CNY is here... was here... had been here and before I realised it, was gone again. But I guessed that's the way with festivals here in Singapore. It doesn't matter what occasion it is; it doesn't matter if it falls on a Sunday or Monday; it doesn't really even matter at all. For most Singaporeans, including myself I think, such occasions are only for one thing: BMI.

BMI. Basic Maintenance of Individual. Aka rest. Aka sleep.

Before you frowned and declare that as a sweeping statement, I would like to clarify that what I just said does NOT apply to everybody here of course. Not everyone sleeps festivals away. Some just nap. Some fly to countries where CNY does not exist. There is no mood in Singapore anymore.

It doesn't just apply for CNY. If you want mood in the form of crowds, loud noises, "lay-longing" (bargaining in dialect) action, lights and smoke, CNY only exists in Chinatown. Admit it, people don't like to visit each other so often. It can be quite tedious, even for someone you meet once a year. And then there are the same old probing questions that are probably on repeat mode.

"Got gf?" "When get married ah?" "Wow, so clever ah. University ah." "Army already?"

I am not saying that people don't care about each other. Most of the time, they are already too caught up in their own business that what others do don't really matter that much. Some ask for the sake of asking because it is impolite not to ask and show care and concern for people during occasions. Asking stupid questions don't really help. Serious.

But of course, CNY exists to unite friends and families, some of which have not seen each other for years. That true spirit is not totally lost in Singapore. In fact, one should do more than that. Take the effort to keep in contact with more people and relatives and to meet them more often, not just during CNY. That would effectively increase the intelligence level of the questions posed (e.g. from "Got gf?" to "Still the same gf ah?" okay bad example, sorry).

It is pretty obvious that individualism comes along with any developed society. A metropolitan city is most probably advanced and rich, but suffers from a lack of culture. We are spiralling towards a state of advancement, but along the way, we lose a lot of things we used to hold dearly. Take a look at the streets during festive occasions. I bet you will find the difference between now and then. We don't have the mood to celebrate anymore, I am sorry, and it doesn't matter if its Christmas or New Year's eve.

Maybe it's just me, but I feel that way. Enlighten Mr. Black.

Mr Black is a current undergraduate who resides in Singapore. This blog is a non-whimsical reflection of his life and the society in which he lives in at large.

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