Happy Belated Chinese New Year?!?!?

I’ve been wanting desperately to write down my experiences for my CNY 2012, but in my mind I had imagine it to be a massive project. So huge, it’ll probably take a good half a day to do it justice. But all this time (even amidst writing other various blog entries) I haven’t found a proper time to seriously nail my ass on the chair and just download my experiences into this post. 
So it was decided by myself that I shall just write it in pieces and draft it till it’s done… oh please bear with me… >.<

When I had gotten back home on Friday, it was the first time Pat had decided to take me out to join him and his fellow friends to play badminton. The courts were in Tanzhi so it was a way away, but cause I wasn’t familiar with the area, he took me there to show the route. It had been so long since I played badminton, I felt my rusted badminton skills resurfacing during the warm-up session. As much as I would like to introduce to you all who I was playing with other than my new friend Pat, the fact is that I’m still very much unfamiliar with everyone, I can’t remember their names and what they do… everything… but they were all very nice. You know… the awkwardness in first being introduced to a well established group of friends. They were all pretty skilled and I was barely keeping up with the play. Thankfully they were being exceptionally supportive, nonetheless there was this one guy, he was on a pro level. Playing with him was like playing against computer(Insane).

They were kind enough to take me to their late night supper that they usually have. We had ginger duck hot-pot. It was the first time I had anything like that, but I had a warm feeling inside sitting around a table of 10 (or maybe it was the ginger duck soup that I was slowly sipping away in my seat), all friendly… and they were all sharing gossips about one and another. Even though I didn’t participate in their loud chatters, I did enjoy the festive feeling during the CNY period. Everyone was so festive… but not the same kind you would normally experience during the Xmas period in a western country. It was like, during that time… any worries you previously had, actually melts away and a new-found vigor wells up from the inside. The heads of the group gave everyone a complementary Red Packet. Inside mine, I found a small lotto ticket, a scratchie, 2x $1NTD coins, a short Chinese Poem, and a toffee candy. Everyone else also had something similar… Even though I did not win a thing, I thought the whole ordeal was uniquely spirited in a festive way and I was purely enjoying every moment of it.

On the first day of CNY, my grandparents took me to one of my grand uncles house (which also happened to be my great grandparent’s old residence). When we arrived, my grandparent had led the way up stairs to the ancestor shrine  in a bedroom with a porch looking outside. Placed on the table were various incense and decorations as well as food placed there for blessing. Sat neatly between the shrine and the food were 3 tea cups placed horizontally parallel. Grandma said a prayer and told me, that they’re thirsty… she poured each cup a dabble of whisky and we made our downstairs. They talked for a while, sharing family stories and also how each are doing as I watched tv and semi-paid attention whilst nibbling awesome CNY table snacks. After some time, my grandma had asked me to pour whisky a couple more times cause they probably had finished it while we were downstairs. Chuckling to myself, I was thinking… damn my ancestors are such good drinkers. Too bad they didn’t pass those traits down to us. The customs here in Taiwan seems odd at times but to me personally, I think they’re pretty cool cause it’s a whole new culture to explore and a sense I feel comfortable with. Along with burning the gold paper custom in a chilly winters day, I somehow feel the whole tradition resonate within me… calm and peaceful.

Later that night, Grandma woke me up around midnight to pray downstairs. Peering down the street up and down, the entire neighbourhood had placed a table of food to be blessed and a ventilated tin can just like ours in front of the doorway. Just like earlier that day, we stood before the table… made prayers with incense sticks and again, burned a huge stack of gold leafed papers.

Time off is always great… but unlike a normal holiday, CNY is more like a chance to reconnect back with family. I remembered, every lunch, every dinner, food… Food… FOOD!!! Food galore in festivity with families. The family would workout who to visit when and where, and they’d all gather at that special time. It had gotten pretty crowded during the later few days of CNY. All my cousins from my dad side had came back and it was a pretty warm feeling that I had gotten seeing everyone gather together… just to chill together and dine. Luckily for us, my grandma is such an amazing cook… awesome meals all weel long. On the fourth day, I went up the mountains to visit my grandparents on my mums side. Those kids were much to young to recognise who I was, but it was cool getting to catch my aunties and grandparents there. Over there, they had the entire neighbourhood set up with tables in front of their houses, and a couple of chefs nearby cooking huge platters of food for all the households. Was a really unique way of dining. The food there was excellent also.

Times like these, I do wish I had an awesome kickass camera to show everyone what I’m talking about… considering that pictures speaks a thousand words. I know I do not even come close to doing it justice, but maybe if I can keep this up… next year would hopefully be a lot more meaningful than this one.

Peace all…. Happy Year of the Dragon~

2012

02/21

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