A YEAR OLDER

When my late mother, Mrs Julie Cheah, was alive she'd insist that I eat one tang yuan (glutinous rice ball) during the winter solstice festival. Apparently eating this sweet desert is also a reminder that celebrators are now a year older and should behave better in the coming year. Even today, many Chinese around the world, especially the elderly, still insist that one is "a year older" right after the Dongzhi celebration instead of waiting for the lunar new year.
Well, in memory of my mum I made myself swallow one BIG tang yuan.