What does Chinese New Year mean to you?

1. A new year, a new beginning
2. A day off
3. Ang Baos
4. Chores
5. Prolonged Nap

Mixture. Ang Baos and Prolonged Nap. Honestly, the money collected during CNY recoups all the money you lost to the economy. Your new shoe, your favourite bag, and the bet you made with your friend to get that cute guy's number for a meal at Crystal Jade's. But CNY, to put it nicely, is also a time for the whole extended family to get together. In other words, you meet up with strangers who only have blood ties with you. Conversation at dinner gets stale. Spurts of conversation rise and die fast. Boredom multiplies. It's sad really. Especially if you are not a talker with your sibling. And oh! The in-laws. Of every kind. Sister-in-law, brother-in-law, daughter-in-law, maid-in-law whatever. I totally cannot stand SOME of them.

Say I shouldn't if you want, but this is my blog. I find my mother totally fake on occasions with my father's side. She talks with a fake accent, shows off whatever knowledge at the tiniest chance, and kills off all jokes made with her own. (they aren't funny) I CAN'T STAND IT! And worse, she sticks. To us (my brother and me). And she still uses that fake accent with us. Alone. What is she trying to prove?

The thing I'm really glad is, this side of cousins have character. It's in the genes. And they are so polite, they pay full attention to every of her speeches. Hats off, forget it, add my head, to them. VERY gentlemanly. (There's only one other female cousin other than me, and I have only heard her say thank you since like 7 years ago) On her side, with all her eleven/twelfe (I don't know which. My mother lost count herself) siblings and half-siblings, she is herself. Laughing loudly, talking normally and LISTENING. But the cousins there are shit. They are rude, vulgar and basically idiots. Their handphones are everything, and they don't talk. Visiting that side is just sit and stare. The telly isn't even on.

Now I'm absolutely sure that if my brother and I really do have character/charisma/style, it's from my father's side. I'm not bluffing. My dad's a great socialiser. Three months away from church and he can be talking to everyone as though they were great friends all along. He's popular, charismatic and intelligent. Which my brother and I are. Without needing to show off.

But that's on the outside. When at home, my mother is the one with the more modern thinking and way of teaching. So, is this glass half empty or half full? I don't know. I guess it's half empty when we're outside with our mum, at home with our dad, and half full when we're outside with our dad and at home with our mum. Now who said that your answer will show if you're an optimist or a pessimist. It depends.

So what does CNY mean to you?

It depends.