Hiya dear readers!
I know Chinese New Year isn’t exactly over yet because there are 15 days of it in total (much like the Twelve Days of Christmas!) but hey, it’s already the 11th Day of CNY so I might as well get started on this post.
You know how I am when I procrastinate LOL.
Also, you are now reading this post on the 16th February even though I began writing it on the 10th. So obviously, Chinese New Year is now over as we speak hence deeming the paragraph above irrelevant. See what I told you about procrastinating? Bleh.
So let’s get on with today’s post before I digress, shall we?
I took a day off from work, so Chinese New Year 2014 began with me jet-setting back home to Penang on the morning of CNY eve.
The 45 minute flight was tiresome. Can’t someone invent a teleporter already? 45 minutes always leave me hanging – too short a time to sleep, too long a time to do anything else when you’re not allowed to use the phone onboard.
Read, you say? I don’t like the edges of my book getting all ratty and folded up whenever I take it travelling. 
My CNY-themed nails I did the night before I departed KL. 
With prosperity and auspiciousness in the air, you can’t go wrong with red and gold for Chinese New Year!
High in the sky at 9am.
Couldn’t get any sleep so I was snapping away on my camera instead.
Arrived home and I was initially thinking of heading out to spend some time with my friends back home since I wouldn’t be able to spend much time in Penang this CNY but somehow, my forty winks ended up in a long, deep sleep for four whole hours.
Drats. 
But when I woke up to this, I cheered up instantly. 
Pretty sure you would too.
This was how my family reunion dinner looked like – steamboat!
Mom, Dad and I enjoying our steamboat dinner at the comfort of
our own home – all lit up flamboyantly with CNY decor no less!
That’s us playing with firecrackers and sparklers too.
Chinese New Year 2014 – Day One (大年初一) 
Woke up bright and early to loud CNY music resonating in my room all the way from the living room downstairs!
Daddy has a knack for blasting loud music during any festive season. Dolled up and made my way down to join the rest.
Day One selfies!
Went into the living room to find mom and dad dressed similarly in traditional Chinese wear too.
Speaking of coincidence! This year is the first year I’ve actually donned a traditional outfit for Chinese New Year. Usually, I’d just throw on a red top or a red dress. So to see my parents dressed likewise was really a pleasant surprise!
Daddy-O and I.
Mummykins and I.
Definitely a member of the family too, after 12 years with us. Kakak and I!
Took another selfie with the red-hot ladies of the house.
Daddy then called us all over for angbao time. 
So as tradition goes, we are to greet each other and give a spiel of wishes and blessings unto the other. I’m bad at this, so I usually just go Gong Xi Fa Chai and some of the other sayings (which are so cool it rhymes!) that granny used to teach me.
Angbao moments. There’s one for everyone!
Time for family portraits!
I didn’t want to bombard this page with the innumerable family portraits we took, so here’s my favorite one.
Love it so much I’m even considering developing this and putting it up in a frame!
Not-so-formal family portrait – SELFIE STYLE!
Before the sun set, we made our way onto the North-South Highway for a road trip down south to spend the rest of our CNY Day One with my extended family. It was lucky that we were driving against the ridiculous traffic of the festive season! 
It was an insane gridlock on the highway north-bound. We could see it from our side of the road. Phew!
Setting up the dinner table.
Firing up the grill for our barbeque!
Uncle Mike was the mastermind behind the whole barbeque party and with his minions in the kitchen, we were fed with a scrumptious home-made feast straight from the grill!
Food placements on the table with red wine for everyone!
No, this doesn’t include Penny our Silky Terrier in the background.
A shot of some of the other food we made
Giant salad bowl, some kind of pork (I didn’t eat a single one), flower crabs,
Thai noodles, rice and sausages wrapped with bacon with potato wedges.
Snapped from my seat.
Group photo of all of us! Family + long-time family friends. 
We had a wonderful time! Long conversations, so much fun and catching up.
When darkness descended, we started to play with paper lanterns, also known as Kuomintang to the Chinese folk.
I wrote my well-wishes on it before I lit it up and set it to fly to above and beyond.
Prepare for take-off!
Firing the blazing ember!
Looks like we’re ready.
One for the road!
Up, up and awaaayy!!
We watched it with glee as it drifted slowly away from our line of vision before fading into the darkness.
And that was pretty much how CNY Day One was like for me. Moving on… 
Chinese New Year 2014 – Day Two (大年初二)
I woke up pretty late due to the late night before. But not too late to doll up for our family luncheon at Casuarina Hotel in Meru. Wanna take a look at what they have to offer? Read on.
Today, I wore something oriental again. It was the traditional Chinese Cheongsam!
Selfies!
Proper full-length outfit of the day shot!
Group selfie! The boys at the back were still busy with the food LOL
Part of the Yee Sang dish on the buffet spread
Wit the chef at the carving station.
Take a look at the well-plated and colourful spread of roast beef, chicken and lamb!
Only downside though, most of the cuts were cold as the roast station didn’t
come with the spotlight heat lamp.
At the cold cut table. There was quite a number of food on the hot food area and it was very widely spread apart so I didn’t bother taking a photo (this isn’t one of my food review ads anyway)
Chinese New Year cookies and cake were part of the selection too.
Sweet treats like pies, cakes, tarts and ice-cream were abundant.
Fancy a healthier alternative? Here, have some fruits for dessert instead.
We thought the buffet spread was decently palatable and it was satisfying lunch buffet. Could do with lots of room for improvement but seeing as it is a hotel newly constructed in the area, it was a fairly good attempt! 
Check out some family photos we snapped after lunch.
When we were just about done, I began exploring all around the hotel and its vicinity.
Found a pretty place full of Chinese New Year decor for more photo ops!
Test shot. Okay, I’m loving this podium area already!
Was busy taking selfies when Uncle Mike appeared like a wild fox out of the blue
and stuffed this Mandarin Orange into my mouth. Hey, can’t you see I’m busy? 😛 😛
Got mom to take a couple of shots for me while waiting for the whole motley crew to arrive.
How pretty is the decor, right?
Spent every day of my childhood years with these two women in my life.
Mommy & kakak.
Flanked by my homeboys, couzzies Shaun & Meng!
Shaun had a random idea to flex our biceps for the camera LOL.
We’ve got the powaaaahh! Say what?
CNY 2014 family photo! It’s a shame daddy didn’t join us for the dinner though;
it would be complete otherwise!
My beloved Popoh and I. Or MeeMaw. Or Gran. Or Gramma. Or Granny.
Or however you wanna call it.
She’s the only grandparent I have left now so I’m holding on to her real tight!
Every Chinese New Year, we celebrate her birthday.
I can’t recall a single CNY not celebrating Popoh’s birthday!
The rest of Chinese New Year Day Two was just spent lounging around at home, gambling with relatives and catching up. All I did at night was read a few magazines and curled up to watch The Big Bang Theory.
Okay, time for the next day! 
Chinese New Year 2014 – Day Three(大年初三)
Selfies in the car!
Wearing another oriental top – this time in lime green with motifs of Chinese flowers.
I don’t exactly like the presence of children in general but I think I’m beginning to get the hang of it.
Meet my 9 year old cousin.
It was Yee Sang day for us today! LOUUUUU AHHHHH!
*insert Chinese quotes/wishes that rhyme here*
I should really memorize it and recite it with pride next year. It’ll be fun 
We headed out to the mall for some shopping and coffee. Coincidentally, there was a stage performance going on.
It was the Chinese New Year acrobatics troupe from China! Check them out. Their skills are pretty badass. Click the image to watch the short videoclip.
When all was over and done with, I decided to adjourn back to KL on Monday.
Didn’t want to waste the extra leave I initially applied for as I may have plans to jet-set somewhere far away this year.
Nothing concrete yet; just sketchy plans for a one-week vacay.
Maybe I should throw a dart on the world map and see where it lands hehe.
Goodbye shot. At the Ipoh Railway Station!
My Chinese New Year 2014’s accessories are sponsored by Swarovski and The Wild Things.
Will be blogging about their amazing Pandora-inspired charm bracelet soon!
In the meantime, check them out and pick your favorites.
That marks an end to my Chinese New Year this year.
Actually no it doesn’t. Since there’s 15 days in total after all, I spent the rest of my CNY celebrating it with good friends and colleagues back in KL.
But since this post is relatively long enough and my mug of coffee is already empty, I should leave Part Two for another day.
Oh here’s a snap of some of my bounty.
No I don’t have any of it left as I used it all to settle all my bills.
I am debt-free now!
I shall end my Chinese New Year 2014 blog post with a picture of my favorite ang pow.
It may not be the biggest, but it is hands-down, the best angpow I’ve received this year.
Hi! Welcome to TheJessicat.com - an urban lifestyle blog established since 2005, written from the perspective of a Malaysian blogger. Discover the latest and all that the city has to offer! Do bear with her occasional rants & musings though. Happy reading! ❤
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