What "gonG Xi Fa cHai" meaN to YoU?
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"Gong Xi Fa Chai!"
"Gong Hei Fatt Choi!"
"Happy Chinese New Year!"
It's the Chinese New Year! It's the Chinese New Year! 2009! How's your CNY cellebration? Happy? Boring? Or just another holiday with some red fonts on your calendar?
What "gonG Xi Fa cHai" meaN to a child?
*Fireworks*
I have been through many CNYs, and over the years, I've noticed something obvious about how the general Chinese population see it. Even for myself, the meaning of CNY has changed dramatically. The celebration seems to have lost the meaning i.e., nobody seems to care WHY and WHAT they are celebrating...CNY? It's just another holiday
As a child in the olden days, the single most fascinating activities during CNY is playing fireworks. THAT was the meaning of CNY for me those days. I used to play all sorts of fireworks, from the childish one (with negligable small explosion) to the big boys fireworks that has the explosion effect that can match those of a dynamite. There are just so many possibilities and ways of lighting and playing with fireworks, where the only limit is your imagination! Of coz, there are some minor accidents along the way, and we'll get scolded sometimes by the adults, but I've never regretted doing so.
The only LIMIT, is your IMAGINATION!
But over time, too many fireworks-related-accidents happened, and the government finally put an end to fireworks. Means NO FIREWORKS for the rest of the history of Malaysia. T.N.S.! W.T.F.! @$#@$$#@$@! Nevertheless, some minority of peole still do able to smuggle them into the hands of those who is willing to pay the price. But just a very very small percentage.
It's a pity that children nowadays had missed something as great as fireworks in their childhood. The over protective parents nowadays, is sure to deter their children from laying their hands on the fireworks. "No...boy-boy, it's very dangerous! Nyeh nyeh nyeh...bla bla bla bla..." Just hate it so much when I hear any parent saying this... no wonder children nowadays are glued to the computer monitor playing online RPG games...sooo booorriiinng!
And becoz of this, there is not much CNY mood around nowadays. I still recall the time when I was small, 90% of the time I can hear firecrackers here and there, where the atmosphere was so lively! But look at it now, what can you hear? All I can hear is flies and mosquitoes flying around...and some artificial firecracker sounds from the TV. T.N.S.!
The MOOD was so LiVELY those daYs!
What "gonG Xi Fa cHai" meaN to a child?
*AngPoWs! $$$ Red Packets! $$$*
This, for me is the 2nd most exciting thing to look forward to in CNY as a child. This is where all the financing for the PLaYStation and Nitendo Wii come from! There more relatives you have got, the more angpows you'll get! It's just that simple! But although quantity counts, the *quality* of the angpow is sometimes more important, don't u agree? Nevertheless, I am already happy to get angpow those times, the amount doesn't really matter lah...
anGPoW time!
What "gonG Xi Fa cHai" meaN to a child?
*Foodies!*
It's the 3rd most important thing to look forward to in CNY.
Nien Kou is my favourite. This sticky little delicacy where you can only taste it once every year, is soooooo delicious! Yummy! Other yummy cookies are the spring roll, kuih kapit and honeycomb biscuits. These are oily foods. Overdose of these can have irreversible effect on the waist line, really. But to a small kid, what the ****! "GuLP!, RELoaD!, GuLP!, RELoaD!, GuLP!"
Nien Kou is my favourite!
What "gonG Xi Fa cHai" meaN to adults?
*OuCh!*
For the adults, generally CNY is something that means NIGHTMARE, especially so if you are a married man/women. Expenditures on angpows alone can come out to thousands or so, and all the preparation for the CNY occasion and house makeover, will burn a dEEP hole in the wallet. Can you see it? What goes around comes around. All those angpows that you get as a child, you'll have to return it back! ;)
Burn a dEEP dEEP HoLE!
What "gonG Xi Fa cHai" meaN to adults?
*LAdies and gentlemen...showOFF time!*
CNY is also a time when some long time buddy and schoolmates will have gathering annually and
talk shit exchange info/knowledge. Initially, it's like "How do you do" sort of thing...then it gradually becomes a place of building business relationship. Then, people started distributing name cards and exchanging phone numbers and emails. That is still OK for me. But things start get a bit over when one or two rotten tomatoes started with "I'm the MANAGER of XXX company now" thingy. And then everyone will be like asking each other like where is their most recent trip overseas? Europe? Japan? Australia? And some will
purposely accidentally hint that they are their own boss, and having a company to run, and that they have the latest Ferrari at the back of their garage. I really envy and admire them, and I am happy that they are successful in life. But just that sometimes I feel *down* when the same guy just now asked me how have I been doing, and I would be speechless... :(
I'm the mANAZER now! yOU Leh?
What "gonG Xi Fa cHai" *SHOULD* meaN to YoU and mE?
*REUnioN!*
I tried to think very hard why our ancestor invent such a thing as Chinese New Year. I think I got the answer. It's not for ANY the reasons I have just mentioned. It's a celebration where all our family members gather together and have a hearty meal, have fun, and to remind ourselves that no matter what, we are still a FAMILY!
And "gonG Xi Fa cHai" *SHOULD* meaN THIS to YoU and mE...
"gonG Xi Fa cHai" *SHOULD* meaN THIS to YoU and mE...
So how's your "gonG Xi Fa cHai" celebration going?
