new year celebrations.. at home and in Konstanz

it's a unique Chinese New Year for me this time round. For 20 years of my life, I never missed a single CNY in Singapore. This year is different. I am in Konstanz and preparing for my exams. Feels weird but no worries. I ain't sad or anything. I can still feel the festive warmth from home.

Miri was so sweet. She drew this for me! I was so impressed with her chinese, i told her i HAD to put it up on my blog. so here goes!

Then yesterday, on 初一(first day of CNY)，I was at Christy's place and we made dumplings! I finally know how to wrap the dumplings.. but still not skillful enough.

Ma Li and Christy squeezing the water out of the chinese cabbage.

Ma Li was the head chef of the evening. she just finished a paper.. which accounts for her tardiness.

the combination of ingredients for the 'inside' of the dumpling. minced meat, ginger, onion, cabbage, seasoning(五香粉), pepper, salt.

jiaozi waiting to be cooked!

jiaozi waiting to be eaten!!

and so, that was how i celebrated CNY in Konstanz. Now I shall show you guys how CNY was celebrated at my place this year! Like always, I am proud of what my mother can whip up. I am still far from her cooking standards.
Let's see... i am making my guesses from the picture. ain't 100% sure what food they are.
one bowl of shark fins (maybe it's fake one) per person,
(in clockwise direction)
next to the alcohol, we have steamed fish,
onion rings (or sotong rings?),
vegetables,
steamed chicken,
prawns with ketchup (one of my favourites!!),
braised abalone with those fa cai(black black hair-like stuff), sea cucumber and long straw mushrooms,
in the centre, we have already-tossed yu sheng!

Last but not least, although it's totally unglam, I decided to put up this family photo that I received. we never ever took family photos on reunion dinner nights.. but this year is special! cos of me!!! It compensates for all the things i missed out.


You guys will never be able to imagine. Because of my stupid web cam that is not compatible for skype for mac, and the fact that there's no web cam at home, i have not seen my family for 6 months. ok.. only pictures. but nothing in motion! today's the FIRST time after 6 months i could see my family members in MOTION over webcam at my sis' place. It's quite a surreal feeling. Feels like I have never left Singapore before. So far yet so close to the heart. It was worth being woken up at 7am despite only a mere 4 hours sleep.

Anybody want to help me photoshop?? put my head into the family photo.