it's always the same "formulae"

One thing I've just kinda "concluded" is that…

Every year, during our short CNY gamble @ ASKY's house,

It's always the same result!!

Before this, I was normally in the game… and with my existence,

The game's usually boring, lengthy, cos, I just refused to increase the bet..

But this year, all women were busy with the kids… and left the men in the game…

That's the result..

Sad and "shocking" to see… HAHA!!!

And it probably tells one thing…

See… normally in the game,

Caljes, Mr. Wong, him, and HcYong,

+/- some other "kelefeh"… cos, the above are the permanent casts…

This year, there's one special-appearance by ryap123,

Guess what's the result??

The result is more or less the same every single year, ever since we started our CNY gambling, (not real hardcore gamble)

Caljes will always be the absolute winner, what does that mean? You tell me!

Him?? "no loose no win", I asked, "then why play?" - but nobody knows the truth, cos, he never keeps track on how much he's bet, COS, he uses the supposed angpow money to "puak kiao"!! ^_^ (hokkien - gamble)

Mr. Wong, on and off, this year, he's kicked-out fast!! Cos, without me there, from the beginning, the bet's already BIG!! Ie. you know the result FASTER!

HcYong?? Also same as him, "loose a bit, win a bit", I guess… well, he never tells, so, I don't know…

And the special-appearance.. Since he's not the usual cast in the game, I can't conclude yet…

My opinion?

If every year, the "result" is more or less the same,

It does tell one thing,

Ie. the result of the game's not just by luck anymore…

It really fully relies on the character/personality of the person, ie. that kinda affect the "skill"… (ya, if you call it skill)

Haha!! Interesting finding for me!!

2010 CNY Verdict!!

overall??

not bad...

at least, none of us get sick ^_^(touch wood!)

we didn't overeat, in fact, we cut down a lot,

we didn't overdrink, like I mentioned, only 1 softdrink, shared between 2 of us, well, my coffee's as usual, and loads of water,

we didn't gamble till late, not that we're seasonal gamblers, just want to dramatize a little bit,

and for me, I didn't finish that 2 big packs of “bak gua” from Sun-Weng-Hiong, damn good, but I controlled!!

and for me again, I blogged a lot, twit a lot, which I think, I'm pretty pleased about it...

and for baby, she seems to have grown up quite a bit, no more “stranger”-anxiety, and she pretty much does have a schedule, but a very flexible schedule that makes her life, and my life much more easier!!

for us, we didn't do much visit-visit... having baby's a good excuse, the hot weather will definitely does a huge damage to us if we're on the road...,

and for me again, we didn't travel to penang island that much, or for long hours, which is good, for some reason, I don't quite like going to the island, it's just too congested, and crowded... and it's always HOT HOT HOT and nothing more!!

I prefer staying back here in the mainland, good and cheap food, and much more cosier!

for him?? err... well, I guess shall be similar verdict as mine, plus 1 more element, ie. “family gathering”!

Let's Get Sick!!

hm... don't know why, CNY (the once a year biggest festive for general chinese) has kinda becomes “let's get sick” season... especially those with kids...

well... not for my family, ie. Not him, not me, and baby's only having very mild cold, very!!!

she's not even terrified of sterrimar anymore, whenever I tried to spray it into her nose... and today, she even giggled a little bit, when I did that for her during bedtime... maybe she understands that, her nose will be “clearer” after being sprayed with the sterrimar... anyway, I'm pretty confident that, when we get back to our lovely condo, she'll recover...

but a lot of people are already down with either sored throat, or flu, or whatever...

and that makes me start thinking... hm... I know, mainly, and 80% is due to the deteriorating weather in this region, but is there anything that we can do to help?? I'll say, “certainly”, weather, we can't help much... I mean, people have been yelling “green green green” for so long, and going green is not just during CNY, it's a lifelong journey for everybody, if you can make it...

so, let's put aside the “green” thing...

I guess, the resolution lies in the food we take during CNY, and the lifestyle...

well... luckily as for us, this year, we didn't gamble... he touched a little bit onto the deck of cards, but only for a sweet 2 hours plus, in the morning...

and we've constantly reminded ourselves not to indulge too much in any of the CNY titbits, I've not laid my hands on any fried titbits yet, and we've only had ½ kickapoo (one type of soft drink) each... (ya, both of us were “staring” at that can of kickapoo, like calling us to take it, then, we decided to share) so far...

and I've been telling him, we're doing just fine...

as for the gathering/reunion dinnerSSS, we've revised to do ala-carte ordering, rather than going for the full lengthy course dinner... at least, we get to choose some dish that we really want to put in our stomach, than, to live on what the restaurant has to offer us...

I seriously am very skeptical about CNY festive season, ever since we've baby, cos, 1 down, whole family down, and it'll probably last to nearly 1 month... also, it's painful (not really heartache, but the whole process is just tedious, and painstaking...) if we were to constantly feed baby different type of medicine!!

and that's why, I really start to think, WE, as in the whole nation chinese in this region (maybe mainly m'sian and s'porean) maybe should sit down, and revise the lifestyle to be “promoted” during this festive season... and ya, of course, if anybody can think of such solution, and even come out with some products, I bet the person will be rich... for eg. The whole “lou sang” idea!!

ok, if I think of one, I'll then post it here, ie. I'm genius, and I shall be an entrepreneur,

if you don't see me posting, you then know that, this blogger's not so a genius!! kakakakaka!!!

a modified “visit-visit”!!

Ooh... I'm not sure if fellow chinese who stays in other countries still visit-visit after so many years, I'll be very interested to know and learn about how different chinese in different countries pass their superb festive... blink!

Anyway... I kinda like the modified version what we've developed throughout these few years, coincidently, he and his ex-colleagues, and we, and our college friends...

That's what we do, we'll gather together, either at one of our house, or at a local restaurant... we meet up, we chat, and haha, kids meet kids, kids meet aunties uncles, and kids get the “ang pow”... so far so good... it's never been intended as a courtesy, that's why I said, so far so good, basically, somebody initiated it, and for those who can make it, make it, those who cannot make it, we'll see them next year... that's how we do... pretty convenient, and less “taxing”...

When Enjoyable act turns courtesy

Today, I can't help, but to think, when an enjoyable acts, slowly evolved to becoming a courtesy... it's simply not that enjoyable anymore...

That's why, when I was younger, I used to hear my mother saying, if that's your interest, better don't make it your job...

You see... sometimes, we start something, for fun, for enjoyment purpose, but eventually, it evolves to becoming a chore, a courtesy, to me, that's not fun anymore, cos, you HAVE to do it, as it's the usual practice... not because you want to do it...

and I bet you, CHINESE really have a lot of courtesy and practices, especially noticeable during festive season... therefore, sometimes, I'm not very keen on “starting” another new enjoyment session, cos, when you start it, others will expect it to be a 'courtesy' in the future years to come... and that's not fun!!! cos, a lot of people, simply cannot “think out of the box”, the tradition is not meant to be changed, or, to be altered... why?? simply because you don't know it can be changed?? or it can be modified? Or, simply, as I kinda mentioned one day, you don't even know why was it there in the first place!!!

Yep... most of us, (I'll be a bit “conservative” in the sense by not putting the words, “all of us”) do not dare to challenge things which we don't even know anything about it... right??? like the chinese saying, “you know the oponent well, you know yourself well, and therefore you'll win”, but then, to our God, to our traditional belief, it's just sooooooooooo traditional to the extent that, we do not know why was it there in the first place, and if you think properly you don't even know why are you doing this today...

I was brought up in a way, where the festive will be filled up with visiting, day 1, we stay at home, waiting for people to come and visit, day 2, we go out, visiting the others... since I was young, I do wonder, on and off, why we do it day 1 in, day 2 out?? and what about the others?? those on the “receiving” side, why are they sort of day 1 in, day 2 out?? isn't that funny?? have you thought about it?? and who sets this rule?? and when will this rule be changed??

sometimes, it's “shocking” to me that, these type of practice is not even questionable, it's just there, no alternative, till you die... (oops, can I mention this word during this festive season?? ahh... who cares, if I mention it over text, then, shoot me via text)

and I thought... if following the “unknown” tradition, on the second day, we must go back to the wife's hometown?? oh!! that sucks too, imagine, we'll have to rush to the airport with baby, change at least 1 flight, to reach my hometown???

that's why, practice is practice, tradition is tradition, these are all hard and “dead” rules (oops, there I mention the forbidden word again!!) but we, human is alive... 書是死的，人是活的，傳統是死的，我們是活着的。

However... I've seen many people, like what I've shared with one of my friends, thing that convenients and favours them, is “usual practice”, and when it doesn't earn them any benefit, well... that's “silence”... nothing to talk about!!! sad huh?? that's human being, anyway... of course, if I put myself in the situation, why should I mention about rules/laws/tradition/practices that's not in my favorite?? Just Why Should I?? right?

At the end of the day, (consultant's talk) I'm having a slight headache now (which I normally do not have any headache, besides my normal “cycle”) and because of that, it's hard for me to fall asleep, cos, the 'ache' just kinda keep bugging me... baby's cold's not recovered yet, due to lack of rest and also the bad weather and bad air-conditioning (the air-conditioner, sigh... shut-off, too hot, switch-on, too dry!!... that's our festive “mood” in this superb festive season!!! ^_^

One good thing... baby seems to have “grown up” a lot, in this superb festive season!!

a Meaningful festiVE!!

Ooh... Yeh!! It's so different, this year, and today (ok, technically yesterday, but today's on behalf of yesterday) marks the first time,

where... we've baby with us, for Chinese New Year, and we've baby with us, for Valentine's... a different and meaningful year...