Fathiyah Diyana is a happy girl today because she enjoyed her weekends when she did two things she would never have thought she would do. Firstly, she went to watch Chingay with her friend, Chua Jia Ni, on Saturday. Secondly, she went Chinese New Year house visiting with her ODAC batchmates on Sunday. She felt that it was a very enriching experience as she could experience the Chinese culture and learn more about it.
For instance, she understood why the Chinese “give” oranges to the hosts when visiting. She thought that when people go visiting, they’ll give the hosts the oranges but it turned out that the hosts will actually “return” the oranges back to the people who gave them. Interesting.. She also learned about the tossing of the yu sheng – that there’s an order that you should add the ingredients, that there are things you say out when you add specific ingredients and such.
Okay, enough of the third person story. I have finally experienced the festivals of the three main racial groups in Singapore – my own Malay Hari Raya celebrations, Uma’s Deepavali celebrations and the 25th’s CNY house-visiting. I feel so Singapore-ish. It’s really interesting to learn and understand the cultures of the people around you. Great experience.
Saturday – Chingay.
Met JN at Serangoon MRT where we went down to Marina Square to walk around a little before proceeding for dinner. I found a wallet from The Wallet Shop that I want to buy! I’m so in love with the Ozozo series, so pretty. I hope that the wallet, or rather a purse, that I want will still be there when I go back to buy it one day. Haha, if I go.
Dinner at Swensons. We both ate a clam chowder eat and shared a prawn & mango salad but poor JN had to eat all the prawns ’cause I don’t eat prawns. I DON’T CARE JIANI, YOU ARE GETTING BACK YOUR FIFTEEN DOLLARS! Haha, it was really sweet of her to give me a treat (‘Cause according to her mum, it’s Chinese New Year so must treat. I don’t quite see the link though.).
Went to find our seats. Our seat was quite nice, not to high nor too low. Got a nice view of the parade. I really really think I saw Audrey during the pre-parade performances. Audrey from VJ Wushu. Shall ask her if I bump into her one day. The pre and parade itself were so damn pretty! The floats were really nice and the performances were spectacular. Especially the dragon and fire performance from the China Chongqing group. Melted iron! WOAH! And we saw Cedar Guides!! I heard that they were going to volunteer for Chingay. All along I thought that they were going to volunteer as those motivators or ushers but I didn’t know they were going to “perform”! And we (think) saw Mdm Faridah!! Ahh got us so excited to see familiar faces!
Thanks JN for inviting me along to watch the Chingay parade! =) And for sending me home too!! And for the treat!! 
Sunday – CNY House-visiting.
Met the rest at Kovan MRT Station where we waited for some 40mins or so for some of us to come. Only reached her house at 11am when we planned to meet at Kovan MRT at 10am. Second time going her house. The first time was with Yirong to do the Guides Heritage badge. Snacked, went up to her room, camwhored, came down and snacked, went back up to ransack her wardrobe, came down to take a group shot and off we were to YY’s house.
At YY’s house some of them played mahjong while the rest played blackjack. I would have played blackjack if they hadn’t played with money because I don’t gamble. But it was fun watching them play nonetheless. I had wanted to learn how to play mahjong but it was so complicating, I couldn’t understand. Shall leave it to some other day to learn and to some pro to teach me. Ate gummies =) Took a group shot and made our way to WI’s house.
At WI’s house we just sat around and talked. LF taught us how to play Texas Hold’em but I didn’t play ’cause there were too many people and it was getting rowdy. Sat around and munched on nuts and dried mangoes (I like) before moving on the QA’s house for lunch.
My shoes broke!! :O The soles came off but were still attached to the shoes. LH offered to lend me her shoes but I didn’t want ’cause my feet has allergic reaction and it will be disgusting for me to wear her shoes. Yeah so I beared with the spoilt shoes!
Lunch at QA’s house. Don’t ask why we went to a Malay’s house on Chinese New Year haha. His mum cooked spaghetti and nasi lemak for us! At the spaghetti but not the nasi lemak ’cause I didn’t feel like using my hands to eat the chicken. Didn’t stay long ’cause Ms Ng called us to go to her house. I think she needed to leave so she wanted us to come so that she could go.
Ms Ng’s house = Victoria Hall. First time stepping into the hostel (excluding the time I went to the canteen with Katharine and Ann-marie). It was so cool! As in having an apartment in a hostel. Ms Teoh, her fiance and Ms Fisher was there too. We tossed the thing (I can’t remember what it’s called), made a mess in her living room, camwhored, played with her doll, camwhored, camwhored again and left for TB’s house.
We bypassed SH’s house as it was already too late to go there. TB’s parents catered food for us! So nice of them!! =) We tossed the thing again and had catered dinner. Wanted to play Blackjack but left after a few rounds ’cause I didn’t want to stay too late. 45-ed home with BW! Planned on having an early night but it’s already 1127pm and I haven’t even ironed my uniform, packed my bag and treat my allergy!
Argh I should really start doing what I was supposed to since the moment I got home.
