CNY

I finally realise what a class blog is really for, not for the class to act like they are very close or whatnot but for each and every member to treat this blog as though it were your own blog. So I shall start off by blogging about CNY.

CNY eve started off pretty sucky, since my whole family had to start some decent spring cleaning before dinner. So while other (normal) families would probably start preparing early for the reunion dinner or hang up decorations at a leisurely pace or add the finishing touches to a decorated home my family was instead working their @$es off trying to clean off 1 year's worth of dust. Hence the reunion steamboat started at 8 pm and lasted till 1130 pm when I was the last man standing, finishing off every single piece of food in the hotpot. Lesson learnt: never drink any gassy drinks if you are the dustbin of the family. If you are on a diet then drink as much gassy drinks as possible. It'll bloat you up instantly. No need to spend hundreds of dollars to staple your stomach when a $1 can of soft drink will do the trick =p

Then the next day house visiting started. So it was down to the usual cycle of exchanging oranges, receiving hongbaos and making yourselves busy for the next 2 or so hours while your parents do 1 year's worth of catching up. While my father's side were doing relatively ok, with their grown up children making headroads in the military or getting to jet around the world and sending pictures and videos back for mementos, my mother's side was a totally different story.

It is particularly painful to see your uncle and aunts change drastically for the worse over this past year. My uncle, still a rather successful fruit seller, has been reduced to limping around the flat and hanging on for dear life to objects for support. He can't stand up for long. Simple chores like walking become a constant pain. My second aunt is gradually becoming more and more frail. When she walks the family fears for her safety. Her hands shake if she raises them, and her speech is becoming more and more slurred. My third aunt lost a lot of weight, not for the better, after being hospitalised. Other than that the whole family is pretty ok, with kids growing up, and teenagers becoming full-fledged adults.

While they haven't really been considered "close family" they still are family after all. And I do wonder what would happen next year when we catch up again. Will it hurt more to see them suffer? Or perhaps they may take a turn for the better? Who knows? While this may sound very very corny, treasure your family and don't take them for granted. Now I really realise the significance of those words. After CNY we all part and get on with our own seperate lives, choosing to mingle with our own social circle and having our own social lives, losing touch with extended family.

And when we meet up again it's the next new year (The year of the rat, FYI)

Perhaps the significance of the new year has changed over the years as I grow up and relatives make comments like "Wah! so tall!" or something like that. From CNY being a hongbao collecting session, to endurance challenges to endure extreme boredom for hours on end, probably from now on it will be something to be cherished. Yes, I know a glimpse a year doesn't sound like much but it is reassuring to see that they are well. Perhaps next time when my mom wants to drag me to my relative's house I will TRY to make it instead of coming up with excuses.

Anyway, I hope the rest of you have had an enjoyable new year munching on goodies and showing off your new clothes. This would probably be our last long break before the marathon sprint to the finish line known as the A levels.

新年快乐

erjian came, saw, blogged