Monday, February 25, 2013

Chinese New Year House Party



It's my second year to be invited in an authentic Chinese New Year house party. And in a way, I have learned so much from previous year's mistake.

As a tradition when invited to Chinese New Year house parties, guests should bring at least 2 mandarin oranges. The first time I was invited last year, I brought another kind of oranges (because I thought since they're more expensive, they're luckier). All my Chinese friends made fun out of it. Until this day, whenever we remember, we could not help but laugh. I felt so foreign.

But this year, I feel like a true blue Chinese. Luckily, my sister was in town so I brought her to her first Chinese New Year house party. I taught her the house rules. Each of us brought two mandarin oranges and a hamper filled with Pinoy goodies-- all of which are my boss-friend's favorites. We ate steamboat for dinner. After which, the card game began. I'm not quite sure if my sister was amazed that I am finally conversational in Mandarin. And most of the time laugh at how my accent changed over the years. My adaptability process is just amazing, I myself is at awe.

Ended the day with a lucky draw of hong bao. Red packets are filled with money in different denominations -- 38SGD, 28SGD, 18SGD, 8SGD & 6SGD. My sister and I both got 8 dollars inside our red packets. :-) It feels like Christmas all over again.

*Photo courtesy of my sister, Christine.

The Colours of New Year

In Singapore, the welcoming of the Lunar New Year is a grand celebration. It's like Christmas season in the Philippines. People do a lot of spring cleaning and buy plants to decorate their homes. Like how Filipinos decorate their homes with Christmas trees and other stuff reminiscent of Christmas, Chinese decorate their homes with Kumquats, Mandarin Orange trees and Pussy Willows.

It's a good experience to be working in this industry where the whole nursery will be filled with Mandarin orange scents, and most of all colourful flowers. Shipped from all parts of the world, my workplace becomes an orchard of beautiful things.

So as they say, Xin Nian Kuai Le! Gong xi fa cai!


Kalanchoe

Four Season Kumquat

Guzmania

Cockscomb
Rose
Hibiscus
Pink Kalanchoe
Orange Kalanchoe

Hibiscus
Cockscomb
Japanese Crab Apple
Zinnia
Anthurium
Azalea
Periwinkle
Mandarin Orange
Big Orange