cny 2022

remarked to friend recently how those of us who don't care so much for traditions are often held hostage to those want to cling on. i'm not big on holidays but it wasn't always like this. i used to love cny as a child. from the prep: at least 3 sets of new outfits and pjs, and shoes, to the big reunion dinner on the eve, to collecting angpows and gambling with cousins. i think most people of my generation born mid 60s to 80s(?) have similar memories. i'm not sure when the negativity towards festivals and traditions emerged. it's not that i don't like parties or celebrations. cos i do. what i don't like is the commercialism, keeping up appearances, and general excessiveness and waste (?) 

anyways - we made it through the big reunion dinner with the extended family in a big banquet hall in a restaurant/heelaiton. 

and family lunch with immediate inlaws on the first day with ping cher's family. (side bar: funny thing - after just one year of not celebrating cny the normal way due to lock downs last year - i completely forgot that ping cher's family visits and lunches with us on 1st day) it was lovely to see everyone especially the kids and how they have grown. and entertainment provided by soon pak, quite harmless fella but somehow has the ability to put foot in mouth and offend most pp every time. learned today that he worked for the grandfather ong and was matched with ping cher when she came to work at gasing. ended off the visit with family photos with the kids getting into the action of the samsung selfie hand wave. :D

chor 2. on 2/2/2022 

woke up early to play tennis with chungs. super long rallies. very happy. came home and ate some of san's sourdough + french cheese, and coffee. my kind of public holiday.

another extended ong family dinner tonight. and then visit 6th aunt, her husband, and 3rd aunt on friday (yeoh side) to complete cny family obligations for this year. 

sadly (because i'm a grinch) and partly because we have not kept in touch over the years, i won't be visiting the other relatives on both the yeoh and oh/lim sides in the klang valley. i'm not sad-sad because i'd be quite annoyed if my mum insisted that i visit all the relatives. but i do feel a sense of loss that those ties were not maintained. but you can't have your cake and eat it too. 

mine is the sandwich generation that will still show respect to the elders. even if we don't like an old person - but we will STILL give face. and try to continue the traditions that our fore fathers brought with them from china that most of our parents hold on to that includes the importance of extended family network. it will be interesting to see how this manifests in the next generation. who do not have to compete with other cousins for the love and attention of their grandparents. but instead it's the grandies that compete with each other for the attention of the kids. at the very least - i will be able to observe at close quarters since we have nieces and nephews. (unlike friends who's family line ends with them) hope i get invited to cny dinners if i make it to a grand old age and am old and decrepit. but if not - i don't think i will mind too much. xx gongxi facai!