CNY Eve Reunion Dinnner 2011

The time of the year is here again. Tradition is followed. The evening before Chinese new year. The reunion dinner. My grandmother (dad's mum) and my father's aunt graced us with their presence.

Ever since my parents' divorce, we have two reunion dinners, well...one lunch and one dinner. Earlier in the day, the dinner was preceded by lunch with the old man.

My mum outdid herself today with 'loh hon chai' (pure vegetarian dish), mixed stir-fried vegetables, fried chicken, a turnip surprise and the bonus, pork knuckle, courtesy of my grand aunt. I led the the table in saying of grace before savoring the palatable variety that laid before us.

It feels nice to be seriously connected with family once a while. Our lifelong pursuits often times leave us too occupied to pay attention to certain values. The reunion dinner is that yearly reminder to us.

Almost half way through, my mum remembered one more dish still in the kitchen, the arrowhead (ngaku) dish with sausages, a typical Chinese preparation during the auspicious season. This tuberous vege from China makes excellent chips too!

Stuffed silly.

I'm looking forward to New Year's day tomorrow.

Oh, I got my first ang pow!