7 Days of Gong Xi Fa Cai

Okay, I know, Chinese New Year is over, water under the bridge and so forth. (Well officially there are four more days till Chap Goh Meh). But I just had to feed my blog with unimportant details of how spent my time during the most important date of the Chinese Lunar Calender. Besides there are not many other blog-worthy entries to bore you readers. So here goes.

Exodus
My ‘Balik Kampung’ trip took place on Friday(27th Jan), the day before the eve. It was half day at work followed by the annual Chinese New Year lunch at Boon Lay Raja Restaurant. My entire company, about 60 of us, managed to squeeze into a room with 5 ½ tables. The room had a Karaoke system, so for entertainment we had managers, executives and operators belting out Mandarin/Hokkien numbers. We even had two sporting souls doing a rendition of the Old Hokkien classic ‘Sio Ho Sua’ (Little Umbrella) while dancing under an umbrella. Then there were the Ang Pow handing-out ceremony by the boss (the usual $2 note) and a lucky draw (prizes salvaged from hampers given by suppliers).

After lunch, made my way to JB with Vicky. Stopped by City Square since we were a little early. She did some last-minute shopping while I bought some VCDs there. Bus to Muar was at 7pm. While it left promptly, the traffic at the two toll booths outside JB set us back about half an hour. Not too bad considering the bad jams further north of Malaysia.

Movie-gaga
Bought a few VCDs as I anticipated a quiet Chinese New Year. They are (in no particular order of preference) Pride and Prejudice, Fearless, The Producers, Cinderella Man, Wallace and Grommit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit and Munich. Memoirs of the Geisha was added on to the list when I bought it in Muar. Had time to watch all except Munich. Here are some of my thoughts on the movies.

Pride and Prejudice – Thanks to the running commentary from my Mum who relived her childhood love for this Jane Austen’s classic, I managed to appreciate and enjoy this movie quite a bit.

Fearless - Jet Li’s last Kungfu movie? Can’t imagine him acting all serious without at least a glimpse of his lightning moves or no-shadow kick.
The movie was so-so. Nothing out of the ordinary. But what else do you expect from another Jet-Li movie. Enough fighting and gore to keep kungfu fans missing him as soon as the credit rolls out.

The Producers – Something worth re-watching on the big screen. The lead duo – Mr.Jesicca Parker and Nathan Lane lit up the screen with their antics and performance. Add in the eccentric overgrown elf ,Will Ferell and voluptuous Bill Killer, Uma Thurman, and we got a feast for the eyes and senses.

Cinderella Man – Another Russell Crowe Oscar vehicle. Inspiring, makes you feel like throwing punches during the boxing scenes.
Wallace and Grommit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit – A Simple and Delightful tale about entrepreneurship gone wrong, friendship bonds, monster bunny on the loose and giant clay vegetables. A good watch. Beats watching Chicken Run for the umpteenth time.

Memoirs of a Geisha – It won’t win the Best Film award, but watch it for the Beautiful Zhang Ziyi (not her heavily accented English), the Beautiful Sets and Scenery of pre-war Japan and engrossing story set in a exotic world and culture.


The Uneventful
Spent a quiet CNY eve watching TV and occasionally catching fireworks exploding in the night sky. This was followed by a quiet first day of CNY. No guest on the first day, so it was just TV,newspapers and endless assaults on the cookie tray.
Much less happening this year, no big gathering at home, less friends around, less visiting, and less fanfare everywhere.

Batteries not required
Having a baby around the house for 5 days can really keep the rest of the family on their feet. I swear, if Josh was a toy rabbit , he would be running on Energizer.

Of things that make you lose hair
Hmmm … 11 man sacrificed while the rest of the Chinese population in Malaysia continue to indulge in their petty vices.
You can’t stop the Chinese from gambling during Chinese New Year! It’s like asking the dog to stop burying his bones or geishas to stop painting their face white and lips red. It’s in both their nature and nurture.
Had a few sessions of blackjack and in-between with friends. Fortunately there are still some available kakis to keep this age-old tradition going. I shudder to think of a CNY without people to play a few round of cards.

Back to reality
Finally it was time to pack and go back to Singapore on Sunday morning. Clear traffic all the way. Had time to savour the Nasi Lemak Rendang Ayam at Stesen Larkin café. Among one of my finds at the Larkin bus station.
(Other notable food selection at the station includes the nasi lemak and roti prata at a stall behind the station.)