How Some Celebrated Gong Xi Fa Cai

I have a very good friend that I met soon after I moved here. While I stayed here in Malaysia for Gong Xi Fa Cai, she took a trip to England.  I wished her well and took her a bottle of red wine to celebrate with her family before her departure. She arrived at my door today, and like all my friends here, came bearing gifts herself. A replacement bottle of wine and of course the token oranges in her hands. I assured her that she must return to drink this with me soon.

Asking how she enjoyed her British vacation,I quickly learned that it was the first time she saw snow. Poor thing. Four days of  blizzards, freezing cold, and then what followed was her cooking for the entire vacation. Whoever she visited missed the Malaysian food they had left behind, and wanted a taste of home. Cynthia was the catalyst of that dream.  She showed me her hands. They were dry, chapped, and weary from wielding a cleaver and all else to produce the foods.  And the funniest thing is she never cooks at home here. Always after the business closes for the day, you can see Cynthia and her husband driving up the road to dinner at the market and food stalls.