Basket.

Chinese New Year once again approaches... it is the one festival of the year which I truly enjoy. And why not? Festive mood, reunions (back to RI again) and lots of great food! Ah, but of course, money. But seriously, that is not what I consider to be the most important part of this time of year.

The festive season does make me consider something though. I have never been especially close to my relatives of the same generation (though not the same age) or age group (but not the same generation!). Related by blood, but we hardly talk, or have anything to talk about at all, even if we are the same age and should by right have quite a number of common topics to chat about. But no, that does not happen; aside from the occasional greeting if we happen to meet along the corridors of the school, I barely communicate with either my niece or my nephew (both in RJ this year). We have completely separate lives and are each much closer to our own friends. Now I do wonder, what if we weren't relatives who have known each other since young? Probably would be total strangers, the kind you see some time in the canteen but never note the faces, and eventually clean forget about. Hmmm...

Or even my brother. If we weren't siblings, would we ever be close at all? Probably would be complete strangers as well. If someone was to look at a list of our interests, achievements and activities, without knowing we were siblings and without knowing our faces, he/she would be none the wiser. One is a Gifted student with a deep interest in the sciences and an impressive list of CCA and academic achievements who went on to RJC to take triple science combination, and become active in the RJ science clubs; the other is some bugger in Express with hardly such an excellent record who also went on to RJC, but due to his interest in History and complete lack of interest in the sciences pursued a combination without any science at all, and decided to join the school publication and History Society.

See what I mean? I wonder why, once more.