Happy Chinese New Year 2015

 

Chasing festivals around the world, seeing Christmas in England, New Years in London, Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Christmas Market in Germany, one could not appreciate more a festival back home that one grew up with.

I have known travellers that would plan their whole long term travel only to go back in time for Christmas or Thanksgiving and some would even buy a special flight ticket back home just to celebrate the festival with family before flying back out and resuming their journey. Then there are those not so fortunate and will have to spend their cherished festival moments with hopefully great random strangers.

For me being a Malaysian Chinese, the celebration of Chinese New Year would be the most important one. Growing up in Malaysia it was always a celebration regardless of which festival it is. During CNY, muslim, indian, or any others for that matter would visit the Chinese community houses, eat delicious food and of course collect the customary red packet. Vice versa, during other celebration such as Deepavali (Festival of the Light for Hindu), or Hari Raya (Muslim), or Christmas, I on the other hand would be visiting friends’ houses for the same reason.

I used to joke with my boss at work … we Malaysian Celebrate all Festivals regardless if it’s your religion or not and I guess it’s true in a way but there is always one that is more meaningful, more important than the rest.

While I sit here in Porto Alegre, Brazil watching TV showing Brazilian celebrating Carnival at its peak, back home the first day of CNY would come to rise and I would missed it.

Miss the reunion dinner with family where once a year family will use all means to gather together for a dinner the night before the new year  ….

Miss the bickering that would happen eventually as we rub nerve on each other …… and being a family one learns the best ways to rub nerve on another

Miss the endless delicious food … and of course drinking

Miss the sly gambling that would take place eventually. Even the pretend innocent will gamble during this festival. For the gambler that I am, this is the period where I sometime become a rented gambler …. Money given to me to gamble as an investment where I would eventually have to return with very high interest in the end of the day

Miss the gossips and catching up

But of all the endless things I miss during CNY period there will be one that I am glad I am far far away which is the endless questions of why I am still single and the pestering of matchmaking from good hearted or rather just bored aunts.

For all the dreams, envy and hope that I have given people through my journey’s photo posting traveling the world, during this time of the year it will be my turn to dream and envy of delicious CNY food and envy the celebrations of not being home. No doubt I will follow friends and family on facebook of the celebrations and reunion photos or even excursions and long to be there.  

I wish everyone a Very

Happy Chinese New Year 2015 of the SHEEP …. Baaa …. Baaa ….. HUAT AH !!