Family Reunions

It's great to be part of a large family. When we were growing up there were lots of squabbles and tears and fights but now that we are all adults, there is a lot to be said for being part of a large family.

Large families are no longer the norm. Nowadays the family is usually a 2 or 3-child family. Some have only one child, citing that it is very expensive to bring up and to educate a child, especially if you want the child to have the best of everything.

But what a loss there is, to the only child. Not only will he miss having a sibling to share or squabble with...... think of the useful experiences that will serve him in good stead later on. The bond between siblings is like no other.

True, when you are young, you fight and hate each other but in the end, blood is thicker than water and somehow the closeness is always there.

I'm very lucky to have come from a large family of ten siblings, three boys and seven girls, me being the oldest. The youngest in our family is a boy, well, boy no longer but a very personable man in his prime, with a family of his own, a lovely daughter and a smart son, both of whom are now working in Down Under. All of us have come a long way and despite having lost two sisters to cancer, the ties and bonds are still very strong.

Whenever I'm back in Kuala Lumpur, the family seat, there is always a reunion of sorts. My youngest brother is usually the host and he gets everyone to meet for dinner. The last dinner was a few nights ago in Bangsar Village and the dishes he ordered were very tasty indeed although very pricey.

There were twelve of us, siblings and spouses with two teenaged children and my adult daughter. We dug into the dishes with gusto and by the end of the evening, we were replete with full stomachs. Here are some pictures of what we ate. I really liked the roasted pork- the two types, pork fillet (char siew) and the belly pork (siew yuk) with very crispy skin. The steamed garoupa was fresh but nothing out of the ordinary. The taufoo was nicely done topped with minced pork and salted radish ( choi po ). The hokkien mee, touted as the best, to me was just on par with those that I've eaten at other outlets. The chili could be improved as it was too dry, the belacan ( shrimp paste with pounded chili ) aroma wasn't there.

The other dishes were the

usual vegetables that can be

found anywhere.

The best part of the evening was the meeting up with my siblings and catching up......who's going where, when and further plans for the next catch-up session.

I made a date with my younger sister and her two girls for a special breakfast recommended by my son who had insisted that I check it out. He found it special and very tasty so that is something to look forward to, since my nieces are very busy and we hardly have time for a good natter. Sunday breakfast will do nicely indeed.