Now that all the major seasonal festivities are over, all the celebrations, baking, cooking, and entertainment are behind us.

After Christmas, we kept and stored the Christmas tree and decorations; now it is after Chap Goh Meh, and it is time to keep all the Chinese New Year decorations and finish all the Chinese New Year cookies. All the long-distance well wishes and catching up have also ceased… and everyone is back to their own routines and everyday busyness.

I remember when I attended my grandmother’s 100th birthday those many years ago in Penang. We had over a hundred guests from all over the world attending her grand 100th birthday.  We had a great time connecting and catching up with each other, and my grandmother spent many hours reminiscing over the good old times with shared memories and experiences with her close relatives who she had not seen for many years.

My grandmother was very happy meeting up again with her long “lost” relatives far and near.  But after the celebrations, everyone went back to their normal routines and their day-to-day busyness.

After my grandmother’s birthday celebrations and before bidding her guests goodbye, she held their hands and said “please let’s visit each other often. Don’t wait until another big occasion before we talk to and see each other again!”.

How true is that?

Your loved ones won’t wait for you… They won’t wait for you until you HAVE the time, because you will never will until you consciously MAKE the time.

What I am trying to say is this: don’t wait until that special occasion before we start cooking that special dish that you only cook once a year.  For example, if you enjoy a special childhood dish that you love, just cook it or order it.

If you are not sure about how to go about it, give your family a call and ask them about this dish, how it was cooked and the way they prepared this particular food. What would be a suitable substitute for a certain ingredient if you can’t find it in our adopted country?

When you have the chance to prepare your favourite childhood dish, share it with your friends and family.  Share with them the stories behind this favourite dish of yours: who was the one who introduced you to this dish, where did you purchase those ingredients from…and so on.

This is such an amazing way to connect with your loved ones far and near, no matter where they are in the world. And most of all, you don’t have to wait until that major event or big celebration before calling and connecting with your family.

With technology today, we are just from connecting with each other!