(picture taken at Singapore’s Chingay Preview)

Yesterday marked the 15th day of the lunar new year, and fire crackers were being set off by many locals all over. They really had a blast since the blasting of fire crackers were heard from 6 in the evening till 10+ at night. It’s my 2nd time being here on 元宵节 and the feeling is the same: annoyance. Imagine how many households or businesses are setting off fire crackers for the blasting to last for 4 hours. It’s not the kind of pyrotechnics that we view in awe during rare occasions in Singapore, but the anyhow-anywhere-set-don’t-care-if-the-popper-lands-on-someone’s-head kind. It’s a joyous occasion and maybe I’m envious of their accessibility to fire crackers and their family time, but the way they celebrate is simply hazardous and rather irritating.

I was watching a celebratory show on 湖南卫视 that feature famous artistes lip-syncing to their songs while the show slowly but surely turned into a drama thanking rescue workers for their efforts during the weather disaster. Suddenly instead of watching 快男超女 (”happy boys & super girls”) (various artistes from competitions akin to American Idol) bouncing around on stage forgetting their lyrics with their mouth wide open, I was watching a soldier proposing to his fiancee on national tv because his marriage was postponed twice due to his obligation to fulfil assignments during the disaster, as well as several other tearful stories of separation for the soldiers and their family during spring festival.

Anyway, hope you guys had a fabulous 元宵节, and let me try wishing you the Chinese way:

恭祝大家在新的一年里：

一帆风顺、二龙腾飞、三羊开泰、四季平安、五福临门、六六大顺、七星高照、八方来财、九九同心、十全十美、百事亨通、千事吉祥、万事如意 ！