CNY was never my favourite festival. Not even when I was on the receiving end of ang pows. Growing up, I dreaded it. I hated it. I wished there were no such festival. Many people wonder why I hate such a ‘wonderful’ cultural festival and thought I was just being ridiculous. Well, let me list out the reasons why I hate it so much, especially NOW:
1. I finally get a chance to go on leave and some public holidays from work BUT it was not to relax at home and do whatever I want.
2. I have to spend the holidays visiting irritating blardy relatives’ homes and pretend to be ‘nice’ to them. 
3. I have to paste a fake smile and speak nothing but nice words to whoever who comes to our house including people I do not know, relatives I do not like and strangers-turned-relatives.
4. Annoying kaypohchee stupid relatives will be asking me questions like: ‘When are you having your second one?’ which I do not feel inclined to answer. When I have my second child is NONE of your blardy effing business.
5. I have to give out ang paus to snotty-nosed bratty kids who will mess up my house and bully my son and probably throw food everywhere and stain my furniture, scratch the floor, etc while their annoying parents look on in pride at their ‘geniuses’ in making.
6. I will be subjected to comparison with another DIL /CIL/whatever-IL behind my back and the gossips about my lack of PR-ness with nosy relatives will fly around and being spoken in double innuendos.
7. My son will be subjected to comparison with some other kid around the same age and I will get questioned as to ‘when are you sending him to school?’.
8. I will be stuck at some relative’s house and be blardy effing bored to death with nothing to do AND get questioned over my job, my weight, my birth control plans, my family planning, my sex life…okay so, they don’t ask about my sex life but asking about having a second baby IS tantamount to asking about my sex life!
9. Torture, stress, torture, stress, torture, stress, torture….arrgggghhhhhhhhhh…….. 
10. I have to make casual conversation and serve drinks and food to nosy, irritating, annoying people.
SO. Fortunately I won’t be celebrating CNY this year. Because my grandmother passed away recently. And that’s a good enough reason for me to bypass CNY. THANK GAWD for traditions/superstitions like this!
Now, is there any chance for me to spend my long leave just lazying around the house, binging on cookies and developing my online business?
HAH. Fat hope. Double standards are being practised everywhere. If there’s a death in their side of the family, there are a million traditions and superstitions to follow including postponing a wedding for three blardy years. BUT if it’s on my side of the family, questions are asked, eyebrows are raised and clueless relatives will still ask questions like ‘why no red decorations around your house?’.
What a load of crap. Still wonder why I hate, hate, hate, hate, HATE Chinese New Year?
CNY is the best time to go overseas for holiday. No need to smile like a hard boiled dog’s head for days. Must learn from the Malays, they also go overseas during puasa time.
But nowadys CNY in KL is so quiet. Everybody go back to kampong, KL terrorist machine gun attack also cannot hit anyone.
Wei….Ah Fong….Chap Go Mei you got go Penang bridge to throw oranges ah?
I have gone through 54 CNY and 55th coming and all the other festive holidays. So a bit of advice to you is why hate all the festive holidays? You see for me everyday is a new day all the way to new week then new month and finally new year be it English or the Chinese. Be a happy person and everyday is a happy day so long as a person is not sick or guilty of anything. Anyway I saw your 10 points why think of all the 10 negative side try change it to the positive. Try out this year and you will feel the difference. Wish you the best and Happy Chinese New Year.
engineer: Wah, go overseas….you sponsor me ah?
Now, can only afford to cross the sea to Butterworth lar. Wei, throw oranges for what? Got one husband tak cukup ar? Don’t need another one lar. After get migraine everyday pulak.
Mr TBOH: Advice appreciated and the ‘fun’ part I can get out of the stupid CNY season is to diss everyone! So, I will be extra nasty this CNY. That ought to be fun.
i do love CNY when im still young but when im getting older and older, i feel like being left out! Im too old to get ang pow now, too old to play fire cracker and too old to tell my parents i cant sleep bcos eagerly waiting for CNY…..
Justins last blog post..The Year Of Cute Ox 2009
When I was young
CNY was new cloths and red packets
From relatives who came
Though it wasn’t much
Living in poor environment
Tomorrow is just another day
I didn’t know how hard life could be
Years down the road
Time and experiences coined my perception
CNY hasn’t changed me
I have changed my outlook
It is time to bring some cheers
I don’t dread about it
I treat it as another long holiday
Though I am now holidaying every day
I don’t have to worry about economic situations
And finding food to feed………
I had my share years ago
From the very young age I knew
Life could be hard facing it would help
Learning the experiences
It makes me understand
Just smile be charitable
You may think it takes your time
Learn to share some of it
The returns will be plenty
Though I know people gossip
Front and back and reverse too
The past time and tomorrow
It is life the mouths aren’t stopping
A little bit of charity
It doesn’t take you away
The days down the road
Many to think ahead
And God will be there
Granting your wishes
If you help out a bit
It doesn’t take you away does it?
p/s kong Xi kong Xi fa cai to you and family
Gee.. I have the same feeling like yours. Anyway, this year I had my hair color a few days ago. My barber was asking me about the CNY mood. I told him, bad economy, no money, cannot celebrate CNY. Just a simple one nia. But I was embarrassed with what he said later. His wife has breast cancer and he thinks that he is glad that he can still spend another and another CNY feeling blessed with his family. I think I need to learn from that.
Choonies last blog post..Super squeaky safe sex from Durex
[...] I don’t dread Chinese new year anymore. It is gonna be a damn helluva great time! [...]
Justin: I guess we are all growing much too jaded for CNY…
Caravanserai: I guess I am just too much of a cynic, too jaded and too anti-social for such events.
Choonie: Well, spending time with family need not only be during CNY. I just feel CNY is much too over-rated.