ONS Trending

It was quite an eye-opener to read that there is now a trend known as ONS among the younger group of people. It is one thing to follow trends in the fashion industry where annual spring and winter collections appear on runways promoting designers’ couture offerings but quite another to participate in ONS.

The majority of people who are conservative in their outlook may be aghast at what is now trending among the younger age groups who may consider themselves to be avante garde, hence their fervor in pursuit of a new lifestyle, the ONS.

Some may even compare the number of ONS in their report cards. How do they get on the ONS circuit?

Apparently there are websites where you post your profile and you browse through profiles that have been posted.  You select a partner at random or if you like someone’s profile. Then arrangements are made for the ONS.

What is ONS?   It refers to one night stands where two people meet up to satisfy their sexual needs and there are no strings attached. Simply put, it’s hello, wham, bang and goodbye! 

How does that appeal to you?

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Children and the Chinese New Year

Children are the ones that make Chinese New Year  enjoyable and festive.

As children we used to look forward to it as it meant having new clothes, new shoes and receiving ang pows ( red envelopes that contain money).

We knew that at the reunion dinner we would get to eat food that are considered delicacies, obtainable only during the festive season. Usually grandma and the aunties would gather to cook the various dishes.

Offerings and prayers were made to our deceased ancestors so that we could look forward to a better year both in health and prosperity.

After dinner, the elders would play cards or chit chat while children would play fireworks outside in the compound. We were told that the longer we stayed up at night to welcome in the New Year, the longer our parents would live.

On New Year’s Day, the children would dress in their new clothes and line up before the elders to wish them “Gong Xi Fa Cai”, good health and longetivity and they would be given their ang pows.
Visiting relatives also meant feasting on cookies and getting more ang pows.  Children and singletons receive ang pows as is the tradition.  Only married people can give ang pows. Adult children also give their parents ang pows out of love.

Children enjoy this day as parents will never utter a harsh word or scold them as this is also a tradition.  So many get away with doing all kinds of naughty things since they will not be chided or chastised.

Without children, the festive cheer is missing.  There will not be any rollicking, laughing or playing together, having fun,  antics which adults like to watch.

Unfortunately, these days, the children are more engrossed in their individual iPads rather than playing other kinds of games.  Nevertheless, their presence still makes a difference to the day.

Traditions are slowly disappearing.  Reunion dinners have moved out of homes into restaurants or done away with as many families opt to go on holiday instead of celebrating at home.  Few have open houses as this entails a lot of work even though the food may be catered.

I hope the celebration of the Chinese New Year will continue for generations to come as traditions are part of our cultural identity and they make us unique as a community.

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Unwanted and Discarded

The first month of 2014 is more than halfway through and with it comes a terrible fact.
One recurring topic in the news is abandonment.  It is now a sad fact that both the very old and infirm and the very young new-borns are being cast away, left to the tender mercies of Fate.

Five aged and sick elderly folks were abandoned in a house filled with rubbish.  It had once been a shelter for old folks who had been left there by their families.  However the owner of the shelter had moved and left these five unfortunate people behind, one of whom is bed-ridden.  When neighbours, yes, there were neighbours on either side of this house, finally went in to check on the noises they heard coming from what they thought was an empty house, they discovered these five elderly folks, one of whom was lying in a heap of rubbish.

They were sent to the hospital where they had their first square meal and given a check-up. To date, none of their family members have stepped forward to claim them although their photographs have been published in the national newspapers.

On the other hand, the more helpless victims were the newborns who could only make their presence known by crying.  Usually abandoned by their mothers in the dead of night, they are truly at the mercy of predators and are usually ant-bitten by the time someone discovers them, provided they are still alive.  Today’s news reported that a teenager was awakened at 3:00 a.m. by a baby’s cries and looking out of her window, saw a little naked baby crying on the ground.  She also heard footsteps walking away.  Thankfully the teenager’s mother, on being informed, took the baby boy in, cleaned him up ( his umbilical cord was still attached and there were blood stains; he had also been bitten by ants ), dressed him and made a police report.  The baby is now in hospital, under observation.

What has made these people abandon their old folks and newborns?  How can they be so heartless and cruel?

The old folks once cared for their children, raised them from babies till they were independent, only to be discarded once their shelf life is nearing expiry date. Some have speculated that they could have been abandoned because they had not been good parents, or their families could not afford the cost of their medical bills and their upkeep.

What about newborns?  Do they deserve to be discarded like rubbish?  They didn’t ask to be born.

It would seem that parenting is partly to blame.  Parents have not instilled good core values in their young or have not been good role models.  Isn’t it about time that something be done to arrest this sad state of affairs?  Are old folks and newborns to be throwaways simply because we do not have a place in our lives for them?

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Bye Bye 2013

It didn’t seem that long ago when I bade farewell to 2012 and now I’m bidding 2013 goodbye Today is the last day of the year and at midnight tonight we usher in the new year 2014. Where did all the years go since we ushered in the new millennium?

I remember being in London then and everyone was anxious about the news flying around that Y2K would cause all the computers to crash and aeroplanes to drop from the skies. It turned out to be unfounded fears, fortunately, as we were on aboard a flight for home.

Now 2014 is almost upon us. I’m fourteen years older and as I look back I wonder what I have accomplished over those years

Being able to learn and work on the computer is one as computers didn’t exist during my schooldays. I learned to blog and upload photographs. I was introduced to Facebook and YouTube by my grandchildren.  Another is getting re-acquainted with the kitchen again as I do the cooking for the family now. I became a Christian and I also re-ignited my love for creative writing, especially poems.

What else have I learned and discovered?

I learned that old folks are being “exported” to other countries where the costs of caring for them in nursing homes are much less than in their home countries. It makes me wonder if this is a decision made out of necessity or a means of escaping one’s “duty” to care for the aged and infirm family members where out of sight is out of mind.

Another thing I discovered and would like to share is that there are people who do budget to set aside a certain sum towards charity rather than to donate on an ad hoc basis. This is worth emulating.

What plans do I have for 2014?

If I don’t become past tense in the near future, I would like to do more travelling, health allowing, and to cut down on my activities that are taking up too much of my time. I’m wondering if I should retire some of my blogs and delete some email accounts, forget about some of the programs which I’ve signed up for to learn more about internet marketing.

One thing that is certain is that I ought to de-clutter, both physically and mentally.



Wishing everyone a Happy New Year!

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