ang pau

ang pau, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

Tomorrow is Chap Goh Mei. ( which is hokkien for 15th night...see and you thought my hokkien was nonexistent ) And so ends the chinese new year. Everything seems rather fast in 2014. Doesn't help that Chinese New Year is celebrated in January rather than the usual date in Feb like most other years.

Added to that, the workload has been steadily increasing, together with the number of meetings to attend at various different venues. And they say government servants don't earn their keep. I beg to differ. We do occasionally work hard ....in spurts...and we also do have periods of relative quiet-ness.

Happy pre Chap Goh mei ( Just in case I'm too busy to post tomorrow)

Chap Goh Mei

crackers for the yee sang....picture from dinner at home CNY 2011

It's the final day of the Chinese New Year celebrations. I can hear the odd crackers going off outside. It's also threatening to storm which would explain why there's less fireworks tonight. Weather has been terribly hot. My electricity bill will be high. I have three air conditions switched on for a nice cool effect. So let's just see what I've learnt from googling chap goh mei...it's the 15th day of the new year. Literal translation in the Hokkien dialect. ( being hokkien I can vouch for this bit being authentic) It's the first full moon of the year. And then there's something about unmarried ladies ( presumably premenopausal ones) throwing oranges into the sea in the hope of getting a husband. This sounds like a huge waste of oranges. And the pong of rotting floating fungi-ied oranges must be a sight. I would think the yield would be higher if you aim the oranges at the potential suitor...render him unconscious before you jump right in and give him the kiss of life. (or something equally effective) Therein starting a beautiful courtship:) Happy Chap Goh Mei everybody