Chinese New Year
It's Chinese New Year today.
Woke up early in the morning to a phone call from my dad and talked to all the members of my family one by one. Told my mum about the sugar-fried rice and she cackled loudly (my mum is the person I get my cackle from!) Was very, very touched and glad that I'd managed to talk to them first thing in the morning. When they hung up, the tears just came because I was so touched and because I really missed them then.
It's Chinese New Year today and people back home are gathering for reunion dinners and wearing new clothes. My dad and mum are sleeping soundly after a full day of cooking and fellowship and fun and laughter and my brother and sister-in-law are probably watching a movie together at home or listening to him play his Steinway. My cousin is awake feeding her little baby and my friends are comparing what they got in their red packets.
It's Chinese New Year today and I'm dressed in white, not red. I've not received any ang pows this year. I'm not with my family, and I've not had jellyfish or sea slug or chicken feet or black fungus or any of the (disgusting?) exotic things the Chinese eat on New Year's Day, and I've not heard any Chinese songs on the streets which are not decorated in red. I've not had any mandarin oranges nor offered anybody any, and there isn't an upside-down "fu" on my door.
I have spent this day with my dearest friends, though, and we had Charco's chicken (a real rip-off of Nandos!) Instead of Chinese music, we were subjected to Portuguese (possibly Indian?) music, and instead of jellyfish or sea slug or chicken feet or black fungus or any of the (disgusting?) exotic things the Chinese eat on New Year's day, we had chicken and after that chocolate cake and ice-cream. Instead of giving each other mandarin oranges and asking for ang pows we shared and joked and laughed and enjoyed each other's company. And even though I may not have had a very traditional Chinese New Year, I can't imagine a better one really - a quiet one spent with my Leeds family.
It's Chinese New Year today and after typing out this blog, I'm going to walk home jeans dragging in the streets shining with rain and hair damp in the drizzle. I'm going to tidy up my room to Chris' CD and watch Casablanca on my laptop while my dad and mum stir from their sleep and get ready for another new day. And as my dad puts the kettle on and makes the sandwiches, I'll brush my teeth and sit on my bed and think about my day.
And as I finally close my diary to Satie's Gymnopedies and open the curtains so that the sunlight will wake me up and snuggle down under the quilt, my dad sits down in the early morning light to write out his sermon for Sunday and my mum stands in front of the classroom "moulding the future of our nation" :oP
It's Chinese New Year - and on the other side of the world, it's already over; but I'm thinking of you and I hope you all had a meaningful one.
Woke up early in the morning to a phone call from my dad and talked to all the members of my family one by one. Told my mum about the sugar-fried rice and she cackled loudly (my mum is the person I get my cackle from!) Was very, very touched and glad that I'd managed to talk to them first thing in the morning. When they hung up, the tears just came because I was so touched and because I really missed them then.
It's Chinese New Year today and people back home are gathering for reunion dinners and wearing new clothes. My dad and mum are sleeping soundly after a full day of cooking and fellowship and fun and laughter and my brother and sister-in-law are probably watching a movie together at home or listening to him play his Steinway. My cousin is awake feeding her little baby and my friends are comparing what they got in their red packets.
It's Chinese New Year today and I'm dressed in white, not red. I've not received any ang pows this year. I'm not with my family, and I've not had jellyfish or sea slug or chicken feet or black fungus or any of the (disgusting?) exotic things the Chinese eat on New Year's Day, and I've not heard any Chinese songs on the streets which are not decorated in red. I've not had any mandarin oranges nor offered anybody any, and there isn't an upside-down "fu" on my door.
I have spent this day with my dearest friends, though, and we had Charco's chicken (a real rip-off of Nandos!) Instead of Chinese music, we were subjected to Portuguese (possibly Indian?) music, and instead of jellyfish or sea slug or chicken feet or black fungus or any of the (disgusting?) exotic things the Chinese eat on New Year's day, we had chicken and after that chocolate cake and ice-cream. Instead of giving each other mandarin oranges and asking for ang pows we shared and joked and laughed and enjoyed each other's company. And even though I may not have had a very traditional Chinese New Year, I can't imagine a better one really - a quiet one spent with my Leeds family.
It's Chinese New Year today and after typing out this blog, I'm going to walk home jeans dragging in the streets shining with rain and hair damp in the drizzle. I'm going to tidy up my room to Chris' CD and watch Casablanca on my laptop while my dad and mum stir from their sleep and get ready for another new day. And as my dad puts the kettle on and makes the sandwiches, I'll brush my teeth and sit on my bed and think about my day.
And as I finally close my diary to Satie's Gymnopedies and open the curtains so that the sunlight will wake me up and snuggle down under the quilt, my dad sits down in the early morning light to write out his sermon for Sunday and my mum stands in front of the classroom "moulding the future of our nation" :oP
It's Chinese New Year - and on the other side of the world, it's already over; but I'm thinking of you and I hope you all had a meaningful one.
2 Comments:
Dear Ruthie =) that was such a LOVELY post!!! i loved it so much. im thinking of you too.... Im sure you will have a sweet year ahead ... Look out for ur prince Charming !! .... take care ...mz
By
Anonymous, at 4:55 pm
hm.... ok.... i will look out for a white horse guy
By
ruthie, at 5:11 pm
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