Mom and I wrote bike to the market. The street is bustling with people, vendors luring loudly, shoppers catching and bringing their ‘trophies’ (bags of everything they like) home for the feast. Our baskets were quickly filled with fruits, vegetables, fish, and on top, an old-fashioned rice cake.
I worked till before the reunion dinner. I can smell ‘mom’s flavor’ as I walked down to the kitchen. Mom prepared fish, hua duo chicken with rice cake, vegetable, pork feet, Hoga stir fry, king bean, and soup…Time flies, my last time home for Chinese New Year was 2004.
The new year celebration on TV changed quite a bit: new faces, people no longer wearing red and gold (traditional lucky colors), neither singing Gon Shi Gon Shi Gon Shi Ni…festival songs. I accompanied mom to ‘Shou Suee’ (stay up to the new year). As the clock hit 12, pi li pa la, pi li pa la…firecrackers woke up the quiet neighborhood. I remember playing all kinds of fireworks: sprinkle, mini rocket, dragonfly, little ball, etc. with cousins on the street. Dad would light up a big string of firecrackers…pi li pa la, pi li pa la…filled the street with red. I’m glad the tradition continues.
Happy Dragon Year! Wish all a happy, healthy, and fulfilled year~