Tuesday, February 20, 2007
It's Chinese New Year and guess what? I'm sick.
It's that blasted cold with the symptoms of runny nose, sore throat and cough that HAS to make its appearance at least once a semester, ESPECIALLY when I'm having a break.
Because of all this confounded sniffing, I could not go visit my relatives on Mon. And I see these people only once a year! It's not that I'm very close to them (how could I be if I see them only once a year?) but you know, it's a familial obligation.
My mom tried to force me to go at first because she said I was not 'very' sick, but I refused. I told her that in my state, I couldn't possibly entertain others with small-talk and be entertained with more small-talk in return. She replied that I need not entertain others nor expect to be entertained. Apparently my mere presence would have been enough! Hah. As if.
This conversation reminded me a lot of our earlier one when I told her and my dad that I couldn't possibly attend the Anime Chalet in December with my blocked ears. My dad told me then to "just go there and keep quiet and eat". My parents seem to have this strange philosophy that all that is expected of people is to be present at the event and to act as a decoration in the host's living room and say, "Hallo, auntie. Hallo, uncle". I don't think that's the way human society functions.
Human society goes on because we know our social obligations to others and we try our best to perform them well. We're not supposed to be eating lampstands at a party. And so I figured, if I was going to be sick and cranky and unwilling to engage in the usual rubbishy small-talk that goes around at reunion parties (and it sure is rubbishy - relatives keep asking you every year what you're studying in school and actually the only thing they really care about is when you're going to get married), I must as well not go for the party. And my mom eventually relented when she saw that I really was not feeling very well.
So I've spent most of my time writing my essay on Oedipus Rex with my head reeling from the medication I got from the 24/7 doctor (poor guy, he had to stay in his clinic on CNY! Because illness respects no holidays). Hopefully I don't become a Raskolnikov and start murdering people with an axe in a half-dazed stupor. Oh wait, that's Joanne's role. >=)
kaoru said at 12:10 AM
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