Red reflections

J and I have been meaning to get away from the annual CNY visiting mess. We were originally going to Melbourne for the holiday period, but Dad put his foot down firmly this time - no flying.

Plan B was to hole up in our new pad, turn all cellphones off and pretend to be overseas (except to like-minded asylum-seekers looking for a hideout). We'd cook instant noodles, watch TV, surf the web, lounge in the pool, and generally have a relaxing long weekend break.

Shortly after brunch today, we were unceremoniously hauled out to do the rounds. So much for Plan B.

Mom, as usual, had understated the number of places to visit. Instead of the originally purported three places, we were dragged to six (or more maybe, I lost count). Hello, shake hands, Happy New Year, give angbao, get stuffed, make conversation, gotta go, nice seeing you this year.

Paradigm Shift
But somehow, this year as we went around, I actually felt glad that we didn't worm out of visiting. Most of the homes that we'd visited today are places that we would only visit during Chinese New Year. And most of the people that we'd met today are people we would only meet once a year, also during this period.

Are relations such a bother, that we only visit them once a year, during obligatory periods?

My grand-aunts and -uncles are mostly getting on in their years. Over the past couple of CNY visits, I've seen them steadily lose their agility, dexterity, and more dishearteningly, their alacrity. And the only reason that I can tell that they are slowing down is because I only see them once a year - it's like a series of freeze-frames. And then I think, if I don't visit them during CNY when they're happy and prepared to receive visitors, when would I ever visit them on my own?

I am beginning to wonder at the irony of it all.

This is family, right? And families should visit each other during Chinese New Year, because it's customary, right? And I am happy to see so much of my extended familiy during this time, because they actually sit down in my house for a while to chat, and I can pick up where we left off last year. I know that in the rest of the year they're busy out there making a living and all that, they don't have the time to come by. They have their own lives to lead.

But it's alright. I'm happy they're here.

I just wish they'd come by more often.

Is it so difficult to drop by once in a while? After all, we're on a tiny little island no more than 50km across, right? It's not like we're Overseas, or On Another Continent. Really, so difficult?

Sadly, more often than not, the answer to that question is an emphatic yes.

Right now though, I'm kinda grateful for CNY. After all, this is the only real time that I get to catch up with the rest of the family - apart from the other events that crop up from time to time, scheduled (like weddings) or unscheduled (like weddings).

See you guys again next year, I hope.