5 Things I look forward to this Chinese New Year

I am counting down the number of days left before I am back home, reuniting with my family, and most importantly, making it in time to celebrate Chinese New Year after 3 years of not being able to do so.

I still remember the first time celebrating CNY without my family during my first year in Japan. It was hard. I didn't allow myself to refresh my Facebook's timeline because I felt so lonely and left out. The final exam stress was excruciating as well. I believe every students studying/working outside their country felt this at least once. But thanks to my college buddies (who felt like family), we got to celebrate our own way too! You can read the post HERE and HERE.

Let me tell you what are the things I most look forward to during this festive season. 

1. Family Gathering

I came from a really big family. For big, I mean REALLY BIG. I came from a family with 9 uncles and aunties from both my paternal and maternal side, which total up to 18, multiply by 2 (of their spouse) and it will be 36 with average 3 kids in a family and.....ops, some of my cousins even married and have kids already. Can you do the calculation? haha. 

Meeting them brings anxiety to me because I have no idea how many new faces I am going to see and what I should call them. In Chinese culture, you don't get to call relatives "uncle" or "aunty" followed up by their names. You just don't. Chinese relative appellations are many, specific and strict, and relatives of different branches, ages, generations, genders and relations have different appellations.

But nonetheless, I am still very excited to meet all of them, especially the  new members. Or maybe they will think that I am the new member instead because they have not seen me all this while? haha.

2. Ang Pau (red packets)

After 3 years of not receiving any red packets by myself (my parents received them on behalf on me), I really look forward to receive them, especially from my cousins and friends which got married in recent years! Gotta practice my "gong xi fatt cai" greetings now! 

3. Foods

Chinese New Year means food, food and more foods! Bak gua, ngaku, ribbon biscuits, peanut cookies, pineapple tarts, mini spring rolls, kueh kapik, beehives cookies, kuih bangkit and many many more..... *drooling*

4. Chinese New Year Songs

I know most people find the songs played in malls are annoying, believe me, I felt it too. But after not being surrounded by the atmosphere for so long, I can't wait for the music to blast off my ears. I would love to see the fancy Chinese New Year deco in malls too! Would love to see Pavilion's because I think they did a great job in every festive's decoration. I remember going there every festive season when I stayed in Shah Alam. 

5. New Clothes 

Although I do a lot of shopping here in Japan, and wearing new clothes does not seems to be something that excites me that much,  I am still VERY VERY excited to wear new clothes on Chinese New Year. I had a hard time buying suitable clothes here in Japan because it is still winter now but thanks to online shop in Malaysia and some brands in Japan which started to sell spring clothes, I managed to buy a few :)

Oh no, just realised I missed out buying red clothes! *running to mall hysterically*  

Pardon me for my messy sketches. 

What do you look forward most during CNY?

Hope you enjoy this post and Happy Chinese New Year to everyone of you!

May you have a prosperous year of Goat :)

....and a Happy Valentines' Day.

x