Chinese New Year

This is my 4th Chinese New Year as Mrs Tan. I remember being overwhelmed in my 1st year -- so much preparation and spending! There was much expectations too, and that kinda overwhelmed me as well. Changing money, packing red packets for the hordes of children and relatives, shopping for new clothes for two, buying gifts for both parents, getting sufficient supplies in our house, mandarin oranges, cleaning up the house and going the extra mile to make it look like it's new year, etc etc etc.

I was so inexperienced and the amount to spend was so overwhelming! For one, I was packing the red packets to almost exact number so when we entered homes where there are unexpected guests, I'd have to do the "toilet trick". Now, everything is in excess. Change excess money, pack more red packets! Extras can leave to next year hehehe. Then there was the who-to-give-ang-pow question. There'll be people who say that one will qualify as long as one isn't married. But there's always the mother and the mother-in-law who'll advise who I'll need to and do not need to give to... so there was much conflicting advise. And there was living-in-tokyo who was quite upset that I didnt even give chocolates to her in red packets ;p Sigh... much to learn as a newly wed.

After all that, I'm proud to say I've learnt in the four years of being someone's wife and daughter-in-law. Not perfect, but more seasoned and definitely more stress-free ;)

This CNY, I got all the stuff done. I completed it all today, except that I did take a few short cuts. Seeing that I'm 38.5 wks into pregginess, and one will never know when junior will arrive, I've skipped the shopping for new year clothes and new year goodies for the home. We'll probably still do the rounds of shopping for derod, though he said it doesn't matter much for him.

I imagine next year's CNY to be a whole lot more fun and busy. And I can then start getting my favourite flowers in to spruce up the look of the place. Then again, imagination can be hustle and cost free. Let's wait and see... but meantime, this will be a rather memorable CNY for me.