After all the rush to clean up and stock up alas the Chinese New Year has come and you get all worn out after three days of celebrating, i.e. receiving relatives and visiting relatives, and feasting throughout. But it is important to remember that the festival is not about feasting and drinking; rather it is about catching up with relatives, finding out how they have fared through the past months and wishing each other all the blessings and well-wishes for the next 12 months. Indeed we ask ourselves why do we not keep in touch as often as we should, especially given that Singapore is only an island state and getting from one point to another at worse takes only an hour or so? It's all about the rat-race and the rat I feel is more energetic in urban Singapore than elsewhere. Another reason advanced by some is that familiarity breeds contempt and so it is better to keep a distance and enjoy the absence. The reality it seems among many families is that if they don't meet during the festive season, they may meet during weddings or funerals. While weddings may not occur as often, with a greying population, funerals seem to be the more frequent platform.
Sadly the erosion of cultural ties among some of us has seen many traditions eroded and everyone becomes so glued to their portable smart phones and their ipads that even when they are on that once a year visit, some just continued playing with their technological gadgets. I hope it won't come a time when visits are just done on Skype or Twitter. Perhaps and I hope I may be wrong.
Sadly the erosion of cultural ties among some of us has seen many traditions eroded and everyone becomes so glued to their portable smart phones and their ipads that even when they are on that once a year visit, some just continued playing with their technological gadgets. I hope it won't come a time when visits are just done on Skype or Twitter. Perhaps and I hope I may be wrong.
