I think it has been more than a month since I updated my blog. Sigh...... Yeah, really busy and when I was free it was like taking a rest on the sofa with a good book or to browse through the newspaper from front page to back page. It can be said that Sunday Star is my favourite as I would read from page to page. Would not miss even a page. Ha! Ha! Ha!
So how are all of you? Pretty busy too I suppose? Well, this is Chinese New Year and a season for family reunions. There was an article in the newspaper that talked about relationship with the old folks during New Year.
When I was much younger, perhaps in my 20s, New Year was a time for enjoyment, mind you not with my own family members but with friends. I used to pull a long face when my mum stopped me from visiting friends or for admonishing me when I came home late. I argued with her, telling her quite roughly that this was the only time I could catch up with all my friends who would be back for New Year and they came from all over the world. It was such a grand thing to tell her that my friends were from all over the world and I rattled on to tell her that they were all doing well. So and so was who and so and so had this and that. Family members and reunions were downright boring and bothersome.
When I was much younger, perhaps in my 20s, New Year was a time for enjoyment, mind you not with my own family members but with friends. I used to pull a long face when my mum stopped me from visiting friends or for admonishing me when I came home late. I argued with her, telling her quite roughly that this was the only time I could catch up with all my friends who would be back for New Year and they came from all over the world. It was such a grand thing to tell her that my friends were from all over the world and I rattled on to tell her that they were all doing well. So and so was who and so and so had this and that. Family members and reunions were downright boring and bothersome.
But as I grew older, I realized how wrong I was. New Year is to make memories for our young ones. New Year is the time for family reunion, to meet with every uncle and aunt and cousins from all over the country and world. It is not with friends so much. It is not that I disagree with meeting up friends but my priority has shifted. When I am done visiting and entertaining my family members, I will go and visit my friends.
I remember when my grandfather was still alive. New Year was really, really wonderful. There was no need to sleep. Everyone was allowed to be up and one only slept when one was too tired. There were lots of good food, good conversation, games and gambling sessions. Lots of laughter and at night we played firecrackers. The whole lot would be there and the number perhaps surpassed 30 people. My grandpa had 2 wives and in between they had 14 children and from the 14 children, came us. It was wonderful and now as I grew older, I realized that this modern generation does not have that bound and therefore it is up to us to create that bond and someone has to be the anchor. I choose to be the one because I want to create memories for my children and thus for the past few years, I have been the one gathering whoever is in Ipoh to come together. Of course it means a lot of work especially cooking. It is cooking and cooking and cooking and baking. For this year I started 3 days before the actual date of New Year. Cooked and freeze and baked and baked. Ha! Ha! Ha! It was tiring no doubt but it was good. Everyone felt the anchor. They looked forward to coming home. The young felt good because they could meet their cousins and get to know each other better while the old had the opportunity to sit down and exchange news.
This year after the first day of New Year, I shifted the family to Taiping. There we had seafood. My father who is 84 this year and wheelchair bound was really happy. Seeing him happy makes all the hrd work worthwhile. And in addition, my children will know that it is important to have that bond and in time to come, they will also want to create that bond, that they will gather the clan members when we are no more here. Children need an anchor so that New Year is meaningful. If today we don't create that atmosphere, what is there to come home for? Right?
I took some time to indulge in my hobby too by making cards and did two floral arrangements.
At 1.15am on Thursday (4/2/2011) morning, a friend called me up to tell me that I could make the egg stand and here is my egg standing. It can only be done easily when it is equinox. Science will say that we can do it anytime of the year and when I checked up the net, the trick to get it done is to hold the egg in this standing position for quite a while so that all the contents inside the egg will flow down and therefore the egg can stand but at equinox, the egg can be made to stand quite easily. I woke up the whole family and everyone tried.
A Chinese New Year floral arrangment.
A simple arrangment. One that can be done with eyes half closed. Ha! Ha! Ha! I used to struggle with even this type of arrangment. I must give a pat on my own shoulder. Ha! Ha! Ha!
