Family of Four

The Annual Clean-up Ritual

Cleaning–up - this is one annual ritual I must go through.

Last year it was painting the gate and the front door grill. This year, I painted the porch light housing ending with a little tragedy. Then it was taking down the dusty curtains, removing the equally dirty hooks and putting up the new curtains-red colour one. Just washed the car to make sure it is ready to do the New Year rounds. I also mopped the porch. Got to vacuum the seats and underneath it, wash the rubber mats and wet-mop the dashboard before I can really say the job is fully done with.

The next mission is to clear up the rubbish which has been accumulating in my room. I would have to dump some of the things I will no longer use in this life-particularly old magazines and books which I believe has little value now. Those DVDs which I think are not so worthwhile to keep will be recycled. I am going to pass them along to my youngest sister. The old Canon printer has to go as well.

Tomorrow is already the eve. We have bought the Mandarin oranges. My sister-in-law gave us another box yesterday. We have bought all the cookies, cashews, pistachio and what-not.

The wifey has bought whatever is needed to make the traditional Chinese New Year dishes. We are going to have the favorite Penang dishes like the peppery pig stomach soup with gingko nuts, curry chicken and juhu char. As usual, I am not going to have my stewed pig leg, waxed duck and liver sausages. My wife cited health reasons.

For lunch tomorrow, we are going to have ‘longevity’ noodles. In the evening, we will have our reunion dinner in a posh restaurant in Petaling Jaya. On Chap Goth Mei, we intend to have a good steamboat at home. We are buying the ingredients bit by bit.

So what are the traditional Chinese New Year dishes that you have?

Quote of the Day:

“A New Year's resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other.” Unknown

Heartsong