Chinese New Year and it's changes
Chinese New Year is one of my favourite holidays, it being second to Christmas. It is so because it is yet another time for the family to get together to update each other on what has been going on since Christmas, one or two months earlier. I suppose it is also another way to relax before the stresses of the rest of the year begins to build as the days go by.
One thing that I notice as I grow up is that my perception of time between Chinese New Years get smaller and smaller; I suppose this is because of my perception of time slowly becoming faster and faster as I get older and older, but I am able to remember the Chinese New Year celebrations last year much more vividly than before. This means I am able to see the stark difference in my relatives as they get older and older. On one hand it is exciting to see the youngsters slowly grow up and mature as they take on more challenges in life (ie after school activities, more frequent and complicated exams... etc). But on the other hand, I notice the older relatives slowly decay as time slowly corrodes their body and with it, their presence. This year I had the bad luck to see one of my relatives move on from being in a wheelchair to being bedridden as she slowly becomes unable to recognise anybody significant in her life (ie the young children which she only got to know ten years ago). It is sad to see them slowly deteriorate from being young and healthy to being only seen sitting down to now being only seen in bed. Many said that they will not be able to last until next year, words I find really sad and most importantly words inviting bad luck.
However I am sure that these relatives do not have much to regret; they have lived a long good life (as in with the genetics of my family) and I wish to see them soon in another life. I suppose that it is sad to see that life gets sadder and sadder as you get older, for I would have wanted it to get happier and happier instead as time passes by. I suppose that as unfortunate as life is, the best that you can do is make the best out of it and live a life worth remembering and worth other's remembrance of you, as my relatives have done.
Have a happy Chinese New Year my dear readers, and do remember to collect those ang paos!
Cheers,
Matthew Tan
One thing that I notice as I grow up is that my perception of time between Chinese New Years get smaller and smaller; I suppose this is because of my perception of time slowly becoming faster and faster as I get older and older, but I am able to remember the Chinese New Year celebrations last year much more vividly than before. This means I am able to see the stark difference in my relatives as they get older and older. On one hand it is exciting to see the youngsters slowly grow up and mature as they take on more challenges in life (ie after school activities, more frequent and complicated exams... etc). But on the other hand, I notice the older relatives slowly decay as time slowly corrodes their body and with it, their presence. This year I had the bad luck to see one of my relatives move on from being in a wheelchair to being bedridden as she slowly becomes unable to recognise anybody significant in her life (ie the young children which she only got to know ten years ago). It is sad to see them slowly deteriorate from being young and healthy to being only seen sitting down to now being only seen in bed. Many said that they will not be able to last until next year, words I find really sad and most importantly words inviting bad luck.
However I am sure that these relatives do not have much to regret; they have lived a long good life (as in with the genetics of my family) and I wish to see them soon in another life. I suppose that it is sad to see that life gets sadder and sadder as you get older, for I would have wanted it to get happier and happier instead as time passes by. I suppose that as unfortunate as life is, the best that you can do is make the best out of it and live a life worth remembering and worth other's remembrance of you, as my relatives have done.
Have a happy Chinese New Year my dear readers, and do remember to collect those ang paos!
Cheers,
Matthew Tan
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