This has been a week of mixed celebrations - of different angles and sentiments. Some has been terribly sad, some joyous, and some of gratefulness.
Celebration of a beautiful life that was lost, celebrate a culture that forms part of me, celebrate a beautiful country I am with.
I started off this week saying goodbye to a friend that sadly passed after a brief battle with leukaemia. I miss him. He was my neighbour, but he was a good man, but also a friend I have come to know for almost 15 years. I missed seeing him on the street, walking his dog, mowing his lawn, always with a smile on his face. His smile is always reassuring and warm. The street is going to be different without him, but I am thankful for the wonderful memories he left behind, the soul of our street party every year and over the months and years ahead, we will always miss him.
Suddenly, the surrounds of his house seem so quieter. The grief, the quietness that followed, makes my heart aches too.
I sat with his wife yesterday and we shared a good cry over the sad loss. It was tears of both sadness but also the happiness he brought into our lives. We wonder how to go on after such a sudden and sad loss, but sometimes it is inescapable. But we will progress in our grief, healing will take place, in its own time but never at the speed someone wants us to.
As we said our goodbyes, we also ushered in the beginning of the lunar new year – the year of water dragon, which we hope will bring us all the blessings in both good and sad times.
This is celebrating the Chinese in me. A heritage and cuture I am always proud of. A culture that I never cease to impart into my children and sharing with others this beautiful culture. We had a pre-reunion dinner on a very hot 40deg summer day in Perth! Reunion dinner is a reminder that family must always gel together and making an effort to do that.
I invited my other neighbour to watch the lion dance with me and was a wonderful experience I got to share the beauty and wonder of this culture with a good friend, whom really is like an extended family to us.
So even on a 40deg c heat, I fired up my wok, blanched the noodles, soaked the mushrooms, sliced up the pork, fried up some chicken wings, and some very last minute take out of a roast duck and some roast pork because I have accidentally burnt my lovely dish of dong po rou.
I made the pineapple tarts. It was a bit of work, but hey, one bite into these tarts made me felt all festive and almost back at my parents place!
My girls dressed up in their cheong sums, complete with the clogs and fan…is just lovely.
Then we have Australia Day when we celebrate a beautiful country we live in. I have been here for almost 15years, I still miss my family, but I love living here. The ever lasting blue sky, beaches, parks, this is where my kids call home.
A country where summer days are filled with beaches and kids jumping into the public pools over and over again, day after days, that they have the goggles imprint onto their face from the tan : )
























(Picture taken a year ago. Now Chloe is actually toilet training Lara!)






