Finally I can take a break from the hectic visiting, host playing and eating to take some time to blog. Lunar New Year has always been a festival in which I love to dread and dread to love. Although the thoughts of receiving Ang Baos really is enticing, I dont normally like socialising with all my relatives especially those distant ones.
On the contrary, I dont hate socialising with relatives because they hound at me by asking me about why my girlfriend is not around, when am I getting married etc. I just find that we dont really have a common conversational topic and sometimes there is this duration of silence which creates an extremely awkward atmostphere by my standards. Maybe its because I lack the conversational skills or I am just a loner.
This year, it was rather different. I kind of changed, although I still do not like socialising with them, I was extremely chatty. I could talk about anything under the sun, talk to everyone and anyone. So I am still quite happy with my overall performance. And of course I am also quite happy with the Ang Baos' progress. Haha.
Ok, a little bit of what happened over the past few days. On the eve of CNY, we went over to Leng Ern Shi Temple where my maternal grandfather's tablet and ashes were housed to pay our respects. Following which, it was preparing and helping my grandma with the dinner at night. As usual it was the steamboat and alot of fried food which my grandma fried. Not forgetting the Lao Hei(Yu Sheng, Raw Fish). Nothing really special happened actually, its just an annual event accompanied with some wine and bacardi except that my little cousins likes to serve "Mouse in a pot" & "Curled Centipede Soup" with his toy. They brought a mini lion dance head over as well, and they were playing around. It reminded me of the past whereby I was the one playing with the lion head. Time really flies. After that was glueing my butt to the chair and watching tv. Watched the count down and played AOE 3 for awhile because I didnt want to sleep too early because I wanted to Shou Shui.
On the first day, I dug out from bed by my mum to AWAIT the royal highness my uncle's arrival to our house at 7.45am. (Pun intended) Mummy said he would come around 9. But eventually he arrived at 11.15am. All the time wasted yawning on the sofa. Haha, after that I went over to my maternal grandma's house, had lunch and headed to my paternal grandma's house. Who is still as forgetful as ever and keeps repeating things at least 5 to 6 times, before asking all over again. (What I mean is that she just keeps on going.) She did however said something which made an impact. Which was asking why Na didnt followed me to her house. So I promised her that I would bring her to visit her. Following which I went my grand aunty's place which will be the last time I visit them at that house because they sold their semi and will be moving out soon. Just realised their eldest daughter is a Phd in Philosophy. I think I can get some help from her, haha but then again, she is lecturing in Ireland. That was the last stop for the day.
On the 2nd day, the first thing on my agenda was to go to Na's house. Was sitting around her house for quite awhile and even had my lunch there. And to fufil my paternal grandma's wishes, I brought Na to visit her. Its actually the first time I went there without my parents. Well, we arent exactly close because of certain conflicts that happened between her and my mum over my folks' early years of marriage. I am exceptionally close to the relatives of my mum's side is because I was looked after by my maternal grandparents, and I was the first grandchild and the only grandchild for 15years in the family. Even though I didnt take their surname I was extremely doted upon. After visiting my paternal grandmother, we went to Na's paternal grandparents' house who were much older then my grandmothers. It wasnt the first time I went there, but its definately the first time I went over on CNY and they were quite happy about it it seems. Then we went over to my maternal grandmother's house where we had dinner there. After that Na went over to my place for awhile before I sent her home.
On the 3rd day, I went downstairs and had breakfast with my grandma, mummy, uncle and aunty. After that I went to pray at the neighbourhood temple. Next was just stoning around and waiting for my paternal(grandma, uncle, aunty, cousin, her husband & my nephew.) to come over. This is a really once in a year thing for me. I hasnt seen my cousin for like 3 to 4 years. Same as my nephew, the first time I was him was when he was a toddler and the 2nd time was today and he is already 4 years old. He is just so cute, I simply love his lashes. All girls would die to have his eye lashes. They are so long and they curl so nicely that they look like fakes. Haha. Well luckily he takes after my cousin who is actually rather pretty. If he looks more like his dad, he wouldnt be so dashing. (Opps.) But time really flies, she is already 31, and my other cousin is 26 and he is getting engage in a couple of years. But then again, I hasnt seen him in like erm, more than 5 years. Wonder how he is getting along. Everyone of my relatives from my father's side say I am damn smart, capable and surely will "Tan Dua Lui" (Earn big bucks) just because I am in University. Sometimes I wonder if it is the environment that causes this because I never thought that I was born smarter than the rest. No one from my pat. side made it beyond secondary school. While both my father and mother have qualifications less than secondary 2, I made it to NUS. Is this upward mobility? Maybe because, my parents dont gamble, dont binge drink and dont smoke unlike my paternal side. I dont pick up the bad habits, and of course the person who has played the most part in guiding me and helping me is my Aunty Wendy. She is the source of inspiration and pride for the family. With just O level qualifications, she slogged for 13 years in the then SBS, and received a study award by the company to attend a diploma course and after which she moved on to the then ESMACO which sponsored her for a Degree course. And she eventually rose to became a director in PREMAS a subsidiary of CAPITALAND.
So I must say, I do attribute my success so far as part of her efforts in nurturing me. Thanks Aunty Wendy.
By the way, I still dont have the inspiration to write my Philo Paper.
Troubled.
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