With Chinese New Year (in Singapore) just a few days away, it’s pertinent to recall how CNY (Chinese New Year) was celebrated in yesteryear. One of my most unforgettable memories of CNY in my kampung (village) was the ritual of gambling. Youngsters, armed with their ang pow money (money given in little red envelopes by their parents and elders), would gamble excitedly and noisily, and if they won they’d be delirious with joy. The most popular games were “three pictures” and and “21” or black jack. Every kampung boy was caught up in this gambling fever, and I was no exception. Every CNY boys like us baby boomers looked forward to these gambling sessions.
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I also remember our family played cards from dusk till dawn. Lunch is curry chicken with french loaves as dip. Of course the roasted peanuts, watermelon seeds with colouring so fancy that little boys and girls look like Chinese wayang characters when the lips are damp and crimson.
Then there’s the ‘Nian Kow’ that shuts up the mouth of the Kitchen God. Casino indeed with dollars notes and coins. Wah!
But I baba so not much of these things. Kung Hee, Hee Hee!