Chinese New Year Fashions

Front door of my parents’ home in Penang… and some of the greenery my mum lovingly fills the place with… You know this pic is real because Kings is on one of his two berries. As usual.

At CNY, I wear whatever my mum buys. (Once we’re in Seremban where no one cares what Kings and I wear, Rockstar wears whatever my mum in law wants. Rockstar doesn’t care what he wears. Unless he hates it.)

Except for serious wedding-type stuff, I care little what I wear during family trips back to Malaysia. Or what Rockstar eats (not that it’s a big problem, he doesn’t particularly care for junk). Or what his sleep schedule is like.

For us, Malaysia at CNY is like Vegas: What Happens In Grandmum’s House, Stays In Grandmum’s House. Rockstar is reminded midnight indoor bubble-gun fights are not part of life in Hong Kong. (He’s asked why. The answer is not eating/ sleeping right/ the occasional furniture-ruining activity aren’t “things you do long-term” because they have “long-term disadvantages.”)

Meals at “Pineapple” kopitiam (yummy)

Fish swimming in tank fitted inside vintage appliances that have been here for like, forever

(confusing – yes those are real fish not tv test patterns)

Back to the original bit about what my mum bought for me to wear this NY:

(1) Black (yes, seriously) tee with chain embellishment, Label Unknown

(2) Pink top with lace trim – label says “Pots.” Don’t Know What That Is

(3) White top with red embroidered piping, East India

(4) Purple jersey dress, also by “Pots” (and in roughly the same shade of purple as a cotton blouse I compliment my mum on.)

I have no idea what my mum buys beforehand. (But I do wear it with Marc Jacobs ankle boots, old FCUK cargos, J Brand jeans (rolled up), a Blue Cult skirt, USD 19.90 Temple St Clair for Target bracelets and necklaces and FOS flip flops.)

Ah, FOS. The day I found a Victoria’s Secret pink lab tee for like, RM 13 thereabouts, I vowed never to shell out USD 15 and up online again. Then I discovered they have Ed Hardy – which retails for like, 10 times the FOS price at the flagship store in International Finance Center, HK. So now most of the tees I wear in HK summer are from FOS. Some of my other Malaysian girlfriends in HK do the same.

This CNY in Seremban it’s a red Mick Jagger lips and tongue rock tee by Junk Food, and giant rosary-style cross on offer at Forever 21 for RM 20. And my mum’s East India top doing all the rounds.

Bi-annual trips seem to work best (not that Kings can manage anything more often anyway, with his work schedule) – without enough time to fall out of love/ drive each other nuts, we can be a lot more laid back about “parenting suggestions.”

The HK-KL flight was full of Malaysians living abroad – we recognized 2 families of acquaintances on the same flight. One heading home, the other to Langkawi (another popular trend is not to go home but to vacation.) Pre-Malaysian CNY everyone was still on Hongkie dress code – boots, more makeup, leather jackets. We go from about 10 degrees Celsius to 30 degrees Celsius every lunar new year. Before we head back, we’ll arm ourselves with umpteen HKD 20 and 50 “lai-sees” for the doormen and waiters at restaurants where we’re regulars.

Being unmarried at CNY in HK is kinda cool in that back at work you can go around in packs wishing the smug marrieds a prosperous new year and relieving them of one more obligatory lai-see. Those are like HKD 40 – 500, depending on closeness and level of seniority. Most Awkward Situation I witnessed was one of the most popular Aussie ex-bosses I worked for getting ambushed first thing in the morning after the CNY hols – loud prosperity wishes occasionally interspersed with “WAA-IIT! I’m not ready!!” as he hurriedly stuffed his lai-sees in front (and much to the amusement) of his staff.

Even as the Rockstar leaves exhausted, if blissful, grandparents in his wake.

Random Penang street picture.