Chinese New Year Reunion 2008

Well, it's that time of the year again, when everyone tries to get back together in one place to have dinner. This year, not everyone is around, but at least we have a sizeable group. As usual, we gathered at my grandmother's house. My grandmother is a very good cook, able to put together a Nyonya feast with the help of capable members of the family.

Now, ordinarily, most of us are all within 10 minutes' drive of each other, so, it's no big deal (we see each other quite often). However, there are some special members of my family who are seldom around (who probably have to make booking and appointment two months in advance for their presence). My sister, Angelene, is one of them. It was probably two or three months since the last time she set foot in Melaka. Though she's around, she went out almost every day, catching up with old friends and such. My cousin, Mark, is another one who's gone missing. Actually, he's now studying in Singapore, having been the lucky recipient of the Asean scholarship. My two aunties and their families in Australia are too far away (and it's not cheap to fly back here so often). The last time the two came back was during Melissa's wedding. Speaking of Melissa, I understand that she was accompanying her husband, Donald, so the two should be coming a little late.

My sister and wife

Not all the cooking was done by my grandmother. My father was also a contributor to the food chain, cooking up a tasty abalone dish and some other Hakka cuisine. Had even made a butter cake the previous night to bring over. So, that night, it was a mix of dishes from two prominent cultures. Both also nice to eat, so both also found their way onto my plate and into my stomach...!

Pyrotechnic at work, lighting candles up.

All candles let and ready for blowing

"How much longer should we wait-eh?"

Family Group Photo

Take 2 : for insurance

It was a special day, as it also happened to be my grandmother's birthday! So, after dinner, we quickly cleared the table for the cake cutting ceremony.

Some of the perils of eating a large piece of chocolate cake....

As we were leaving, my cousin, Melissa and her husband Donald finally showed up!

Well, better late than never! It was good that most of us managed to come back for dinner, as some of us were missing from the scene during Christmas / New Year. Hopefully, there will be a time soon when the entire family will come together again.