Cleaning My Clothes Closet

One of the things I hate the most doing is cleaning out my clothes closet. It was supposed to have been done before the beginning of the Chinese New Year and of course it didn’t get done. Since I did not have to go and look after my baby granddaughter, Dallas, today I decided to take the bull by the horns and get it done. I figured I would need about two large garbage bags to load everything into and after I would take it to some recycling bin. I had four bags.

My closet was loaded with clothes I had worn to work and no longer wear because 1) I no longer work and 2) I have gained weight since I stopped working. I have gained at least fifteen pounds. Although I am not overweight the clothes in my closet are in much smaller sizes. I even had clothes inside which I brought with me to Malaysia twenty eight years ago. Hey they were expensive and over the years I did not have the heart to throw them out but today was the day, I was merciless.

Why I have a tendency to collect so many clothes over the years is beyond me. Most are not worn and just hang there taking up space. I have to admit that any clothes that are given to me by my children as gifts will hang in my closet for years even if I no longer wear them or even like them. To me any gift from my children is to be cherished. After all they buy me gifts out of love and to throw these things away is like not having any appreciation for the love they show you. My drawers were once full of drawings, cards and other little pieces of useless knick knacks bought for me by my children. A few years ago I finally managed to let go and throw most of them away as my drawers were becoming too full and so it is the same with my clothes closet, I had no more hangers left and the clothes I had bought for the Chinese New Year were haphazardly thrown over the baby’s crib that is in my room.

This morning after my shower I got down to it with gusto. Out went all the slacks and jeans that I could no longer pull over my enlarged ass. Blouses, sweater and shirts which could no longer be pulled or buttoned over my sagging belly went. Shorts and tank tops which were too small or so old that they looked like rags were thrown out. Dresses, skirts and a few Baju Kebya’s and Kurungs (Malay Traditional costumes) were all thrown out. Other useless junk was thrown out as well along with faded out bed sheets I no longer use. Everything went and by time I was finished I had so many hangers left, well I just don’t know what to do with them and my closet is now so empty I have nothing to wear.

That’s ok though at least there is space in my closet now and over the next few years or so I’m sure those hangers will become full once again. There will be plenty more birthdays, Christmas’s, Mother’s Days and Chinese New Years that will warrant the buying of new clothes. There will undoubtedly be many more shopping trips where I will buy new clothes and probably a few years down the road I will take a look in my clothes closet and discover there is another load of clothes that no longer fit my growing ass.

Family Portrait Day

This past Saturday we had another family photo day. Since Jade was home from Singapore and Alex’s dad was around we decided to get it done while everyone was home for the Chinese New Year. These days it’s pretty difficult to get everyone together. Dallas Rose, the princess of the two families, is growing and changing daily so it is important to get those pictures while we can.

The appointment with the photographer was for four thirty in the afternoon and Dawn informed us not to be late. (Hahahahaha)!!! My family, of course, can never be on time for anything, and true to form we were late, although I have to say this time around we were only about ten to fifteen minutes late. Alex’s dad was later then us. When Dawn and Alex got married the mother of the bride and family were one hour late. Frankly speaking it’s not me. I’m always ready on time and I’m the one that has to sit around sweating in the Malaysian heat waiting for everyone else to get ready. By the time my family is ready to go my makeup is running down my face. It’s a good thing that my eyes don’t sweat because my mascara would be running down my face pooling around my chin. Such is my family. So as usual I was ready on time yelling at everyone to hurry up. Justin decided to go for a haircut and because the hairdresser just only opened after the long Chinese New Year holiday there were a lot of people and he had to wait. Robyn and Jordan were ready on time and of course Jade, well it takes her an hour to put on makeup that gives her a natural look.

We arrived en mass at the photographers. This pictures colour scheme was white shirts and jeans. Even Dallas Rose had on a pair of jeans and a white t shirt. Alex’s dad, being from another era and generation, doesn’t own a pair of jeans, so he wore navy slacks and a white shirt. When we arrived the session had begun with Dallas sitting in a white flower pot with strawberries on her head. She was so adorable, smiling all the while for her pictures. Next she had purple flowers on her head, then she was in a cooking pot surrounded by vegetables wearing a chef’s hat and then the photo I have wanted most of all, Dallas wearing angel wings. After the single poses of Dallas the family got together and we proceeded with the family portraits, all of us with Dallas, then Alex and his dad with Dallas and then my family with Dallas. By time an hour had gone by Dallas was tired and cranky and didn’t want to smile anymore not to mention that we had gone over our time slot and another couple wanted their turn. They were having a closed session. The wife was pregnant with their first so I am assuming they maybe wanted some nude shots of the wife, who knows. Anyways the way I look at it we were there first so tough titty wait your turn. But no they asked us to come back. Oh well Dallas was tired anyways and as soon as she was put in her stroller she fell asleep. All the smiling makes for a sleepy baby.

By this time it was six pm so we decided to have dinner. We ended up in Dragon i probably one of the most expensive Chinese Food places around. After dinner we went back to the photo studio and finished our session. I wanted pictures taken of Dallas and only I and I also wanted a picture of my five lovely off spring. There has not been a picture taken of them all together since before their father died so now was the chance. So there they all posed, one in clown hair, one in witches hat and a boa, one in a court jesters hat and boa, one in a pirate hat and one in a fireman’s hat. My two sons were holding plastic props; Justin had an axe and Jordan had a sword and they proceeded to pose as if they were stabbing their sisters as well as other ridiculous poses. I finally got them to take off the crap and pose nicely and I hope there are a few nice pictures of my lovely children. Alex asked me to sit with the kids and have one done and so I did. I hope they turn out well but knowing my kids there will be one of me smiling happily while my children make funny faces at me behind my back.

Chinese New Year

Once again Chinese New Year is here. Today is the fifth day of the New Year but in actual fact this blog was supposed to have been posted a few days before the first day. As usual I got a little behind with my New Year preparations and found myself running around like a mad woman trying to clean the house, buy new clothes for the kids and I as well as the drinks and titbits. This year we got lucky as my son won five cases of beer from Heineken so I did not have to go on my yearly search for places selling beer at the lowest price. Chinese New Year just isn’t New Year without beer. On the first three days of Chinese New Year I am allowed to sit and sip beer all day long without the disapproving looks of my eldest son. I love beer unfortunately it has two nasty side effects, bloated belly and nasty beer farts. But enough about me and my love of beer time to get back to the topic at hand.

While Chinese New Year is not a traditional celebration for me it became a tradition when I married my husband and moved to Malaysia. Early Chinese New Year celebrations sucked big time but once I moved into my own home I began to enjoy it and look forward to it and so I find myself cleaning house every year, buying new clothes and preparing ang pao for family and visitors. In the old days Chinese woman would spend a few months baking traditional cookies and cakes for guest when came visiting, now with many woman working the traditional New Year goodies are store bought making everyone’s life easier.

Out with the old and in with the new is the philosophy behind Chinese New Year. Chinese New Year is celebrated around the world by the Chinese for fifteen days. In the old days small businesses and shops would shut their doors for the full fifteen days. Since the Chinese never took a break from work this was the time of year where they could relax, unwind, stuff themselves with food, visit friends and give and receive ang pao. Before ushering in the New Year the house must be cleaned from top to bottom, debts should be settled and new clothes are bought. Chinese families will travel enmass to the family home where they will partake of the traditional New Year’s Eve dinner which is a must. On the first day, if they have not spent the night, family members will pay their respects to the patriarch home where they will receive and give ang pao.

Chinese children, every year, look forward to Chinese New Year. Is it because of the reunion dinner with all the traditional savoury dishes served, the customary biscuits to be found in every Chinese house hold or the mandarin oranges given away for luck? Is it because of the new clothes that will be bought to wear during the New Year, no they look forward to receiving that little red packet known as “ang bao” or “ang pao”. This little red packet given every year contains money and is given away for luck. The more you give the more luck you gain and children visiting households of friends and family are sure to receive one.

According to tradition the packet should contain an even amount of money such as two dollars, four dollars, six dollars, ten dollars and so on. In a Chinese family “ang pao” is given to unmarried younger people by married people. If you are not married you are not required to give out “ang pao”, although those who can afford often do and younger people do not give to older people unless it is their parents. A working child giving “ang pao” to parents is a form of respect. In family’s who are wealthy the father is likely to give out “ang pao” to all his children, their spouses and grandchildren.

As in any tradition in modern society the quaint tradition of “ang pao” has become commercialized and exploited, with children expecting large sums in their packets. In my husband’s day his “ang pao” consisted of twenty cents. As he reached his teens the amount increased to one dollar and twenty cents. Try giving that amount to kids today. Children every year go from house to house collecting “ang pao” keeping count of how much they have collected. My children’s friends boast to them that they have collected “ang pao” in the total amount of two to three thousand dollars, because large amounts are given to them by wealthy relations. My children think they are suffering because the total amount of they receive is only two to three hundred every year.

When receiving ‘ang pao” it is bad manners to check the amount in front of the giver, but as soon as it is possible to check, children will check and inform their parents as to how much was given as their parents don’t want to appear to be cheapskates if their “ang pao” is less then what others give out. Most households give out ten dollars to their children’s friends and children of relatives. During the stock market boom it was not unusual for children to open their packet and find fifty dollars. The tradition of giving out “ang pao” has become quite an expensive affair, especially for those who have many children with many friends and those who come from large families. With the trend continuing in this direction maybe in the future you will be required to take out a small loan just to distribute “ang pao”. Fact is, it is not really the amount that matters, what matters more is the red packet it’s given in, as the giving of the red packet signifies good luck.