Thursday, February 22, 2007

Yearly obligation

The thing about festivities and me is that I like preparation part of it, all the decorations and tv specials, but I do not like the practice. I dread the practice. In the case of the Lunar New Year festival, I really do.

You see, my mom is an Australian, a foreigner with blonde hair in a foreign country. And my dad is Asian, a Singaporean in his familiar homeland. You can see how awkward is it for my mom to sit through a hundred-year old tradition of things you can and cannot do of the festival with my dad's rather conservative family. For me, the mongrel born outside of this country but carry the family name, it still can get really confusing sometimes.

For this year, mom tried her best to (hopelessly) blend in by putting on a "qipao", a traditional Chinese dress. You may have seen one wore by Nicole Kidman once. But I really didn't think looking like the actress was the best way to do it. I'm sure my dad's family meant well by "teaching" her the traditions with laughter and giggles, but still I cringed.

For me, I get away with it relatively easy every year. Partly because I'm not that blonde. The ability to switch accents at will come in handy too. Yet people assume that I do not understand their language which sometimes can be quite a shocking ice-breaker to my aunties and uncles whom I rarely meet.

At the end of the day, I'm glad I've got out of it alive. It's one of those you got to do to get it over with. Like a flu shot. Coz if you don't, it will feel kind of strange, won't it?

4 Comments:

Blogger pingo said...

HALEY, the name of my favourite comet. haha. So you're pan-asian eh? Funny coincidence, I was just telling my friend I was looking for a pan asian girl to photograph for my next photo series :P ... anyway, thanks for the comments on my blog ... hit me up at pingomatic@hotmail.com (msn messenger) if you like! PS, if you like jam, St. Dalfours jam is ACE!!! -pingo

February 25, 2007 at 2:45 AM  
Blogger Haley said...

Well, there should be lots of us on the streets. Heheh. We hide very well. :) Oh I looooove jams! Recently I've accquired a taste for kaya... Is that a jam? Hmm...

February 27, 2007 at 9:20 PM  
Blogger pingo said...

hey I don't see you online! =p

March 6, 2007 at 3:28 PM  
Blogger Haley said...

Me neither! :) I added you a couple of days but you can totally blame me as I usually log in at irregular hours.

March 7, 2007 at 7:05 PM  

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home