What it's 2013 already?

I know its usual to write before the year begins or at least at the beginning of the year - but I've decided that I prefer to wait until at least half a month is over. Too many things have been happening anyway. Oh yes, welcome to the year of the SNAKE! What were the predictions for this year? Most Chinese believe that the Snake year is a good year financially so I hope it will be true for me. Or if not good at least better than last year anyway. So what has been happening that I couldn't write earlier ?

Best news of 2013 - I got a brand new Mercedes Benz 200 C class!

Me and my car 

First of all I took in my niece Nur Hanis, a 13 year old. She's my brother's daughter and what I'm trying to do is help my brother financially. I send her to school, buy her her uniforms and some books, send her to and pick her up from school, give her pocket money and all in all treat her like my daughter. It's some work actually, because she's quite far behind in school and needs a lot of personal tuition to make up.The fact that I have to send her to school every day at 6.50am and pick her up at 3 or 4pm daily is no joke. But I already love her - she's a sweet girl and is worth any amount of work on my part.

Then there was also the Haji Tahir Family Day which was organised by my sister Jasmine. It was held at the Umang Umang Chalets, in Lubok China, Malacca. This place is beautiful and really serene and far from the madding crowd. The family day t shirts this time were btight red in colour!  The usual games and competitions were held plus one or two new ones which were the ketupat making competition and Xplorer race. The winners of the annual Treasure Hunt were my nieces Azlin and Annie and the ketupat weaving competition was  won by Intan, with Mami Lela, my second sister a close second.

My sister weaving the ketupat leaves

The younger generation of Hj Tahir family - (if only my father could see them!)

         

Tomorrow I will be seeing my grand daughter Sophia. She is a big girl now - 5 years and already attending school in Singapore. Soon there will be another grand daughter to look forward to - my son and his wife are expecting a baby in May . So far so good 2013!

Sophia celebrating Diwali and wearing a sari!