Chinese New Year Thoughts

Let’s see now. It’s the first day of Chinese New Year and there’s about 10 minutes of it left . Had a full day, all things considered. Spent most of it with family and friends, and as I’m banging this out at home, Al is right beside me typing out something on his blog, which I’m gonna read the moment he posts it and my wife and a couple of mutual girlfriends are knuckling down to some CNY gambling. Low pot and ante of course.

It’s been a CNY of firsts for me and my wife. We’re making the journey up to Penang tomorrow, the second day of the New Year’s. This is breaking with our tradition of making it back to Penang for the traditional eve’s dinner. Today’s also the first CNY that we’re having with friends and family at our apartment and my wife and me visited a close friend today during his family’s annual open house. Met one of my ex-boss there of all people *grin*.

As it is the holidays I’ve been trying to make an effort to stay away from cyberspace and spend more time in real space. It is starting to disturb me slightly that I find that I get drawn to the Internet during times of idleness. Speaks volumes of my need of getting a dose of feeling connected yet finding myself not really connected with real people.

So this week has been, and I hope will continue to be, a week of re-establishing that human presence-to-presence contact. It is a good feeling to be among close friends, family and the wife. I’ve even managed to re-establish contact with friends whom I’ve not heard from in 12 years and met an ex-boss who gave me a leg-up in the working world, less as a boss but more as a friend now.

The people we meet in one phase of life transits to another group in another phase. Our relationships are so transient in nature that sometimes I wonder, in the midst of conversations with friends, where will I stand with them in five years. I remember with regret and sadness of the numbers of friends I’ve lost touch with, likely until this life is over. Yet on the flip side the pleasure in re-establishing contact with those we’ve not met in years. If this is possible within the framework of our fragile and imperfect relationship, I cannot help but be excited at times when I look forward to the promise of rediscovering those people which have passed on in our Father’s house.

I guess I won’t be writing for awhile here in cyberspace, at least until the end of this week. Looking forward to meet my in-laws and Penang. Even if, for the most part, I can’t understand them because I don’t converse in Hokkien and Mandarin.

A blessed Chinese New Year to all and may God continue to watch over each and everyone of us this festive season.