Coffee, anyone?
Friday, February 23, 2007
Back to realityA week ago I was so eager to go home for Chinese New Year, and now I'm back in Cyberjaya, exhausted and depressed.
I sometimes feel that Chinese New Year has become so different that sometimes I almost wish that I don't have to celebrate it at all.
Some 10 to 15 years ago Chinese New Year was a highly anticipated festival, and those CNY songs would fill our ears everywhere we go, one to two months prior to CNY. Back then we used to enjoy listening to those songs, because it signifies the coming of a lot of joy and fun and laughter.
Back when grandma was still around, on new year's eve, my family would clean up our shop and rearrange the display racks and shelves in the shop in order to fit 2 to 3 tables in the shop, where the whole family would sit down together and dine, and also celebrate grandma's birthday. Mom and the other aunts would cook and bring the food to the shop for everyone to eat. Back then children used to run around and laugh and shout. We play with firecrackers, too, if available. After dinner, all the adults would start to distribute their angpows to children and unmarried youths. Things were much simpler back then, and love was in the air.
As mom's from Nilai, my family usually goes to Nilai on the first day of CNY. Back then dad usually drives down to KL where we'd stop by my aunt's house for a visit and lunch, after which we leave for Nilai, my grandma's house. There we were greeted by my uncle, aunt and grandma. Of course exchange of angpows also occur, and we as children were always the happiest people around.
Usually, on the next day, everyone in mom's family would come to gather at grandma's house, bringing lots and lots of gifts to exchange with one another. Home cooked food would also be prepared and we'd dine together in peace and harmony. Everyone's happy, especially the adults who would start gambling right after their meals. Since they only do it once a year, no one would ever object to their gambling, save for a few exceptions who either had no heart or no brains. So things would go this way for one whole week, and we'd go out to do some shopping together, or visit one another's house. Trust me, back then there was so much happiness and love around that you could almost taste it in the air.
Nowadays, Chinese New Year has become cold and quiet. CNY songs are no longer as nice as they were all those years ago. I especially hate those CNY songs that are actually popular hit songs like Numa Numa and Las Ketchup with their lyrics changed to Chinese. Even those old fashioned CNY songs were seldom heard on the streets and in malls.
On new year's eve, we'd dine at a Thai food restaurant somewhere in the middle of a jungle. Family members sit in cliques of their own, and some don't even show up. Young boys would now be holding their gameboys and PSPs and whatnots, busy trying to kill aliens and monsters, whereas young girls would be busy typing smses to their friends or boyfriends. When dishes are served, everyone would compete against one another to fetch small portions of each dish for one another's kids - as if to show generosity - completely forgetting their own. Some would even talk bad about other relatives who are sitting just a few metres away. What used to be happy chit-chats have now become sharp-edged weapons of criticism and sarcasm that pierce right through the listeners' hearts. After dinner everyone would gather for such a short while that it felt almost as if everyone's gathering just to follow the standard procedure of giving angpows. The adults would start to distribute their angpows till they've finished distributing to everyone on their lists, and then they'd run, dragging their children along.
On the first day of Chinese New Year, my family and I took the morning flight to KL where we were fetched by mom's younger sister's family. Then, because mom's brother and most of mom's sisters are now filthy rich, they take turns to treat the rest of the family in restaurants with food enough to feed the population of poor Africans for a year. After meals they would start gambling and some youngsters are also starting to gamble with the adults. While doing so they would criticize everything under the sun, especially the food that they've just eaten.
"Ah Keong's food very bad la this year, I think he knows that also..."
"Lin Heng's food much better than the one we ate yesterday lo, hor?"
"The crab meat in the sharkfin soup was bad, and how dare they make up such a weak excuse?"
"This year's Lala isn't as big as last year's lo..."
Of course, for those who gamble, their lives were full of excitement for the whole CNY. But what about those who don't gamble? My aunt just threw them into her "entertainment room", turned on Astro and leave them to rot. She had even so generously permitted us to get cold drinks from her big-ass fridge, but failed to mention to us that there were only 2 cans of beer in that giant fridge. Some would watch TV, others would gamble, and a minority of people would sit down in some quiet and drak corner, criticizing almost everyone they could think of.
To tell you the truth I'm sick of all this hippocracy, and I really don't enjoy this Chinese New Year. So I managed to make my way back to Cyberjaya, only to find out that in order to make it back to KB in time for the reunion dinner, I've skipped some classes wherein marks were given to some stupid in-class activities.
Happy Chinese New Year? Think again.
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