the red that makes you happy.

it's amazing how people are willing to make nice with each other during chinese new year. i remember a certain situation where my mother and my uncle were actually cordial to each other...this was during a tumultunous perioud where they always argued with each other (a particular example would be where they'd bang heavily on each other's doors before retiring for bed...strange and sad but true). they really didn't like each other for a time. but when chinese new year came along, everyone was...nice. of course, the regularly scheduled behaviour resumed after a while, but it was relatively peaceful during the festive period.

my father believes in how chinese new year is supposed to be (relatively) happy. it was during chinese new year 3 years ago that my mother went ballistic in brazil (cool name for a band) and called back stating she wanted a divorce. i can understand how she felt. if my father went around asking for a reunion dinner for him, my mother and the mistress, i'd go mad.

nonetheless.

we went to kajang for our reunion dinner at my eldest uncle's last night. the food was good and whatnot, and it's great that my father went despite openly declaring that he really hated my aunt's (as in the uncle's wife's) guts. back in the day, it was assumed that he would've declared responsibility of taking care of my grandparents, but that fell into the hands of my father, who supported them without any qualms...because my uncle's wife realized that my grandparents didn't have much money --- it wouldn't have been worthwhile for her.

there's an unwritten tradition that states that the eldest child should assume the responsibility. well. my uncle didn't, and my father did. funnily enough, this would eventually have led to the breakdown of my parents' marriage. my mother never saw eye to eye about the whole filial piety thing...she always knew that my father didn't have to do it. she also felt that living with the extended family wasn't such a hot idea, even though my father insisted on it. on a separate note, my father once claimed that my mother allegedly turned off the hot water whilst my grandmother was taking a bath during my grandparents' visit to the phillipines. my mother denied it.

that's entertainment.

anyway, chinese new year's here. there's nothing better than a holiday where all parents put their kids on pedestals and laugh at my underachieving. (if anyone's seen that new petronas ad with the grannies talking about how great their kids are, that ending can bring tears to anyone's eyes). it's great to be proud of your child's achievements. but it's rather annoying when you blowhorn it. which is why for this chinese new year, i'm going to blatantly lie and state that my friends and i have a business model for an event management company, but we're looking for backers. yes.

so whilst your child slaves away to the system, i'll be a self-made man.

i wish.

those chinese new year egos aren't getting any smaller.

happy (chinese) new year, everyone.