Journey back to the heart: Home

Happy Lunar Chinese New Year! It's the time of the year where the Chinese community, in particular, gather together and celebrate the coming of a new year. According to the Chinese zodiac sign which compromised of 12 animals, this year is the year of the tiger. And after 2 years of not seeing my parents in law, we finally get to go home.

My husband's version of baby on board car sticker. He designed it himself :)

The journey back from KL to Sitiawan is a 3-hour drive but as we had to run some last minute errands and also pick up my daughter's 'breakfast bento' from her friend's place, we took an extra hour or so to reach home.

Breakfast bento for our miss A

The boys napping on the way

We reached my in laws' place at 830PM, had a quick dinner and headed home to settle the children as it was already getting really late. Poor boys have been crying and cranky due to the long journey.

The next few days we just took our sweet time and enjoy our pace. We spent time with the in laws, hung out with the aunts and cousins from my husband's maternal side of the family, and even dined at our favorite kampuang mee joint!

Foochow kampuang noodles, also known as the black sauce noodles. It is best paired with some garlic vinegar and the famous Kampung Koh chili sauce

My whole family loves it. We are of Foochow descent after all.

My firstborn enjoying her bowl of kampuang noodles

Spring cleaning and getting ready to welcome the new year

Queueing up to buy cendol, a local shaved ice dessert made of pandan jelly, glutinous rice and azuki beans with palm jaggery and coconut milk as the dessert base. There's an option for takeaway or eating it on the spot

On the eve of the Chinese New Year, families gather together to have their reunion lunch or dinner. Here's the spread my mother in law made for our reunion lunch. Yes, she cooked up a delicious storm! And the only dish that we managed to finish during lunch was the fresh prawns, haha!

Roasted duck, steamed chicken, fried fish, prawns, fishball soup, braised sea cucumber with pork intestines and stir fried cauliflower and carrots

Chinese New Year is a celebration of a new season, and with that comes blessings. It's a Chinese tradition for the elders and married couples to bless the young ones and those who have yet to marry a red packet, which symbolizes good happenings. On the morning of the first day of Chinese New Year, my father in law brought over breakfast cooked by my mother in law. It was a big tiffin filled with soupy thick rice vermicelli noodles with fresh prawns, fishballs and pork slices. The children were up early and after washing up, they put on their new clothes to usher in the new year! After having some noodles, the children took turns to give their greetings and best wishes to their grandpa, and in turn they were each given a red packet (红包) as a blessing for the new year.

The smell of fresh prawns and hot soupy thick rice vermicelli noodles warm my soul

Helped myself happily to a serving, yums!

Our beautiful firstborn

Me and my handsome second born

Me and my adorable littlest

Miss A receiving love from grandpa

Little master A receiving love from grandpa

Littlest master E receiving love from grandpa

The boys and men of the Diong household 💕

Usually for the first day of Chinese New Year, families would stay in and spend time together instead of visiting friends. I personally enjoyed catching up with my father in law and listening to him sharing how's life been the past couple of years since the pandemic while waiting for my mother in law to prepare lunch.

I'm just glad we all still get to do life together. I'm grateful that everyone is still around. I'm going to continue soaking it in because like the saying goes, home is where the heart is.

I'm happy to be home.

So here's wishing everyone who celebrates the Chinese New Year,

恭喜发财
万事如意
阖家安康
财源广进
年年有余
虎年行大运