It's been a week after the CNY, but I still can say 'Happy New Year', right?! Okay, so happy New Year. Have a prosperous year of fire rooster.
I managed to take a day off on January 27 and went back to Jakarta early in the morning to catch up the praying time. My grandma always does the same routines every year, arranging dishes, tea, bowls, candles, and hio on the table. Burning joss paper is followed afterwards as an offering to the deceased. As I've got informed, this tradition is almost gone in this country. It surprised me because I used to see my family do that often on every Chinese celebration day. I just thought every Chinese family does that also. But nope. Only a few of them.
In the evening, my family gathered to have a big CNY feast. The next day in the morning is an angpao hunting day. Well, actually I somehow felt uneasy receiving the angpao. It was certainly fine if I got the angpao from my close relatives whom I met often. I was really happy, I got bundle of cash. But it turned awkward when I still get angpao from distant relatives who I only see once a year. I got the feeling that they contemplated the night before whether to give me or not: 'But, Anggie is a grown-up'.
My outfit of the day is red shirt paired with loose jeans. Red is an obligation on Chinese New Year. To look hipster :D, I bought vintage glasses and I enjoyed wearing it. Looks cool.
Chinese New Year means angpao and angpao means money. Related to money, the prediction said that Horses will be quite lucky in finance this year. My Chinese Zodiac is Horse. Good news! I'm always expecting prosperity every year. Glad that someone said I could have financial luck this year. Must have believe it.
Speaking of finance, few days ago someone shared an article saying that Millennials tend to spend more on travelling than an investment. The result is they get broke, have no money left for 'the future'. At first I was against that idea. These days, people realize that experience worth more than materials, so spending money on travelling is something that should be everyone's goal instead of buying thing, like cars that make global warming even worse.
However, I started thinking it might be true because the internet now brings people to glorify travelling. The sad truth is not everyone can afford travelling, well, including me. All these 'take me to...' or 'follow me to...' hypes are like two-sided-coin. Travelling brings happiness indeed. But it's kind of the new form of consumerism. People make themselves travel for the sake of experience or collecting nice pictures for their Instagram. I think it's not worth at all to be broke or worse, to be trapped in debt, after the trip to Maldives that actually we could not afford.
I'm being me. I'm going to take it easy. I'm still thinking to go to Japan first rather than buying car or house though. And, since I'll be lucky this year in finance, let me still expect my first out of country trip in 2017 *finger crossed.
Next story, coming soon
❤
anggielian
