Sunday, August 12, 2007

Balik kampung.. oooohhh Balik kampung..

YECH... Had one of those "gatherings"/"reunion"/"celebration". YECH and DOUBLE YECH. My love for this sort of ocassions are only when I actually know people that would be there... Gagss.. Celebrating an old lady's birthday is not exactly what I call a hip party.. OK OK.. R E S P E C T is in order. Gotta salute her too since these days it's hard to live up to that age still being healthy.

Thing I hate about all this Chinese reunions are the self name introduction (and most of the time that doesnt work.. hafta mention who's 'kia' you are) and repeating yourself so many times just gets so tiring. I suggested name cards and tags but no one would take heed of what I'm saying. Bugger!

Next on the list of 'Why I hate these reunions'! (Don't really have a list, but if I did sit down and made one, I'm pretty sure it'd be long!). Remembering the names of all the aunts and uncles. I don't get it. Why can't I just call everyone uncle and aunty. It's like a test to see if I really can remember all their names. *faints* It's like history lessons all over again, learning old peoples names. Best thing is to stick next to mum, and she'll do a brief run through.

"Yes yes, this is Im Poh, that is Chim Poh, the one in red is Kim Poh, and the one who looks really fat is Gor Poh"

*Sits down and memorizes the faces and names*

"OK OK, now that is Pek Kong, the bald wan is Ku Kong, the wan with no teeth wan is Tiau Kong........"

"What? What? Who is what?"

"Aiyo, start again!"

*takes down notes this time*

"Again!" And so she repeats.

"Right, right.. Fat bald wan..... skinny but big butt wan.... tongkat wan... "

And my mum doesn't only give names to it all. (Sorry, did I say 'it'? I mean respected, knowledgable, aging humans.) She gives their history on everything else like who they married and how they got married and description of all their kids and where they are right now and their health status and what surgeries their getting and ... gosh.. this is all too much to take in.

So most of the time I listen and try to absorb what I can, though I'm pretty sure most of it just comes out the other ear. Oh well =p What's the point right? Besides, there's always next reunions where the whole darn thing will repeat itself anyway.

~Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it~ George Santayana

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