Chinese New Year Family Reunion 2024

I could not remember whether I have taken any of my children to visit the village where I grew up at Jalan Istana before the family moved away in 1972. Most likely it's no.

This time, I decided to take Paul to have a look at my old school at Signal Hill. On the way as we drove along Jalan Istana to see my old school at the current STS premise, we passed by the junction which T-off from Jalan Pinggir just in front of the Istana Entrance. That T-junction along a steep slope (Read here) eventually leads to the old village I once stayed. We did not stop to take a walk down the slope. I did draw Paul's attention to the thick forested valley next to Jalan Pinggir. The old village is hidden within the thick forest. 

Photo taken in front of the old Chapel of STS. The  Chapel was once used for school assembly of the old Lok Yuk School.

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Paul and Junshi in the second evening after their home coming for the CNY 2024, took us to Oitom, a fine dining restaurant in Kota Kinabalu.

As described in Oitom website, the word Oitom in Kadazan-Dusun language means black. This restaurant is recognized by Tatler Malaysia as a new temple to locavore spirit, and has titillated fine dining lovers in KK. Oitom is also nominated for Malaysia Best Restaurant top 100 from 2019  to 2024. Oitom believes in the importance of utilizing locally sourced and ingredients for their menu, focusing on the abundance of the seafood in Sabah. 

The restaurant offers a set meal of 13 dishes. Each is unique and each contains some local ingredients. Among the local ingredients are bambangan seeds, Borneo mango seeds, tuhau samba, roasted keluak, corn-fed chicken etc. 

It was indeed a very interesting fine dining experience!

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CNY Eve family reunion dinner is traditionally held at my parents old home. We have not had family reunion dinner for the last four years. The last was held in February 2019 before the Covid pandemic. As expected in families with aging family members, full attendance is becoming more difficult. This year, my older brother and my younger brother and his family could not join us.

We are indeed happy that Junshi for the first time joined the reunion dinner!

Among the dishes served that evening are the three dishes which are traditionally always in the menu during the family reunion dinner: Braised pork belly with Taro (芋头扣肉), Hakka Niang tou fu (酿豆腐) and pak cham kai or the Chinese poached chicken (白斩雞).

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CNY Reunion in February 2019 which was attended
by Junshi as well.

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Taken outside the Church entrance after the Church Sunday Service on the second day of Lunar New Year 2024.

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The night before Paul and Junshi flew back to Singapore, we had an 8-course dinner at the Silk Garden Restaurant in the Pacific Sutera Hotel. As customary in CNY meal, Lou Sang is the first dish in the menu.

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Breakfast at our home before leaving for the airport for another home!

This year, we received a big angpow from Paul. For this gesture, I'd like to echo what a well-to-do mom in my church said in her Instagram posted after receiving an angpow from her daughter, "The joy of being a Mom: receiving angpow from my dear daughter!". 

It's not so much about the quantum of the angpow, but the gesture which symbolizes an acknowledgement of gratitude indeed kindle joy and happiness!