Annual Lohei with Colleagues

Everytime when we set the theme (for dress code) for our CNY dinner, there will be SOMEONE who fails the criteria and ends up giving the rest a treat for tea/coffee/refreshments after dinner. Apparently Mr Kok seems to be a recalcitrant. Today we had our good laugh and a good treat from Mr Kok all because what he was wearing just could not fit in what we called "Cheerful, Vibrant Colours".

After my external meeting, I met up with Bo and Yeo earlier at the PS Café along Seng Poh Road. Quite a nice little café with cosy lightings. Many were enjoying their little chats with wines/coffees/pizzas. It was 5 plus to 6pm, quite surprised to see this many people enjoying themselves in the café.

A good pre-dinner catch-up with my ex-bosses

It felt quite amazing to be back with these 2 guys who used to be my bosses. I guess I am quite lucky to have worked under them before. Those days in WSN weren't the best but I think these 2 have made it a bit more bearable. Had quite a nice catch-up with them before we adjourned to Por Kee Eating House for our reunion dinner. But after Miss Ang's arrival, our wait for the rest felt   r e a l l y ... .. draaaagggyyy.

Waiting very patiently

And finally when the rest came, all of us "attacked" Mr Kok for failing to meet the theme. While he tried to defend for himself, saying his shirt was tailor made for this event (which was not true), no one accepted his argument. So it was set. The coffee treat later would be on him! Haha!

Anyway, before that, let me show you our dinner first:

Lohei, always start our dinner with auspicious CNY wishing for all

The yusheng comes with the freshness of the vegetables and well-balanced between the sweet and sour. A great appetizer to start our don't know how many course dinner. Ah Yeo ordered the dishes and good choices. I particularly loved the pork ribs, tofu, roasted chicken and stir fry potato leaves. With rice, it was indeed satisfying.

We always order most of the dishes again and again because they are good!



look at the odd one out

Full and happy

While most said they were full, all of us never reject treat from friends, especially when the friend "deserved" some punishment. Of all places, we went back to the PS café! Poor Mr Kok, the cakes and beverages were not cheap but of course, he graciously picked up the bill.

There is always room for desserts

I think we were the nosiest table in the café. I forgot what we were talking about but I recalled laughing to my max with tears in my eyes. Things really got more hilarious when we got out of office and probably it was the CNY mood too.

Just want to say THANK YOU , MR KOK!!!

祝这般好友， 万事顺利，笑口常开！

Day 3 of CNY and Not Working!

What a great feeling that I did not have to return work today! Got to see Evans getting ready for school in his CNY outfit and greatest smile. When you feel good, you naturally feel better from the flu... and I did!

Little cheeky Evans

Ready for school to celebrate CNY

Good thing is my bro was also on leave. Actually he was the one who tempted me to take leave today. Bro and I went to MacDonald's for breakfast and chitchat. It has been quite a long while since we did this. Evans was delighted to see my bro and I there to fetch him. Could be one of his favourite days when we were both on leave. He has been asking us when we could be on leave to accompany him.

He was very happy to see me and my bro fetching him from school.

Besides avoiding the blues, this break from work allowed me to really recover from the one week's flu. Felt a lot better after the nap and plainly doing nothing much. What a relief!

Day 2 of CNY

Evans with Jerm in similar outfits again

Day 2 of CNY was not any less busy. And the stupid flu was still bothersome but I could still manage without medication. Technically bro bought this CNY outfit for Evans and the design was not bad just that he bought him the yellow/gold one earlier which after he tried it on, we decided yellow was not Evans' colour. LOL!

As of the past years, we would visit the Wenzhou clan association with the purpose of watching the lion and dragon dance. Really was for the kids. But we did not want to be there so early because traditionally the lion dance troupe would be late. So we went to hubby's bro's house for visiting and lunch. Stayed there till around 2 plus then we headed to the clan association.

The boys are having a lot of fun with hubby.

Upon reaching the clan association, it was sort of their annual meeting. Personally I really felt it was a little painful because it was very draggy. And my flu wasn't making me feel any better, seated in the midst of the chatter while the meeting was going on; the members were reporting their committee updates through a mike but we were not able to hear very clearly too. I had to distract Evans with the videos in my hp because he was too, getting restless.

Luckily the lion dance finally came after lots of anticipation. And it was quite a long performance. While hubby entertained Evans, I tried to take a rest somewhere, just standing at one end, trying to breathe freely with my congested nose. Really wished to have a bed for me to lie down that moment.

When the dragon dance ended, we finally made our way back to my parents' place, where I could finally rest. Evans was also knocked out pretty quickly after his milk. It was a tiring day but thankfully it was still considered a cooling weather, as compared to the past CNY's hot and sunny day! Considered myself lucky, if not I might have felt very much worse.

At my parents', we had another round of steamboat!!! I felt really contented and happy. Something about steamboat that made me feel festive. YUM! And we also topped the dinner up with Yusheng from Putien. Another delicacy, one of the better ones I have tried.

It feels so good to be on leave tomorrow! I really need the rest, besides I do not want to feel the "Back to work after holiday" blues, which I believed many are feeling it now.

大年初一

Chinese New Year this year is pretty windy and cooling as compared to the previous years. Though I shou sui the night before, I felt energized to start the day, despite my flu didn't seem to go away. But I guess the CNY mood was helping me very much.

It was pretty much standard for our day 1 when we would visit hubby's side of the family then to my eldest Uncle's family at Marine Parade then gathered with my extended family at someone's place. And this year my papa volunteered to host the CNY gathering again. 

I was excited dressing Evans up in his new clothes. It is true that you can't vary much with boys' dressing but I think it is also blessing to be able to dress up boys in different colours and styles.

His poses amaze and amuse me, it's all him.

It wasn't a perfect start to the CNY visiting as hubby was "lamenting" how we were late to meet up with his sis's family for photoshoot. I was seriously a little pissed but really, I did not want my favourite festival to turn out ugly, so I went along and just told him to let it go since it was CNY. Gosh! 

At my in-laws' place, we had lunch and also took some photos. Evans was in a vibrant mood as well and he enjoyed taking photo with jie jie. :)

Last year I did not get to visit my eldest Uncle somehow because of some delay, so this year we made it a point to go there. When we were there, we met bro at the lift lobby chatting with Cousin Lay Cheng. There was a buffet line, though quite emptied out. LOL. Mama was happily playing the poker cards in the kitchen with the aunties and she introduced Evans to them. Of course, Evans would not remember them at all. Haha!

Evans loves his jiu jiu!

It was already late afternoon by the time we drove mama and bro back to their place. We headed back to our place for a nap/rest before we went back to my parents' to gather with the rest. To my "surprise" when we reached at 7.30PM, the party has ended! Since no one got to play any Mahjong, they left earlier and this year, I missed the chance to catch up with my cousins. Evans was still "practising" his CNY greetings when we were downstairs! Haha, that was too bad, 

Nonetheless, I got to enjoy the food and drinks still. 

Chinese New Year Eve

Hey hey hey what a beautiful Sunday and it was the eve of CNY, my favourite part of CNY where the anticipation for good food and great reunion began!

Uniquely we went to the Bedok Library in the morning for Evans to return his books and to borrow others. We had a simple lunch at a nearby kopitiam cos tonight would be a feast! It felt really nice with CNY in the air, despite me having to be in mask most of the time. The flu couldn't stop me for feeling festive. Thankfully I felt better after a warm shower.

Evans and I spent our afternoon resting at my parents' place while the cleaning aunty did the cleaning at our place. Papa and mama were busy preparing for reunion dinner.

Our first stop for reunion dinner was at my on-laws' place. They too prepared steamboat like my parents. It just felt more like CNY with the hot pot, just like how turkey/roasted chicken is for Christmas. And Evans showered me with his cherry tomato juice when he took a bite, the juice just splattered all over me. #$^&*/$#& Thanks. No biggie... just glad to be able to let down my mask and enjoy the dinner.

Round 2 was at my parents', another round of steamboat!!!! Never get sick of it especially during this time of the year. With all my favourite like tau kee, wongbok, prawns, sotong balls, mushroom balls.... I could whip up another bowl of rice! Yum!

Following tradition, we also played the fire sparklers just at the lift lobby. This tradition started even before I was married. Still remember how my bro and I would play with the sparklers then take many funny wefies to stay up way past midnight - shou sui. Now we couldn't but we would still try to stay up to the max to shou sui.

Fire sparklers time

Just the 4 of us but that's good enough

This year Evans was asked to formally do CNY greetings to the elders in order to get his angpaos. I must say he could remember the standard set of wishings pretty well. Quite funny to see him do that in his new pj.

Bai Nian lor!!!

After fetching papa to the neighbourhood temple, we headed back home and got to count down to the Year of the Monkey in the car... Evans slept pretty fast and so now I got to continue my shou sui by watching the free singtel tv channels.

Happy Lunar Year of the Monkey, my dear friends!

All Ready for Chinese New Year!

Despite being hit by the flu virus, I was glad that I started the spring cleaning earlier and bit by bit, we managed to clean up some parts of the house while we will leave it to the cleaning lady to help us with the cleaning on CNY eve.

My bro also got to buy Evans a set of CNY clothes just in time. I haven't been able to get something I like.

I am also very thankful that my boy recovered from the fever and cough!

Regaining his cheekiness

The decor which lights up the house with CNY mood

Last Work Day before CNY

As our tradition, we would meet up for our little reunion lunch on our last working day before CNY. This year we would not be able to enjoy a CNY eve half day in office cos the eve falls on a Sunday but let's create a little CNY mood with lots and lots of chicken and laughter. And Irene turned up late so she wasn't captured in the picture. Still glad she came in the end to help with clearing the dishes.