Angpows Aplenty!

From our side that is!!! :D

Yes! It's our first Chinese New Year together and I can already see the pattern that has replicated my parents'. It is the woman who puts the angpows (red packets) together. In the Cantonese custom, newly-weds are supposed to give 2 angpows per person instead of the traditional 1 during the 15 days of Chinese New Year - once is enough - not once a day!

But since I am NOT Cantonese - hehehe - I am sticking to the normal one packet per kid/unmarried person.

We went home my parents' place and had a blast wining and dining and had a little fun with the cards where my dad 'invested' quite a bit and Ju Han and I reaped the rewards! Hehehehhehe....I usally don't have gambling luck but Ahoy Matey - Lady Luck came and sat down next to me!

We even 'loh sang' (tossed the prosperity dish) together just before leaving for KL to gather good wishes and blessings for the new year of 2010!

Deciding how much to give each person for an angpow was pretty easy since we basically gave them what their parents gave us.....and I look forward to many more of these years with Ju Han.

Our registration 1st year Anniversary was on January 30th but we didn't celebrate it - Ju Han just made a note of it and since Valentine's fell on Chinese New Year First Day, we also didn't celebrate Val's.....next week - that'll give me more time to buy my present! Hehehehehe

I don't think Valentine's Day is important for couples to commemorate or celebrate because Valentine's behaviour can be exhibited and practised everyday of the year. To leave it to just that one day among 364 others can be tiring and demotivating. However, it is still fun to celebrate in a certain way - I don't think anybody needs to purchase or receive 200 specially-dyed purple roses arranged in the shape of a heart - but a gesture will not be rebuffed I am sure. In some meaningful way - like perhaps taking the time to visit a spa together or do your hair together or hold hands in the park (or mall) as the case may be. I say 'hold hands' because there are generations of people ahead of us who find something as simple as that to be extraordinary.,...in the sense that they don't usually hold hands or say 'I love you' to each other. And perhaps, they need that overarching, in-your-face excuse of Valentine's Day to screw up the courage for it.

Actually, all I mean, at the end of the day is, DO do something different on that day - it can be extraordinary or simple but do something different. I know it's easier said than done - I didn't do anything different on Feb 14 - and I'm newly-wed, but maybe it's time to take note how easily we could make our partner happy - just by recognising their participation or presence in your life that has just made everything brighter!