Waltz for Aidan - Mogwai

Amidst the cheerful banter and seemingly never ending supply of mandarins,chinese new year's quite an important, if not the most important event for most families since it's probably the only time where the whole family gets together and when they do, it's quite a pretty sight. You get to hear stuff about your parents which you'd never thought was possible with, you get to see your parents' parents bossing your parents around, catching up and sharing the latest gossip with cousins and relatives, seeing the joy on everyone's faces as they are meeting up,for what is most likely, the only time of the year.

Family gossips, who's up and who's down, what's gonna happen to cousin A or uncle B or aunty C, what happened to the guy which aunt D brought back the last time and stuff are still prime examples of what happens after a dinner and a few drinks and gambling sessions. It's entertaining but it gets scary when all eyes are on you. Here are a few examples:

When are you getting married?
Wah you can speak so many dialects, indonesian chinese girlfriend ar?
Walao, ler kia jin tuak liao eh!! uu chabo liao bo?

I thought it only happens to girls above the age of 20; the marriage thing and stuff. I had never thought I'd be on the receiving end of such questions delivered with so much ferocity and thick-faced aunties. It's unnerving because only a few years ago, I was 18 and the only things which I knew well and could do well was playing computer games and sneaking out of the house. Now, I'm 22...i mean, 20++ and i'm expected to know why and how the US economy affects the world, how does plastic affect oil prices, how interest rates and currency values are inter-related, why you should not just save money in the bank but diversify, why people can hop parties and just about everything there is on wikipedia.

Daymnn, should have paid more attention in class.