Question: Does Rat equal to Mouse? In chinese, apparently it does…. Mickey and Minnie are in huge demand this year.

Yesterday was Chinese New Year eve. Funny how things evolve as you grow older. When I was young, it meant going to my Ahma’s house to eat reunion dinner. I remember how the big table was filled with a large spread of food. There was always steamboat (not my food of choice) and a variety of cooked food like prawn fritters and fried yam (I like). New pajamas and new outfits, all the way to brand new undies. It was not always fun but somehow it was a big thing on my calendar being a kid. When I learnt how to make though CNY decorations with ang paos in school, I would make them for at home. Or rather must have been my mother who made them in the end because she is always the crafty-er one.

So yesterday, they gave us half day off and I took the morning off too. We went to the Buddhist Society where the Pig resides now. My mother brought Beer and made me pour it into a plastic cup. In front of Buddha! I felt damn scandalous at that point. That woman gets the most ridiculous ideas. Just because she saw someone else bring Beer does not mean it is right for us to bring it there. And of course, there were typical Singaporeans who left their rubbish in front of the Pig and his fellow neighbours and she made a fuss which I promptly told her not to bitch in front of Buddha. Buddha is so cool. I would totally be a Buddhist, except there was that part about burning of josssticks (allergies galore) and going vegetarian.

Then it was off to Hot Hour, where I earned my reunion dinner. After sweating it all out literally, if you saw my mat and my towels you would totally get the idea, I wandered to town to get my monthly stash my magazines plus a new PJ top for last night. I picked up amongst my usual of Teen Vogue, Vogue and Lucky, Yoga Journal, fueled by my renewed interest in the sport? hobby?. Then I got a PJ top from Cotton On Body for 7.50. Just love cheapie clothes. Only reason I love Australia. Besides Dominikki of course. As I walked out of Orchard mrt station, I realised just now priviledged I have been lately. I did not know how to walk onto Orchard Road using the new exit and was lost amongst the mass of people. I have been hitching rides from The Laney or if it was from the office, Miss Seow that I was not up to date with the recent changes in human traffic infrastructure in town. Or could it be simply that I have not been patronising the stores on Orchard Road lately?

We had our reunion dinner at Ahma’s house this year. We had been having our own reunion dinner at home since a very long time ago. An uninspired steamboat dinner for three followed by watching the equally uninspired TCS lunar new year countdown show. Last year however, we ate out at Gordon’s at Goodwood. The Pig’s last reunion dinner, which is very apt. Let us just say that that reunion dinner was particularly satisfying. It was afterall, steak. At Ahma’s house last night it was steamboat (duh) and the spread of cooked food that I remember from my youth was noticeably absent. I ate little, (but made up for it with a dash at MacD’s for twister fries and mcwings later) and somehow besides the food, the fun of reunion dinner was also absent.

I am at home, on the first day of Chinese New Year because my mother wants to be anti social. Which is totally ironic because she always believes that she is very sociable (snort). Which leaves me with new outfits, plenty (and I do mean plenty) pairs of new shoes and now where to go.