little bitty girl

I can barely move my tired stomach from all the good eats at chez Mama and Papa Kang. This is just a quarter of what was offered, and then I got completely distracted and started gorging myself. So, there are no more pictures. My mum always overcooks, which I don't particularly mind but I just realized in all my tiredness from overindulging myself, that I forgot to grab some leftovers for myself. How dumb was that little move? Since Mama doesn't cook like this all the time, I really should have taken more advantage of the situation.

Family times are good times, I always say. Although I must admit that I missed my older brother Ken, who now lives in New York. Now that we're all grown up, we can't always get together like the way we used to, but I can still miss him. Nonetheless, we all had a great laugh as usual.

This year was extra special because it's the first celebration of me and Stefan as a married couple. It also marks the last year to receive "lucky money." Darn. I guess all good things must come to an end and we did get a good run of it. Irene came up with a really funny idea that I totally was not expecting. She had conspired with my parents to have an informal tea ceremony since Stefan and I missed it because we eloped. Have I already mentioned how much I love my sister in law? She really is a blessing in my life, the sister that I somehow was lucky enough to get so late in life.

Usually when a Chinese couple gets married, they serve tea to their elders as a gesture of respect and to ask their blessing on the marriage. In return, the people who the married couple serves tea to, gives the married couple a red packet. Apparently Stefan wasn't really paying much attention when my brother and sister in law had to do this, because he was so confused.

My parents had sat down, and Irene poured tea into one of those tiny chinese tea cups and told Stefan to serve it to my dad. Stefan, who is very not Asian, looked confused, looked at my dad and just handed it unceremoniously to him, saying, "Do you want some tea?"

My dad who is a really shy guy just said,"O.K" and Stefan just handed it to him. Irene hastily snatched the cup back, and tried to explain to Stefan how he needed to serve it with two hands and with more decorum. The rest of us were too busy laughing our butts off and trying not to pee our pants while Stefan kept saying,"Why two hands? It's not heavy!"

It was a very funny situation. All in all, it simply meant an official acceptance of Stefan into our family. I am so glad that I have found someone who is so good natured towards my zany family and vice versa. Stefan is usually pretty shy and quiet at first glance, that not so many know how fun loving he can be. When I see him with my family, he is exactly the same guy that he is with me.

I loved today.