Lunar New Year

For the past 3 days in Singapore, it was real quiet in the streets. It’s the Lunar New Year celebration for the Chinese. It is a time where family will get together. That’s why, the eve of the LNY, it’s a Reunion day. The LNY stretch for 15 days and that’s when there are visitations of relatives and friends. There’s red packets to collect and if you are married, there’ll be red packets that you give out! (That’s about all I know about the LNY!)

And for the non-Chinese, it was a real good holiday.

This year, there was no relatives-visiting for me due to my grandma’s passing. Honestly, I am happy because it’s really a good time for me to rest and not fuss around with visitations.

Though I didn’t go and visit my relatives, I made sure I didn’t waste my holidays either. I read up my notes and did up my research paper. Gave a deep reflection of my “performance” after my meet up with a client and gave a deep thought on how to improve myself.

Yesterday, I visited my sheep’s family. It was then that I realized that a “Home Visit” is SO important to learn about the dynamics of a family and more importantly, to learn more about my friends. To visit a home, you see how they work, where they sleep, where they eat. It’s nice. I seemed to get to know my sheep even more!

And today, I went to a classmate gathering. It’s like a gathering of existing and budding Social Workers! It was definitely a good way to find support. Having the experience of a SW for 3 days, I have come to understand how emotionally draining and physically stretching it can be. I have even more come to fathom why keeping a close relationship with God is important.

Lunar New Year to me has had its own “evolution”. I remember when I was young, my sister and I were always so eager to dress up looking all red and hair neatly tucked! And two little hands clasp together saying “Gong Xi Fa Cai!” to everyone and wishing hard for a red packet in return. At the end of Day 1, my sister and myself will wait for the “Moment” (i.e. after dinner) to open our red packet and calculate how much “earnings” we’ve gotten. Along the years, the tradition of LNY slowly fades away. Other than the reunion dinner that my family adheres to, we don’t keep much of the things we do anymore.

At the same time, I realized that I am getting old when I start feeling “paiseh” (embarrass) to receive red packet.

LNY to me now has become more of a catching up session with friends. When time is scarce, holidays are REAL gems!!!