My memories of CNY are all immortalised in photographs. My main CNY memories are centred around my yearly pilgrimages down south to good old JB, just shy of Singapore. Images of having a camera going off in your face, nightly fireworks and sparklers, chowing down to minced pork stuffed fish maw in soup, as well as the obligatory trip down to MeiSan SzeChuan Restaurant in the what-used-to-be-called Holiday Inn Johor Bahru-now-called Mutiara hotel, right next to the bed of VCD/DVD vending vice Holiday Plaza. A place so notorious, it's included in guidebooks!
The day previous to the begining of all these JB CNY festivities has always been, a trip down to Mantin, just shy of Seremban. What I miss most during CNY these days is the old house and the home cooked meal, split into 3 different tables divided by age and generation. It's the food I miss the most, homecooked zha nyuk and rice wine chicken, aunts slaving the whole morning for reunion dinner. All us cousins and the rest of the family sitting around watching TV2 CNY specials and uncles playing mahjong on the back porch.
Those were the days. Now it's all done at the local nearby restaurant. Preset menus and no more mahjong and TV. Just in and out. The passing of goodies bags (a novelty started by my mother I might add!) and ang pows. It lacks that rustic nostalgia of Chinese New Years of yesteryear.
But the times are achanging and traditions need to keep up with the times too right?
Saturday 9 February 2008
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