yeah....Things will only get better

Chinese New Year has never been my cup of tea.

I would prefer a simple get together session with my friends and relatives. No need for eleborate goodies that will make me become fat; do away with the red colour decorations that make my place like some red light district.. of course, on a personal level I don't mind the ang pows. But well, it has some of grown out of proportion. It's no longer a custom. It's become some sort of coffee money.

This is all the more so during the first few days when you report back to work after the extended breaks. You pay your way through at the entrance, whereby the secruity guard allows you easy access on the account of a red packet. Legalised corruption? Of course you can choose not to give him that ang pow, chances are what you see is a black faced jaga, uncooperative and insist that you write down all your particulars on that visitor sheet and you have to surrender your IC. The usually unfriendly uncle that sweeps that floor suddenly smiles at you, wishing you "gong xi fa cai". He may not be able to prononce that properly, but well... his out stretched palm says it all. There you have it, the power of capitalism?

Yes indeed, money says it all. It transcends all races, religion and ages. It's not surprising that parents are resorting to legalised bribery to ensure that their children do well in school , or at least do abide by them. Was at OCBC bank to cash a cheque. Well, I supposed it's the usual crowd during the CNY period. People cashing in their ERS and stuff, or withdrawing crisp bank notes for the ang pows, or just simply asking for red packets... empty ones of course, the banks do give them out for free. Different banks have got different designs, but well... I don't quite like OCBC's design so didn't really collected any despite the fact that if I could request from the counter girl.

Anyway, saw this little toddler running about the bank. He was with his family- Dad, Mum, Sis and him. Sis looked like a primary one or two pupil. Clad in her PE attire, she looked like she's just been off school. Mum and Dad were at a counter, presumbly busy deciding what to invest in. Little toddler was running around the bank. Alright he's cute. In fact very adorable.... even the busy staff stole a glance and smiled at him. Sis was trying her very best to contain this little imp. She tried pulling him back to Mum and Dad, but failed. Little Toddler ran over to the door of the counter staff and began messing around with the buttons of the secruity system. He wasn't tall enough but managed to reach the bottom row of buttons. He pressed on one of them and it buzzed. That seem to amuse him and he went on and on. Nevermind that he could only reach the bottom three bottoms... they were sufficient to keep him occupied.

But the people around were not amused. Sis tried her best to drag him back to Mom and Dad. But Little Toddler started wailing. Dad had no choice but to intervened. He passed Sis something.

Sis went over and force a couple of coins into the palm of the little imp. Surprisingly that worked. He began fiddling with the newly found money. Sis whispered some words into his ears and off they went , out of the bank. A couple of minutes later, the remerged, eash with a bottle of Yakult in their hands.

This is the power.. this is the strength