lo hei/yu sheng @ admiralty primary on 4 feb

on the seventh day of the first lunar month, also known as 'ren-ri' (man’s birthday), a popular dish 'yu sheng'– a prosperity tossed salad platter is usually eaten.

yu sheng is loaded with symbolic meaning; the raw ingredients and fish signify the renewal of life and prosperity. the interesting part of eating yu sheng is the mixing of the ingredients together, and to ensure good luck for the coming year, everyone will call out 'lo hei!' which means 'to mix it up' and toss the ingredients as high in the air as they can.

yu sheng is actually a singapore creation. the original yu sheng used raw parang fish slices or ikan kurau as the main ingredient. today, in order to cater to jaded tastebuds, chefs have come up with all kinds of seafood to replace the white fish. so now, you'll find salmon, abalone and even kobe beef as the centrepiece.

at the end of the meet parents' day, we made our way to the library where 10 tables had been laid out, all ready for the luck enhancing 'lo hei'. the office staff were making all the necessary preparations while we were attending to the parents.

bernice, the swc chairperson, could hardly get her instructions across to all those gathered as everyone seemed to be a few steps ahead of her. she was trying to get them to follow the steps in the ritual.