CNY Festivities & Goodies

I've skipped a few CNY and having this opportunity with family and friends in my hometown this year was awesome. There were gatherings to attend, food to relish and drinks to down. Memories to reminisc, for sure. Photos speak a thousand words and here they are.


It is the best CNY I have had in many years. Miss home, friends & those laughters!

Keong Hee Huat Chye to all

Chinese New Year is one of the biggest celebration for, urm, Chinese descendents. It's like Christmas to the Westerners but it's celebrated over 15 days, 16 if to include the eve. It's all about relishing food.

The eve of CNY is a pivotal tradition whereby preferrably all family members are gathered together for a reunion dinner. In the olden days where my grandparents were still around, a big cook up with plenty of big pots of dishes were prepared. In the last few years, our family members are gathered in a hotel for reunion dinner. The homecooked and atmosphere are sorely missed but at least my family is still very much tightly woven.

Hope the Rabbit year brings joys and successes to all and sundry.

Keong Hee Huat Chye (Hokkien dialect for Gong Xi Fa Chai)!!

Glutton Nite Out Relishing Korean BBQ

While I am awake at 5am on the very last day of 2009, I had to write about this incident happened few days ago in Sg as it's such a funny experience of which will certainly go down memory lane.

A cousin, AH, is looking at getting a new laptop and I tagged along since we'd be having dinner later with his bro, AY before heading for a night shoot. We headed to Sim Lim Square and I was advised to avoid stores at ground level be it computers or camera gear!

Anyway, it was decided that we would head to Bugis since it's just a short walk from SLS. Korean buffet dinner was the choice the brothers decided. That's one good decision. However, the subsequent decision and action (rather inaction by the other 2 persons) led to the hilarious incident!

We were left with an order form to choose our dishes. Guys being guys, we left the ordering with AH to hasten the ordering process with a single decision-maker. I recalled AH asked me, "Do you eat everything?" and it didn't hit me (and AY) until much later!! I wouldn't say this led to us being regret for what AH did or what AY and I didn't do but what a surprise we had.

The dishes kept coming and coming, filling up our table that's meant for 4 seaters comfortably. This was even after we started emptying the existing dishes! AY started to feel full from looking at the plates on the table. The look on our faces would have been "the moment", but alas, we were all shocked at the amount of food we had to have and would have to relish!


Obviously, AY and I were curious what else would there be. So, we asked and the response we got hit us so hard we were in a fit of laughter, realising the impact of the question AH posted earlier. AH literally ticked every meat in the order form, minus mutton! All sorts of pork, beef, chicken and prawns with various flavours!

AY indeed went out for fresh air a few times but he was the first to "quit" the adventure. Glory probably belongs to me that dinner that lasted almost 90mins of continuous eating, thanks to AH!

It was certainly a memorable glutton nite with these 2 brothers of mine, one of whom will never be ordering food again (no prize for right answer) and if he did we'll make sure it's not everything in the menu again! Nevertheless, it was a great dinner - "sum"-tious yet delirious!

The brethren
p/s: The walk for the night shoot was indeed helpful. The next morning, I was woken up early to clear my bowel while AY was feeling full still!

Memorable Trip Home

My trip back home was certainly very tiring but worth every single moment of it - from chatting with my beloved swim coach, assisting in friend's wedding, Saigon trip with my folks to catching up with cousins and meeting up with friends over Xmas period. I hardly had sufficient sleep without even acclimatised to the time difference. As such, fatigues actually hit me towards my last 2 days in Penang.

Seeing the faces and the expressions for the surprises is priceless. These are certainly etched into my memory.

Having said that, I didn't really take many photos other than friend's wedding celebrations. I guess I just wanted a break and soaked in.

Unlike other trips back, I didn't have a more affirmative schedule for my next return due to some uncertainties.

Here is a shot while staying over in Singapore and was brought there by cousins who are photography enthusiasts:

Got loads to process from friend's wedding to Saigon's trip (not many though)......

CNY Photos Part 2 - Friends (Happy Valentine's Day)

I have been getting some emails referring to Valentine's Day being too commercialised. It's all about expensive gifts, flowers and meals. The true meaning of this very day, I guess, has been lost in translation in this modern.

Where are those days where homemade gifts and home-cooked meals? I'm sure they are some out there who still preferred these which actually comes from within.

I thought it's befitting for me to pay tribute to my friends today. Valentine's Day is also about friendships.

Happy Valentine's Day to all my beloved friends

Here are some pics of friends taken during my recent CNY trip back to Penang:

Friends from Primary School in Kek Lok SiSwimmers (rather Ex-swimmers) @ Lee Chek'sFriends from Secondary SchoolFellow PwC'ians

CNY Photos Part 1 - Family

Continuing from my CNY post, I thought I'd post some photos after processing them.

Certainly, I would never miss the chance take plenty of pics during my trip back for CNY with my family and friends. These are moments that I will cherish for as long as I live and having them captured would allow us to travel back in time.

So, here are some of my family members that I managed to "stop the time":

Pics of my friends to come in the next post.

Keong Hee Huat Chye

In a few hours, I'll be flying back to my hometown for Chinese New Year. I've missed two previous family reunion dinners and I must not missed this year's for personal reasons. It will be a different CNY this time around.

It has been brought up by others that the meaning of CNY and family reunion dinners have become less important for the younger generations. Some would not be able to make it back due to studies, financial constraints and work whereby CNY is not recognised as a public holiday in some countries.

I grew up playing plenty fireworks before they were officially banned and have some wonderful memories of them. Almost every year back then as a kid, we the cousins will have a "war" with neighbours which lit up the sky. However, there was one incident where one of the fireworks which I lit came back at me, hitting one of my eyes!

I do miss my grandma's dishes prepared for the reunion dinners. The past 7 reunion dinners and this year's are held in a hotel restaurant that caters CNY dishes that are so different from my grandma's. Speaking of which, I can still taste some of those dishes now.

Anyway, I can't wait for this short trip back where I'll be catching up with my wonderful family, beloved coach and some close friends.

Wishing everyone a prosperous Ox year ahead.

KEONG HEE HUAT CHYE

2nd Anniversary - Coach Chang Lian

Time seems to pass so quickly since the sad news (belated) last year. Today is the 2nd Anniversary of the passing of my beloved coach, Mdm Chang Lian.

It's always been in my mind that I'd visit her again but I was not mentally prepared to do so. Having said that, I'm in the midst of planning for the trip next year.

There was an event that triggered this plan some time last month. I received something from a very close friend of mine. It is a very well-thought gift from her and it meant a lot to me. No one other than my parents and a few friends, especially from the swimming fraternity, would understand this. The moment I saw it, my eyes just welled up for it was supposed to be a place I was to visit during the Beijing Olympics as offered by my late coach but didn't eventualise.


I thought I'd write about this special delivery on this very day rather than in Aug when I received this very touching gift which resulted it being a triggering event.

Thank you very much for this invaluable gift and you know who you are.

Penang and Xi'an Family Trip in April 2008

My recent trip back was tiring though it was for about 2 weeks, a week being spent touring Xian and Henan with parents. Since returning from the Xi'an trip, I have been feeling really tired. The tour wasn't as tired as previous trips. Sleeping late and getting up early since the trip had certainly worsened the condition as I'm feeling the effect now.

As for the photos, I am still editing them and at it will take some time since it's about 900 shots. Here are some of them.

Airport train in Guangzhou that is not functioning, so we walked for a distance! We arrived late in Guangzhou and had to rush to another terminal far away. 6 of the tour members were lost after arriving in Guangzhou. It's mayhem!

Simplicity is beautyColours

Teracotta Warriors in Xi'an were simply spectacular

I did have some great time catching up with friends in Penang and Singapore. Certainly, I am delighted for making this trip. Chatted with Uni bro til late on my only night in Singapore was fulfilling.

Unfortunately, I left before I could celebrate my birthday at home though it's always been just another day for me. Having said that, a good friend brought me out for dinner to celebrate 2 occasions - my early birthday and friend's new job! A night to remember though my friend didn't eat much!

Anyway, I experience another first! On the way to the airport, dad's car broke down! Perhaps, it's a sign that I should have stayed longer!

I have been getting the questions of the reason of my so-very-short trip back home.

What prompted me to head back is primarily due to an incident that occurred some time last year when I got news of the passing my beloved Chinese coach though her demise was about 6 months earlier. Procrastination of calling her is a regret that I will never ever forget but rather a lesson etched to my memory.

Especially with the recent passing of my grandpa and certain family issues thereafter, I decided against heading to Canberra to get my new passport done when I could catch up with and see how my mom is coping. Though it's a short time spent I'm confident she will get back on her feet after seeing her progress and initiatives.

Having the opportunities to hang out and reminisce the old times with friends from my swim days, schooling days and PwC days is something I would hold dear to my heart. I guess I have somehow learnt from my past procrastinations which I could never turn back the time and make amends.

In the end, I am very happy that I went back. Although I am still feeling tired, refreshed I felt! Seeing how some of those close to my heart progressing in life made my trip a very worthwhile though I do feel a little disappointed for not able to attain more.

My 20-month old niece, Emily growing up wellMy god-sis, Gerry, giving me the stare while filling up petrol after picking me up from LCCTA proud parents of 2-day old Ryan - Allan & Ming May @ Damansara Specialist HospitalProud Grandparents who were my neighbour Aeryn and Mommy Charlene (Daddy Brian some where nearby) visiting Ming May

More pics to come in the next few days.........