Finally... I will be going back home to Singapore in about 48 hours' time. Simply cant wait... I really need this break from my "brain-cells-killing" job, working for at least 12 hours non-stop, with almost no lunch break is no laughing matter. Not only that, being back in the office for both Saturdays and Sundays from 9 to 6 pm, is causing my hormones to be imbalanced. Thus, I have this urge to either slap/kick/punch/bite whoever gets in my way...

Back to the trip towards my motherland, basically I am going home for Chinese Lunar New Year. Yes... about New Years again. Now that I look back upon my 24 years of life, my feelings and approach towards this festive holiday has been mixed.

As a kid, I LOVED Chinese New Years but then again, all kids love CNY. The red packets, sweets, lots of glorious food and a few days' break from school. During those short few days, life has never been better. Ahh... childhood always manage to bring a smile to my face. But as I begin to grow up, I start to ponder upon the PURPOSE of this holiday that I have always loved and celebrated. It is all about traditions? Or is it about spending time with my family?

Now that I've been away from home for about half a year, (yah, only) I simply cannot allow myself not to be home for reunion dinner, THE most important dinner of the year. And the funniest thing is that I have never been a mummy's girl or anything like that sort. In fact, my mum laughed when I told her that I usually stay at home and cook dinner, do my laundry, clean the house after my brain-cells-killing work. She just did not believe that her party-till-she-drop daughter can stay at home and be so domesticated??!!

Anyway, being away from home made me realize how important these festivals are. Mid-Autumn, CNY, Qing Ming, Duan Wu Jie, Dong Zhi... etc. Without these festivals, we are not Chinese. The history and the rich culture of the Chinese dynasty is something that I am very proud of.

Going home for Lunar New Year is like a ritual of being Chinese again. Speaking Mandarin and Hokkien with my family, receiving red packets and bringing 2 mandarin oranges to where ever I go. I have never appreciated these little traditions until now. Isn't it funny how an individual will want to preserve one's identity and culture when one is being threatened with the prospect of losing it?

Nonetheless, Happy Chinese New Year and Gong Xi Fa Cai. And I meant that from the very bottom of my heart.

The place, New York. The time, 6.06 pm. The date, 6 of January. The year, 2004.

I have always wanted to pen down my thoughts... but somehow I am always putting it off to another day, time or year. Enough is ENOUGH, 2004 is the year that I should start on this assignment of mine. And what better time than to start writing my blog in the beginning of a new year... where everything can start afresh. Or... can it?

On every 31st of December, 11.55 pm... a lot of people at different parts of the world will anticipate eagerly for the coming new year. "10, 9, 8... 5...3... 2... ONE!" And everyone will start screaming "HAPPY NEW YEAR", and hug whoever who is either fortunately or should I say, unfortunately within one's reach. This ecstatism will usually lingers for a few days where many people cant help but to blurt "Happy New year!" when ever they are in a social gathering. And in extreme cases, they will start hugging everybody all over again...

Please do not be mistaken, I do not have anything against hugging and I, certainly have nothing against New Years either. However, I have always wondered what is exactly so "happy" about a new year? When people wish each other "happy new year", do they sincerely wish that a happy and blissful new year will bestow upon that particular individual?

Well... I doubt so.