I don’t often win at anything. Although I’m totally kiasu, by nature that means I never lose, but I don’t ever really win either. Don’t get confused now, the situations I engage in often involve more than two people. So there’s a winner, there’s a loser and then there’s me. And except for that one time, when the universe had a momentary lapse in concentration, I never win at anything.

But you know what I would totally 100% kick butt at? If there was like, a competition on who has the most first cousins in the world. Please, somebody, run that competition.

To give you a bit of background, my dad is one of 14 children and my mum is one of 11. For us first-world-bred Generation X’er (Gen Y’ers probably aren’t even thinking about kids, they’re too busy conquering Angry Birds right now), we don’t even understand the concept of “more than two kids”. I mean, why? One girl one boy and we’re done, right? Why on earth would you have more than ten children? I don’t really know the answer to that question, but maybe you can go ask my fourth aunty on my dad’s side, who single-handedly birthed I think 15 children or something.

Loco. (but holy cow, impressive)

So given that there are a billion children in my dad’s family and another billion in my mum’s, and then they all had a billion offspring, you can only guess how many first cousins I have. Go on, give it a shot.

20? More.

50?? Pfft, way more, pardner.

What?! 80? Keep going.

Can’t be more than a 100, surely? Sure it can.

Done guessing? Ok sit down y’all. I have… 110 first cousins. For realz.

And no, I don’t know them all, are you insane? I have cousins who range in age from under-10 through to older-than-my-dad. Most of them I’ve never met, most of them I’ll never meet, some of them aren’t even around any more. And in reality, I only really know a fraction of my cousins, maybe about 20 of them… like a normal person would.

Anyway now that I’ve gone on and on and on (because come on, if you could win at something, you’d totally talk about it too), I should probably get to the point. So, some of my cousins are in Sydney and last Saturday night, one of them hosted a steam boat dinner which I looooove, especially in the depths of winter, even Sydney’s not-so-cold winter.

He got all the usual good stuff; fish balls…

seafood…

veg…

and there were even freshly made dumplings by a non-cousin but after having those dumplings? She can totally be my cousin.

We even had pulut hitam (black sticky rice) for dessert. In a cup. Because we were all out of bowls.

So although I often consider my friends as my family (because despite having so many cousins, I didn’t grow up with a lot of them – I’ve really grown up with my friends) I do appreciate having real family around, to know that they are there and irrevocably linked to me by blood, which means they’re probably all a little weird and crazy like me! πŸ˜€

18 Thoughts on “steamboat with my 110 cousins. ok not really all of them.

  1. pulut hitam!!! jealous! i like making smilie faces with the coconut milk

  2. What is it with us Chinese? Even though I am largely crap at being Chinese, the spirit of kiasu (paah-shu in Canto) is strong in me. My first reaction on hearing about your 110 first cousins was to start counting my own cousins. But I quickly gave up. Why did I even begin? I didn’t even get up to 20, but I’d be damned if I was going to lose! I blame China’s one child policy!

    PS: My Grandad had four wives – can you beat that, Catty? Can you?

  3. I was flabbergasted to hear you had so many cousins! Puts me to shame when I can’t even recall if I have 10 or 12 first cousins… Anyway, steam boat is still lots of fun, with cousins or without πŸ˜‰

  4. Wow I thought I had a lot of first cousins! My Mum is one of nine kids and my Dad was one of four and, embarrassingly, I can never remember how many first cousins I have but it’s around 30 which is enough to surprise most people!

  5. I have approx 60 cousins and i still lose! blah

  6. chocolatesiuze: i looooves pulut hitam! but i’m not creative enough to make smilies πŸ™‚

    Mr Noodles: haha you’re so kiasu you gotta win at something right?? Ok ok fine, my grand dad didn’t have four wives πŸ˜› You win!!

    Maria: Definitely, steam boat would be fun with strangers!

    Gemma & Ying: Haha yeah, see it’s the only thing I can win at! πŸ˜‰

  7. oh my!! you have that many cousins! it’s always awesome to have steamboat with big group of people. yum!

  8. Haha I remember when you told me how many cousins you had. I couldn’t believe it! πŸ˜›

  9. Maylin on August 24, 2011 at 11:11 pm said:

    Mr Noodle, our great grandfather had 3 wives (I think) oh uhmmmm… we still lose. damnit. (posted by one of the 110 cousins)
    p.s yummy looking steamboat. just like we used to have in Bukit Kecil!

  10. Oh. My. God. So many cousins! You would really need to have a Secret Santa plan on Christmas Day – there would be no buying of presents for all those people…

  11. Melissa: I know, it’s totally a group activity πŸ™‚

    Lorraine: Believe it!

    Maylin: Hello, one of my 110 cousins! πŸ˜€

    Greedy Diva: Hahaha well thank goodness I don’t spend Christmas with them all hehe.

  12. Haha too cute. That is a crazy amount. I prob have less than 10 – damn anglo families πŸ˜‰ lol! Those dumplings would totally make her family

  13. 110 first cousins! That’s amazing *hands over gold medal for most first cousins competition*. I’m actually kind of jealous of your super-huge family. Though you don’t know them all surely you are still able to hit up the ones who live overseas for free accom? (I’m so selfish he he).

  14. 110! Good god. I’m back for a bit before I dive back into study hell and catching up on your posts ^_^

  15. We didn’t grow up with any of our cousins, as my ma, pa and sister and I were the only ones of the families in the UK. Most were in India with a small scattering in Florida.

    I thought I had a lot, with 17 I think, I should recount probably… my parents both have 4 siblings which seemed a big family.

    14 is pretty huge!

    I too grew up with friends, but we did go to India and Florida regularly so I did have close relationships with the cousins, but never got to grow up together…

  16. 110 cousins…What fresh hell is this? :0)

  17. Nic: haha and I say damn Chinese families! So many cousins I can’t keep track of them all! πŸ™‚

    Keely: LOL yes that’s the one plus of having family scattered everywhere!

    Sasa: I miss you! Are you with Flo now??? God we need to catch up SO BAD… we’re in the same timezone now, no excuses! πŸ˜‰

    Kavey: 14 is crazy huh? 7 girls, 7 boys. Lucky split!

    Linda: LOL, a new kinda hell, honey πŸ˜‰

  18. You have 110 cousins?! That is SO impressive, in this day and age. I have like… not more than 30 I’d say. Pales in comparison to you! πŸ˜›

    Your steamboat pics remind me of home! I’ve been such a softie lately, been missing home and such keep on making food from home as a compromise.

Leave a Reply to Su-yin Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Post Navigation