Lessons learned this Chinese New Year

Ikea is open throughout the holidays, so that those who don't celebrate the New Year have somewhere to go shop, and those who do have somewhere to go spend all their newly-acquired ang pow (red packet) money.

I went because I realised that I had invited seven friends over but only owned five drinking glasses. Also, I needed a lamp. And a throw for the couch. And one more wastepaper bin for the study.

Giant supermarket is open on the second day of the New Year, but not much else is at Parkway Parade. Which was good enough for me to get some strawberries and apples to create my Chinese New Year-coloured fruit platter.


Hosting four guests (the other three couldn't make it) is just nice at my place because everyone can sit around the dining table. I'll have to experiment with seating arrangements if I have more than four people show up.

It really isn't that far for me to walk to Parkway Parade (I've been taking the bus), with a few friends for company.