After so many days of Chinese New Year (9 days), do I have the time to sit down and input blog. Since the Chinese New Year eve, I have been going to many places to Bai Nian or for visits. For the first Seven Days, I have reserved the visits specially for my relatives, from my close and blood-related one to the distant relatives. Many relatives, I can still recognise though forgetting many of the terms to address them. They too acknowledge me and admit that my face structure has been very constant, and not chnaging much since many years. The visits are also the time to polish up on my presposterous Hokkien, much to my embarassment.
On the Seventh day of Chinese New Year, and also supposedly all of our birthday (If you know what I mean ...), I went to the biggest vegetarian feast ever at Suntec City Convention Hal. This is organised by the Singapore Buddhist Federation, who had gone on the fund raising activities for the building of the new heritage and temple that will house the teeth and relics of Buddha, Sakyamuni. It is a wonder that the relics can be stored for so long considering the fact that Sakyamuni is bornt at 565 BC, 2565 years ago. This Human Day, is also unique to the South-East Asian, as Asean nations, especially from the Malay Archipelago (Including Singapore) will "Lao Yu Shen", or eating auspicious foods mixed with sour and sweet sauces. This "Yu Shen" is actually an idiosyncrasy created by Singaporeans. Even the East Asia like China and Taiwan are not very aware of this "Yu Shen". This is why we Singaporeans should be proud that such a delicious and unique food actually belongs to us. And on the Seventh Day of Chinese New Year, I have actually "Lao" 3 times "Yu Shen". Human day is a special day for "Yu Shen", even though there are no restrictions for the consumption of "Yu Shen" during Chinese New Year.
There are 2 special things today.
Today is the birthday of Tian Gong, or the Jade Emperor of Heaven in Chinese and Taoist cultural. Therefore many believers wil pray to Him with sumptous food and goodies, and of course with many incense papers. Yesterday, midnight, and also the beginning of today, I have followed the procedures and the tradition earnestly. It is quite a prospect considering the fact that (I am glad) I have a strong background and tradition that I can, and I will pass on.
Today is also the day when I passed my Final theory test. Yippeee ... I can start the private lessons of driving very soon. I have contacted the private instructor, and most likely 6 months later, I will be going to the practical test. Whoo ... Whoo ... I keep on lamenting the fact that I cannot enter the NPCO course, and go to a smooth route of learning driving. If Heaven do not bestow me the chance and smooth path, then I will have to achieve on my own, though the route will be a harder one.
[Below are my laments, and therefore viewers can choose to elude the below passage]
(I have always questioned the fact that thou coming to SOC is a curse or blessing. And to a certain extent, sometimes I allow emotions to overcome me, and I will treat my whole episode of life at SOC as the curse, and damn the entire thing. Nonetheless, after a good sleep, I am still glad that anyway, from a pragmatic prospective, I will always have to compare African with myself. I am having a very good life now, living healthily, and still, affluent enough to have good food to eat. I am not in the Army, eating shits from here and there and to other countries. I can go home everyday, and also off days. Thus, anyway, I am still lucky afterall, even though I will still admit that my NPCO life will have been better off, with many things "smoother" [Such as nearer location, a more family-like team, more freedom, more exciting and so on]. I might not have a smoother path, but all these will have to become a test for me. Life is confimed plus guaranteed not a bed of roses for me. Now that times are "bad", I still got IPPT to pass. I can barely regain my past glory nowaday ... Gotta train up ...)
Anyway, I will have many houses to visit, now reserved for my friends. Of course, going to more houses means receiving more "HongBao" (Heehee). But I am not that greedy, as to whether people want to give or not, I will still wish them a Happy New Year ...
Happy New Year to all, and my New Year wish is to have a smooth path, a smooth year, and a smooth way in doing all things. May everyone too, have all their wishes come true !!!
GongXiFaCai !!!
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