Gong hay fat choi! Happy Lunar Year 2016! The Year of the Fire Monkey! This year is signifies one full of ever-changing events in the financial, professional, domestic and emotional realms since the monkey moves quickly through life. Thus, it’s a year to be inventive and move ahead! Yet, since the Monkey is also quite witted and a trickster, one must be careful not to get fooled by others during this year when everyone is trying to get ahead. Move quick but move smart people!

Ever since, moving into Chinatown a few years ago, I’ve been actively trying to get more rooted in Chinese culture. Learning more about Eastern philosophy and medicine as well as actual culture and traditions carried on through the centuries has been FASCINATING! For example! I just realized that I should be more “PC” and respect the holiday as the Lunar New Year because many countries not just China, celebrate the new year according to the moon. Countries like Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, the Philippines celebrate the Lunar New Year--each carrying their own traditions to bring in the new year. Even WITHIN China, different regions of the countries have specific foods and rituals to bring in prosperity and luck at the start of the year. 

However, one tradition held pretty consistent--one that I grew up with--was the practice of giving “lai see fong” also known as “hong bao” or “red envelopes” to children (i.e. if you want to get really specific--to those who are not married). As a child, I just thought that this was like Christmas, a time when children were spoiled with things that they really don’t deserve. Thankfully my brother and I didn’t grow to become greedy with all this extra cash because we always obediently gave it to our parents right away for “college”--for which i am SO GRATEFUL! Not that a childhood of lai see fong would ever be enough to fund two children through the University of California school system--but still! We were investing our savings into education! GO SCHOOL! Anyways, as an adult now (still not married but not getting red envelopes anymore), I see these children get so greedy with this practice. When I was used to bowing and saying thank you to any other relatives or family friends that gave them to me, I now saw children ripping it out of their elders’ hands. My own sweet little cousins keep their red envelopes by their bedside, counting it, checking it, making sure it’s still there--I mean, the whole to “good health, happiness and prosperity” chant is actually worshipping money on the last wish. I assume this is to emphasize the ease of life once someone has enough money to support themselves and more--which any struggling American faces, daily. Giving away lai see fong, is supposed to bring good luck to the giver--a way to clean away any bad luck and to clean the slate for good things to come. The idea of giving to those when you can--and giving to those who cannot give during this time in their life speaks to me. As this tradition is quite fond in my memory, of those aunties and uncles with smiling faces handing me a small token of their love made me feel very happy as a child. I felt like my family because so much greater than just my brother and my parents. Though it is about the money--it’s not. I hope that these children will grow to appreciate this custom and continue to carry it on through the generations, explaining the importance of giving. From all the customs tied to the new year--this is one that I would love to pass on to my children.

Leading to the question of the week: In a society where much culture is consumed by the media (i.e. seeing what’s “cool” in one country and replicating it as much as possible at exponential rates until there’s a new trend), and many culturally-rich traditions are being lost--what is one tradition that you grew up with that you would like to pass on to you children?

Lschell, a Nurse Manager and Eyebrow Artist, shared how much she loved how her parents always took her family out on vacation--even if it was only just a drive away, it was filled with laughter. Her family vacations were not about going somewhere international or staying somewhere extravagant; rather it was 100000% about quality time with the fambam--a love language that is GOLD.

Anu, a facilitator for Tuesday Coffee Talks, shared how he always fought with his two older sisters--being the youngest, sucks sometimes. Nonetheless, his parents made sure that after every fight that they immediately admitted their own wrongdoing, apologized to each other and made up right there. Though he hated it when he was younger (as our egos try to dominate), he is so grateful for this, because now that he’s grown closer with his sisters--any fight will not last long. They’ve built an understanding that fights would not break them. That is true love.

Brittany Diaz, an event planner and decorator, was sent to catholic club at a young age where she was taught that anyone who didn’t believe in the church was evil and damned to hell. She was taught that it was her job to go out and tell people the states of their souls--EVIL. When she came home to mom, her mom was horrified when she heard her own daughter speak so condescendingly about people. Her mom took her aside and questioned where Brittany got these beliefs, and if she really thought that these ideas were true. Brittany realized then like a love slap in the face from mom telling her “Brittany, think for yourself.” Since then, she constantly reminds herself to listen to her own thoughts, mind and intuition for this is richer than any other message from anyone else.

Blessed by these sweet stories of family culture--I love how we are each deeply impressed by the ways of our parents. What would you want to pass on to your children?

Oh! And the menu of course! This week was focused on a variety of countries celebrating the Lunar New Year!

We started with Eric’s “Get Rich Dumplings” (traditionally dumplings represent good luck and prosperity) which were steamed to perfection.

Then we tasted Brittany’s “Vietnamese Pickled Carrot and Beet Kale Salad with Walnuts” (which Anu couldn’t eat because he’s allergic to walnuts--PLEASE TELL ME ABOUT YOUR ALLERGIES PEOPLE) as the refreshing sweet and sour crunch!

We moved onto Lschell’s “Thai Cook Up Rice!” which is originally Guyananian but with a Thai-spiced twist. The melting of the brown rice and beans cooked in coconut milk with a dash of coriander and cumin was decadent.

Finally, we topped off the rice with Anu’s “Malay Buddhist Curry” which was a flavor explosion with bursts of lemongrass, tamarind, chilli and turmeric complementing the rainbow of veggies completed our meal share.

Oh wait, then I had a chance to make my Matcha Green Tea Vegan Cream topped with my Honey Red Bean sauce. It was like that sweet Lunar New Year’s kiss!

Thanks for reading and I hope that you could take something positive from this post! Please feel free to comment, tag and join us one Wednesday. :)

And to a new fantastic fiery monkey year to you!