A walk down Chinatown

Hey guys! Sorry for not posting yesterday. February started off pretty rough for me with different dramas happening and it was just the first of February. I pray that the rest of February will be better :) Nonetheless, my day was made whole again thanks to musical rehearsals! I'll be performing for my church's Easter musical so do keep your easter free if you can! I'll let you know more details in time to come :)

Anyway, I realised I have quite a number of readers from countries beyond Singapore so as a Chinese, I would like to talk about Chinese New Year! Just a few days ago, my family went to Chinatown in the sweltering sun to buy new year goodies. We have less than 2 weeks to Chinese New Year so it was pretty crowded. 

We begun by shopping for dried goods like beancurd skin for some ngoh hiang (fried meat wraps), sea cucumber and fa cai (that looks like hair). Then we went to buy tidbits for guests like melon seeds, peanuts and sugared fruits. 

Just for the fun of it, my mom also bought two small pumkins. Pumpkins mean prosperity but then again, everything that the Chinese eat and drink during CNY mean that too.

The best part of CNY is eating the all the fried and baked goods! That includes prawn crackers (my favourite!), bak kwa (barbecued meat), pineapple tarts (great devils of calories) and love letters. 

Here's something interesting- Buddha's fingers. This plant is shaped like fingers so they named it Buddha's fingers. Once again, it will bring you good fortune.

As for pomelos, they're supposed to give you luck in having children ;)

Well, I really don't profess to be an expert in CNY stuff. After all, traditions have died down and we pretty much do the main things- give red packets and exchange oranges (that means giving gold). But from what I see, the more of everything you buy, the luckier you'd be. Chinese also believe in the Fortune God (below). Our country likes to make a huge version of him so that he will bring more fortune to the country and our citizens. 

Well, what I enjoy most about CNY is meeting up with my relatives. This is one time when we all sit down for a dinner together and catch up! It's a traditional thing to have a 'reunion dinner' and thanks to that, we are always in touch with one another. Asians always keep their family close to their heart. Unlike in western cultures, we believe in filial piety, staying with the parents and respecting them. On the eve of CNY, some children would stay up as late as possible because they believe it'd ensure their parents long life. 

Well, pop by Asia one day for Chinese New Year! I don't think Singapore is very traditional anymore but we still have a good feel of it. 

PS: People usually set firecrackers off during Chinese New Year because the loud popping sounds ward off evil spirits. But in Singapore, firecrackers are banned so... we just talk louder (I'm joking!).