Singapore Expats

Wishing everyone a prosperous and happy lunar new year!

Huat ah!

Happy New Year, Pal! and to all the crew behind this awesome board and all of our members who celebrate CNY.

Hello sms, thank you for your well wishes.

How did you spent your CNY? Anything similar to us?

Happy New Year to all. As an expat who has lived in Singapore many years as both a CNY outsider and insider, the feeling is very different.

As an outsider, I appreciated the dramatic fall in traffic and crowds, it gave me a chance to find some calm and take a break from the usual hustle and bustle. The fact that most western fast food remains open during this holiday meant that I didn’t go hungry.

As an insider (married into a very traditional overseas Chinese family) it reminds me very much of Thanksgiving, where the whole family gets together and eats a lot of food, and similarly, no hassle shopping for gifts.

As a fan of Star Trek, I can’t help but see some parallels between Vulcan and Chinese culture, especially when wishing people “live long and prosper” except without raised Vulcan hand of course!

Yes! I appreciate the low traffic on the roads too. Reminds me of road traffic in the 90s when everywhere is not over crowded. Back then, most of the eating places and shops are closed for the first 2 days.

For a traditional Chinese family, the first few days are usually visiting and gathering and of course lots of food together with family. CNY is the only time many of us put aside our work and busy schedule, spend time with family and relatives whom we rarely meet.