Peranakan pride

Peranakan pride

Every year's reunion dinner would be characterized by my aunt and uncle's argument about whose achar (pickled vegetables) tasted better.
Uncle: You cannot follow the recipe exactly, you must taste and change it here and there. Then it won't be so thick/bland/sweet.
Auntie: How can you not follow the recipe. I always follow the recipe. Where got thick? You ask them. I prefer mine to yours.

My uncle dropped by early one morning last week, bearing a huge pot of achar, and my aunt informed me that she was preparing a vegetarian version of the side-dish this year. I was surprised. Has the unbroken tradition come to an unresolved standstill?

Several more of our usual festive preparations have altered over the years. My family apparently didn't go visiting on the first day of the last Lunar New Year as my uncle and I were both abroad. My mom also altered the arrangements of our yearly open-house party on the second day. The dishes will now be presented buffet style so people no longer have to queue to sit at the dining table. One of our relatives who always sends us pots of flowers in return for traditional Peranakan achar will also not be doing so this year (because my aunt's not making any!) and my folks will be going down to the nursery tomorrow to stock up on festive blooms. No more anticipating the 5pm call on Chinese New Year's eve to go downstairs to lug the flowers up. The clincher however has to be that this year's reunion dinner would not be held at home, but at my brother's restaurant. Some changes are undeniably for the better (like mom's buffet idea), but some (like the change of venue) I'm sure I'll miss.

The festive feeling is still very much in the air though. The women of the house (excluding me haha) have been up early scrubbing and baking the past few weeks - new curtains are hung, containers of homemade cookies crowd the coffee table, and unpacked boxes are shoved under beds. I suppose it is a reminder that things are never written in stone, and that I should enjoy the Khoo way of ushering in the New Year, whatever the favored method.

The holiday mood has also been evident in the office these past few days. Pineapple tarts and other New Year goodies are passed around, and oranges have been distributed for good luck. I've been going for proper lunches now that the magazine's gone to print, and Yaya and I have taken to visiting the Arab Street area during our break. Shaun also popped by yesterday and his penchant for Peranakan food made him the perfect companion to check out the bar/Peranakan café across the street with. I think we've finally regained the firm footing in our friendship after our cute but seemingly unwise decision to date a couple of years ago, and I'm very glad to have my SOS back.

And this has been my third consecutive happy week, since 2009 started actually. I always seem to find something to laugh and smile about everyday, despite inconsequential glitches like E (no, not Erwin) the bitch and my wobbly work-life balance.

Three weeknights out are still a little taxing and I must admit that downing mojitos with my sis after watching Cinderella last night wasn't my smartest move this week. I honestly lost track of time, while she naively thought I didn't have to work today. The thought of heading straight to bed after work was extremely tempting, but I'm glad I dragged myself down to the extremely noisy steamboat reunion dinner with the PR babes.

Oh my, it's Chinese New Year in less than three days! Guess I gotta dedicate part of my Saturday to finally spring cleaning. Now why am I even feeling happy about that...