While casually enjoying lunch the other day and simultaneously regretting the amount of damage the food was going to me, a friend told me something that really disturbed and upsetted me. Reproduction here would be unsavoury, but nontheless, the pain and hurt endured during this ordeal is something that I couldn't begin to understand. All I can do is listen and offer my opinion/advice/nod in agreement. And around this time of the year, I can only hope things begin to brigthen up because as the old people say, you shouldn't bring the bad luck with you into the New Year.
And this is when it struck me that for the first time that I will not be with family for New Year, which is and will always be the only day I look forward to in the year. It is a time to leave behind old habitats, to learn from past mistakes, to repay debts and generally, a time to start anew. More than that, New Year is a time that has survived many attempts of commercialisation and after all these years, remain true to its foundation and beliefs; and for me, the only time of the year where a 'celebration' does not illicit a cynical or snide remark. This is also the time of the year when everything seems attainable and affordable; the $50 ounce of shark fin or the $150 kilo of abalone or the $5 slice of truffle. Furthermore, this also happened to be the only time of the year where I had any sort of discretionary income, which really meant a lot to me while growing up. While others had Christmas, I had New Year, which will probably be the only time of the year where I consider myself lucky to be Asian. Beyond food and family, New Year also meant new things: clothes, games or even perhaps a trip to the cinemas. And being the tightass I was, I usually made New Year stretch as long as possible.
Realising this only made me more appreciativ of the things I have and the people around me. So come New Year, I will be in London, celebrating from a far and wishing everyone every success and happiness. And as I said before, New Year usually equates to new things. This new year, I'm looking forward to New York.
posted by tykang @ 1/17/2005 09:20:00 PM
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