Chinese new year is a fun time. For one, it's one of those rare time of the year when I'm forced to curse while maneuvering traffic in my little hometown of Batu Pahat, Johor. The whole town is swarmed by cars bearing Wilayah Persekutuan and Singaporean number plates, making the already narrow roads a nightmare to traverse.

New year is also a time when the concept of give and take reaches new heights. Reciprocity is very much a chinese thing; we know jolly well that the giant hamper you send alongside 8 mandarin oranges requires gifts of equal proportion. Also, we're aware that ang-pows from uncles and aunties are actually from papa and mama since they too have to give out red packets to their many nephews and nieces.

For people with skinny physique, new year is the perfect time to beef up. The wide selection of cookies and goodies are bound to make you gain a few pounds. If those sweet pineapple tarts don't do the trick, you get to wash them down with an assortment of sugar-concentrated fizzy drinks.

More importantly, new year is a time when family gets together. We eat, drink and even flout the law together! Those ear-splitting firecrackers are such joy to light up and toss to the ground. My favourite would be the one that's shaped like a primitive rocket and has a name that suggests it could reach the moon with its limited amount of fuel.

To get you into the festive mood, here's an Odds&Ends season's greeting for your viewing pleasure. Key in "guest" when prompted to give the retrieval code. Enjoy (the card as well as the new year)!