Chinese New Year, alias Imlek, is the moment when our families gather, even those who live in other cities or countries. We salute “Gong Xi, Gong Xi”, then the married ones give hong bao to the singles, regardless of age. My late grandmother usually cooked her signature Imlek cuisine, tito alias pork intestine soup.
This year celebration is different though. Due to the pandemic, our families held no gathering. Therefore our family decided to just have a small Imlek dinner: my mother, me, my sister and her boyfriend.
I had not visited my family in Bandung for 4+ months due to the pandemic, worried that I could carry the COVID virus without knowing it. This brief stay was a relief for me.
We cooked hotpot. It was super delicious though only using instant ingredients. We put beef, prawn, vegetables, and of course mushrooms. Enoki mushroom is my favorite. We close the dinner with cheese cake brought by my sister’s boyfriend.
Since I am single, I still got hong bao from my mother. Hahaha..
Gong Xi Fa Cai all! Hopefully we can gather again next year after the pandemic ends.
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