CNY Thoughts...

Here I am, typing down my thoughts in the middle of the night after a really sumptuous dinner at Uncle Chong's place - think homemade mui choy kao yuk with bun, steamed chicken with special taucheo celup-celup sauce, fragrant lotus leaf yam rice, yong tau foo and steamboat... mmmmm aaaahhhh~

This Chinese New Year is a special year of sorts for me, my first CNY after getting married, first time not spending '30th night' and chor yat at my house, first time celebrating CNY with his family in Malacca, first time spending a peranakan CNY, first time eating ketupat and sambal udang and rendang on the first day of CNY (truth to say I really missed my normal CNY dishes!), first time meeting some of his relatives, first time giving out angpow as newlyweds, first time receiving angpow as newlyweds! Different customs vary by ethnicity, in Malacca (Hokkien) we get angpows for being a newlywed while in Ipoh we have to give out double angpows (Cantonese)! First time celebrating triple birthdays within two days, 20th Feb is my mother-in-law's birthday and An An's (btw this kid calls me Aunty, that's another first for me!) while 21st Feb is my dad's! First time travelling up and down half of Peninsular Malaysia within the first week, first time not having to anticipate start of work! :-P It's been really, really great and the first week seemed like an eternity... and it's not even over yet! So happy... ^_^

Mom said we are like birds, flitting from one place to the next. On 29th night of the Chinese calendar, we were back in Ipoh from Penang, and by 30th night we had arrived in Malacca. On 2nd day we took a bus up to Slim River to spend CNY at my grandpa's place, and on the 3rd day we were at Ipoh again, and managed to meet some of my friends too. And on the 4th day we were at KL again cos I needed to get my Korean student visa done, and Kok Shin was so kind to fetch us to Klang to meet up with Teck for bak kut teh lunch, and then to Puchong to meet Kak Waan and then Dom fetched us to Pudu. Talking about Pudu, it is still as terrible as hell even after the so-called facelift! There's like this mountain of garbage just below the steps and the stench fills the air... such a turnoff for tourists! And then after 3 days in Malacca tomorrow I'm travelling back to Ipoh again. And next week, this time, I'll already be at Busan, enjoying the nice cool spring weather.

And since I'm on this topic, I've been postponing my feelings about leaving for 2 years till it's really overdue. Ever since I got the confirmation about going to study, I've been putting off being sad each time somebody asks me "How are you feeling about leaving?" It was really easy then to give myself excuses to not think about it, too busy planning the wedding, too busy during the wedding, too busy during CNY... yet now it's time to face my inner demons. Everytime I see that sad face, and of course my parents' reluctant faces and my friends' hugs and "see you after two years", something kicks me a little inside yet I'm still not feeling an overpouring of emotions, not just yet. Could it be something in me is set free now? Feeling as relieved and as free as a bird. The anticipation, the excitement, and yes the commitment of marriage really helps. Perhaps I'll save my tears till the airport. Then hope for the best, that 2 years will just pass by in the blink of an eye.

Till then. Happy CNY, everybody!