Year of the Tiger it is…  This year, it was on a Sunday 14/2/10.  Yeah…

It’s not a public holiday here in Australia for Chinese New Year(CNY).  Maybe mandarin speaking K Rudd can align our nation with our neighbouring SE Asian countries and declare CNY a public holiday?  I am sure Aussies will not complain with another national holiday on the calendar.  Hmmm…  Maybe I am dreaming?

New Year’s eve…  This day is when the reunion dinner is held.  Remembering when I was young, mum would get up early, go to the wet market and get all the meat and vege for a big feast that night.  She would spent quite a lot of time in the kitchen preparing and cooking the food for the new year’s eve reunion dinner.  Relatives would start arriving around 4-5pm.  The elders would start playing cards and the younger ones would played a few dollars on katam katam.  Before fire crackers and fireworks were banned, dad would always stocked boxes of these amazing and colourful stuff.  My siblings, cousins and I would have so much fun with these fireworks…  I remember sticking a fire cracker in a cow dung, lit it and ran for my life…  hahahaha  :-)

Around 7pm, we would all sit down in a few big round tables, ate mummy’s delicious food and drank all the soft drinks we can…  Very happy indeed.  The kids would normally stay up late as this is a special night.

The next day, New Year’s day.  Mum would wake us early, dressed us in new clothes, bright and red if she can.  She already had her purse packed with lots of red packets.  Time to visit the relatives.  Married couples would have to give red packets upon requests.  I would run to my aunties and uncles, wished them Happy New Year and in return they would give me red packets.  Dad and mum also gave lots to unmarries relatives and friends we met.  We are all happy in receiving and giving, this is what Chinese New Year is about.  Wishing everyone the best in the coming new year.  Those CNY visits to relatives and friends would last at least 3 days.

CNY in Australia has always been quiet for me since arriving in Australia 20 years ago.  This year is good as it fell on the weekend.  Saturday 13/2 was new year’s eve.  Went to Jonah’s (2nd son) basketball game in the morning and returned around noon.  Cleaned the chicken and some Chinese herbs, put them in a pot and cooked over slow heat.  Next was to marinate the pork chops.  Since it was a warm day, how can I go on without a cold beer ?

Came 6pm.  I started pan frying the pork chops, steamed the Barramundi cutlets and stir fried some mixed vegetables bought the day before from Box Hill market.  At around 6.30pm, the whole family was eating and chatting around the dinner table, our reunion dinner.  No relatives here so there were only 6 of us.  I was quite relived I only have to prepare food for 6.

Sunday and CNY.  I slept in a bit from the beer and red wine I had the night before.  It’s just another typical Sunday actually.  3 eldest sons have basketball training.  I wondered around the house cleaning the kitchen, cooked lunch and preparing dinner again…

Circumstances have changed dramatically with my generation and work life.  Will my kids celebrate Chinese New Year when they have their families?