Christmas Eve Dinner

This is the second year in a row that my Mum has hosted a Christmas Eve dinner for the extended family. To be precise, part of the extended family this year, as compared to the entire troupe a year ago.

Although it can be a bit stressful in the lead up to such an event as Mum is quite the perfectionist when it comes to her home-cooked meals, the results are always satisfying and the party a success. We decided to have a smaller do this year so that we could have a sit down dinner, a more intimate gathering so to speak. Even then, twelve around our dining table meant we had to be on stools. I don't think anyone minded as the focus was definitely on the food!

It was another Christmas Eve of good cheer, with food and family ties bringing us together in celebration.

Roast Chicken with Stuffing, Seafood Pasta, Bacon and Potato Salad as well as Crabmeat and Garden Salad.

Christmas Eve

We haven't hosted a Christmas Eve party for a number of years now, more than ten years according to my Mum. So she gave notice earlier this year and last Saturday, forty of my extended family gathered at our home for a Christmas Eve supper.

I told Mum not to cook, eventhough she is capable of singlehandedly catering to a party of sixty. Despite her initial resistance to the idea, she caved and agreed to keeping things simple. We ordered nasi lemak from Gerai Kak Ya in SS2; some of my aunts brought keropok, cakes, jelly and rambutans. Simple fare. More importantly, camaraderie among the extended family.

We caught up on the latest news, planned for holidays next year, exchanged gifts, sang carols. We had lots of laughs. We had fun. We enjoyed each other's company.

Photo of Mum and my cousin Honn Ken leading the caroling session.

Saigon On Christmas Eve

To say that it was an experience is an under-statement. I was told beforehand that Christmas Eve in Saigon could get pretty crazy. Well, I suppose the photo says it all!

It was truly a bit overwhelming being crushed in a crowd of Vietnamese and tourists alike. The photo was shot slightly after 9.00pm in the vicinity of Lam Son Park, somewhere between the Caravelle and Rex hotels as we made our way back to our hotel on foot. I had had dinner at Vietnam House on Dong Khoi before heading to the rooftop bar of the Caravelle Hotel and decided to head back as the crowd swelled.

On hindsight, it is ironic that I would get packed like sardines as I don't even bother heading into town for such celebrations when in KL. I suppose this is what holidays are all about - new experiences. Merry Christmas everyone!

Photo of a sea of people at Lam Son Park in Saigon, Vietnam.

Great View In Saigon On Christmas Eve

I was enjoying a hot chocolate on the balcony of the rooftop bar of Caravelle Hotel this Christmas Eve and was mesmerised by the views below.

There were throngs of people converging near the Opera House to celebrate Christmas but I particularly liked this scene of the Hotel Continental Saigon. This photo was taken slightly before 8.30pm and by the time we hit the streets at 9.00pm, we were packed like sardines. That experience I will leave to another post.

Having enjoyed chilling at the Saigon Bar balcony at the Caravelle, I am making it a point to visit the rooftop bars of the Rex Hotel and the Majestic Hotel respectively in the days to come.

Photo of Hotel Continental Saigon, shot from the Saigon Bar balcony, on the rooftop of the Caravelle Hotel in Saigon, Vietnam.

Saigon

I am spending this Christmas in Ho Chi Minh City, or as the locals still affec-tionately call it, Saigon. It is indeed a bustling city, in fact, bustling does not even begin to describe this metropolis in the south of Vietnam.

The first thing one has to learn when in Saigon is how to cross the street. The sheer number of motorcycles as well as a myriad of other vehicles make it a challenge and it is definitely not for the faint hearted. Once such a skill is mastered however, Saigon is pretty easy to navigate, in particular District 1, where most of the pertinent historical and architectural monuments are located as well as shopping, cafes and restaurants. Even a casino, not that I gamble.

Having been in the city only a day and a half, there is lots more to explore and experience, and even much more to sample with regards to food. There is certainly a buzz here in Saigon, and I hear that Christmas Eve will see jam-packed streets in District 1. That's something to look forward to this evening.

Photo of Rex Hotel and the traffic at the intersection in front of the property, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.