I have scheduled this post so that when you are reading this, I and my little family are on the road driving towards Singapore.
Chinese New Year is a huge festival where my parents will never forgive me (okay, I’m exaggerating but they will definitely not be happy) if I don’t make my way back home no matter which part of the world I am in.
Even when I was working in Shanghai (6 hours flight away from Singapore), I brave the crowd and the horrid air ticket price (I could have a round trip ticket to Europe and back) to go back to celebrate this special occasion with my family.
Chinese New Year to Chinese is like Christmas to Caucasians.
We flocked home, overcrowd the airports, train stations and roads (shoulder to shoulder), paid ridiculously for anyone who can take us home, forked out (again, ridiculously high prices) for New Year goodies – all for the sake of family gathering.
To see cousins, aunts, uncles and distant relatives that we don’t care to visit except once a year during Chinese New Year where we “pretend” to care about his latest car or her latest business venture and intrude personal space by asking sensitive questions about their relationship and pregnancy status. Then we exchange gossips and dishes out scandals on other family members. Sounds negative and nasty.
So why do we do it?
It is the same for all families all around the world. It’s a time to gather.
A time to rejoice in each other’s company.
A time to cramp things (big or small events) of the last 365 days into that few hours as we sit around the living room, feasting upon unhealthy (so sinful but so good!) New Year goodies in our new clothes in blind colours like chilli red and sunshine yellow.
A time to crackle at lame jokes and tease mercilessly at the younger generations.
A time to curse like a sailor while you gamble your red packet money away.
But this is also the time three (maybe four) generations are eating under the same roof.
The grandparents (or great grandparents) sitting around joining the conversation.
The aunts helping out in the kitchen, serving dishes after dishes (seriously the food just keep coming).
The uncles trying to join in the conversation while managing the excited kids.
The cousins showing off their skills at Playstation or Xbox.
The little nieces and nephews running around gleefully while stuffing their faces with chocolate and sweets that the adults left unattended.
The rest of us cooed and awwed at the latest addition in the big family.
It is crazy. It is noisy. It is messy.
But it is a beautiful mess to me.
Have a wonderful Chinese New Year and may you have an abundance of wealth, fortune and joy in 2020!
MiddleMe 
It’s going to be an extra big weekend here in The Great South Land. Chinese New Year on Saturday, Australia Day on Sunday.
Enough fireworks to push the planet out of orbit!
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Oh wow. The fireworks must be so spectacular!
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Happy Lunar New Year for you. I got 2 days off from the company because of CNY.
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Thank you so much!
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Wishing you and your loved ones a Happy Chinese New Year!
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Thank you so much! Have a amazing Lunar New Year!
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Happy Chinese New Year 🧧 ❤️
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Thank you so much! Have a amazing Lunar New Year!
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💕
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Happy New Year!
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Thank you so much! Have a amazing Lunar New Year!
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You are welcome and thank you!
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you as well, happy New Year
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Thank you so much! Have a amazing Lunar New Year!
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Happy New Year wishes to you and to your family! 鼠年快乐!
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Thank you so much! Have a amazing Lunar New Year!
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Happy Chinese New Year 🐀
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Thank you so much! Have a amazing Lunar New Year!
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Happy Chinese new year Kally, enjoy it with your family!
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Thank you so much! Have a amazing Lunar New Year!
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Happy Chinese new year, kally. 🍫💝🤗
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Thank you so much! Have a amazing Lunar New Year!
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Hey Kally,
Many warm wishes to you and your little family on the new year. Before reading this post, I had just had a tiny fraction of understanding what the new year buzz is all about for you and all those who have to head back to their roots to enjoy the company of their loved ones.
But now, all I can say is just Wow! 😀
Happy holidays to you and your little family 🙂
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Thank you so much! Have a amazing Lunar New Year!
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Happy new year Kally
Im actually really into the Chinese culture
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Thank you so much! Have a amazing Lunar New Year!
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Same to you too Kally
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That trip sounds amazing so have fun and I wish you and yours a very happy Chinese New Year. Caz x
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Thank you very much, Caz!
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Happy New Year!
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Thank you so much! Have a amazing Lunar New Year!
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Happy Chinese New year hun x
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Thank you so much! Have a amazing Lunar New Year!
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Happy New year. I’ve been hearing a lot about the festival before today. Thanks for sharing more about. Now I understand why the stores are shot. 😄
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Thank you so much! Have a amazing Lunar New Year!
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Happy New Year 🎊
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Thank you so much! Have a amazing Lunar New Year!
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Happy New Year!!! May it be a good year ahead.
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Thank you so much! Have a amazing Lunar New Year!
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Reblogged this on Blog of Hammad Rais and commented:
Yes, I didn’t wished a happy new year on my blog when 2020 kicked off. I did wished few on my posts comments but didn’t wrote a post specifically about welcoming 2020.
And here I’m today, re-blogging a post by Kally Nat of MiddleMe about Chinese New Year!
And there’s good reason for it.
The simple explanation Kally Nat is telling us about how Chinese people welcome their new year, what they go through and what they look forward to, is really an amazing piece to read out today.
Plus, these days I’m fully engaged up in a project at my workplace for a big customer, whose name I can’t speak of but it features the word Cat. And since this is the year of Rat in Chinese zodiac, so I thought why not 😀
Enjoy this post by Kally Nat and be sure to follow her for more tips and tricks about your professional life and more 🙂
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Thank you for sharing this out, Hammad. Happy Chinese New Year 🥳
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😀
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Happy Chinese New Year, Kally. Safe travels.
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Thank you so much! Have a amazing Lunar New Year!
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HNY to you and those who mean the most to you!
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Thank you so much! Have a amazing Lunar New Year!
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I heard of how Chinese New year would be when one of my tenant worked there for 5 year on a contract ✨🤗 Enjoy the weekend with your lovely family 💐 Happy Chinese New Year ✨🤗💐
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Thank you very much, Simon!
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Happy New Year
Divya
https://dstylebook.com/
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Thank you so much! Have a amazing Lunar New Year!
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Happy Chinese New YEAR. My daughter is based in Hongkong so I know a bit about the hustle and bustle.
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Happy Chinese New Year!!
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Kally, you have painted a vivid picture of Chinese New Year for me. You’re a good writer! Happy New Year!
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Thank you for your generous words, Janet! Happy New Year.
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May this year be full of an abundance of good fortune and serenity.
A very special event.
A deep bow and big smiles to you and all you love.
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Thank you so much for your poetic blessings, Bryan.
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Wish you all the best!
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Thank you so much!
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Happy Lunar New Year! 🥳 What an awesome family tradition, have a wonderful time!❤️
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Thank you, Judy! Have an awesome time with your family too.
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Kally my friend, WAY TO GO!
You have the wisdom to know what is right and the courage to do it.
Awesome!
Enjoy!!!!
God Bless,
Patrick
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Thank you, Patrick!!
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Happy New Year and happy times with your family.
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Thank you so much!
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Happy NY of the Rat Kally … glad you can enjoy the craziness with your family 🙂
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Haha! Thank you, Kate. The past few days have really been crazy..
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then enjoy and relax … life is too short to live at that pace 🙂
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Ah… my kind of wisdom. Haha!
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Sounds very much like the American Thanksgiving holiday filled with family and food and catching up with those you haven’t seen in a while. I hope you enjoy it again as you have in the past. Happy New Year to you and your family!
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Thank you so much! I had thought Thanksgiving is about eating Turkey, watching the parade or the football match too. 🙂
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Happy New Year. 😀
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Thank you very much!
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😀
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Happy Lunar New Year! I see even long-distance lifestyles don’t stop the expectation of being home for this holiday. 😄 I’m sure it’s stressful during the journey, but I hope it’s still fun when you get there!
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Thank you! Journeys are nothing comparing the feelings when you get to taste homecooked food!
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Hope you are enjoying it to the fullest, dear Kally. And please stay safe with that horrific virus linger around, even in Singapore. Big hugs! XxX
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Thank you, dear Patty. Yes, that virus is pretty scary. As of today, there is 7th victim reported in Singapore.
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Happy Lunar New Year! 🙂
________
Lovely D.
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Web content.
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Thank you!
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“like Christmas to Caucasians” no disrespecting at all but lol’😂
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What fun & vivid description, Kally — wishing you & yours the best for 2020!
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Thank you so much!
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Dear Kally, I wish you a wonderful New Year, and I hope you are celebrating in Singapore. I know thet this new, terrible flu is scaring all the people in the world …
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Thank you, Paola! I’m back in Malaysia now. Celebration was fun but tiring. Not getting young anymore. Haha.
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Anyway, I’m happy to read that you are well. Probably your daughter had a lot of fun and she is not tired :
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Yes, my daughter had a fantastic time being pampered by her grandparents and all the relatives.
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I can imagine! I’m goimg to be grandmother next summer and … I’m so happy!
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Congratulations! That’s very happy news! Thank you for sharing it with me. You’ll make a wonderful grandma. So exciting times ahead!
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❤
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Happy 🖤
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Thank you, Povertà!
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