Category: Celebration

Lunar New Year

Leave a comment

When we lived in Malaysia, I remember waking to what sounded like a war zone and realising it was a midnight fireworks display to celebrate the new year. Once my heart had stopped pounding, I enjoyed watching the bright lights and hearing the sounds reverberating around the limestone hills that dot the Ipoh skyline. We were invited to lavish New Year meals by friends and neighbours, including Yee Sang (Prosperity Toss Salad) – huge platters of unmixed salad ingredients which all the diners then mix using extra-long chopsticks. The higher and more vigorously you toss, the better the year will be.

The shops were filled with red (prosperity) and gold (wealth, success) and people wore new clothes for the celebrations. There was also an abundance of mandarins – their bright orange symbolising gold and good fortune.

If there were children at the new year meals, you gave them small amounts of cash in bright red envelopes. It was all very festive and everywhere you went there were red and gold decorations.

Some of the zodiac signs were considered more propitious, like roosters, monkeys and dragons. However, I was delighted to discover that I was born in the year of the pig because I love them, particularly the gorgeous Kunekune pigs we have in New Zealand. We are about to go from the year of the dragon into the year of the snake. Who knows what that portends?

Xīnnián hǎo

Strawberries

Leave a comment

Strawberries

There is a strawberry and blueberry farm close to where we live. During the short summer season we go down there every couple of days to buy some of their delicious fruit. We try to get our fill before the season ends and never tire of a breakfast bowl of red and blue fruit or a pink smoothie. I was at the farm gate this morning and noticed a blackboard sign beside the racks of fruit. It informed customers that the farm would not be taking advance orders over the holidays as they have done in past years. The reason for this was the abuse suffered by the farm staff from customers who were not able to place large Christmas orders due to the shortage of fruit. My pleasure at picking up my punnets of fruit was soured by this news. During the season of joy and goodwill to all, there are some who spoil it for everyone by ranting at hard-working berry pickers! Shame on them! Fred Rogers, who is played by Tom Hanks in a new movie called A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood, said “There are three ways to ultimate success: The first way is to be kind. The second way is to be kind. The third way is to be kind.” I hope 2020 will be a kinder year for all of us.

Red-letter day

2 Comments

022

Our daughter graduated at the University of Auckland yesterday. We were there to cheer her on as she walked in the procession from the university to the Aotea Centre and when she walked across the stage to receive her degrees from the Chancellor. It was a wonderful day of celebration for us and all the families at the ceremony – so much hard work, so much knowledge gained, so much support given and so much pride on display.