Chinese New Year & My Birthday

The whole of last week was really quite exciting. First we had Chinese New Year (CNY). Did you know that the CNY is actually celebrated for a full 15 days. But the most important days are of course the first and second day. This is the time when we go to our older relatives' homes to wish them Gong Xi Fa Cai, pay our respects with Mandarin oranges and to collect ang pow. What is ang pow you say. Well its a very quaint hooman custom that during the CNY, the married people give unmarried little red packets containing money!! Real cool this custom. Unfortunately both Toto and I didn't get any.

For our CNY we first visited Poh Poh's house in the morning. Mummy brought Mandarin oranges and we all said Gong Xi Fa Cai to Poh Poh. It was really quite fun. We raced up and down her house and poked our noses into every crook and crany. Very interesting.

After that we went to Mah Mah and Kong Kong's house. Once again Mummy brought Mandarin oranges and we all said Gong Xi Fa Cai. We love Mah Mah and Kong Kong's house. It has a huge garden and their neighbours had other furkids too. We raced up and down the garden and made friends with their neighbour's furkids.

Later in the afternoon, Daddy's aunties, uncles and many cousins all came over and paid respects as well. There were loads of kids around. The boy cousins also brought along a football and Toto and I played football with them in the garden. Meantime, Jie Jie and Kor Kor went around collecting ang pows from all the uncles and aunties and the married cousins. They seem to be pleased with their "takings" for the day. I sure hope they buy some pressies for us with their loot. After all they didn't do anything and they got money!!

Altogether it was a really exciting day. We went home in the evening and we were all real tired.

Did you know that during the CNY there is a special dish that is eaten by every one. My family had it during the Reunion dinner before the CNY. Its called Yu Sheng or Raw Fish. Its a dish filled with vegetable and pieces of raw fish that is mixed with crispy crullers and a dressing. While the dish is being prepared, good wishes and blessings are said over the dish so that whoever eats it also gets the wishes and blessings. However before its eaten everyone uses their chopsticks and tosses the salad really high into the air. Its to make wishes and blessings to all around the dinner table.

Yu Sheng being prepared before the BIG toss

Then my birthday came along. I was really surprised. You remember my Mummy asked if I wanted to celebrate on my birthday or have a belated one so that I can get a cake like Toto did last year. So on my birthday morning I didn't expect anything special. But I was really surprised. I got loads of presents. I got my favourite treats and a new squeaky toy. I love those squeaky toys.

See my birthday presents

Not only that Mummy made me a special dinner that day. I had beef steak. Wow! Yummy! I never had my own beef steak before.

Me gobbling down my steak dinner

Anyway all in all it was a wonderful birthday. And I still get to celebrate one more time this weekend when Mummy will get me my cake.

Eat your heart out Toto! I celebrate twice. You only celebrated once.