Lunar New Year again, and this time, I actually prepared by buying my own new year clothes. In the past it was my mum who bought all my new year clothes. I buy my own for all others, but during the new year, my mum would somehow manage to find very good and nice bargains, and the clothes she bought are even nicer than what I would have bought myself!
My friends scoff when they find out that my mum still buys my clothes. Just for record, she still buys my new year clothes, but for the rest of the year, I will do my own shopping. Most of my friends feel that their taste in clothes are different from their mothers, but for me, I trust my mum's taste more than anyone else's.
She is the one who taught me how to choose clothes that are nice, with good cuts, and yet value for money. What she buys are less expensive yet better-looking and quality than some of what I buy - more expensive and after a couple of washes, the colour starts to fade and loose strings start coming out.
That does not mean I dress like some dowdy middle-aged lady as well. I believe I am pretty well-dressed already, better than a lot of people. All from my mum's influence! She never buys anything that is too dowdy or frumpy; rather all the clothes she bought for me are befitting for my age and figure!
Anyway this year, she made no mention of going shopping, since she already bought her new year clothes in China last year. So I thought I had to go shopping for new clothes myself. Some people asked why did I not ask her if she was going to buy for me this time, but why should I? It is not as if I cannot buy anything on my own. Besides, I cannot keep expecting my parents to still give me things at this age.
Thus, when I was out last weekend, I bought two dresses for the new year. I saw a frilly red and white dress with a flared skirt and made of soft polyester material. That was not my first choice, as I initially wanted a red and white dotted skirt at the same display window, but upon thinking, the skirt would make me look much older than my age, especially if I match it with a blouse, thus I settled for the dress instead.
A lovely dress for any occasion! I can wear it for tea parties, or gatherings with friends, or dates, or even work! That is real value for money, instead of just wearing for a one-time occasion. Then I went up to the second floor of the shopping mall, and saw another dress. A sleeveless white and red dress. The cutting is perfect, and the design looks like those retro ones from the sixties. I love it, so I bought that as well. Thus, I have two new dresses for the new year!
The good news is that I have gone down a size again! I can go back to wearing size S now! Actually, I could wear XS too, but for my chest area, which for some unfathomable reason, had grown bigger, so I am not able to fit into real slim clothes now (not that I am complaining; I rather have that part bigger than any other parts!). If I keep up, I can fast go back to the size I wanted!
However, the next day, my mum called me into her room and asked me to try on another dress. So she bought one for me after all! It is a red sleeveless dress that looks straight out of an Audrey Hepburn show - mini skirt, big buttons and a big belt to match. I look so retro! I even have the earrings to match! I only need to style my hair into the beehive style, complete with long eyelashes and black eyeliner, and I will look like someone from that era! As I said, I trust my mum's taste more than my own!
Come new year, the same thing will occur. Like what Sumiko Tan wrote in her latest article, it is the same routine of visiting relatives, making small talk, and hearing well-meaning relatives asking when one is going to settle down and have kids. I love my relatives because they are my family, and honestly, they are not that bad as compared to some others I have come across. Perhaps education and affluence do play a part in one's behaviour, that the relatives I have do not behave so "low-class" or totally lacking in etiquette, like what I have seen from many people?
I am not trying to put anyone down, but the thing is, for Chinese people, they find it a routine to butt into others' business and try to dish out well-meaning but totally irritating advice. So what if one is not married? So what even if one gets married but do not wish to have kids as yet? So what even if one have kids but not married? Is it really anyone's business? I wonder if other cultures experience the same thing?
Despite that, I enjoy getting ready for the new year, despite all my brothers' complaints about the same "boring thing over and over again". New Year is the time where I get to see people I normally do not see throughout the rest of the year. And being with family is a pretty warm thing, something which no amount of money or success can ever replace.
Happy New Year everyone!
My friends scoff when they find out that my mum still buys my clothes. Just for record, she still buys my new year clothes, but for the rest of the year, I will do my own shopping. Most of my friends feel that their taste in clothes are different from their mothers, but for me, I trust my mum's taste more than anyone else's.
She is the one who taught me how to choose clothes that are nice, with good cuts, and yet value for money. What she buys are less expensive yet better-looking and quality than some of what I buy - more expensive and after a couple of washes, the colour starts to fade and loose strings start coming out.
That does not mean I dress like some dowdy middle-aged lady as well. I believe I am pretty well-dressed already, better than a lot of people. All from my mum's influence! She never buys anything that is too dowdy or frumpy; rather all the clothes she bought for me are befitting for my age and figure!
Anyway this year, she made no mention of going shopping, since she already bought her new year clothes in China last year. So I thought I had to go shopping for new clothes myself. Some people asked why did I not ask her if she was going to buy for me this time, but why should I? It is not as if I cannot buy anything on my own. Besides, I cannot keep expecting my parents to still give me things at this age.
Thus, when I was out last weekend, I bought two dresses for the new year. I saw a frilly red and white dress with a flared skirt and made of soft polyester material. That was not my first choice, as I initially wanted a red and white dotted skirt at the same display window, but upon thinking, the skirt would make me look much older than my age, especially if I match it with a blouse, thus I settled for the dress instead.
A lovely dress for any occasion! I can wear it for tea parties, or gatherings with friends, or dates, or even work! That is real value for money, instead of just wearing for a one-time occasion. Then I went up to the second floor of the shopping mall, and saw another dress. A sleeveless white and red dress. The cutting is perfect, and the design looks like those retro ones from the sixties. I love it, so I bought that as well. Thus, I have two new dresses for the new year!
The good news is that I have gone down a size again! I can go back to wearing size S now! Actually, I could wear XS too, but for my chest area, which for some unfathomable reason, had grown bigger, so I am not able to fit into real slim clothes now (not that I am complaining; I rather have that part bigger than any other parts!). If I keep up, I can fast go back to the size I wanted!
However, the next day, my mum called me into her room and asked me to try on another dress. So she bought one for me after all! It is a red sleeveless dress that looks straight out of an Audrey Hepburn show - mini skirt, big buttons and a big belt to match. I look so retro! I even have the earrings to match! I only need to style my hair into the beehive style, complete with long eyelashes and black eyeliner, and I will look like someone from that era! As I said, I trust my mum's taste more than my own!
Come new year, the same thing will occur. Like what Sumiko Tan wrote in her latest article, it is the same routine of visiting relatives, making small talk, and hearing well-meaning relatives asking when one is going to settle down and have kids. I love my relatives because they are my family, and honestly, they are not that bad as compared to some others I have come across. Perhaps education and affluence do play a part in one's behaviour, that the relatives I have do not behave so "low-class" or totally lacking in etiquette, like what I have seen from many people?
I am not trying to put anyone down, but the thing is, for Chinese people, they find it a routine to butt into others' business and try to dish out well-meaning but totally irritating advice. So what if one is not married? So what even if one gets married but do not wish to have kids as yet? So what even if one have kids but not married? Is it really anyone's business? I wonder if other cultures experience the same thing?
Despite that, I enjoy getting ready for the new year, despite all my brothers' complaints about the same "boring thing over and over again". New Year is the time where I get to see people I normally do not see throughout the rest of the year. And being with family is a pretty warm thing, something which no amount of money or success can ever replace.
Happy New Year everyone!
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