it’s the start of the chinese new year once again, 一年又过，今天是庚寅年的大年初一，一会儿就要出去拜年了。 the eve of cny in singapore is extremely boring, compared to in shanghai, and not even comparable to malaysia just across the straits and viewable from my flat. 新加坡的除夕真是无聊透顶，一点气氛都没有！ if the government is serious abt retaining the Chinese culture, allow our youngs (and olds too!) to light fireworks (some singaporean might gasp on hearing this) and firecrackers. this would bring the mood and atmosphere of cny back, as well as the opportunity to tell the stories/traditions behind why we do it at all. this is a teachable moment for culture, not learning dead culture on textbooks, learning it as told by a teacher who hasnt seen or light any firecracker his/her own life *duh* of cos, the word “dangerous” will always be used as an excuse. well, singapore is world-renowned for its rules and order, just set some rules, and allow singaporean to play safely 🙂 we simply do not stop cooking or play soccer becos there’s a risk of explosion or breaking the nose, do we?
anyway, this cny i received 3 cny cards in my snail mailbox, 2 from my teachers, 1 from my students 🙂 my tuition teacher 素卿姐 i’ve known her for 26 years now, my chemistry teacher mr poh mah see 傅妈思师 i’ve known him for 20 years, and Si Hui 斯惠 6 years now. notice any ‘pattern’ here? yes, it all revolves around teacher-student relationships, something that has been missing from my life for 5 years now. a tug at my heart on where i should belong. shall work towards it and see if there’s any good news to report come cny 2011? (:
last but not least, may i wish all my teachers, students, and friends: 一元复始，万象更新。新年快乐，万事如意！ 恭喜恭喜！ Gong Xi Gong Xi!