CNY 2011

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Today’s the first day of the Lunar New Year and I’ve been up bright and early since 8am awaiting the arrival of the first guests. I’m changed man, compared with previous new years where I usually slept in till most of my relatives have came and left.

This year’s a little different from the last few though. Rather than just ‘showing face’ and receiving angbaos, I’ve been tasked to serve drinks to the guests. This typically laid within the domains of my Grandma, Aunt or Mum but as all of them are getting on age, the task fell upon me. Not that I’m complaining or anything.

Thankfully, Dad’s up early as well, so he can handle all the PR stuff and entertain the guests. I sat among my relatives for a while, and can’t help but feel awkward because there is a disconnect, a generation gap I’ve always talked about and a dearth of topics to talk about. I guess it’s better to leave it to those of the same generation to catch up on yesteryear instead.

The occasion in many aspects, however, was like every other year. Last minute CNY eve shopping has become a common affair where we’d pick up food and groceries to last us the couple days as most hawker or food stalls remain closed for the festive season. So does reunion dinner for my family where we cater simple fares from a nearby zichar restaurant.

Spring cleaning, too, only hit full pace after reunion dinner and continued till the wee hours of morning, explaining why nobody except my Grandma is usually awake when the first visitors arrives in the morning. It’s also during this time of the year that we’ll lament about how much stuff we have accumulated over the year. It’s amazing how much time we can take to clear the backlog each year.

House-visiting remained largely similar to previous years as well. Although most of my relatives stay along the NEL which makes travelling a little more convenient, there’s still quite a bit of walking involved. Age is catching up on my Grandma and she can only visit one family before feeling exhausted. Perhaps I really need a car on such an occasion when cabs are hard to come by and public transport isn’t a viable option…

Many times I’ve heard people saying CNY has lost its meaning along the way. And perhaps the authenticity of the occasion has indeed been eroded over the years. But to many Chinese around the world, I think it will always remain an integral core of our cultural heritage. No doubt some may question the purpose of house-visiting and even dismiss it as a time-wasting activity where the elders play catch-up with their kids in tow.

I say they’re wrong. Yes, we may find it hard to breach that generational gap. But think about it – wouldn’t sitting in and listening on their conversations give you a sense of lives in decades past; a reminiscence of an era that we will never be able to experience for ourselves? For me, I see it as a desperate last-ditch attempt at reclaiming and relieving my childhood memories of CNY before I become the one bringing my kids along next time. And all the more this year, for I probably wouldn’t be in town this time next year.