Every year as Chinese, we celebrate Chinese New Year. The elders (i.e my grandma and other older relatives) really look forward to CNY as a mass family gathering. However, like many youths of my generation, we feel that Chinese New Year has long lost its sparks.
In 2009, I visited Taiwan during the last week of CNY and the mood is definitely different. There are fireworks everywhere n everyone is really spirited abt celebrating CNY. I remember spending the 15th day of CNY shopping at Ximending and the shop owner invited me to release fireworks. What an interesting experience! I told grandma that my cousin n I will take her overseas to celebrate cny but she said we have to stay(during the 1st week) cos its where our relatives are.
CNY in Singapore is lacklustre; there is no live firecrackers, no fireworks and our very memories of CNY here are watching streams of repeated telecast, eating snacks, having steamboat(Usual Singlish response - Wah! Steamboat again... sian) and making visits to various relatives house, whom we see like once a year . There will always be this polite awkwardness where older relatives who cant remember our names try to make conversation with us - " Try the pineapple tarts. Its nice. How old are u all? How's work/ sch? Which Uni? Which Job? Any Girlfriend/ boyfriend? And the concerned ones would offer to dish advise to singles on dating(sighs...)"
Sometimes I imagine CNY could be a lot like Halloween party. (Yeah u can say that I'm too imaginative, unrealistic, crazy, impossible etc). It would be a lot more fun and interesting to dress up in different costumes(Yes... u will have less headache shopping for new year clothes too) and it would be even more fun seeing our elders in costumes (imagine the tall and stern looking 2nd uncle dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow). It will definitely be a great conversation starter and yes, I will not say no to anyone who offers Kueh Lapis in a leopard suit.
Alright, enough said, its back to reality for me cos I'm helping grandma prepare reunion dinner and do my projects and study for the exams after dinner (P.S :why do they like to put exams n assignment deadlines just after CNY?)
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Stereotype
Ok lets admit, some part of us is pretty stereotypical. My classmates and I were at the library and the librarian who was at the counter was pretty unhelpful and to an extent rude to us when we asked her for help to run a directory search of the books we were looking for. I guess the librarian, who is around her 50s, must have had a busy day or a bad day with so many people asking for the same enquiries. However, it did not escape the notice of some guys for they were harping about the librarian's age.
Guy 1: "So rude and unhelpful. Scold us for no reason. Did u notice how old she looks? "
Guy 2 : " Should at least be in her 50s."
Guy 3 : "Ai yah old auntie, no wonder lah... At this age, she confirm menopausing that why so rude and irritable!"
I told the guys to be more understanding and just look for the books ourselves but the third guy went on and on about the menopause theory. Geesh!
As for me, whenever I work part-time at night, at the helpdesk during my holidays, there will always be this HR person who goes "Yo!!Yo!!! Geeks are cool! Yeah!!"and wanting to high five whenever he sees me along the corridor or at my workstation. After some time it got quite irritating and I told him to stop. Apparently, this HR guy thinks that techie ppl are all geeks. Well, we can be very involved with what we are doing at work but we have our personal lives out of technology.
And how many of us do not feel guilty when chatting with fellow school mates from FASS and half thinking he/she must have poor A levels results and thus being dumped in FASS.
I am often too asked by people who asked me why I choose SoC and have been reminded countless of times during my poly life, working life and uni life that technology field is doomed and that I will be in the front line of unemployment and retrenchment when I finish my degree or that I should not take up honours cos I will be wasting another year of my life. Many assume that I too, have been dumped into SOC due to poor A level results (Naw, I did not take A levels but as a Techie poly entrant, I wasn't given much choice either). Anyway, I'm interested in technology and that's why I'm in this field =)
Or how some ppl recoil about working and living amongst foreigners and recoil even further when I picked going to Chennai for internship program during my poly days. Yes, it can get rowdy there but it was one of the most beautiful place I have ever been to and the people are really nice and after being there, I become more appreciative and understanding about their culture and working style.
I guess with a bit of open heart and being more accepting and understanding, one will be alot less bitter and can truly see the beauty of things around us.
Guy 1: "So rude and unhelpful. Scold us for no reason. Did u notice how old she looks? "
Guy 2 : " Should at least be in her 50s."
Guy 3 : "Ai yah old auntie, no wonder lah... At this age, she confirm menopausing that why so rude and irritable!"
I told the guys to be more understanding and just look for the books ourselves but the third guy went on and on about the menopause theory. Geesh!
As for me, whenever I work part-time at night, at the helpdesk during my holidays, there will always be this HR person who goes "Yo!!Yo!!! Geeks are cool! Yeah!!"and wanting to high five whenever he sees me along the corridor or at my workstation. After some time it got quite irritating and I told him to stop. Apparently, this HR guy thinks that techie ppl are all geeks. Well, we can be very involved with what we are doing at work but we have our personal lives out of technology.
And how many of us do not feel guilty when chatting with fellow school mates from FASS and half thinking he/she must have poor A levels results and thus being dumped in FASS.
I am often too asked by people who asked me why I choose SoC and have been reminded countless of times during my poly life, working life and uni life that technology field is doomed and that I will be in the front line of unemployment and retrenchment when I finish my degree or that I should not take up honours cos I will be wasting another year of my life. Many assume that I too, have been dumped into SOC due to poor A level results (Naw, I did not take A levels but as a Techie poly entrant, I wasn't given much choice either). Anyway, I'm interested in technology and that's why I'm in this field =)
Or how some ppl recoil about working and living amongst foreigners and recoil even further when I picked going to Chennai for internship program during my poly days. Yes, it can get rowdy there but it was one of the most beautiful place I have ever been to and the people are really nice and after being there, I become more appreciative and understanding about their culture and working style.
I guess with a bit of open heart and being more accepting and understanding, one will be alot less bitter and can truly see the beauty of things around us.
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