Issue #15

Date: February 1, 2022

Ebelle Chong

(Company Manager)

Interestingly, every time when it comes to planning for CNY visitation, as in whose home is next, a form of identification that my family uses is the food best associated with the home visiting.

Conversations will go along the lines of “Ok, next we will visit the grand aunt with the nice pai tee then after swing by my cousin’s who always serves freshly fried curry puffs” or “Who are we visiting next? Oh the grand aunt with the yummy porridge and sugee cake!”

With this food association, different generations of my family is able to recall the same shared memory. This thus affirms the power of food that not only does it serve to nourish the body but it also serves a higher purpose of connecting one to another.

Samantha Chia

(Assistant Manager)

Take Out
Dinner packed to go
With community of friends
And shared memories

Abel Koh

(Production Manager)

Usually for Chinese New Year, families would visit other houses to have meals, Bai Nian and catch up. On my mother’s side, we usually gather at a pub instead. At “The 1925” microbrewery, which is owned by my uncle and 2 cousins, we gather here to have our reunion dinner. The beers are brewed in-house along with traditional Teochew dishes and Yu Sheng.

Matthew Goh

(Dancer)

When we go visiting during Chinese New Year (CNY) – my grandparents and I, the music playlist in the car will tune to an era surely unfamiliar to me, the 60s… Listening to this genre of music brings a certain warmth, maybe because it always reminds me of them. Here’s a Spotify playlist: All out 60s you can play this CNY. Hopefully, it perks you up as you collect your ang bao… or give ang bao :p

Natasha Fawzi

(Dancer)

My family and I try to visit Chinatown before every CNY to feel the festive spirit. Chinatown holds a special place in our hearts as my great grandmother stays there, my mother grew up there and I spent my childhood there. Before Covid, we used to visit the bazaar on Chinese New Year’s Eve as that is when shops will start to slash down their prices and people would swarm to get their last-minute shopping done. The rush hypes us up for the new year. We would always try to buy the Putu Bambu at Trengganu Street (you should try it if you have not. It’s good!) then have our dinner at Smith Street or at Tiong Shian F&B. I miss seeing the stores sell all sorts of CNY exclusive treats and jellies from huge bags and the liveliness of the atmosphere. I hope we will be able to return to that level of normalcy once this pandemic is over.

Niki Tang

(Intern)

Unlike most, during Chinese New Year my family rarely do visitation as friends and extended family often drop by our house instead. My parents loves parties and celebrations, they often invite large groups of friends over to gather through this festival. What my sibling and I enjoy most is getting to ‘steal’ food my mom prepares before the guest arrives. It’s definitely joyous and warming to see everyone, especially my relatives from across the boarder that we hardly get to meet.

Redefining Movement