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As of midnight yesterday, I have decided that celebrating Chinese New Year is no longer to my liking.

For one, the television programs are all rescheduled for its sake. I couldn’t watch NCIS at 8tv because they canceled it for the celebration week. Usually it doesn’t get so dramatic when I miss an episode, but because I huddled with the four cuddly pillows on the comfortable golden couch in my luxurious living room (we glued money on the wall for CNY), I was heated when they aired some other programs instead. I am astounded by how brash and hasty the channel has become. This totally changed my good thoughts on them in more than one significant way.

I mean, after three years of portraying my love and loyalty to 8tv, it seemed to me they should have sent me a letter of acknowledgement at least, in advance. Just to inform me about the rescheduling so I won’t have to huddle eagerly in front of that non-enthusiastic black box and wait for days. Of course, 8tv and I were never married. We committed a dalliance for three years, but not anything more serious. No vows exchanged, no affection expressed. However, now that it has shown its true colors by treating me with indifference, I guess that is a problem. Perhaps I should only give indifference in return.

Secondly, prices hike unnecessarily during CNY. I can offer no ready acceptance to the staggering prices of raw materials in the market. The butcher sliced through our throats for five or six days before CNY, and it stirs them with pleasure. The fish monger has no change for a dollar hence charge you the extras and this seems to please him more than any other money he had earned all day. The cabby conveniently neglects to stop the meter after you have reached your destination, and made you pay him additional twenty cents. Almost everybody cheats a little during CNY.

I do not intend to dwell excessively in the domestic crimes during CNY, nor am I vastly concerned with the politics behind it. I just do not want to see children playing fire crackers without adult supervision because their favorite cartoons are rescheduled, and I do not want to see tears in any fathers’ eyes because they can’t afford to buy even a chicken for morning rituals on first day of CNY. These are real indifference. For some reason, I resent the horrid smartness during CNY that sends hundreds of people to eat at expensive restaurants serving mediocre food, or drink at five star coffee bean, because it’s fashionable to be seen there.

However, Chinese New Year offers some prizes I will miss, those I don’t get to see during other seasons in the year. In no other time will I see such beautiful people and children, they stride rapidly and with purpose, all in their bright colorful dresses, their faces filled with vitality and they seem to meet life eagerly.

Guess there is always two sides to every story. The tempo of the celebration is exhilarating, yet poignant at some level. I suppose everyone will come to this point in life and can’t avoid not thinking about these things, right :)

How was your Chinese New Year?