Monday, February 15, 2010

Gong Xi Fatt Choy...

Sunday, 14th February 2010
What a year! Pakdokter woke up Sunday morning thinking that Gong Xi Fatt Choy would be on Monday.

The golf course was unusually quiet and not a soul of the usual Chinese golfers were to be seen. Pakdokter only realised that Gong Xi Fatt Choy was on that Sunday after meeting a few diehard golfers who joined pakdokter a little later for the tee-off.
With both children away and pakdokter's parents and parents-in-law having passed on, this festive day has somewhat lost its significance to pakdokter and partner.
'Mum', pakdokter's mother-in-law was a Malaccan Chinese of the Peranakan descent. And Chinese customs were practised in the family equally as much as the Malay and Muslim customs and practices.
A few days before the Chinese New Year, 'Mum' would have put up the red lanterns and leave the lights on the whole night - pakdokter remembers her saying that this would encourage 'good luck' to flow into the house.
On the morning of the Chinese New Year day, pakdokter's family would troop to Mum and Bib's house ( short for Habib - as pakdokter's father-in-law was commonly addressed by the grandchildren) for the ritual tea-serving ceremony. All of us would get a loadful of 'advice' from Mum and Bib as well as best wishes for the New Year. And Mum and Bib were always generous with their ang-pows - which they normally would advise that it be saved in the Amanah Saham or something like that......
Bib's famous quote was ' It's not how much you spend that counts, it's how much you saved.....'


a family photo during a Chinese New year circa ?1988..


Rastam serving tea to Bib...


Raena doing her 'tea' thing to Bib also....






they must be very happy with their 'ang pows'....

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