Reunion Surprise

This year, festive visiting took a twist for the better.

I descended upon my Da Qiu's(eldest uncle) newly renovated home at Geylang together with Simon and my family, together with my mum's extended family (of about 30).

I don't know what triggered me to invite him to this closely knitted 'chinese' family affair, given the potential backlash I may receive for asking an ang moh to celebrate this intimate gathering meant for the Teo family clan. Maybe I wanted to make a statement, or perhaps I didn't want him to feel lonely and miss out of the festivities.

I think Simon was even more hesitant than me, for it was his first time celebrating CNY with a chinese clan, even though he has already been in Singapore for more than 16 years. He was frantically asking me what he should wear, if he should give out ang baos, and if so, how much should he put inside etc etc. It was really funny as for once I seemed to be an expert in something he isn't.

I used to find my Da Qiu too verbose for his own good, but I was glad that he was a more than perfect host. He made small and big talk with Simon and made him feel comfortable. Initially I was skeptical when he started sharing about his lighting business, on the different types of lights and applications. I would be bored by it, and likewise thought Simon would feel the same way. To my surprise, Simon was looking for some pretty darn strong floodlights for his ships-and they clicked. Mission accomplished, I just had to sit in and relax, and be wowed at the extensive knowledge displayed by my uncle. I gained a new found respect for him, despite his occasional verbosity.