Last weekend was the proper start of Chinese New Year, which meant that I was facing the prospect of a week off work with nothing planned. It was then that my friend suggested coming to her small hometown of Labis, to see how the Chinese New Year was celebrated in a quintessential Chinese Home. I naturally, couldn’t resist the offer.
And so on Saturday, (New Years Eve) I found myself eventually on board a train headed down to her home. The girl who sat next to me was also going to the same town, which as it turned out, was a great help as the stop I was waiting for was little more than a small platform in the middle of nowhere. I no doubt would have completely missed it had she not told me to get off the train.
I cannot praise my friends’ family enough. Her parent’s hospitality was limitless, and I think it showed mainly at the dining table. I cannot remember the last time I ate so much over a short period of time – so much so that it made our usually large Christmas dinners seem modest in comparison. I suppose I shouldn’t be too surprised by this, after all this is the biggest holiday in the Chinese calender. Whenever I found myself sat down trying to understand the latest Chinese Soap on TV, her mother would hand me more snacks to eat. Eventually I had to learn the Hokkien phrase for “I’m full, thank you” else I would have been in a food induced coma for most of the weekend.
Speaking of newly learnt phrases, I should probably point out that the biggest challenge was obviously communicating with the Parents who did not know English (nor should they, I suppose). For the most part, my friend was left with translation duties, and when she was not around, her younger brothers would take up the baton. Mind you, it is weekends like this that remind me just how much body language plays in terms of communication.
New Years Eve, I realise is generally the more fun day for an outsider, since it involves plenty of fireworks being lit, and many more fire lanterns sent into the sky. I also saw the ceremonial lighting of a cardboard shrine filled with origami money pieces, as a form of offering to the Gods and Ancestors above.
New Years Day itself, was a far more sombre celebration. My friend informed me that traditionally it was spent going to the Temple first, followed by going around all their family members houses, and if you were unmarried, collecting Angpao packets (Read: Red Money Envelopes). Since I was a guest of the family, I found myself attending both the Temple visit and a select number of family homes. Naturally, being unmarried, I came in possession of several Angpao packets, which struck me as very odd. I mean, at the end of the day, many of the gift givers had never seen nor heard of me before that day. However, I was not one to argue with Chinese New Year Customs.
That night, after all the family visits we found ourselves back home, exhausted and thankful for the peace. I don’t know who’s decision it was to bring the bottle out, but I soon found myself with a glass of very old Whiskey (over 40 years old). Naturally, this was the catalyst for further drinks, my favourite of which was simply referred to as Kinmen Liquor. This crystal clear spirit was drunk by downing it straight from a unique glass tumbler, the size of a thimble. After 6 glasses, I was done.
My the time I woke up on Monday, there was enough time for a final family meal which lasted for almost 3 hours, at which point I could not eat one more grain of rice. It was however, time for my departure from Labis, returning once again to the tiny platform I boarded the train back to KL and a life of hectic rushing around. No matter what happens now, I shall always remember the fond hospitality of this family and the food.
