Pineapples, Papercuts and Prosperity

Since I found the coffeeshop a little lacklustre and sombre for the boisterous new year, I decided to liven up the place. Conscripting my cousin Lispy Lori's help, we raided the few stores still left open to tszuj up the place. Filled up our bags with enough decorations paint the town red - and then some.

Which actually means only a paltry half compared to what I spent in Miri.

But my austere grandmother specifically requested that I keep my fabulousity to a minimum. Especially since she finds such grandiose bling bling decorations shockingly offensive. Possibly remnants of her more frugal immigrant days in the past.


Painting couplets at the door!
Unlike her profligate descendants. Lori and I disregarded her advice somewhat while purchasing pineapples, papercuts and prosperity couplets by the dozen. Probably went overboard just a little and only came to a stop when we realized in our enthusiasm that we almost bought a red lantern large enough to fit an entire coffee table in.

Had one of my other cousins drag my granny out while we redecorated the coffeeshop with papercuts and lanterns.

Grandmother : Good gracious. What have you done?
Paul : Added a little fabulousity.
Grandmother : Fortunately I have cataracts! Otherwise I might have been blinded by all that red and gold. And what are those giant pineapples doing here?
Paul : Ushering in wealth and prosperity?
Grandmother : We don't need that much wealth. Our family aspires to be scholarly!
Paul : Good gracious!

Talk about an unexpected response. Coming from the old-school way of thinking where boundless scholarship matters more than endless taels of gold, my grandmother finds herself embarassed by such an ostentatious display of material wealth ( or a desperate wish for wealth! ).

Wonder what she would think of the two five-feet pineapples at my house!