Rat ... CNY ... 3rd day

3rd day of the Chinese New Year. Supposedly a time of great fun, of family gathering, of friends getting together... was pretty quiet though.

Had a nice 2nd day at my maternal grandma's side, playing a little with the children of my aunts and uncles. It is like the "change of tides", since about a decade ago, the paternal grandma's side was more happening. People do grow older and families grow apart when they start nuclear families of their own... and then the things that we share and want to talk about reduce with time. Facts of life? Or just the lack of will to maintain close relationships?

Remembered that I had told myself last year, that I would try to skip out of the relative visiting this year, so as to avoid 2 things: (1) the specific question that would make me grimace ... and (2) receiving of angbaos. But of course, without a valid reason to siam, the least I can do as a form of respect to my parents was to turn up. I was proud that I did not repeat my low-EQ outburst of "关你什么事" to some of those pesky relatives. And this year, against tradition, I decided to dispense angbaos to some of the kids! That was actually kinda fun.

A "home-rest" over the past 2 months is finally becoming tiring for me, despite my saying that I do not look forward to the upcoming trips. Perhaps the work trips are a perfect way to remind me of what I like here at home. Some say that while work trips can be a real bitch, it can also be addictive... and a perfect way to escape the mundaneness of everyday life at home. Well, the crazy life is going to start again for 2008!