As Simple As This

I've never loved CNY so much like this year.

Nah, not that I've got more angpaus or won more in mahjongs.

Day 29 before CNY, also known as 小年夜, my mom brought some clothes for my cousins in grandma's house. Then we decided to have a 'costume-party-like reunion dinner', which meant all of us had to wear the clothes with that particular brand.





Yea yea... I know... WULIAO (is 'lame' the right translation?)!!! Isn't it great when you are able to wuliao with your family members like how you do with your friends?

p/s: I'm extremely sorry to my dear cousins who have posed in their best smile. I only needed your... erm... BOOBS. And guys, you missed out the fun.

Present you my dearest family! My grandma has three sons... So 1, 2, 3, yeap! Three tables!







I reckon they are not good posers. As you can see, the shyness is in the genes.

K. Fast forward to CNY Day 2. All the aunties came back. So yea, more cousins, nieces, and nephews.

After peng-ing and gong-ing with my cousins, we were gathered in the living room to witness Tan Family very own historical moments.

Ah Heong gor gor from Singapore played a VCD. "Gong gong!" shouted Ah Keng jie jie. Looking at the right hand corner of the video, it's 1996.

I could still remember the days that I greeted my grandfather who was making rafia strings on his ratan chair in front of the house. I was very short - 140cm - back then (not like I'm very tall now). I'd call him 'gong gong' and he'd ask me 'jiak ba bui'. I wish I could speak better Hokkien. It has been 2 years since I last visited him in Nirvana.

The camera was panned to the living room. It was almost the same as 2009. Green marble floor, telephone with pens and notepads to take vegetable orders, an altar against the wall, and a 24 inch TV. Oh, the sofa was replaced with new ones as children loved torturing the sofa by jumping/climbing/hopping up and down.

Ah MM - my aunty (大伯母) came in from the kitchen. She was trying to cover her face as well as the camera. She's so nervous that she could not decide which to cover.  As I mentioned, shyness is in the genes. She was the mother, the lady boss, the chef, the babysitter... literally everything of the family. She has gone. Glad to see her on TV.

We couldn't stop laughing throughout the video. All our stupid, childish, and naughty moments were caught. A 9 years old girl was encouraging her younger brother to fight with another cousin. "Hit him! Hit him!" I said. Now I know, my hand being bitten or my hair being pulled by Guo Yi were retributions.

Then, another devil came upon. He was pointing my cousins and yelled, "this is 38 gong and this is 38 po", reminding us my elder brother was a big bully. Those being bullied were in the living room too. Haha, it's time to take revenge guys.

The younger generation - most of my nephews and nieces - were the non-participants of 1996. But they enjoyed the show very much. "See, that's your mommy! Gosh, so young!". "Was I in the tummy?" he asked. "No, your parents were still playing hide-and-seek at that time." All burst into laugther.

Hey, start recording your special moments from now on. Think about the idea of sharing your youth with your children years later, how wonderful.



All enjoying 'Tan Family in 1996'. Happiness is just as simple as this.