Happy CNY!

Chinese New Year is always a good time of the year. I read in the papers, or somewhere else, about how CNY is more often than not associated with wishes for prosperity and wealth whereas Western festivities like Thanksgiving and Christmas place more emphasis on love and togetherness. I don't know how such an impression arose, but in my experience CNY has always been a time for meeting up with relatives, admittedly some closer and dearer than others, and friends. The words "Gong Xi Fa Cai" and other similar, errr, benedictions are more of well wishes than indications of actual desire. Who says we Chinese don't value kinship and love? I am so looking forward to seeing my adorable baby cousin Marcus and my beloved grandparents tomorrow. Not to mention the gang, who seem interested in coming over tomorrow night - Chu Yi night - since two of our party absolutely refuse to go KTV, our other option. It's really one of my favourite times of the year, beating out Christmas flat. A time for pineapple tarts (you can't have enough pineapple tarts!), scrumptious love letter wafers, and Mum's lovingly prepared otah, bar-kng and chicken rice. I can live quite well without cheesy MediaCorp TV's CNY specials and television re-runs though, thank you. It's gonna be a good year, I hope, since my first two angpows are gold packets. A real sartorial breakthrough.

Have a good time meeting up with friends and family, everyone, and Happy Lunar New Year, even those of you who really don't like CNY!