大年初三

Today is the 3rd day of Chinese New Year, or what the ang mohs call "The Spring Festival". An appointment for a mini-gathering was made last week by a couple of poly mates. They are a bunch of ermm... though nice but a bit of those geeky types. Being hopelessly dateless on this big grand day on 大年初三, I thought I might wanna try my luck in meeting them as they can be great entertainers at times and I was sort of bored during CNY. But what a mistake it was ! Well, not really a big mistake but....

The moment I met up with the 4 of them, I was like .... speechless. The 4 of them are just as geeky as ever. Am I being mean?? Oops ! But hey, this is my blog ok ! I am entitled to free speech rights, right ? Just imagine, 2 short geeky guys looking 20 years older than you, and wearing uncle-ish pants somemore!! OMG ! I almost fainted.

Anyway, 5 of us had lunch at Cafe Cartel for 2 hours and then went on our separate ways because one of them needed to go 拜年 and another needed to buy food for his mum at home alone, so, obviously, I did not wanna "hang out" with 2 geeky guys by my side, hence, I just gave an excuse that I wanted to go home for dinner when I was actually free the whole evening. I ended up "roaming" alone around Plaza Singapura and purchased an Elizabeth Arden Green Tea Skincare Purifying 3-in-1 Cleanser/Toner/Exfoliant from SaSa's. Later, I proceeded to Carrerfour for more "rubbish" buys (2 packets of Meiji yoghurts, a can of Campbell soup, a packet of Campbell instant soup etc).

People say that the Chinese usually gamble during CNY. True enough, my relatives did play mj at my Grandmother's place. Interestingly, I do not know how to play this good ole Chinese game ! Neither do I know how to play Dua Ta Ti well nor cheem Chinese card games, coz I am a good girl mah !! I dun gamble ! 十赌九输 right ??? Anyway, the older adults played a few games of mj and that's it. The rest of the family members either watched those silly HK movies on TV or talked about what had happened in their children's or their own lives.

How I long for a loved one to immerse into the festive celebrations with me wholeheartedly !

As working adults, CNY celebrations are no longer fun or enjoyable. Kids get more red packets, fun and laughter from all the visiting and fawning over by various relatives. Adults were being asked embarrassing questions or get pressurized by courting or to-be-wedded cousins around the same age.

It's funny though, if you do have cousins of around the same age as you and both sets of mothers never fail to compare their kids' "achievements" every freaking year.

When we were 12 :"X has xxx points for his PSLE, how about your daughter?"

When we were 16 :"My son got xx points for his O Levels and he's going to XPoly, how about your daughter?"

When we were 22:"Where is your daughter working now ?"

When we were 23:"XX has a car but no gf yet leh...how abt yours ?"

When that particular boy cousin's older brother who is 2 years our senior brought his fiancee to Grandmother's house for the old dame's birthdays, for Mid-autumns, for CNYs, we were being shot yet again :"Got gf/bf/fiance/fiancee or not ?"

I know these are well-meaning concerns and I know that I wanna move on and get on with my life. A year is long enough and time is running out for me too...