I have no idea why but I've become more homely as I grow up. So this year, there's only 3 days worth of pictures. & I'm definitely not going to write a detailed entry like last year cos that's going to take me at least 6 hours.
One thing I've learnt is there's no need to spend too much on new year clothes. Since young, I'll look forward to mum bringing me out to buy cny clothes. I can still remember vividly what I wore when I was 11 & 13 & exactly where I've got them. One year, I even spent $700 on clothes & shoes, which is crazy when I think of it now. This year I only spent a fraction of it, I didn't even get myself new shoes!
I only dared to taste abalone a few years ago... & I love it!! My fussy sister still don't dare, but that's good cos I can have her share!
Every year we'll receive gift packages like this, from whom I dunno. But I'm glad this year's package is bigger than last year's!Not that we can finish though... look! The bottom one is from last year & we only opened a can.
I like how my wine goes with the glass doors & croissant meant for sis' breakfast. That's the riesling I bought for cny eve. It's very good! But caused me heart pain at $70/bottle
Day 1 初一
As with other years, we'll wake up...
1) Have breakfast
2) Proceed to 1st uncle's house, have meesua there
3) Then to 3rd uncle's house, have lunch there
4) Then to 2nd uncle's house.
5) Then end the day by watching a movie
Standard.
Day 1 dress is bought online. It's slightly too large for my petite frame, but it looks ok when I wear very high heels, which is what I did.
Poooorrr Bingo gotta be locked up at home
My cute maid, Marlyn :)
恭喜发财!!!
My I look so BIGGGG size here beside my petite mum
Look at my legs! Do you all know why it's filled with blue-blacks? Nope not that I was tortured. It's becos the day before, I did last minute shopping alone in the supermarket, stocking up on beer, tidbits, daily neccesities etc.
The queue is superrrrrrrrr long, the basket is heavy too. So I have to resort to kicking the basket while the line moves. And so I woke up looking like that
Maternal instincts
Don't my cousin look like a doll?!
Booked tickets for "All's well that ends well 2011" at 2nd uncle's house, & we proceeded to town for dinner. Usually we watch movies in the heartlands (one year at Causeway point & the other at Westmall) cos my dad doesn't like to go to Orchard.
Had dinner at Mandarin Gallery, & I told dad that even if it's not CNY, this place is just as quiet with few crowd. I think people who have boutiques here must be seriously rich & just wanting to find a pastime.
This is my 1st uncle. He is very cute sometimes, but I'm very scared whenever we dine together. Because he will ALWAYS fight for the bill!!
Sometimes even when we're not done with our meal, he'll go up to the waiter to pay first. Which will make me guilty cos I feel he's not obliged to pay for our family when we make the bulk of the bill. That's why I always have to keep an eye on him.
Day 2 初二
Tired-looking dad
Whoa this weirdly-angled picture gives off an artistic, detached feel.
Bloody bottom lip due to excessive plucking. Oh yes 2nd day outfit is bought at F21 at $49, was thinking if I should get it & I'm glad I did!
The 2nd day of CNY is always my favourite cos as you all know I'm closer to my mother's side of the family, so obviously I'll be more at ease & enjoy it more around them.
My mum distributing ang pows (red packets) & my cousins got a good laugh out of it by queuing like how they did last year. Ah boy (cousin in red above) queued twice or thrice & mum didn't even notice!!
He did it for some playful bits, & said that he needed money for milk powder for when his son is born, which would be in May. LOL!!
Yes this is the cousin whose wedding I'd just attended last month!
Home-cooked food by beloved grandma!! ♥ ♥ ♥
And everybody's wolfing it down when they first arrive.
Oh I love how happy I look in this picture!
And how my hair looks so smooth & sleek & soft even though it's damn flat irl. Wonders of the DSLR!
(Almost) all my cousins from this big big family, including one extra uncle
Baby baby cuteeeeeee baby!! ♥
And look! They've started gambling on the small mj table already! A first time! We usually start playing together but this year they're addicted to the game "13 cards", which they play every week during Saturday gatherings.
Cousin whom I affectionately call 二姐 (2nd sister), she's getting married in Nov!! But I may not be able to attend if I decided to go overseas to further my studies :(
Here it comes again!~~
Everyone will squeeze around the round table, & even if you don't want to play a hand, you can park your money with a player. So that if his/her cards wins, you get your money, but if it's a losing hand, you lose your money. Basically it's on a First In, First Out basis.
And damn, look at these 3! They are sharing to be banker & on a superrrrrrr lucky big winning roll, which explains their smugness! They don't even allow people to "invest" or take in another "shareholder" for fear it would bring down their luck! BOO!
Ah qiang kor kor with his new sweet partner :)
Ahhh~ Sweet photos with my grandma which I really loved! Cos my grandma look really adorable!
I have a confession to make though. Had a few cans of beer while gambling cos it was a really warm day, & I overestimate myself. So after about 2 (or was it 3?) cans shared with my mum, I was feeling a woozy already.
CNY is just a routine. So on the 2nd day of CNY every year, we'll head to Long Beach @ East Coast to have dinner with my dad's family.
Standard location, standard restaurant, standard time, standard 3 tables.
Only difference is each uncle take turns to pay each year. And again.... have to look out for 1st uncle cos he sometimes rush to pay the bill fearing someone will beat him to it, even though he paid it last year already!! Plus one meal like this is $1000+ so I think it's fair to take turns too.
Awwww... this cousin of mine is soooooo adorable, ain't she? Totally looks like a doll!
The plan after dinner is to go to Ang Pao River for a walk, since we haven't been there for years. But mum & sis were tired, & I didn't wanna stay in the four walls of my room, so I spontaneously went to Hougang!
For?
.
.
.
.
No!! Don't criticize me for being a gambler... well, I mean I am, but... no! The original plan was to go to Ang Pow River at a designated time. But Karen got to her friend's house late, & it's not a good idea to just stay for 20 min, so we played in between instead.
That's the 1st time I played in between. It was fun!!
Somebody suggested mj, & I haven't played mj in agesss, so I readily agreed to make up for the 4th leg.
Their mj table is placed along the corridor near the lift lobby, lol! And they say neighbours wouldn't mind since it's CNY. Really?!
Karen then went around taking pictures with everybody, & unglam pictures of me with double chin!
Amazingly, I was the big & only winner of the day!! Amazing becos I have very very bad mj luck, or luck in gambling generally as I realise deteriorated over the years. Sometimes I'm super lucky though, my mum always make a killing when I view her cards for her. But out of 10 times in mj, I will lose 9 times. Really!!
So I'm fucking happy that I won, cos it's Chinese New Year, & that's a sign that my luck's gonna change in the new year! Karen's friend even asked, "Eh why you brought a cheat to my house to win all our money?!" (in a joking tone of course). LOL!
I sure hope I get to hear this more often!
We later then pick up one of Karen's gf & off to her house. She had a party there & invited some friends over since her parents are in Msia for the week.
I forgot what's her dog's name. He is extremely active, Jeff have to hold him between his legs for me to take a picture without blurring. He has cute dog features though... but look soooo different from when he is little!
Played in between (which I realised can amount to a VERY large pot!), I'd never, & drink from the bottles of liquor leftover from Karen's birthday, which are many!
Day 3 初三
Everybody in the family had plans.
Mum's going over to her friend's. Sis' going over to her's, & I'm going over to mine. You'd think we left poor dad alone at home... but no! He invited his workers over for steamboat (Again! CNY eat already, not bored meh?)
But mum wore the dress I planned to wear without telling me!! I was so angry at first & call her to demand if she wore it. But later contained my anger & realised it's no use getting slumped over it, so I wore a new dress I bought at FEP instead.
Went to a classmate's house with Cheryl & 3 other girls. Wow, only until the last semester do people start to involve us in their group. Great!! LOL! That's so self-deprecating & pathetic! Not that I really cared or desired to be in any cliques, but it's nice to have friends in school.
Omg what if I go overseas & I can't make any friends??? I know I look & give people the feeling that I'm extremely arrogant. I don't used to be like this!! I used to be able to have fun! But as I aged, I get more & more introvert, like back to my sec sch self!!
I can sense the vibes I give off cos I can be absolutely quiet & so not sociable at parties. It makes people & makes me feel uncomfortable. I recently just coincidentally met an event organiser who cast me last year, became friends with him & he told me the reason he didn't pick me for the event was becos "I was too arrogant"
How how how?
Met a friend & he drove us to Changi Village for dinner. Then later to Tua Pei Kong temple, which so many people visit that the roads & carpark was congested with cars! We had to illegal park & walk a longgg longgg way becos cars line up right up there!
On closer inspection, the immaculate dragon was made using hundreds, probably thousands of small dishes & spoons!!
Look!! My CNY clothes doesn't even cost 1/7 of what I spent on 2 years ago! I'm no spendthrift no more!
1 comment:
looking very pretty in all ur pics! Love the ones especially taken with ur grandma! :)
sweet!
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