We definitely still have more to share from New Zealand, and it will be coming straight away. But first, a time sensitive post from the present - Singapore.
It's Chinese New Year's Eve. We have been in Singapore for 4 days, and our days have been filled with eating and...cleaning. You see, it is Chinese tradition to spend the last days of the old year doing a thorough cleaning, to get rid of any lingering bad luck and make way for good luck and fortune in the new year.
Furthermore, children visiting from overseas and on leave from work are put to work quick-quick. So, we've spent the last few days helping the family by washing windows, cleaning the patio, and polishing the furniture. I think it's safe to say that there isn't a spec of ill-fortune hiding in this house!
[Although my mother-in-law is probably scratching her head over my cleaning attire. I neglected to bring really super "junky" clothes for all this cleaning, and thus have pressed my running clothes into double-duty. This is fine, except that I have been wearing...a skort. I can't imagine what she's been thinking as I've been hopping up and down on stools, stretching up on tip toes, and plopping down on the floor to polish the chairs. I know there are shorts under there, but for anyone who doesn't...well, an odd choice of attire and un-lady-like behavior, that's all...]
There are a few great rewards for all this hard work:
1. A great-looking house.
2. Happy parents.
3. Chinese New Year treats. (For all our foodie readers, hang tight - these warrant a post of their own!)
4. Reunion dinner!
"Reunion dinner" is held on New Year's Eve, and is a time for families to come together and celebrate. In describing the importance of CNY to my friends in the US, I have often described it as "Chinese Thanksgiving": Families come together to celebrate, everyone tries to get home to be with loved ones, shops all close, and celebration ensues.
Tonight, we enjoyed dinner with immediate family and a few close relatives. We ate a special dish, served only around the new year, called yusheng. There is fascinating symbolism in this dish, and I will tell you all about it...maybe tomorrow, when I'm not falling asleep on the keyboard. We also enjoyed steamboat, an enormous soup/fondue, where meats and veggies are cooked in boiling stock at the table.
Overall, a great start to my first CNY in Singapore. Tomorrow and Tuesday will be spent visiting many of our older relatives, delivering gifts, and wishing everyone a prosperous new year. I suspect it will be a busy day, so I'm off to get some socialization sleep (like beauty sleep for introverts)...
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