and that is because we’ve got homework for the Chinese New Year holidays.

HOMEWORK, LOVELIES, HOMEWORK.

WHY?

First of all, I am a CHINESE. Even though I am not exactly strong in my grasp of my mother tongue and I don’t read Chinese newspapers or watch Chinese news daily or speak a lot of Chinese or enjoy writing Chinese essays as much English essays, I do speak Chinese and listen to Chinese radio and blah, I am essentially a CHINESE!
And what does that mean?
It means I CELEBRATE CHINESE NEW YEAR.
And Chinese New Year is NOT meant to be spent sitting at the study table doing homework and studying for tests NOR to be spent at some relative’s house supposedly enjoying yourself but all you can think of is the homework or the tests you’re supposed to be doing!
So if we had gatherings at different houses every day during this long weekend, how are we supposed to find the time to complete our work?
“Oh, _______, I’m so sorry but I gotta stay home and finish this shitty project up. You all go ahead and have fun.” WHAT?
WTH!
WHAT THE HELL!
…oops, Mum said no cursing during the festive period.
*stows away bag of curses*

Second, say I was one of the many Chinese who come from Malaysia and Indonesia and wherever else, and I was to go back to Malaysia and Indonesia and wherever else to spend the Chinese New Year with the rest of the family there. How was I going to complete my homework? After all, how often do I get to see those relatives? Once, twice a year? How would it seem if I were to bring homework there? It’s supposed to be TIME SPENT WITH THE FAMILY, RIGHT? I’m not one to embrace traditions all the time, but I do believe in this kind of family reunion, this widely-celebrated festival.

Third, even if I wasn’t Chinese and didn’t celebrate Chinese New Year, I wouldn’t want to do work. I’ll like to enjoy myself, relax a bit. It’s just like Hari Raya, Deepavali etc y’know. I’m not Indian nor Malay nor Eurasian and neither is the majority of the Singaporean population but we all get a well-deserved holiday and everyone would like to take a break. So what if CNY gets a long holiday over the weekend? It’s not an excuse for homework.

When my Math teacher Mrs Seah gave us homework for Binomial Theorem (questions from the textbook and this practice worksheet because we’ve got a freaking test on it next week, together with a Literature test and Biology test), we had this conversation

me: Oh no, why so much homework!
Mrs Seah: You see, you can enjoy the first two days of the holiday. Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday! You can play on Thursday and Friday, don’t touch your work at all! Then you have Saturday and Sunday what! You do work la!
me: But I got family gatherings the entire weekend…
Mrs Seah: Who ask you to be so sociable?!
me: *thinking in my head* That’s not the point…!

Nice lovely ranty post here.
On a nicer note, I am enjoying my food and family gatherings.