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Hallo everyone |
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Did you enjoy your Chinese New Year holidays?
Well, the Chinese here have been merry-making the past week. With the first
day of Chinese New Year falling on a Wednesday, it meant that the rest of the
week till Sunday was a super-long weekend for much of Singapore's population. |
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Though there was school on Friday, attendance was
less than half in many classes, whether they be in the primary, secondary or
junior college levels. |
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It is said that the Chinese have a propensity for
gambling. Chinese New Year is that festive season when everyone, whether
gambler or non-gambler, partakes in a tradition that transcends generations.
Children and adults put moral rulebooks at the back of their minds as they
gamely sit in a circle on the floor of the living room, indulging in games of
Blackjack or some other games. |
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That's when the gambling streak in everyone shows
up, albeit for a fortnight till Chap Goh Meh*. That's also when parents
tolerate gambling among their young. In fact, many parents, grandparents, and
their children join the gambling sessions that go on in almost every Chinese
household across the island, and the world. |
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With the current TOTO jackpot standing at
S$3,888,000, long queues have begun forming at the local betting outlets in
town. The annual TOTO Hongbao draw on Thursday, 17 Feb 2005, with its jackpot
prize of S$10 million, has resulted in queues at betting outlets snaking out
of the outlets into the surrounding areas. |
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What am I saying? That we are a nation of
gamblers? No. Not that, certainly. It's just that we, Chinese, are in a
celebratory spirit during the Chinese New Year. It's that time of the year
when tradition takes hold and we all put aside our anti-gambling principles
and indulge in merry-making to our hearts' content. |
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Once the fifteen days of the Chinese New Year are
over, we will return to our old reserved, closeted selves. So, in the
meantime, we are all just having fun! |
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Chap Goh Meh falls on 23 Feb 2005. That means
another weekend of gaming sessions for many, many Singaporeans. Most Chinese
will not want to be left out of the fun, for it will mean waiting till the
next Chinese New Year before they can let go of their self-imposed moral
restraints. |
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In a rat-race society such as ours, being able to
set ourselves free of our inhibitions, albeit for two weeks, does wonders for
our stressed-out minds. Don't you agree? |
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* 15th day of Chinese New Year |
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picture(s), to us at editor@getforme.com |
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We are now 7641 pages thick and growing. | |
Public Holidays
GOOD FRIDAY is the next public
holiday. It falls on 25 March 2005. |
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Monday with the Editor: Chinese New Year merry-making
