The most stressful time of the year is upon us again.
It really is very stressful.
All the preparations that have to be made way in advance:
- Buy new clothes and shoes and handbag
- Buy new towels and bedsheets
- Buy snacks and bak kwa and drinks
- Spring clean the house
- Wash the car
We’re talking about the Chinese New Year, of course. Buying new things and cleaning the house is supposed to bring good luck in the coming year. The snacks are for feeding the hungry hordes of relatives that will troop endlesly to your house in the 15 days of the Chinese New Year.
Fortunately, not being head of the household, I’m exempted from some things. Like preparing food for reunion dinner and buying mandarin oranges and decorating the house with too many red-coloured items. I just need to take care of myself and my own bedroom. And whatever snacks I buy I eat myself. BWahaha.
But I’ve been so busy I haven’t had time to buy new clothes (or anything else for the matter). As a last resort, I’m wearing something I received as a Christmas present which I haven’t even tried on yet.
But we did get bedsheets. The Goonfather dragged me to Aussino a few weeks ago to pick out our CNY bedsheet and quilt cover.
I suggested getting this diabetically sweet, girly pink quilt cover, thinking that the Goonfather will bop me on the head for even considering that he will deign to lie on something that’s gonna make him look like a pouf.
But he said, “Okay!”
Wow. That was pretty shocking.
So we got it, and a lavender bedsheet to match.
Ironically, the quilt cover is shopping themed, which only serves to heighten my stress over not having anything new to wear on the first day of the Chinese New Year.
The feeling is like when you didn’t study for an important exam and you’re hoping the day never comes. Every hour that ticks away adds one more butterfly to the pit of your stomach.
I spent the entire day cleaning my room today when I could have played PotBS instead. What a waste of time, but it had to be done.
To tempt me into buying CNY clothes, the Goonfather had promised to subsidise me $200. But I still never made it to the stores. Now you ought to believe me when I say I’ve been insanely busy.
No rest for the wicked.
After reunion dinner tonight, we’re going to Loyang Tua Pek Kong (Chinese temple) to usher in the new year and mob the God of Wealth together with thousands of other people hoping for some of the god’s wealth to rub off on us.
After that, we’re going to hang out at someone’s house and stay up as late as possible because some Chinese believe that, the later you stay up on the eve of the new year, the longer your parents will live. It’s not logical at all, but since when has tradition ever been logical?
After a night of not sleeping because you want your parents to live forever, the morning starts early with visitations, during which you’ll meet long-lost relatives, relatives you don’t know the names of, relatives you don’t even know are relatives, relatives who force you to eat up all the cookies and bak kwa in their houses, and relatives who ask you the same questions every year, when all you’d rather do is go to sleep on their couch because you haven’t slept all night.
There are people who actually love all this and look forward to it every single year. I really want to know why.
Or maybe not.
1st!!! Well, I guess happy chinese new year to you. I forgot how that goes in chinese language though. LOL.
Hahaha.. you said it… this year I did not even buy any new clothes will just wear something don’t care if it’s new or not… hahaha :)
You make it sound like a chore.
It all about good food and good family………and who get the most red envelopes full of lucky money!! :()
My take on it is all money is lucky money if someone else gives it to you.
Sounds to me like the Goonfather handed you a $200 red envelope. :).
Opps forgot… Happy Chinese New Year… or should I say Happy Spring Festival like what they do in China…
Happy CNY QY! Wish me luck in mahjong. :P
“long-lost relatives, relatives you don’t know the names of, relatives you don’t even know are relatives”
this sounds familiar…
oh btw, happy happy new year! :))
No, the most stressful part is trying not to overstuff your face. LOL! Hippy new year!!
Yeah, but since you spend most of the time during the year shopping for new clothes and new shoes I’m not sure that Chinese New Year is really that different…
Dear God! I’ve just noticed that MikeM has a twin. Either that or he’s mutated into some form of comments monster. Not only is he now in 1st place he’s also in 2nd place. Resistance is futile! You will be commented.
Only first day of lunar new year, haven’t eat anything and I’m detesting Steamboats…
hahaha
Wish ya and everyone here always 青春美丽，恭喜发财。
Well… Me being me, I’ve just gone through the posts on the site for Feb and I can’t find a single post by MikeM (presumably Mike M’s evil twin). How does he get 25 posts from nothing? I think we should be told…
I’m just doing my thing Jesta. Where’s the love?
modchip: Thank you! You can say 新年快乐！恭喜发财！It means “Happy New Year! Congratulations and may you get rich!”
arachno: Yeah, some years I don’t bother. But it’s hard not to be superstitious about it when everyone around me is. lol. Well, Happy new year to you anyway!
Mike M: It is a chore, especially for someone anti-social like me. :P Well, the Goonfather didn’t give me the $200 cos I didn’t buy myself any clothes! The offer isn’t valid anymore. lol.
BTW, what’s with the twinning?? :P
Miss Loi: Hehe… good luck with mahjong!! 恭喜发财！
shin: Join the club? Happy new year! hehe.
Derrick: Yeah, you’re right. That’s a bit of an obstacle, too. :P
Jesta: I don’t shop that much, you know. I only shop like once or twice a year. And buying stuff outside of CNY is really quite irrelevant to whether I have new clothes for CNY. Whether one goes shopping once a week or once a year, one still MUST have something new to wear on the first day of CNY, according to custom.
Regarding MikeM… try looking before Feb… and try looking in all my archived posts of the past. lol.
If you post a comment today for a 2007 entry, the post count will still go to Feb 2008’s count.
Ashtar83: I don’t like steamboat too. Lucky my reunion dinner is not steamboat! :P It was yummy! Happy new year!
新年快乐！恭喜发财！
QY, somethings wrong, I typed a whole lot of things, but only appeared as 新年快乐！恭喜发财！
Well, anyways, we just celebrated the chinese new year a couple of hours ago… I’m still so full. Good nyt! :D
FYI, I typed “
happy (chinese) new year.. qong xi fat chai.. may wealthiness and healthiness bestowed upon you and your family on this joyfull year.. cheers.. !!
Gong Hei Fatt Choy!!!! Dun worry about buying new clothes I sure you look pretty in everything u wear :D.
Why not look forward to Chinese New Year? It’s the time of the year when I collect my “Grand Theft Auto fund”! Yes, money to buy my Grand Theft Auto games and stuff.
yeah man. hehehes