The hope for better days…

It’s Christmas, 2021 today and for all it’s worth, a very Blessed and Happy Christmas…

…from us…

…here in Sibu to all of you wherever you may be. Joy to the world!

It hasn’t been a very good year, has it? Just like last year, we joined the church service online – we are still #stayingsafe #stayingwell and #stayinghome, nothing much else that we can do other than to hope and pray for better days ahead.

I did not send any Christmas cards this year. Last year, I had some stamps in the house so I was able to send a few to the older ones in my family. I did not have to enter the small and crowded post office – I could just drop them into the post box outside. I can’t do that this year as I do not have any more stamps even though I still have a lot of Christmas cards, the ones that I bought and also those from the Mouth & Foot Artists. Hopefully, by this time next year, I can get back to my routine of sending a card to all and sundry – I must say that I did derive a lot of pleasure from doing that.

I received this Santa door sign via courier service from my cousin in KL and earlier this week, this lovely Christmas card…

…came in the mail from another cousin of mine in Kuching…

…thank you so much to her for keeping me and my family in her thoughts.

And just when I thought I shall not be getting anymore this year, another beautiful Christmas card came in yesterday, the one in the first photograph above, just in time for the joyous occasion. Thank you so much to all of you too, Uncle Paul, Auntie Irene and cousins Sabrina, Imelda and Jude in Kuching. At a time like this, it sure means a lot to know that there are people some place somewhere who are thinking of us and wishing us well.

Earlier this week, on Tuesday, the 21st of December, it was the Dongzhi or Winter Solstice Festival and everyone enjoyed eating the tang yuan (汤圆), the glutinous rice balls, that is.

I guess most people were having those colourful ones served in sweet syrup…

…and this year, I managed to get hold of a tub at our neighbourhood fruits and vegetables sundry shop in the next lane from my house…

…at only RM3.00 each. I never used to like these as they were always so chewy, so rubbery that they were very difficult to chew and to swallow, so much so that I felt like choking when eating the balls. However, these were really very nice – whoever made them did a really good job. I had no problem eating them plus the syrup had this lovely pandan (screwpine leaves) fragrance and was not really sweet.

At the same time, I also bought these…

…from the shop -the special flour mix and the crushed peanut.

I rolled the flour mix into balls…

…and dropped them into hot boiling water to cook. It is very easy actually – once, you see the balls floating up to the top, you would know they are ready.

I mixed the crushed peanut with a bit of low GI sugar in a bowl and once the balls were cooked, I fished them out of the water and drained them well before dropping them into the bowl…

…and coating them well with the peanut and the sugar.

All these years, somebody else would do the cooking, my late mum a long time ago and later, my missus or somebody would buy some from the wet market – I just ate. Of course I was mighty pleased with myself. I sure did a very good job…

…and everybody enjoyed the tang yuan that I made.

They say these peanut-coated ones are the Foochow version and I must say it is slowly gaining popularity – more and more people are saying that they prefer them like this. There is also the savoury Hakka version but looking at the photos, I am not sure whether I will like them that way, the plain chewy/rubbery balls and other ingredients in some clear soup. Well, if you have tried it before and you like it, do let us know in your comment below, thanks.

Well, New Year’s Day is just a week away. Fingers crossed, our prayers will be answered and our hope for better days ahead will come true! Let us pray!