Happy Chinese New Year!!

Gong Xi Fa Chai!!

I am having a good time here.

I have friends whom I spoke to two days ago who felt sorry for me for missing yet another Chinese New Year in a foreign country, all by myself. It's really not as bad as you think.

Oh..and thank you for all the SMS-es. I have many repeat SMS greetings using Mickey Mouse, Ratatouille and Minnie Mouse since this is the year of the rat.

Joan, Ian and Bettina. Winson not in pic

Yesterday I had a "reunion" dinner with former coursemates from Cambridge. There were 5 of us and we had Malaysian food in Chinatown. It wasn't the type of dinner you would expect us to have of a reunion dinner like in Malaysia. But it was great meeting everyone again post-Cambridge. We did the typical hawker-type food, which was great.

Then again, I guess reunion dinners have evolved in Malaysia as well. I remember when I was small, we used to have a great feast. Steamed pomfret, braised chicken, Fuzhou dumplings, fish maw, prawns, pork, cookies and crates of mandarins! I noticed this has changed over the years.

For the past two years, the dinners have been simplified to mere hot pots, where we just cook all the fresh ingredients in a broth, scoop them up and eat. There weren't much cooking involved except for getting the broth ready. Oh well, if chopping garlic or wrapping those dumplings count.

But I guess having it simpler has its benefits too even though half the fun is in preparing the dinner. I remember the ladies, like my mum, grandmother and aunts were always doing the washing up after the dinner, while we, the kids would be out and about monkey-ing and playing firecrackers. Now, the simplified version has enabled everyone to sit and talk to each other at a faster "turnaround time". It's so much more appropriate for an occasion like this, meant to get everyone together.

CNY decor in Oxford Street, London

Now guess what, I'll be in London again tomorrow to help prepare a hot pot feast for a bigger group of friends, who are "stuck" in this country. Having it again on a weekend is great because that's when everyone is free and available. Trafalgar Square will be a hive of CNY activities again, just like last year.

Really, it isn't as bad as you think...in fact, I would be happy if people can come over to celebrate CNY with me next year....it will be fun! At least you will feel nice strutting off your new apparels here without soaking in sweat by afternoon. Hmm...that is assuming if I'm still around and not back for CNY instead.