Clutch of Inspirations.

It's the very first time I spend Chinese New Year away from family. I remembered last year my cousin was having exams in Manchester when we were happily celebrating at our grandparents' house; thus, I prepared to spend a pathetic new year here this year, with the companion of papers and pens instead of food and angpaus.

Who knows this year our Sem1 exams were over before CNY! Such a relief. And so, begins the ultimate plans for our CNY season.

For consecutive 3 nights before our CNY eve, we had quality time baking all sorts of cookies that came to mind. The best just have to be our beloved kuih momo with its soft, crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth texture and sweet icing sugar coating. Trust me, it tasted so so heavenly when it's still fresh and warm from the oven!!

Then there were also almond cookies, chocolate cookies, coffee cookies, cornflakes cookies, green peas cookies.

Then my 发糕. Due to lack of equipment and too fragile baking cups, I had to squeeze 7 of them in the steamer in one go so that they can support each other, even stuck paper rolls at the gaps between. Nevertheless, the shapes came out all funny and weird but at least they all "smiled" at the top! The taste was still alright, I personally think the santan smell is too strong..perhaps I smelled too much of it while making it.

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The culture of eating reunion dinner on New Year Eve was not to be forgotten! Who will, anyway, hahah..We celebrated it with friends, Chinese and non-Chinese alike, at our hall.

Yee-sang! Apparently Singaporeans and West Malaysians have a lot of it during CNY, but not us Mirians. I have only eaten it once, as far as I remember. Thanks to Lionel and Vanda for preparing this! Good chopping and slicing training~~

It is said that the higher you 捞, the more luck you'll get in this year! My fork could barely reach the dish...so I quitted squeezing and took photos instead XP

My tummy is super hungry now, so I avoid listing out all the food you see there!

Jake's chocolate cake with "hidden treasure" :P and Matthew+Sarah's jasmine jelly.

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First day of CNY - A crowded Chinatown.

Releasing the red balloons...I guess there's a meaning for it?

People, people and people. More locals than Chinese, lol. They are probably curious about the Chinese performances.

MCs speaking in Cantonese, Mandarin and English.

My first glimpse of the lion dance.

And very regretfully, my hard work after being pushed around in the crowd to record the lion dance goes to waste cause the video is not working apparently on my blog site. Sigh. Never been in a more compact crowd seriously...just let the swarm of people squeezed me about as the security guy boomed at us to move backwards

to make way for the lion dance and qi lin. hahah.

Happy Chinese New Year to all! :D

Labels: happy me, winter

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