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Monday, February 03, 2014

Chinese New Year 2014

~*CNY Eve*~

We had the afternoon half day off from work on CNY eve which fell on Thursday. After that, we had an early reunion dinner with the in-laws at the seafood place a walk away from our house. Chinese restaurants in Singapore would usually be fully booked for CNY eve with special reunion dinner menu. Most restaurants would cater 1-hour slots from 5pm till 8pm.


I didn't carry my camera with me and so I only had shots of the lo hei process of the yu sheng 鱼生.




It was wise of my MIL to choose the 5pm slot coz everything was more fuss-free. (It was more stressful to eat during the 7pm slot.) However by 8pm, I was so famished that I crawled into bed and fell asleep under the warm sheets only to wake up at 2am to prepare red packets. While packing the fresh new notes into the red packets, I wasn't feeling too well. Little did I know that that was the onset of a gastric flu.



~*CNY Day 1*~


We were unanimously clad in blue for Day 1.



It is a tradition to 回娘家 (go back to my family home) for lunch with kh. I really love my parents' cooking A LOT! Well like I always say, simple Chinese home-cooked food may not always look good in photos but they taste the best! The dishes that afternoon included roast meat and duck in dark sauce, the CNY rabbitfsh (unfortunately, the 3 we had didn't have roe in them like how CNY rabbitfish should), mum's signature ngoh hiong, leek, grandma's chicken curry from the previous day and pig's stomach soup. The past few days, all I looked forward to was the ngor hiang and pig's stomach soup and I was really satisfied eating them. I salivated at the curry too but couldn't eat it due to my gastric.




It is also a tradition to have a family portrait shot on the sofa and ever since they discovered my camera's multiple shots mode, they could not go back to normal photo-taking. My 2nd sis wanted to replicate last year's shot so we had to sit the same positions.




And just in case the anigif is loading slow on your smartphones, here is one proper shot...




... and one casual shot.




And for those who have unlimited data plan or reading this from your computer screens, you could view the Flipagram version with music below. If you're already following me on Instagram, you would have seen these versions there.


~Flipagram series: CNY 2014 with the Loh Family~

The signature Day 1 family portrait shots done using Flipagram.

I love making anif on my laptop. My family and frenz love looking at them. But when they asked me to send these anigif through their phones, I couldn't do it. Thanx to Flipagram I could do it now and with music too! It's not really an anigif app with loop function but it works well with some tweaking.
Song used: Little Talk by Of Monsters and Men





~Flipagram series: CNY 2013 with the Loh family~

Excited with the anigif effect from Flipagram, I did the same for CNY 2013 too.

I used the same song I used for last year-- What Makes You Beautiful by One Direction. This song gained popularity (or at least for me) coz of Kinect Just Dance which we played last CNY. Straight face award goes to my dad! He wasn't used to the multiple shots mode.





This is totally random but I love the red packet from my division. I love red packets that aren't in the usual gaudy CNY red.




Back at home, it is also a tradition to take a family portrait with my in-laws either on the sofa...




or in the garden... or both. Before my 2nd BIL and his gf came back, we were all so amused that we were unanimously clad in blue too.





~Flipagram series: CNY 2013 with the Ng family~

There isn't enough photos this year to make a flipagram for CNY 2014 so here's the signature Day 1 family portrait shots with the Ng family. First time trying the multiple shots mode and hence only hubz and I had the most change in poses. 😝 ^^
Song used: High by Lighthouse Family





That's all for CNY 2014 as I didn't go visiting after that. I had porridge for dinner for 3 days feeling very happy coz the porridge was not too bad and I was always hungry after puking.

I would end of this post with some horse phrases as the year of the horse seems to have a lot more word play and puns whether in Mandarin, Singlish or dialect. Here's wishing all my Chinese/ Hokkien/ Singlish readers a HOR-seh (very good) year with abundance of HOR-jiak (delicious) food. May you be blessed with HOR-peng-you (good friends) and HOR-sim (kind-hearted) people with sufficient time to take a HOR-liday so that you will have HOR-mia (good life).

35 comments:

  1. Happy Chinese New Year!!! :) Ive always love your gifs haha they're so funny!

    loving the blue outfits ;)

    Grace

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you dear. It's still within the 15 days so Happy CNY to you too!

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  2. Your blue dress is very pretty! I hope you've recovered from the flu--such a terrible way to start the year (bring sick).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Rick. I realised that all the older folks would think it is pretty. Are you one too? Hehehe... I love how the prints remind me of those dresses of the 70s.

      Delete
  3. So it's true, couples do unintentionally match outfits ;)
    Afdgh, hope you're feeling better! I've never had the gastic flu before, but I can only imagine how its made worse during the yummiest time of the year...(...massive New Year's feasting).

    Once again, Happy New Year! :)
    Vanessa | Citron and Guavaberry ʘ‿ʘ | Makeup & Silly things

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Not just couples but good friends too! Gastric flu is one of the worst illness. This time round it wasn't as serious. My worst gastric flu was when I puked more than 10 times a day with nothing left in my system and still puking. Thanx babe and happy CNY to you too!

      Delete
  4. Gong xi gong xi!! You look so pretty as always. And yes, those are very cute ang pows! POSB makes cute ones too lol

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you dear. Happy CNY to you too. I always use POSB (coz I get my cash from POSB every year) plus all other red packets I could siphon from my MIL coz the bank would never ever give enough.

      Delete
  5. Yay! Awesome photos! I spot some delicious crispy bits on top of that yu sheng! Happy lunar new year to you too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haven't seen you around for quite some time! Will have to visit your blog soon! You like those crispy stuff too? Those "gold". Happy CNY to you!

      Delete
  6. Hor-liday! I love it :)

    So sorry you have been extra ill lately, dear. But it looks like a wonderful time you had in spite of it. Just adore those little picture shows you made. Great music choices!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I had to at least make do for the traditional stuff on Day 1 like visiting my family home and having sumptuous lunch there, taking those family portraits etc. I didn't go visiting after that with my hubz. Searching for and synchronizing the music too too much time than I should spend on these "anigif" but I'm glad they turned out well!

      Delete
  7. Am happy your celebrations were wonderful doll, all of these photos are so beautiful!! Happy New Year to you, I hope it is full of love & prosperity xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, dear. Even though you don't celebrate it, Happy CNY to you too!

      Delete
  8. Oh my goodness, look at all these photos! your chinese new year must have been absolutely incredible. And you keep posting these delicious food pictures... aaah! It really is quite curious looking but I would love to try it one day. I hope you have a great week, Jo!! <3

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love it when you use "curious looking"... Hehehe,,, coz it's a very uniquely British term. Chinese food always don't look good in photos but they really are good. Hope you managed to try it one of these days!

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  9. Happy Chinese New Year Jo! The food looks so delicious! You are so pretty and adorable, the family portraits are so sweet and the flipgram videos so funny!:) Kisses! xo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Chinese food always don't look good in photos but they really are good. I'm glad to know that you think they are delicious just from the photos. Thank you for your sweet words always, dear.

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  10. so glad you and your family had a great CNY! i love the pictures you took and the food looks amazing. great picture with your husband Jo.
    http://www.averysweetblog.com/

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  11. What a beautiful family! We celebrated Chinese New Year's Eve with my family and we celebrated Chinese New Year's dinner with my hubby's family! It was our first Chinese New Year as husband and wife and it was fun to spend it with both families. Maybe next year the hubby and I can host dinner for Chinese New Year's Eve and have both our families come over for the celebration. =)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haven't seen you for a while! Thank you for your kind words, sweetie. It would be great if both families eat together! The only time both families ate together was during our wedding! I think it would be really lovely if you could arrange for one. It's still within the 15 days so happy CNY to you too!

      Delete
  12. What a lovely dress! I love the pattern and colours. The food looks lovely =) Happy Chinese New Years!

    Corinne x
    www.skinnedcartree.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you dear. I like how it has a retro feel to it. =)

      Delete
  13. Wow I didn't know 2014 is year of the horse, my year! Yay!
    I've been away from blogspot again for months and I missed reading your blogs! Happy CNY to you and your family!

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Yes! You have been away for very long. I'm so glad you are back. Gotta catch up on your blog too! Ooh... You're a horse! So young! Hehehe...

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  14. I don't think my first attempt at a comment loaded. All I can remember now is writing that I like your blue dress.

    How is your finger???

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was loaded. It's just that I've been too busy and tired to log into my laptop for the whole week. Hadn't realised that I hadn't approved all the comments yet. The fingerprint is forming on that part but not entirely normal yet. Thanx for asking!

      Delete
  15. Happy New Year! Looks like yo had an awesome time with the family :)

    Hayfa
    www.londonloafers.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you dear. I know you would have seen them on my Instagram too! =)

      Delete
  16. I an going to check myself how to do these photo thing. That's so cool. It is nice to take family photos. Our family has not been together for a while to take a new family photo and that makes me sad as my dad is pretty old now.
    Www.thoughtsofpaps.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's very easy to it. Just download this mobile app called "flipagram". Upload the photos you want, choose some free music if you want and then the app would do the rest for you. It would be really lovely if you could organize for a family get-together and take a new family portrait. Photos are cache of memories and I really treasure the memories from photos. I know you will too!

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  17. oh man!! i'm so sorry to hear you got sick during CNY!!! that sucks.. i hope you're feeling loads better.. i love getting to eat congee when i'm sick tho makes me feel all warm and comforted on the inside.. especially if my mom cooks it lol!!

    i know what you mean.. nothing tastes better then home cooking.. my moms cooking is the BEST (to me of course lol!!)

    your family pics are sooo so cute both with your family and with your in-laws. can really tell how much you guys love and care for each other!

    yeah i know so weird.. i've had that camera for two years and didn't know about the setting at all until now!! it was so dark in there i was just fiddling around with my camera until i found a setting that made the pictures look the most UN fuzzy.. and apparently every time you turn the camera on it takes video for like 10 sec BEFORE you take your picture.. and then when you upload the pictures to your computer it automatically strings ALL the mini 10 sec videos together. so crazy right?!

    lol yes my squeaky dorky voice. lol that's why i don't want to do videos. i sound stupid. hahaha.

    i know my hair is getting long.. i haven't decided if i want to cut it short again or not.. i miss long hair.. but i have to admit i kinda really liked it short too!

    yes our anniversarys are around the same time.. and we've been married the same amount.. and our husbands are both military officers heheh i love coincidences like that :p

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Hahaha... What a cute camera! It even automatically strings all the mini videos together? That's really cool. No, actually your voice is not squeaky and dorky. It is just fine! I'm surprised at your English accent actually coz you sound lime you lived in the West all your life. Hehehe... I really like how fresh you look with short hair and I love the way your do temp curls with your long hair! So I will be awaiting your new look... Aww... I love your last sentence the most! All the coincidences! I love it too!

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