AT her first Chinese New Year (CNY) celebrations here in Singapore, Iwona Piorko was introduced to yu sheng. It was, however, in the midst of the pandemic in 2022, and the communal tossing of the customary dish for prosperity could not be accompanied by the usual boisterous shouts of auspicious phrases. Instead, a taped recording did the job.

“Now, of course, we can do lo hei more naturally,” laughs the European Union (EU) ambassador to Singapore, using the Cantonese term for “tossing up”. “The higher, the better!”

Having taken up her post here in September 2021, the effervescent Piorko will be celebrating her third CNY this weekend. For her, the festivities represent one of the things that fascinates her most about Singapore.