Open Houses Malaysian Style

If you are a Malaysian, most probably you have been to an open house before. Open houses are very much a Malaysian tradition. We organize open houses to celebrate the various festive occasions like Hari Raya Aidil Fitri (Eid Mubarak), Chinese New Year, Deepavali and Christmas. As usual, there would be lots of foods and lots of socializing. Malaysians have been holding open houses for many, many years and have attracted overseas attention. Tourists, expatriates and foreigners who have the chance to attend these open houses often express their delight and appreciation over this concept.
This Chinese New Year period is no exception to my wife, my daughter and I. On the first day, I visited my primary school mate in Bukit Travers, Kuala Lumpur. I had been going to his house for Chinese New Year since 1973 and had returned almost every year. His name is Leong Kok Wah, a sales manager, with two active boys. His open house was well patronized.
Yesterday, my family and I visited a friend in Bukit Bandaraya, Bangsar in Kuala Lumpur also. What makes his open house special is that every year all friends and acquaintances, especially Chinese, will gather to celebrate Chinese New Year, catch up with the latest news and gamble a bit. Although the gambling is for fun, many join in the session to try out their luck. Me? No, thank you. My pal's name is Chan Vy Sing and he is a lawyer, operating a practice in Jalan Yap Kwan Seng, Kuala Lumpur. We had been classmates at Victoria Institution. More than a dozen common friends attended.
Long live open houses!