thankfully, this year's Chinese New Year falls on a weekend. i remember last year, i had to whip up a reunion dinner right after i came home from school. canada should seriously consider making CNY a public holiday since there are so many chinese immigrants. but, then other holidays have to be declared public holidays since canada is such a culturally diverse nation..

anyway the point of reunion dinners is to be with family members right? well apparently not for me. my only family here went out with a friend, without the opposition of my family elders. my brother claims he didn't know it was CNY. so i went with my housemates for a chinese dinner.

tomorrow i told my brother we would go for dimsum with our housemates (which he suggested too at first), but now he says he doesn't want to go out so many times since we will be meeting kaleng late on in the evening for dinner too. excuses, excuses.. so much for family eh? he better wise up, otherwise he isn't going to get a share of canned sharksfin (made in singapore!) and ocean clams that i bought just now after my dinner..

i don't feel the atmosphere of CNY here. firecrackers and lion/dragon-dances are missing. perhaps it's better in chinatown. there wasn't much of an atmosphere back home too, but at least there was family, red packets, mandarin oranges, snacks and tidbits, sumptous dinners, more new clothes.. i miss CNYs in kl/singapore.

ok me and my brother are going to make long-distance calls to give our well-wishes. so have a HAPPY (doggie) CHINESE NEW YEAR!