random thought

Although I grew up in Singapore most of my life and the fact that the majority here are chinese, just like me, I can't say that I don't feel any cultural differences. Most of my friends think that I have completely blend in with them and I'm just like one of them, like a normal Singaporean. I have went through times when I was lost and don't know what would become of me in the future. Torn between my parents always complaining about this place and wanting to go back. It felt like it was a matter of time before I'm going to be left alone, belonging nowhere.

Today, I want to share about eating together with the family. (Random, I know. Maybe because I'm feeling hungry right now.) I don't know whether is it a cantonese thing or a hk thing. We eat together every night at the dining table; every night meaning the every weekdays when my mum would cook dinner for the whole family. Back in the days when I was still in secondary school and junior college, I was always puzzled at the fact that people can use having 'family dinner' as a reason to skip project meetings and whatnots. You mean you have to schedule time to eat together with your family? Whenever this happens, I always think that they have some big event and that the entire extended family will be at the dinner party. Otherwise, I just think that its an excuse; an invalid reason. Ha.

I recall when my mum told me that most Singaporeans have dinner at their own time, even when it's a home cooked meal. To me it was like, 'what!!' you mean you just leave the food to become cold on the table and everyone just take the food and eat somewhere else alone? Puzzling. Also, they don't use a bowl and chopsticks for rice, but plates with spoons and fork just like in the hawker centres. Shouldn't chinese food be matched with using chopsticks? Although, I use it everyday I still get comments from my father that I using it the wrong way every now and then.

As a child, I would always get scolded (real bad, cuz I'm stubborn too) if I'm not at the dining table by dinner time, even if it means that I have homework yet to be done and that I really wanted to stay in my room. Also, if I were to be outside, I have to reach home by the time dinner is served if I'm eating at home.

Although now I understand the differences (this is just one of many), I'm still very much accustomed to the traditions in my family and grateful for them. Imagine next time when I get overly busy with work and other commitments and after my brother grew up, how many opportunities like this would we get - sitting together at home and sharing how our day went.

Just giving my two cents worth. So, what do you think?