That’s “Happy New Year” in Mandarin. Or at least I think it is. Sorry! My Chinese is very bad. I went to a Chinese school for 13 years (pre-school to high school) but I might as well did not, if you know I mean. My Chinese teachers would not be too pleased to hear that everything I’ve learned from them are now gone with the wind.
It’s funny how people would always doubt if I’m really Chinese because of how I look. I look just like the ordinary, everyday Filipina. I’m not white nor do I have small eyes. So I tell people that I’m not to avoid further confusion. I just happen to be born with a Chinese family name and a little bit of Chinese blood. 12.5% percent to be exact. That’s close to zero than it is to 100, you know.
Growing up, I also had an indifferent attitude toward my “Chinese descent”. I would excel in my regular subjects, but I’d just be average or below-average in my Chinese classes; I didn’t follow traditions; and my family didn’t practice anything Chinese at home, except maybe to refer to “money”, “food” or “helpers”, because those are the only Fokien my dad is familiar with, heh. I would only feel like I belong when I’m at school (with a classroom half full of Filipino-Chinese students) or when I’m at reunions. The ANG clan would get together twice a year either to celebrate New Year’s or our great grandmother’s birthday. I think she’s close to 100 years old now. Yep, she’s very health-conscious thus the longevity.
At our reunions, everybody is required to wear RED, because red is the symbol of happiness in Chinese (correct me if I’m wrong). But ever since my older brother and I were old enough to think for ourselves, we decided not to be conventional, just to see how our relatives would react. Lol. So we would go to reunions wearing any color BUT red. He would wear blue, I would wear brown… and there was a even time that we both wore black! We just shrugged off a few “Why are you wearing black?” stares from some of our relatives but that was it.
So, it’s the Year of the Rat. To tell you the truth, I’m not entirely sure what year I was born. It’s either the year of the Rat or the Pig. Chinese New Year’s day are inconsistent that sometimes it would fall on or before January 29th which is why I’m not quite sure. But because I’m a bit on the flabby side, I say it’s the PIG. Lol.
Happy Chinese New Year! I don’t believe in those Feng Shui stuff, but this is just to recognize my Chinese ancestry and to say that I am proud to be (sort of) part of the Fil-Chi community, even though most of the time it doesn’t show. :P
To commemorate this day in my own little way, I’m wearing a blouse with a Chinese collar! And I’m very open to receive Tikoy gifts from my Chinese friends. Haha. Thanks, Aurus!
haha baligtad tayo, ako laging sinasabi ah kala ko singkit ka lang talaga, chinese pala kayo lol
kami walang choice kundi sumunod sa traditions, kasi lolo ko yung pure chinese so yung mga beliefs nasa mga magulang ko pa, every year may feng shui book sa bahay namin tapos kung ano ano nakasabit sa pintuan namin hehehe tapos andaming bawal, bawal ang falls sa bahay (yung kunyari lang yung ma-cute na maliit na basta yun hehe tapos bawal pagong etc etc.. ang hirap pagsamahin ng mga beliefs ng chinese at filipino, nakaka-torete! :(
lately lang nagiging lenient mama ko, before bawal na bawal samin magsuot ng black whatever the occassion is.. actually kahit walang occassion nga eh heheh
LOL, you’re welcome. I had no idea that there were Chinese schools here outside Metro Manila! BTW, it’s “kuai”. ;)
Mae – WAHAHA! Kse nga Paulino ka naman, hehehe. dapat palit nlng tayo ng last name para wala nang magtataka. :))
dami naman bawal sa chinese, hahaha. buti nlng wala kaming ganon-ganon. hehe.
Pano na lang sa Black valentine’s no? Sigurado ibboycott ng mga pure Chinese yung event na yun… LOL. paki ba nila :))
Aurus – It would take a real Chinese (not some trying hard one like me, lol) to notice that typo. LOL. Thanks, Aurus! Di ko napansin mali pala, hahaha! buti nlng nagbabasa ka. :P
Actually, there are 3 chinese schools just in Bacolod City (one Christian, one Catholic, and one Buddhist, hehe), and a lot more in the Visayas area. :)
hi joni! here’s what’s weird, it would never occur to me that you are partly Chinese if it wasn’t for your last name but at least you know Mandarin. at home its just really bad, my mom and sister would always converse in mandarin and i can’t catch up with them cause I don’t speak the language and probably will never learn to. boohoo. anyhoo just dropping by :)
Happy new year！新年好！
有中国血统好！真的！
Philip: hey we’ve moved! can we exchange links once again? :D
Chette: Hi! my personal blog will also move so.. when its done (when my domain comes… change the link ok?) GBU! Happy Chinese New year! uh.. is it true its the year of the rat now? I don’t have any idea anymore in astrology hehehe
Elise: Hehe, thanks sa pag comment! Really? Your mom and sister speak Mandarin? Ok ah! Pano sila natuto? It’s never too late for you to learn!
Oh btw, I don’t know Mandarin. I just know a few easy sentences, like greetings. Other than that, I’m totally clueless. It’s a HARD language. hehehe.
馨灵: Happy new year! I wish understood the rest of your comment. =(
It means that you are lucky having chinese blood,really!
And,
You can get lots ,lots of fun if you can read &speak Chinese,really!
Can you write 1,2,3in Chinese?
馨灵: Ohhh, I see! Thanks for that. It would be really great if I could read and speak Chinese. hehe.
Yes, I can write numbers in Chinese. At least that, huh? hehe. Thanks for using the wordpress theme! :)
This article has an enchanting effect. It’s nice and … funny. Thanks.
Good fortune and prosperity in the New Year of the Yellow Earth Rat!
Among the Yap clan they are the very active ones when it comes to Chinese stuff. Haha I don’t know how they became so fluent and neither of them went to Chinese school. And my dad too speaks the language cause he lived in China for some time when we parted, that’s acceptable. Hehe
See ya :D