My CNY celebration this year has been rather muted, as explained previously that we were still in mourning and we kept to the tradition of not visiting anyone and not giving out any ang pows.
I returned to my hometown on the morning New Year’s eve and traffic was more subdued than the previous days or later the same day. My mum had done most of the cleaning and this year she and my aunt didn’t cook for the reunion dinner as usual, so we booked a table at one of the few Chinese restaurants opened on CNY eve, Hikeng in Melaka Raya.
The next day, the first day of CNY, we still kept to our tradition of attending church in our new clothes except that it was Sunday and there was mass anyways…and except that all our attire were in mourning shades. We normally attend the 7.30am mass followed by visiting our elderly relatives, but this year since we weren’t doing any visiting we attended the 10.30am mass. After mass we went for lunch and some shopping at Tesco : )
The second day, we didn’t do anything. Or at least I didn’t do anything. I just stayed home. Most of my friends were still busy with their own families and gatherings and I couldn’t join in any of the visiting parties this year so I just stayed home. It’s great though, coz I really miss spending time with my parents. And to think that after I get married I wont even be able to spend CNY at home anymore *sigh*
On the third day, we had steamboat for lunch and dinner and yep u guessed it. We didn’t do much either. I had one additional person to talk to at least along with several new issues of magazines to read hehe. My bf was called by his boss to return to Singapore to work today coz two of his colleagues had gone back to China. So he couldn’t come down to Malacca either : (
My fourth day was slightly more entertaining. I met up with one of my close friends, Yien, for lunch and some chit chat. After picking her up at her place we made our way to Mahkota Parade, the only shopping mall in Malacca. Of course there’s Dataran Pahlawan opposite, but I don’t count that as a shopping mall. I think of it more as Malacca’s answer to Sungei Wang hahas. And to think they destroyed that historical Padang Pahlawan to pave the way for this.
Anyways, we had a late lunch at Secret Recipe (for lack of better eateries) and after a bit of walking about (nothing has changed much) and Yien buying almost all the products off the Clarins counter *LOLs*, we settled ourselves in this rather quaint café type place called Puteri Ledang (or something of the sort). It had a café in the back and it sold trinkets in the front as well as offered massages – something quite different for Malacca. And Malaccans being Malaccans were obviously afraid to try it out coz when we went in there weren’t any other customers. But thanks to us, the shop was full in the next few minutes haha. Anyways, I really enjoyed my time out with her. The irony of the whole thing is that I don’t have a single digital photo with Yien and since neither of us brought our cameras, I was thinking of using my mobile phone to snap a pic. As luck would have it, my phone was running out of battery and so the camera could only go on standby. Sheesh.
On the fifth day, once again I entertained myself with my laptop and the internet. Gawd, its so sad. I contemplated returning to work actually but reclaimed my sanity and decided my lurvely bed and the food back home was enough to keep me here. And sober. Also entertained myself with my sis’ Chicken Soup for the Dog Lovers’ Soul. Awww. I love doggies. Its such a shame our country treats their welfare and usefulness with such indifference and disdain. Losers.
Sixth day saw the whole family waking up earlier than usual to visit my late granma’s grave to pay our respects. After lunch we took our doggy Elvis (blame my sis for the name), who is the live-dog equivalent to the itchy and scratchy show to the vet for his bad skin, went to the bank and then went to buy food for her hamsters. Then in the evening we attended church in lieu of Ash Wednesday and went for tauhu bakar and cockles thereafter. One armed man stall was not opened tonite so u can imagine the chaos in the one stall alone.
Seventh day and it is already the weekend after CNY. Wow, that was fast. Sometimes I wish time didn’t fly so fast when im at home coz when its almost time to go back to KL, my heart is heavier than all the 50 lion dancers performing at the national open house held in Malacca today… We were supposed to take our other dog, Sophie (blame my mum for the name) to the same vet to be spayed but she was bleeding so we have to defer the op for about 2 weeks. That means I’ll be coming home again soon : ))
Anyways, I met my friends Wee Leng and Sheau Pyng for lunch at this Asian Havana Café in Melaka Raya which according to some Malaccans, happens to be one of the it places to eat and drink these days. All I can say is, the food was not good and the coffee came too sweet. They’re certainly generous with their sugar haha. We hung out over lunch, drinks and coffee for almost 4 hours and then parted ways. I went over to Mahkota Parade to replace my watch battery in City Chain and then went over to Dataran Pahlawan to meet Yien and her 2 Singaporean friends who were down. We walked over to the new Newton next to Mahkota for drinks and some catching up, then we parted ways as well. Today I brought my digicam BUT again, we didn’t take any pics. Its fated I tell u.
I stayed on in Mahkota for a bit to do some shopping since I haven’t really been shopping in a bit and then bought dinner for my family. My sis had taken them out for lunch at this Bulldog café opposite City Bayview hotel and they were extremely full so instead of my original plan of taking everyone out for satay celup (coupled with the fact that everyone feared the worse jams no thanks to the road closures for the ahem, CNY Open House all along Jln Hang Tuah), we settled for Shakey’s pizza & chicken wings instead : )) Tiring tiring day. At nite Yien called me some more to chat about weddings, holidays, designer bags and housecleaning *grin* I sorta suggested maybe I should go pick her up and we should go out instead but we must be getting old…at 11pm we were both too tired and lazy to leave the comfort of our homes. Ah life.
On the eight day, also the day for the Hokkien community to pai Ti Kong with the familiar sugar canes, I made my way back to KL. Sigh…im missing Malacca already. Friends whom I did not meet up with, so sorry ya. Will try to organize a gathering next time im back ok. And when I step into my office on Monday, another familiar face would have left us. Jeez…at the rate its going, im gonna have to lunch alone more frequently : (
Joeeeeey if u are reading this, u better not haul ur butt over to S’pore or HK to work ok. Stay on in KL. And please don’t run away from ur farewell party if we throw u one. Dont u dare psycho out on us !!!
She was an inspiration to her family and I dare say that without her, we all wouldn’t be where we are today. She was active in her late age and even used to cook meals for our family when she was in her eighties and was a staunch Catholic who never missed a week of church. However, old age and several falls rendered her bedridden for the past 5 yrs. 
