Countdown

Countdown to 2010 was a boisterous affair at Elvin and Eve's new house in Mountain House. We had the largest gathering of Singaporeans and a couple of Malaysians since we came to America celebrating both the coming of the new year and the Low's new home. Because newly arrived Hwee Hong and her son, Jun Wei was joined by the man of the family, Anton, who arrived during Christmas for a two-week sojourn with his wife and son, sans daughter who flew to Singapore immediately after finals at NYU. They are the lucky green card lottery winners.

Aside from the usual spread of Singapore food, there were poppers and noise-makers as we joined Ryan Seacrest in San Francisco (on telly, of course) counting down the final seconds to 2010. Then poppers blew out tinsels all over the family room and Daynan started a frantic scooping up and stuffing of the colored paper down his parents' and aunt's backs and all over their hair. I think he missed Nic all night. While the other kids were busy with their computer games and the younger ones were watching Jet Li battled out on the DVD, he was pretty much by himself, in that awkward stage between teen and adult. Until the final seconds of 2009, that is.

There was a lot of the normal laughter and teasing that go on with these gatherings. Even the Low's two small girls are opening up to us. They now snuggle up for hugs and embraces without reserve and the teenagers, Mason, Tedmung and Stella are finally acknowledging our legitimacy by deigning to smile and answer our greetings. It has taken them about 3 years but we are becoming familiar.

The Man was not feeling great all through the evening - he must have caught a chill from the winter rains. Still sniffing around the house and moaning every so often. Still he participated fully in the evening chatter and his bak kut teh was all gone in no time. Complaints of how little he brought, methinks, pleased him.

And the half man has slowly been getting accepted into the circle of the teens. Stella is a bit of a loner and seems to have an air of the diva - cold, aloof and usually looking rather surly. But the half man assures me she has a warm heart and the demeanour is just a put on. She is the one he likes best of the lot because for some reason, they seem to click even if they don't outwardly talk much or seem to even like each other. Strange kids. Mason of course is always with Tedmung and I imagine it cannot be easy for anyone to break into their space, much less an introverted stranger from so far away. And kudos to him for befriending Jun Wei and making him feel comfortable despite being younger by two years.

Only Nic has been able to really get accepted right from the get go. She is more outgoing than her brother and never had any reserve just breaking into a circle and getting responses. Except maybe with Stella but then I don't see Nic bothering with her at all. Interesting teen dynamics. Nic and Stella vs Nic and the boys. Ryan and Stella vs Ryan and the boys.

We don't have as many opportunities to meet with CJ, Tommy and their two boys nor with Sunny, Janet and their two boys. Not much to observe there.

Jeanna, Victor and their two kids were not there. Otherwise it would really have been a very large gathering.

The Lows' house was very well done up. Elvin did a marvellous job painting the entire house and Eve has a good eye for interior decor. I must say I was a little jealous of the space. For less than half the cost of our home, they have more than twice the space, even an in-law quarter that they managed to rent out to a single man who hardly comes back. Five bedrooms, a bonus room, an in-law unit, ... Why is San Ramon so darn expensive?

That was our countdown to the new decade. How was yours?