End of 2007
Today we went to my maternal grandmother's for then end-of-the-year dinner. This Thursday is Chinese New Years 2008, The Year of the Rat, and as a tradition, we have dinner at each grandparent's home to end the year.
My grandmother, Popo, is an exceptional chef. Food cooked in a its possiblities: braised, fried, boiled, broiled, steamed, stir-fried, etc. The best part is, Popo cooks with love. It is an all-week prep, all-day cook kind of event. It is bigger, better, more delicious, and more important than any other holiday put together for a Chinese-American such as myself. This week, I don't care for Thanksgiving feasts or Christmas dinners and pastries. Chinese New Year is the star and the start of a fresh beginning.
But over the years, I feel that this tradition has lost much of its magic. Take this year, for example: my cousins didn't come, my dad was in the hospital with my paternal grandmother, Mama. There were never any exceptions; you HAd to be there. It's the end of the year feast, a closure to the year. I wonder how Popo feels when tradition is broken and exceptions are made. Is she sad? Is it bad luck? Is it OK?
Someone once told me: Things always turn out OK in the end.
Panera® with Mom: $20. 63
Free People® shirt: $10
Zco. Jeans®: $19.99
Burton® socks: $3
Total: $53.62