FAMILY TOGETHERNESS IN SPRING JOY

Joyful Spring Family Package

I simply love the way Spring Toss names its yummy yee sang packages. Take the one meant for a medium-sized family comprising seven to ten pax. They call it the "Joyful Spring Family Package". That's what I call imparting the right kind of sentiment. Imagine the whole family together in the season of spring when the world has just reawakened and life is filled with joy and promise - doesn't that bring a lump to the throat if you have to stay or work far from your family right now?

This package also comes in three flavours - Authentic Traditional, Teo Chew and Thai. What I would suggest is that you enjoy the Traditional during the reunion dinner on New Year's Eve, the Teo Chew on Renri and the Thai on Chap Goh Meh. And if you issue me an invitation to any of your yee sang feasts ... you'll find I won't decline!

- BOLDWRITER -

THE MORE THE MERRIER

The More The Merrier Reunion Package

Yee sang parties are most fun when there is a large, boisterous party of ten or more around the table. The loh-hey will then be loud and raucous enough to scare away the spirits of ill-omen if any are lurking about. That's the general belief anyway.

Well, if your forthcoming reunion gathering is to comprise a big group, you'd do well to check out Spring Toss' mammoth package appropriately called "The More The Merrier Reunion Package". You have three choices - the Authentic Traditional Recipe, the Authentic Teo Chew Recipe and the Authentic Thai Recipe. Each has a distinct flavour which bears out its name. But if you're truly adventurous, you can mix and blend their ingredients any way you like - and come out with your own flavour. 

I did - and the effect is quite unique. I call it the Authentic Boldwriter Recipe. What I want to know now is whether those Spring Toss people will let me patent it!

-BOLDWRITER-

KEEPING IT SMALL AND INTIMATE

Reunion Bliss Mini Package

You really don't need a big crowd to create a ruckus when it comes to loh-hey. The general consensus is the more the merrier - and I won't refute that. But even a small gathering can be just as meaningful. You just have to get into the right spirit to celebrate.

Spring Toss has the perfect package for small, intimate loh hey parties. Check out its Reunion Bliss Mini Package, ideal for a table for three to five persons. Make no mistake, though - the mini-sized packaging is meant to suit convenience alone. The quality and yummy goodness remain unchanged. You still have green kua ying, sliced yam, peanut and sesame, pickled papaya, red and yellow ginger, pickled leeks and the distinctive lime dressing.

So if your family comprises dad, mom and two or three siblings, this package is tailor-made for you folks. But take my advice. Get more than one pack. You never know when the yee sang "urge" will come on you.

- BOLDWRITER -

SAY IT WITH SYMBOLS

I always think of symbols as visual metaphors. A metaphor is a word or phrase that is used to reflect something else. Symbols serve the same function.

Among the Chinese, symbols play an important role in all aspects of everyday life. Whether in business or work, leisure or social intercourse, they always select the proper symbol to evoke a desirable situation in life.

Red and gold, for example, signify luck and prosperity. A dragon and phoenix or a pair of mandarin ducks represent the happy union of a man and woman. Noodles are symbolic of longevity, while medicinal roots indicate a healthy constitution. 

The list is endless, so I won't pursue the subject further. But there's one more symbol that I'd like to mention before I sign off. You've guessed rightly - it's my favourite dish, yee sang.

To me, yee sang is more than something tasty you gobble down during Chinese New Year. It's symbolic of fond reunion, when the bonds of affection are renewed and old grievances forgotten. It's an annual rebirth for each, when spring makes the heart young again and fills it with fresh hope. Look at it this way the next time you loh-hey with your kith and kin. The enjoyment of yee sang will mean so much more to you.

- BOLDWRITER -

Giving Renri New Significance

Talk about Renri, the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, and everyone thinks of yee sang and loh-hey. Which naturally brings to mind the myth about the goddess Nuwa creating our distant ancestors out of clay.

But, think again. Renri is supposed to be the common birthday of all mankind. Leaving aside the myth mentioned above, let's consider that which is truly signifcant - the commonality of mankind. Humans have one thing in common - the unique ability to think and reason, a gift that no other member of the animal kingdom possesses. 

Since we are united by that special ability, let's demonstrate our humaneness by caring a little more for those who have less. Sometimes it doesn't even cost money. A sympathetic ear, a kind word, a helping hand - these can work miracles. 

We are all one under the skin. The title of a famous Chinese classic even bears out this truth - All Men Are Brothers. So let's give new meaning to the ritual of loh-hey the next time Renri comes round. When we wish for abundance in our lives, let's make sure there's an abundance of love in our hearts too.

The Joy of Giving Joy

Last year I was specially privilged to attend a yee-sang party where the guests of honour were a group of senior citizens from a local old folks' home. Several of them were physically handicapped and a few were in wheelchairs.

When they arrived at the community hall we had rented for the occasion, they were shy and unassuming, but we quickly put them at their ease by treating them as if they were our own kin. How their faces lighted up when we seated them at the dining tables and placed the savouries before them. 

The loh-hey proved a problem for a few of the old dears. Their arthritic fingers could not hold the chopsticks properly to pick up the yee sang ingredients. We placed our hands over theirs and helped them to do it. Loud and hearty were the wishes we made for their health and happiness. When we saw the happiness in their eyes, our hearts overflowed. And so did our own eyes.

For those of you who wish to arrange yee-sang parties for the less privileged, contact T.F. Food Industries by logging in to their website at http://springtoss.com/whatnew.php. They'll be happy to assist you.