say...

Life in progress

Clearing my book cabinet is somewhat like leafing through the pages of my life, again. I could have come across the same yellowing bookmark a year back, or thumbed through the same Christian literature my dad left behind, but the feelings and thoughts, though familiar, are never really the same. I know I will probably never read the Christian books my dad loved buying, but I always put them back in the same place - just in case. I know I will probably never re-read the Chinese books I'd bought back in my teen years, but I still keep them - just in case. Then there are the books that I wonder why I never just threw them out 2 years back. Because, today, when I look at them again, I don't even hesitate to dump them in the waiting plastic bag - to be given away. And then, there are the precious mementoes I have collected over the years. Lyrics of songs I'd written; beautiful handwritten letters penned to me by an old man who loved travelling the world and whom I'd interviewed during my days as a journo; and an old programme booklet of a photography exhibition held at The Substation by a dear friend, when we were all wide-eyed journalism students at university. Looking at these keepsakes, I am amazed that my nondescript brown cabinet stores items of value that can stir up such strong feelings within me. I think I am feeling restless again. I wonder what the future holds? 

A lovely cookout

Just recently, yuen lin decided to cook for me, belle and ethan mummy, at ethan mummy's place. The menu comprised (1) watermelon salad (with sprinkles of fetta cheese, yum), (2) chicken in honey-lime marinate, and (3) fried mushrooms with bacon. The most fun part of the meal was - and I never thought I'd admit it - the preparation. Because I was involved! It's a bit weird, but this year, I've kinda decided to prepare simple meals for myself, and really simple ones like tuna salad, or salad with crabstick and stuff. I would head for the supermart after work, choose my veggies and stuff, and head on home to whip up my really simple meal. I don't know, but it's somewhat like, I want to cook now. For health's sake, and fun's sake. Although yuen lin's meal wasn't exactly healthy - what with sizzling bacon - but it was still homecooked. Not by my mum, but my friend. And prepared, partly, by me. I really loved the fresh salad dressing of Chinese parsley, mint leaves and olive oil.

Happy New Year

Mich invited me to accompany her on a couple of girly songs for her New Year's Eve gig with the "kilat" band. Why "kilat"? Cos they were assembled at the very last minute - the set was only confirmed the day before the gig, and everyone had only a couple of days to really go through the songs on their own. Fantastic band lor. I felt so privileged to be able to sing with them. It's like you don't have to worry that anything will go wrong, you just sing. Coolness.

Venue: Singapore Flyer.

So we did one set at Love The World Soul Rock Bistro (where the resident band is really good), and the second set at the outdoor amphitheatre next to the flyer. Real fun. This must be one of the most memorable countdowns I've had. :)