Chinese New Year arrived in an uneventful manner for me, other than being able to enjoy eating bakkwa, and pocketing a sum of money accumulated from the few red packets I receive, it felt like any other day.

When I awoke, my parents had already left, off to the temple to offer their prayers. This used to be cause for a heated argument in the past ever since I rejected the believe in the existence of any omnibenevolent being, but everything is fine and dandy now.

I take no pleasure from visiting relatives, whom I otherwise never communicate with, which never fails to annoy and bore me with the usual barrage of ritual questions and statements. “Ohhh.. You’ve grown so tall!”. One remarkable feat they have is the ability to make me feel miserable about myself by comparing me to someone else that has much more remarkable achievements.

Thankfully, I’ve only have to put up with one visiting family this year, and I retreated to my room moments after extending my greeting, and remained in there ever since.

However, if you do wish to pay me a visit, either out of goodwill, or just wanting a cut of the red packets, you are welcomed, just so as long as you’re not another one of those stinking relatives.