Gong Hei Fatt Choy
Every year we come back to Ipoh for Chinese New Year…… and I dread it.
Well, primarily it’s because I have to see this obnoxious cousin, who always comments on how I’ve put on weight and how I should lose them. This year is no different. But as I grew older, I’ve been able to get a handle on his criticisms and flyby comments by largely ignoring him and avoiding being in the same room as him. And when he does, I usually snipe at him – ladylikely, of course.
His mother was no different. Every year she must make a remark about how I’ve not lose much weight, about how I’m still plump, large, fat, fleshy, etc. This year she did make a change – she said that I had lost some weight. But you know, I don’t really care even if she commented that I was as thin as Kate Moss. Comments from this relative family has never been anticipated nor welcomed. Because I’ve long acknowledged that she and he needed bleach to rinse their mouths.
But I guess he’s trying to do right by me this year, and from now on, I hope. He’s been very kind and genuinely interested in what I do and what I’m into. And becos of last year’s near snatch incident with my handbag, he’s been ‘bodyguarding’ me and constantly reminding me to be careful with my bag. Well, we’ll see.
But it’s very drama coming back, because I get to witness the fiery words between my father and his father my grandfather. See, my grandfather’s horribly long-winded and … old. And my father doesn’t appreciate his jabbering.
Example, we had this short conversation, me and my aunt and little cousin, about those in our family who had married ‘kwai lous’ – it means caucasian, in Cantonese. And then my little cousin wondered why some of our cousins are never seen at the Clan Gathering. So my aunt and I explained it’s because the gurls who marry out, always go back to the man’s side, then the mother’s side. So then she said, what about so and so, since they married kwai lous. And of course those were different, the men did go to the women’s side cos they essentially didn’t have that kind of custom, and they enjoyed the major eating binge. And so I jested with my cousin that our younger generation should change traditions, even when we did marry Asian men.
And my grandfather piped in.
“That’s why all the kwai lous who go to China never want to get out because they love our eating binge.”
Silence all over the table.
This is very normal. Lots of times when my grandfather made comments like these he doesn’t get any comment from anyone, even my grandmother.
I should be counting my angpaos day after tomorrow.
Gong Xi Fa Chai to all the Chinese!
posted by Jennirhiow @ 1:34 am
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