Year of the Pig

We've been celebrating this holiday my whole life and until now, I had no idea why we did the things we do. I found this great article explaining the Chinese customs. It was published 8 years ago, but the facts remain the same. Here are some excerpts:

Gung Hey Fat-Choy!: "Best Wishes for Great Wealth and Prosperity"

The foods themselves are selected mostly for their names as homonyms to prosperity, longevity, etc. Bak-choy sounds like the term for "great wealth," so a dish with bokchoy would be included. Oysters are called "Hao," which sounds like the word for "an auspicious occasion or event," and "Fu," as in tofu, sounds the same as "riches," so a tofu dish is always present.

Certain dishes are always included in the mix. Dumplings signify a long-lost wish for a happy family (and many male children). Dried oysters are for "all things good." Angel hair seaweed is for bringing prosperity, as is Yu Sheng Salad. Prawns are for liveliness and happiness. New Year or Pudding Cake is to ensure good luck with high hopes for the coming year.

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As anticipated on my earlier post, we all gathered at my mom's house for our Chinese New Year dinner. It was the first party there in three years. With a few grandchildren missing, so still had 22 in attendance. My mom made her usual sesame balls, neen go (pudding cake), and vegetarian dishes. And in honor of the Year of the Pig, we really did pig out! The sesame balls were the crowd favorite. The inside is mostly hollow with a sweet red bean paste filling. I like it best when it's piping hot fresh out of the deep fryer. It's super super greasy, but such a guilty pleasure. I compare it to bucket of fried chicken where you only eat the skin. Three hours later, I already felt a zit coming.

The evening ended with a round of mahjong where I was the big winner (oh yeah!). MJ is the universal language in our family. Everyone plays, even some grandchildren, breaking down generational and cultural barriers. MJ is game of observation where you put on your poker-face and figure out what your neighbor is doing. Professional players always bluff and play defense. We, on the other hand, play with extreme arrogance and disrespect. We go for the biggest hands, regardless of risks (or reason) and take everyone down with you. Unlike poker where you can fold and get out, with MJ, you're all stuck, like in the back seat of a lousy driver. I have a great group of friends I play with that I would characterize as sharks, meaning that to play with us, you better have thick skin or else you'll get hurt.

On a different note, the main bathroom was finally completed Friday night (sorry, no before picture, too gross). The contractor replaced everything except the window, toilet and bathtub. Total cost for this: $2100. He gave me a great deal (considering I already paid him $20K for everything else). Now I'm having him replace our large living room window and rebuild our backyard patio. Man, if I just blogged about my mom's remodel, I would have a year's worth of content!