2009 - CNY Reunion Dinner

For the past years, MIL would usually visited the 'usual' morning market nearby alone and never asked me to follow around. If only that she asked, i would willingly obliged to follow actualy but she was just too nice to me..... some more hor, usually when i woke up, the sun was already hot burning my butt.....yea, very lousy DIL !!!

But this year with TESCO newly opened in AlorSetar, MIL 'ajak' us to go marketing together, obviously with the comfort of our own free time & under fully air-conditioning environment!! A last minute groceries shopping were done with me pushing the trolley following behind her and her occassionally asking if i like to eat this/that or if the fish/crab were fresh or not.....me of course nodding all the way (as if i'm expert....haha) !!! It was a rare things that the MIL & DIL would do together & i must admit that i appreciated the moments very much!!

After the marketing, upon my request MIL brought me to her regular hair salon for a hair treatment......it's a good thing to do back in the 'kampung' since it's so cheap there!! At the sametime, MIL also said the boys needed a hair cut. So after having their hairs snipped up, i ordered that their hair be washed before styling with hair gel, otherwise it's pointless if they need to wash their hair again at home !!! The boys were so obliging sitting quietly while indulging in their scalp being scratched & massaged much to their comforts!!! Scot even told me the other day that he enjoyed mumy scratching his head when i bathed for him at home....just like what the salon 'cheh-cheh' did to him......gosh, what a spoilt brat !!!

Then back home, i actually left the maid to help MIL with the cooking preparations & of course i also helped a bit lar. On the preparation jobs for our reunion dinner, it doesn't looked very complicated & massive to me anymore as compared to the cookings involved when all the daughters were back (more mouths to feed ma).....most probably bcoz MIL thought the DIL wasn't a good help to her so she better not tortured herself with any massive cookings. Instead, MIL ordered some special home cooked dishes from her 'kawan' around the neighbourhood. It was a decision that i would raised even my feets to agree..... no need 'susah-susah' if getting helps are pretty handy !!!

Here are the overview of our re-union dishes

The curry duck, stewed pork yam (wu tau khao yuk) & 'lobak' were purchased dishes!!

Apart from that, MIL also cooked a steamed fish & of course the SIGNATURE DISH especially for the family....

SLURPPP ....... GENG mou ???
The SIGNATURE DISH consists of
" Abalone, scallops, sea cucumber, 'fatt choy', brocollies & macademia nuts "

Here is the little family of 7.
The 2 vacant seats were one for the camera woman (obviously) & the other one for BIL !!!

I must say, it was a very memorable & enjoyable reunion dinner this year, in the comfort of the new dining area, new marble dining table, the smell of new paintings around, the brightness of the lights & cooling air in the evening !!! While the parents & sons engaged in the conversation of their mother tongue dialects i.e. teochew (which still means NUT to me), i automatically "SHUT" down my hearing system & fully enjoyed savouring all the mouth-watering dishes
**grin & wink**

The routine task after the reunion dinner was to visit the church for the CNY mass.
It was quite a pretty fast affair this year as the mass finished before 12 midnight.
Then, it was the 'angpow' packets preparation time at home before saying hello to
'chao kung'.....zzzzzzz

So, how was your re-union dinner with your family??
Here's hoping that everyone had an enjoyable one too !!!

more photos to share here :