CNY was meaningful in the past because...

[Tristan]

it was the only time we get to wear new clothes, fire crackers, eat "expensive" food like pork, chicken... Now it somehow rings empty as we become more affluent and can afford to do these things anytime of the year.

 

[besotted]

even if you can only afford once a year, must whack sharks fin

of course if you can afford, must eat every week

sharks fin is yummy, don't let the pinkertons tell you otherwise

 

[Forvendet]

it was the only time we get to wear new clothes, fire crackers, eat "expensive" food like pork, chicken... Now it somehow rings empty as we become more affluent and can afford to do these things anytime of the year.

Isn't affluence better? Is it better to be able buy new clothes or eat expensive foods anytime you need instead of saving and waiting to do it just once a year? However, I understand most Chinese still practise buying some new clothes and expensive foods for the CNY season, not that they need these but just to upkeep tradition and for good luck blessing.

 

[Tristan]

Isn't affluence better? Is it better to be able buy new clothes or eat expensive foods anytime you need instead of saving and waiting to do it just once a year? However, I understand most Chinese still practise buying some new clothes and expensive foods for the CNY season, not that they need these but just to upkeep tradition and for good luck blessing.

On the contrary. Things that are harder to come by is appreciated a lot more and enjoyed a lot more.

Someone once told me that you are much happier being poor, looking forward to things than when you are rich and having everything put on your lap. I now realise how true those words are.

 

[po2wq]

kids like cny ...

 

[singveld]

even if you can only afford once a year, must whack sharks fin

shark fin have no taste at all, so it cannot be yummy. you can make equally tasty soup without shark fin.

 

[Watchman]

shark fin have no taste at all, so it cannot be yummy. you can make equally tasty soup without shark fin.

Hahahahha . You can have stingray cartilage to make it taste like Shark fins .

It's bad for the economy .

 

[OverTheCounter]

it was the only time we get to wear new clothes, fire crackers, eat "expensive" food like pork, chicken... Now it somehow rings empty as we become more affluent and can afford to do these things anytime of the year.

LNY meaningless 'cos families drifting apart over d years due to rat race. Where got time to bother about each other. Eat tuan yuan fan oso must eat in front of TV showing HBO channel. Ang Pow? Whole life spend earning money where got $$$ to give Ang Pow? So stop the practice liao!

 

[Watchman]

LNY meaningless 'cos families drifting apart over d years due to rat race. Where got time to bother about each other. Eat tuan yuan fan oso must eat in front of TV showing HBO channel. Ang Pow? Whole life spend earning money where got $$$ to give Ang Pow? So stop the practice liao!

Until PAP decides to pressure pay increase of no less than 50 % .

We Singaporeans can stay at home and all business will have to suffer .

 

[Ramseth]

My mom usually cooks and eats reunion dinner at my sister's place. Not that far from my place but quite a tiring and boring journey back home, unless I want to sleep overnight on the couch. This year, I gave excuse that the weather has been bad and unpredictable. My mom came and cooked for and ate me. Simple fare for two, bakkutteh being main dish with a couple of side dishes. Well yes, the meaning is there and fully heartfelt, with gratitude to the magnitude of unaffordable repayability.

 

[GoldenDragon]

shark fin have no taste at all, so it cannot be yummy. you can make equally tasty soup without shark fin.

Hot and sour soup? Fish maw thick soup?

 

[Ramseth]

Hot and sour soup? Fish maw thick soup?

Fish maw and Sichuan starchy soups are available from Campbell's. Fish maw is a bit salty and sour and Sichuan is a bit spicy and sour. Both go well with pepper and vinegar too. About S$2.00 per can. Serves one big bowl enough for a decently filling meal on its own or two small bowls as apetitisers.

 

[Received_by_Kings]

it was the only time we get to wear new clothes, fire crackers, eat "expensive" food like pork, chicken... Now it somehow rings empty as we become more affluent and can afford to do these things anytime of the year.

Chinese New Year has never been meaningful because of the Chinese capitalists who make nice goodies but had to capitalise on the occasion and overprice their things.

No matter how well made it is by hand, does a local produce of pineapple tarts or kueh bangkit justify command prices of $10 - $15? Who and what are they to price their low manufactures even above the Danish Kjeldsen's cookies and the Scottish Johnny Walker shortbread?!

Are their goods that superior?

Let's not kid ourselves about this. You Chinese people really tend to love money too much, though there are some exceptions however not many. Life is not always about that I believe.

 

[Ramseth]

Chinese New Year has never been meaningful because of the Chinese capitalists who make nice goodies but had to capitalise on the occasion and overprice their things.

No matter how well made it is by hand, does a local produce of pineapple tarts or kueh bangkit justify command prices of $10 - $15? Who and what are they to price their low manufactures even above the Danish Kjeldsen's cookies and the Scottish Johnny Walker shortbread?!

Are their goods that superior?

Let's not kid ourselves about this. You Chinese people really tend to love money too much, though there are some exceptions however not many. Life is not always about that I believe.

The most expensive hawker foods all year round are halal foods. Compare mee rebus to lor mee, compare mee siam to hay mee, compare mee goreng to char kway teow, compare nasi campur or bryani to Chinese mixed rice or chicken rice. Too bad Muslims are not supposed to eat the the cheaper and more value for money Chinese dishes. Too bad for Chinese foodsellers too, they can't profit extra during Muslim holidays. Muslim foodsellers happily profit extra from Chinese holidays and all year round. Indian Hindu foodsellers have been completely elbowed off the marketplace except for a little cluster in Little India. All Indian foodstalls in the heartlands are Indian Muslim. Money not important to Muslims? Please be fair. Money is important to everybody.

In any case, I don't overpay for foods and goods just because it's CNY season. Many other Chinese do, I know. They take it as once in year event. But I don't understand, the seasonally inflated prices only affect Chinese, why are non-Chinese complaining? If halal food goes up in price during the season, blame your non-Chinese peers for trying to profiteer.

 

[Royalblood]

Chinese New Year has never been meaningful because of the Chinese capitalists who make nice goodies but had to capitalise on the occasion and overprice their things.

No matter how well made it is by hand, does a local produce of pineapple tarts or kueh bangkit justify command prices of $10 - $15? Who and what are they to price their low manufactures even above the Danish Kjeldsen's cookies and the Scottish Johnny Walker shortbread?!

Are their goods that superior?

Let's not kid ourselves about this. You Chinese people really tend to love money too much, though there are some exceptions however not many. Life is not always about that I believe.

It is not a Chinese trait to love money. This is a capitalist trait.
Don't know why so many people love to associate money mindiness with race? Another popular victim is the Jewish people.....

All the world around people have been known to make quick profit out of opportunities. The Arabs forms the OPEC to fix the price of oil when the opportunity comes. Instrinsically does the oil worth that much......

In the west, the greedy bankers who only care about their own bank account took the opportunity to profit from lax credit conditions, which subsequently led to the subprime crisis.

Come on man! It is only some bloody pineapple tarts and some low end cny goodies u moron.
In the overall scheme of things, this is really nothing.

Come to think of it, who are you to decide these tarts are not worth their price? There is no evidence of an existing cartel that fix the price of the cny goodies being sold now and how are u going to measure the value of the labour put in to manufacturing these goodies such as to justify ur claims? A good is worth the price he/ she is willing to pay, and many people have indeed paid that kind of money for pineapple tarts or other cny goodies.

 

[myo539]

On the contrary. Things that are harder to come by is appreciated a lot more and enjoyed a lot more.

Someone once told me that you are much happier being poor, looking forward to things than when you are rich and having everything put on your lap. I now realise how true those words are.

Very true. Many people in other countries would long for a PAP government so they can have work, stability and progress. They would appreciate the PAP government aka Singapore, and that's why so many come here to grow roots.

Singaporeans however have it so good for so long that some begin to grow tired of it and wish for some excitements and adventures - something akin to what happens in Algeria or Egypt.

 

[Froggy]

it was the only time we get to wear new clothes, fire crackers, eat "expensive" food like pork, chicken... Now it somehow rings empty as we become more affluent and can afford to do these things anytime of the year.

he he he last night my maid in my home in Bangkok told me she bought a few string of fire crackers and fired them and scared the hell out of my 12 year old doggy . . . . she was having fun ut I had to tell her not to scare the dog.

Be back tomorrow and sure will play with fire crackers and even fireworks too.

 

[mako65]

Nowadays, it's no more $2 angpows to the nieces n nephews! At least $20 each to them while $8each to those cousins' children! All the CNY gatherings are just good excuse to try our luck on blackjack or si Kee pi....hahaha! Womenfolk will be talking cock n bull while the kids will mingle n playing! Wat I miss most is the fire-crackers that really light up the mood...frankly, CNY celebration is just de time of de year to get closer to da family tree....gong xi fatt choy to all sammybros here! Huattt arhhh...