Chinese New Year - and a sombre perspective into things

Some time has passed - and indeed the arrival of the year of the rat has come - rats!

This is a particularly sombre new year that I have had had - for a few reasons...

1) Firstly, for the very first time, my reunion dinner was actually held at home - not in my ancestral home back at Malaysia this time round. It was a good experience, and this actually put reality to me that future dinners might be held this way - and I have to get accustomed to this feeling.

2) Secondly - and as a result of that - my family went back to on Chinese New Year's Day itself. This was not a good time to go in as we discover because not only was the Second Link jammed with cars (which we expected) - but that the North-South Highway was filled with cars as well. Great Gosh! As my dad drove - the car was in like a start-stop manner which could not even go above 100km/h. This really hit hard on me on whether I should buy a car especially after I got a licence recently. Perhaps not now.

3) Thirdly - the mood was somewhat sullen. Amidst the comforting news that I finally managed to meet some of my cousins whose mum had estranged their family from the annual celebrations for the past 2 years - and I was really glad to meet them again, the other news that one of my relatives is experiencing personaly problems which definitely dragged the whole extended family down totally poured cold water on the mood itself. I found myself having to keep up the positive mood and supposed happiness of the new year - but it is extremely difficult since the whole extended family is not quite in the mood to celebrate especially with something like this.

4) Lastly, I think it's just me - but I happen to think and reflect on things that have happened the past few weeks. Jobs wise, studies and graduation, friends...and of course other things to think about as well. Contrary to the enjoyment of the new year that I saw that some of my friends enjoyed this year with the visits and all, I can only say that this is a very sombre chinese new year if not anything else...

In any case, be it a blessing or an irony, ths week is also Valentine's Day week - and here's to wishing all a happy V-day =) (Doesn't matter if you are single or attached - the love of V-day is to be appreciated by all...)