When I was 10 and thereabout, Chinese New Year means lots of fizzy drinks, sweets, cakes and foods. Fireworks and angpows.

When I was 18 and thereabout, Chinese New Year means meeting the boyfriend’s extended families, a nervous time of the year.

When I was 21, Chinese New Year means helping the boyfriend’s mother to make the Chinese New Year goodies. Relationship did not work out but at least I learnt a lot of cooking skills.

When I was 24, Chinese New Year means giving out lots of angpows to the husband’s clan.

When I was 26, Chinese New Year means looking forward to receive the first angpows for my first born.

Fast foward 10 years (36), Chinese New Year is a lot of works.

Fast forward 10 years (46, I am not 46 yet ok?), Chinese New Year means I want to escape to some land where people doesn’t celebrate Chinese New Year.

Fast forward 10 years, Chinese New Year means waiting for the sons to return home.

Fast forward 10 years, Chinese New Year means waiting for the grandkids to give angpow to.

Fast forward 10 more years (76), I have enough of Chinese New Year.