Tuesday 24th JAN 06 12:10am
CHINESE NEW YEAR
The Chinese Lunar New Year is fast approaching us. In less then a week, the chinese will be celebrating this festive event. Who can forget the Nian Gao (some kind of cake), The Candies set in those plastic containers shaped like the Ba Qua (8 Pentagrams), The black melon seeds, the Mandarin Oranges or "Kan", there is also the Bak Kua (Roasted Pork). Most Importantly, It's also a time for teenagers to get "rich" with the Ang-Baos (Red Packets, Usually filled with money. Why do i say Usually? Well, i have personally seen Lottery Tickets, books and even meal vouchers in place of cash) i mean, come on. really. Even if it's a mere two dollars, it's STILL more practical then giving lottery tickets or vouchers. Teens are not even OLD enough to claim the prizes if they won the money from the ticket. Worse still, by giving a kid a lottery ticket or voucher that he/she may never even use, it's like indirectly telling them "Hey Kid, i would RATHER spend my money to buy vouchers to give you RATHER then give you my money for YOU to spend." Now you tell me. Where is the spirit of giving in this case. But then again, what amount any person gets is really based on his/her luck ain't it? Way back when i was staying with my mom, the Ang-Bao given by the old man himself is a big fat ONE THOUSAND dollars. And he dosen't even Bother to make the packet look fat. Just one new crisp one thousand dollar note. Yes..... Don't you just WISH you could go visit him? LOL.
Anyway, what does one like about CNY? Do you like the food? the fact that the whole family is gathered around? or, more practically, the ANG-BAO collecting? You answer that for yourself. Last year i lost my first aunt, or, "Da Gu Ma" as we address her. She passed away after an unsuccessful battle with Breast Cancer. When a loved one passes away, is the atmosphere the same for the new new year? for that matter, ANY other new year? We often take things that comes naturally to us for granted.
I admit, i do that too. I am only human you know. But that's just it right? we are Human. We WILL expire one day. And when we DO expire, can we bring money along with us? No, my friends. We CAN'T
But people that we love and that loves us will feel the pain. They will feel the loss, Just like you will, when a person YOU love leaves for good. So, if it's just ONCE a year that you see your whole family together, is that NOT the best Ang-Bao a person can ever recieve?
Of course, this is only true for people who have a relatively intact family. What happens if there is no happiness in the family to begin with? A family where the parents are constantly at war, or the child feels that he/she is not treated like a son/daughter, rather, like an object, a commodity, an investment. Things like, "Study hard, next time get good job then can have good pay and good life." Then they will add stuff like "Why you so useless? our next door neighbour's son got scholarship!! now the parents are living a life of luxury! why can't you be just half of their son??!!!" The child will wonder "who am i? am i not their own flesh and blood? why take me to compare with others?"Would ANY new year hold ANY meaning for the child?
I say so much. Would I be a good father in the future? I don't know. I certianly HOPE so, But i really do not know. I fear that i may bring up my child wrongly, and that he/she will hate me for the rest of his/her life. That IS my fear.
Maybe i should start practising NOW.
Anyone wanna be my god-son? Then you give me points and see if i fail or pass. And Maybe, Just maybe, You will also learn something from this too. That is, how to be a good child. Perhaps then, after this experiment, you MAY just think differently about your OWN parents?
LOL. Guess not. Stupid idea. Who would be so WuLiao and do something like this. But in the off chance that you would LIKE to try out the experiment, even if it IS for the kick of it, Just put your nick and tag on my tag board. Just make sure that although you MAY be "unknown" to other readers, at least I should know who you are.
Happy Chinese New Year my friends. Red packets take MUCH MUCH. Then treat me to lunch/dinner LOL
To ALL my other races friends, Happy Holidays.
EarlGrey
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