The last day of the Monkey

I'm sneaking in a break from all the cooking hiatus to post this, for I shall not be blogging for the next 5 days. Maybe if I can't stand it I might just turn on my com for a little finger exercise. But they're probably too cramped from collecting ang baos.

At 9, I was awaken by the incessant phone ringing. My mum's parents, my Ah Ma and Ah Gong, are coming over to assist my mum with the Great Cookout. Every CNY eve, my mum attempts to cook a great Peranakan feast for my Ah Gong because er, he is Peranakan. Trying to be filial, you see. And according to my mum, she's 'mastered' the art of the Nonya and now it's my turn to take over. Why? Because I'm one-quarter Peranakan. Grumbling with groggy eyes that are still pasted shut with sleep, I mumbled something about MY own dad not being Perankan and that he likes normal chinese/western food of which I can cook very well, thank you very much.

Later, I still had to make konnyaku jelly. Apparently, I'm the Grand Master of konnyaku jelly because the ones I make are of the right sweetness and texture. All excuses, because all they had to do was read the instructions at the back of the packet. Lazy liars, all of them. I tried to wriggle out of it by reasoning with my mum. "Please la, whether or not we serve the guests the jelly, they're STILL gonna give us the ang baos what, so why be so nice to them? Most people are just satisfied with cookies and a soft drink." Her silence tells me that I shouldn't go on. Hell hath no fury like a busy woman in the kitchen, trust me.

And I haven't even done my nails! The past few days of letting my fingers venture into hidden corners of my room has made my previous manicure look like a monster just gnawed through my fingers. Better stop blogging and get on with my work or my nails will never dry in time for the reunion dinner at my other set of grandparents' (Nai Nai and Yeh Yeh) tonight.

My, I'm so vain this CNY, dunno why.