Kuih Kapit Tradition

Keeping traditions alive requires some effort but the time spent doing so is very much worth it. Every year, my cousins, aunts and uncles get together to make kuih kapit, with the fruits of their labour being distributed to each family within the extended family.

 

I had been 'missing in action' for the past few years but made a return this time around. The camaraderie and chit-chat throughout make the heat and humidity bearable. Most importantly though are the memories that we will carry with us after all the hard work is done.

 

This year is extra special as cousins from Singapore and Melbourne made their way back to this get together. We look forward to congregating again come Chinese New Year proper.

 

 

Cousins kuih-kapiting in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.

Australia Day

When you've lived in a country for a number of years, you have ties. Emotional and physical ties. I lived in Australia, Adelaide to be precise, for four years - one year of boarding school and three years at uni. After all these years, I still feel a bond. I have school friends whom I have reconnected with via Facebook. I have cousins in Adelaide and Melbourne, relatives in Sydney, good friends in Brisbane. Some clients even. To all of you, 'Happy Australia Day'!

I still remember taking my first Qantas flight to Adelaide (their ads are really engaging), my first tour of the city. I have fond memories of my year at Immanuel College. I have made some lifelong friends while at the Flinders University of South Australia.

I haven't visited in more than a decade but images of the Barossa Valley, Kangaroo Island and the like often come to mind. Once the Ringgit appreciates against the Australian Dollar, I'd very much like to head to Queensland or Western Australia for a holiday. There is still much to see and discover. And am happy I caught this on YouTube a couple of days back.

Photo of Year 12 boarding students at Immanuel College, Adelaide, Australia, courtesy of Thomas Brown.