Victoria

It's the festive season again with all the bright red new year decorations covering the whole town and it's when Bee Cheng Hiang makes the most profit during the month. As much as I love collecting ang bows from relatives, there are things that makes me dread chinese new year as much as I love it too.

1) Hi there, you are?

Every year my parents would bring me to one relative's house each day and we would spend the whole day there. Even though every year it's the same bunch of relatives coming to the house every year, I don't even know most of them. I remember their faces, not their names. It's not like I should be making the effort to know them because there isn't any point because I'm just going to see them once a year and I wouldn't hear from them for the rest of the year. I just feel out of my comfort zone because I'm surrounded by people that I dont even know. Every year without fail I would always find a comfortable spot and sit, or rather hide there for the rest of the day and wish time would pass faster as I repeatedly refresh my Instagram and twitter for more feeds to entertain myself the entire time. And sometimes I can't even do that because it's a courtesy to talk to others. Which brings me to my next point.

2) Put down your phone, let's talk

My mum doesn't enforce me to do that but I know other families would ask their child to put away their mobile devices or gaming device because they are playing too much. I just don't get what else you want a 15 year old boy or 19 year old girl to do besides to entertain themselves with their technological devices. Honestly, there is nothing entertaining on my phone most of the time and that's just the best I could do to past time. Even if you take away our devices, the only thing we would do is to stare at the television in the living room that plays a show that has been repeatedly playing over the past few chinese new year or a show so old that guy actors have hair with centre parting and wear round specs.

3) Go away, adults only!

It's a tradition for everyone to gather around and play mahjong and cards to gamble every chinese new year. I don't know if there are people like me, but I am clueless in all these stuffs. People who gamble are usually the older generations and mostly the uncles so even if I do know how to play I won't get to join them because thats the "adult table" where all the kids are forbidden to go i.e. Me.

4) You must study hard so that you will have a good life

I never fail to hear this sentence every single time. For goodness sake it's been declared a public holiday for a reason and I dont need you to remind me what duties I have as a student. Studying hard doesn't guarantee you a good life, especially when we live in Singapore whereby a degree holder doesn't mean you get a job, just saying.

5) Your child go what school?

Everytime when I tell them I come from TPJC they just look at me from top to bottom and replied, ' oh'  and walk away or change topic. They never ever make me feel so awful of myself or rather stupid. In their eyes, if you don't fall in the top few schools, you would be labelled as stupid. I'm just sick and tired of relatives being so judgemental of what school I go to that defines my intelligence or my self worth. I would sheepishly smile and try to stay polite when they tell me, ' TPJC no good why you go there? ' Im sorry but I really feel like slapping you there and then because you have no right to criticize my life choices or define whats good or bad, especially since the people who usually give me these kind of comments are people that didn't even make it into one. There, I said it. I know most of them couldn't get a proper education because of finances back then just like my mum, and I'm not saying they are uneducated but they just dont understand how the whole JC system works or how institutes are like now. It's just like saying driving a Mercedes isn't good because in their eyes they only know whats a Ferrari or Porsche.

6) Oh my, you've grown! Come, let's compare!

Nope, I've stopped growing when Im 14. I'm still the same height as I was 5 years ago. And no, I don't want you to comment on how different I look compared to last year if it's something nasty you're going to say. And no, I don't want to compare height or size with someone of the same age as me because there is such thing as insecurities. So don't drag me to stand side by side with someone else and let you shoot comments of who is taller, thinner, prettier. No, just dont.

7) Ah girl, got boyfriend ah?

I only see you once a year, why are you asking me something so personal? Unless you are someone close to me since I'm young don't ask people such personal questions.

8) Let's go to the temple!

I really hate, HATE being dragged to temple and spend an hour or two there. I only go there because I respect my grandma. I'm sorry but I don't believe in anything as of now and I'm a freethinker. If you come from a family that is chinese-oriented you will be dragged to temples to pray every year because they believe it brings you good luck. The worse part is you can't say no to your parents because they will take it as you are disrespecting them. I just don't like the idea of being in a religion just because your parents are. It's not cool. I should have a say in what religion I want to believe in, and forcing me to go to temple doesnt make me a buddhist.

These are just some things that made me dread having chinese new year, but of course I love it because it gives me time to spend with my family members who I am close with. I'll always look forward to all the chinese new year goodies especially the love letters I get to eat, and the famous superb chicken wing at my relatives house. Of course, not forgetting the steamboat dinner and all the ang bows you get to collect from your relatives. I really wish I can have a chinese new year where I could truly enjoy myself and not just wishing it would end. Maybe this year?

Happy Chinese New Year in advance everyone and I hope that you will have a blessed one!