CNY I: A Red Sash

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Swiped from williamnyk.

Ever since mum embraced Catholicism, it has become a tradition for us to attend Chinese New Year mass at church every year. The church would be all decked out in red cloth, with lanterns and flowers. The giant crucifix would be flanked by a couplet which is more in tune with God and love rather than riches and prosperity. A record turnout this year with parishioners overflowing out the entrances. Even YB Theresa Kok was spotted sitting outside. So packed that the hospitality ministers could not stand at their usual posts at the back of the church. Helped out with the collection again, and was designated the coolie to carry the big baskets mandarin oranges for distribution. Mass proceeded as usual, but with the added ceremony of paying respects to our ancestors accompanied with a reading from the Book of Sirach. At the end, the priest distributed red packets and blessed mandarin oranges. Inside the red packets were some money and the Word of God. We camwhored in the church while most of the crowd watched a lion dance outside. To my delight, it was accompanied by red crackers this year. Lion dance without red crackers is quite incomplete in my opinion. No oomph. But these days, lion dances are generally lethargic. The secondary school kids seem high on adhesive fumes or something. Kan?



The rainy weather had fled together with all the people who balik kampung and it had become exceptionally hot and sunny. The drive home had me wishing that I had put on sunblock. Ate lunch at home. Finished up the leftovers from the reunion dinner. In the afternoon, SK and I made a visit to HP and her hubby at Seri Petaling. Her first CNY, hence we were craving for her virgin ang pao. Hehe. She was bored out of her skull with her MIL away in Singapore. As early as reunion dinner, she had the urge to drive back to Kuantan. Being her first CNY as someone's DIL, we advised her not to. Chit-chatted and looked at her wedding photos. Being in Seri Petaling, we decided to visit Rich's house too. Got to drink some refreshing tong sui there and received two ang pao's! Score! Managed to meet KH after that at D'Rich, Kuchai Lama. Nothing to recommend there, just that it was the only shop open other than the mamak joints. SK ordered the D'Rich Special Egg in Special Sourdough... So was it special? Hahaha. No comment.



Much to his mother's 'delight', I met KH again at Station One, Kuchai Lama. Had some drinks and some light snacks. That night, KH dropped a bomb on me regarding his delayed relocation plans, right after I had handed him my handmade anniversary-CNY card. After hearing it, I did not know whether to laugh or to cry. I was just kinda numb. It's been four years, what's another year, right? I don't know really. I can only be supportive of his plans. He thought that I'd be super angry, hugging me and kissing me. Maybe somewhere deep down I knew that him coming back to Kuala Lumpur this year was too good to be true, so when I heard this, I wasn't really devastated. Hopefully things would go our way and he would achieve his objectives faster than expected. Wish us luck!