开工酒 hoi1 gung1 zau2 - A Start Work Banquet

Here's a good start to the new year for our team with a new year 开工酒 hoi1 gung1 zau2 in Cantonese or literally a start work banquet.

May the work of our hands be prosperous and excellent!

pearlie

A day in the forest

My hubby and I spent a great day in the forest with family in this awesome looking house in the hills. 

It's like my idea of a dream house, which is house-with-glass-walls-on-a-hill, except that it's so much bigger. 

And here's my hubby setting up his drone to take videos and pictures like the one above. He had a lot of fun.

The weather was cool and nice, in the range of 24°C. Though the skies were a bit dark and the sun didn't show itself...

...giving it a darker side to the scenery.

One could really just stay the whole day here and look out to the stretches and stretches of green foliage and white greyish cloudy skies. 

It was peaceful...

...except that city people (I assume that they were) do not realise that sound gets amplified quite a lot in the forest and the people occupying the premises opposite us were making so much noise that it became really irritating.

We tried not to be bothered by it the best we could. And here we are all lazying on the floor. The place has yet to be filled with furniture but no one minded because it's still quite comfortable.

The house is a 4-storey building and here's the 2nd floor overlooking the 3rd floor and the loft.

And my favourite? Yes, the loft. It's the coziest of places. 

We had steamboat for lunch al-fresco in the temporary shed at the entrance of the house, since the kitchen isn't quite ready yet. 

And here is one of the adorable residents of the house who was tailing everyone just to get a bite, and many a bite did he end up getting. 

We had a wonderful day. 

I'm looking forward to coming here again, when I really need to get away from the noisy city to a quiet place for a quiet retreat. 

Ah, provided that the noisy city people remain in the noisy city. 

pearlie

Happy New Year Everyone!

My father side of the family, or at least part of us, gathered for lunch today and it's so good to see each other again. 

Let me wish you:

恭祝大家新年快乐

身手灵活犹如松鼠

比天竺鼠人见人爱

幸福健康机会平安

数不尽，有的藏

In Cantonese:

zuk1 daai6 gaa1 san1 nin4 faai3 lok6

san1 sau2 ling4 wut6 jau4 jyu4 cung4 syu2

bei2 tin1 zuk1 syu2 jan4 gin3 jan4 ngoi3

hang6 fuk1 gin6 hong1 gei7 wui6 ping4 ngon1

sou3 bat1 zeon6 jau5 dik1 cong4

In literal translation!

Wishing everybody a Happy New Year

Body and hands lively like the squirrels

Compared to guinea pigs people see people love

Happiness, health, opportunity, peace

Counting unexhausted there is to keep

Gong Hei Fatt Choy! Wishing all of you the best of the new year!!! May we all be blessed and happy all year long!

pearlie

Chinese New Year Eve Reunion Dinner

It has been many years since we've gathered for a reunion dinner at my mother-in-law's home. She has been away most of these years but she's home now and it's nice to gather again as a family.

She cooked such a delicious spread and we really missed her cooking!!!

Oh so yummy...

Gong Xi Fa Cai everyone!

pearlie

I have lazed it away...again

I find that I have this bad habit of extreme lazying, what my husband and I call it vegetating, at home during a long holiday.

As much as I tell myself I deserve a break after a full week of work, it’s hard to justify it when I ended up doing absolutely nothing in a longer break of more than the regular 2-day weekend. 

In this modern times, many do try to glorify laziness but however you put it, it’s not a good thing. 

Laziness may appear attractive, but work gives satisfaction. 

~ Anne Frank

All of the biggest technological inventions created by man - the airplane, the automobile, the computer - says little about his intelligence, but speaks volumes about his laziness. 

~ Mark Kennedy

One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.

~ Luke 16:10 (ESV)

A sluggard's appetite is never filled, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.

~ Proverbs 13:4 (NIV)

Sluggards do not plow in season; so at harvest time they look but find nothing.

~ Proverbs 20:4 (NIV)

The above two verses from Proverbs do speak to me particularly because I always feel that I have wasted my time away when it should have been put to better use—at least in reading or attending the online lectures I have already signed up to begin with.

But why is it I only realise it after and not before?

pearlie

新年快乐 Xin Nian Kuai Le !

Happy Chinese New Year all!

pearlie

A yummy and homely CNY eve

We haven’t had a family reunion in my parents’ home in a long time, we usually eat out. 

But we had it at home this year, which was wonderful, except that I wished my son was here too. 

I was at the Ayer Panas Morning Market getting a roast duck from my colleague whose family has been selling it for years. 

Here is Jason busy serving his customers, and yup, that’s my roast duck there. 

It was quite crowded. 



The granny on the right was quite cute. When I arrived, Jason saw me and said hi. With so many people, I instinctively told him to take his time. But the granny indignantly said to me, in perfect English no less, “don’t ask him to take his time! I’ve been waiting here for too long already!” LOL Good thing she was good natured about it, and we chatted for a bit. 

My other colleague Teresa then came as well to get her share of roast ducks. 

Then it was time for our reunion dinner at home, with yü sang, pun choi, roast duck, vegetables and fruits. Simple but yummy and filling. 

Happy and blessed Chinese New Year all!

pearlie

A losing battle to good food

I have so much snacks in the office and at home that I am definitely going to gain weight this Chinese New Year. 

I gained 2 kilos during CNY last year and I want to try very hard not to this year. 

But I think it’s going to be a losing battle. You just gotta given in to good food once a year. 

pearlie

Photo: breadetbutter.wordpress.com

Every minute of reunion is worth keeping

With my son now so far away in the US, I really felt it when I watched this short film. 

It is based on a true story, filmed using an iPhone X, and considering it’s filmed using a phone, it’s very well done. 

It’s about how a mother only had 3 minutes to see her son, and with the silly but endearing things that a mom would do. 

It’s short but be prepared with a good supply of tissues. 

Three Minutes - a Short Film by Peter Chan, Apple

And I really love the saying at the end of the film—every minute of reunion is worth keeping. 

It makes me miss my late grandmother so much. 

The Chinese New Year is coming. Get reunited with your loved ones, parents, brothers, sisters, family, friends. 

Tell them how much you love them. Hug them. Tell them how much you appreciate them. 

Every moment counts. 

pearlie

Happy Birthday everyone!

It's the seventh day of the Lunar New Year and it's the people's day, 人曰, hence everybody's birthday. 

I wished some friends from China a happy birthday and was surprised when they asked me what it was for. I did a brief search and confirmed that this is generally celebrated by all Chinese including China. 

We discussed it and concluded that most people in China may have lost and stopped most of the older customs and traditions, whereas the overseas Chinese having moved out of their ancestral land have made it a point to maintain as many customs and traditions as they can, and as a result still keeping most of them. 

My family and I, whilst not deliberately celebrating our so-called birthdays, went out for dinner and it was a very nice time of being together, though it was quite tough to hold conversations in a very, very noisy Chinese restaurant! But we had a good time, and good food nonetheless. 

pearlie 

Our Annual Chinese New Year Family Gathering

Like every year, my relatives from my mom's side gathered in my uncle's house for the Chinese New Year to 拜年 baì nián and to enjoy each other's company, my one uncle, three aunts, cousins, nephews and nieces. 

My cousin brother organized a gift exchange amongst us beginning with a lucky draw and here are the shots we took of the lucky ones. The prizes are small but fun and useful stuff.

I hate my picture to be taken but I kinda like this shot where I picked up the lucky prize of a toothpaste and toothbrush travel set. Very useful but amusing as well. 

Then it was time for the gift exchange. The gifts ranges from Kit Kat chocolates to bunny pillows and Hello Panda cookies to Spotify gift cards:

And here are the happy people...

...and the three pretty girls. 

pearlie