Happy Dragon Year!
This years reunion dinner was a special one for me. Sometime I do feel that the universe knows what I need and made it a dream come true for me. I have always felt divided about having to choose where to eat my reunion dinner - my parents house or his parents house. Naturally by tradition a daughter is expected to spend reunion dinner at her in laws place with her husband. I wonder what about those couple with only a single married daughter, wouldn’t it be lonely on Chinese New Year’s Eve?
I think my mother in law understands my feelings and I am so glad that this year she invited my parents and siblings to have reunion dinner together. For me this is the best reunion dinner ever because I have all my near and dear eating, laughing and sharing stories together. My father in law manage to joke with me when he distributed red packets to my siblings and look at me and say “none for you” in a joking manner and after that handed me red packet which is what we called 压岁钱。 This red packet is for us to put under our pillows to sleep and may it suppress (压) our age (岁)- basically may we stay youthful forever. Master Louis also say that we can give ourselves this red packet and write our name and wishes into our packets.
As usual I was the last to finish dinner and I just enjoyed everything slowly at my own pace. I feel more comfortable now that I could feel relaxed and less formal at the dinning table. My husband was very kind by helping me to remove fish bones and prawn shells so dinner was a breeze. I was late so I couldn’t help them prepare dinner and I attempted to help wash the dishes but the kind helper asked me to just leave the dishes and she will do them. To be truthful I don’t really fancy any kitchen work so I was really relieved that there are kind people offering help and I could escape from all the kitchen work.
I am glad I brought my sleepwear over and mom was being very funny when I told her I got to sleep over at my in laws place and she was like “oh you going to sleep there?” Then realised the question was a little silly and said “yes of course”. I told her “Err, I guess I will have to be with my husband?” My time spent at home is so short and I have allocated 2 nights spent at my in laws home and 2 nights to be spent at my home. Mom in law was kind enough to offer me to take my husband home with me the next day but I told her I have allocated the days and will stay another night at her home. I’m really thankful that the distance of our homes are only 200 meters or less apart.
Wouldn’t it be lovely if me and my husband both work here in our hometown and we own a house in the same vicinity as our parents and are all neighbours! I think that would be ideal and we could both be there for them. As of now the tentative plan is for me to return to my hometown after my graduation as there are more people who need me in my hometown and my husband is okay with a temporary long distance marriage.
I have so many wishes written on my red packet today and I hope all of them comes true.
Comments