Cogito ergo scribo

My mom and i just arrived home in JB about an hour ago. We had our Chinese New Year's Eve dinner in Singapore at my uncle's place. We had lesser people for this year's reunion dinner. My 2nd aunt's mother-in-law had passed away last month and they had this pantang about not attending any auspicious events within 100 days of the funeral. The other aunt was married last year and she would be having the dinner with her husband's family from now on. Thus we saw a decrease of three persons this year and that kinda made the dinner less lively as compared to previous years.

My colleagues couldn't understand why i celebrate Chinese New Year in Singapore every year. I told them that my maternal grandma is staying with her son (my mom's brother) who is a Singaporean. Since my dad had passed away, we don't keep in touch with any of the paternal relatives anymore. So i'm very close to my mother's side of the family. This kinda confused my colleagues and they asked if my mom is a Singaporean too. Then i would have to explain to them that my mom is a Malaysian but her brother is a Singaporean because in the old days when Singapore was still part of Malaysia, my grandparents gave birth to some children in Singapore and some in Malaysia. So after the two countries separated, the citizenship was based on the place of birth. That was why my grandparents have children of different nationalities. Gosh, i was like giving a history lesson to the Singaporean colleagues, over and over again because i was asked so many times!

We will have to go to my uncle's again tomorrow early morning to pay them a New Year call, and of course for me to get more ang paos because my mom's cousins will be there too. I guess they will be wondering why a 30-year-old (coming to 31) still tak malu and take ang pao from them every year. They must be very anxious for me to get married so that they can save one ang pao, and even get another ang pao for their children.

Just a few minutes more and the lucky dog will arrive. I'm starting to hear the sound of firecrackers from afar already, but somehow i could feel the quietness amidst all these noise. Must be because there are only mom and i in the house. So while everyone is happily waiting for the arrival of the Year of Dog with the family, i'm here blogging away in this solitary night.

Anyway, wishing everyone a Happy and Prosperous Chinese New Year! Woof woof!!!

Labels: family, life, trivia