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?)
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