Archive for January, 2012

This year, 2012, Chinese New Year falls on 23 and 24 January 2012. That is quite early. On the first day of school, the kids were given a notice about Chinese New Year holidays and replacement Saturday class dates. They will be in school for just two weeks before having a long break again for Chinese New Year plus there will be another long weekend in early February because of the Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday and Thaipusam public holidays.

Since school has just begun, we planned and completed most of our Chinese New Year shopping at the end of last year, during the Christmas and New Year holidays. It felt funny to shop for Chinese New Year while listening to Silver Bells playing softly in the background.

The retailers that were savvy and quick enough tore down their Christmas decorations almost immediately after Christmas and replaced them with bright red Chinese New Year decorations the day after Christmas. It was amazing to watch the almost instant transformation.

I noticed many others taking advantage of the holidays to shop for Chinese New Year as well. We were a bit early, so some places did not have free angpau packets and other freebies yet. Too bad but never mind. No angpau packets, No freebies but most importantly, No rush!

Now, all we’ve got left to do is haircuts for the whole family, clean up the house a little, decorate the house for Chinese New Year then collect our cookies and Chinese New Year 2012 here we come.

Last year I folded bunnies but this year will usher in the Year of The Dragon. I’m afraid I don’t know how to fold origami dragons and I don’t have the time this year so its store bought decorations for us this year.  I love Chinese New Year. Makes me feel like a kid again.

I am coming out of hibernation today. It sure has been a long time. I’ve missed my blogs. Well, not really come to think of it. I haven’t had much time to think about it.

With the kids at home during the school holidays and the spouse on year end leave, I’ve had almost no free time to myself. That is the part I miss the most. Sure, I love my family lots but everyone needs a little time to themselves every now and then.

Now, its the beginning of a new year and back to school, back to work and back to routine. So, I’m going to have to wake all my blogs up. I have lots to write about but they are mostly in my head. Perhaps I will let some of them stay in there.

Well, its time to wake some of the other blogs now but before I do, a few quick New Year’s Resolutions.

1. Remember to exercise in the mornings
2. No going anywhere near the computer from afternoon onwards. PC time is only in the mornings and that includes blogs, squidoo lenses, facebook, twitter etc. (Phew! That’s a tough one)
3. Cook some new dishes for the family
4. That’s it! Lets not keep it too long or it’ll be hard to keep up

Time to go. After all, I’ve only got the morning to exercise and blog and make lenses and I must go wake up the other blogs now. That’s not a lot of time but since I can blog in 10 minutes its not so bad. Its only the squidoo lenses, they take at least half a day or more each but in terms of personal satisfaction, blogging is better but squidoo beats blogging in monetary terms so I guess the time spent is justified.