The Year of the Monkey was drawing to a close when I touched down on Malaysian soil for the first time 38 years ago. The day of my arrival also coincided with the eve of Chinese New Year, so I was immediately taken to my future in-laws’ house to join in the customary reunion dinner.
That Chinese New Year was a crash course in the traditions and customs of the festive season. In retrospect, I should have paid more attention to what was going on around me and less to the amazing food that my fiance’s family had cooked, because two years later this foreign devil returned as a fledgling daughter-in-law.