It's Chinese New Year! I took yesterday off. I like my self-made tradition of taking Chinese New Year's Day off. I go watch lion dances and watch festivities. Of course if there wasn't anything going on, I probably wouldn't take the day off. It seems like a lot of Chinese people here don't make a big deal of it. That's too bad.

And I think the recession has gotten poeple's Chinese New Year spirit down (or people are just really cheap...The current generation of North American Asians joke that Chinese people are cheap. We are definitely a frugal bunch.). The custom is for all married people to give "red packets" to everyone younger than they are and are unmarried. Red packets are red envelopes filled with money -- not stuff, but just a bill of some sort. At the shopping centre, I ran into a family friend (and her husband) and my nosy aunt (and my uncle). Both were with their grandsons. They were all watching the lion dance together. My mom and I met up with them afterwards.

My mom pulled out a red packet for each of the little ones. It wasn't until then that the other couples were scrambling to give red packets to the little boys. The family friends didn't give me anything. And my aunt (who was not prepared to give out money) gave me one packet (nothing from my uncle), and the envelope was for couples getting married. The family friend's grandson who was probably about 2 and a half asked why his envelope wasn't sealed. BWAHAHA Her envelope was old and ripped and had been clearly used before. Oh, the best part about her giving me my packet was what she said while she was handing it to me, "Here is a red packet for you. Only single people get them, you know." Gee, auntie...in my 32 years of going through Chinese New Year, I had absolutely NO FRICKING CLUE how it all works! Thank you! I do think that maybe if she did a better job of teaching her own kids about Chinese culture, she wouldn't have to be so condescending to me about traditions and culture or be so surprised if I showed any knowledge about it.

And my nosy aunt and I had a lovely conversation. I don't know why she gets to me, but I just really wish she would mind her own business. I would be fine if she never spoke to me again. My mom's travel agent knows my aunt through church. I guess if you have a mutual acquaintance, it's okay to talk about them, right? @#$! So...my aunt says to me, "I heard your Perth trip didn't work out." The fricking travel agent told her. Then she went on, "I have a nephew who's a doctor and he is there doing some training. He's single and by himself. You could stay at his place. You wouldn't have to be alone in Perth." I told her that I wasn't going to to Perth, but she continued. "You could stay at his place. He has to have a 2-bedroom place. He's a doctor doing some training. Why don't you discuss it with your boss." I was kind of silent because what else do you say? She just kept looking at me and started talking again. "You could stay there for free! Why don't you talk to your boss again and tell you have a place to stay?"

Yeah...I want to stay with a complete stranger for free so I can take a trip to Australia. No, thanks.