Oranges & Wishes

ORANGES & WISHES



It seems like cupid has been working overtime and his popularity might get him to be on the top 5 list of favorite mythical personality (maybe after Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny).



Valentine Day has come and gone and so has the 'Chap Goh Meh'. What's that? Well, the 'Chap Goh Meh' is the practice of tossing Mandarin oranges into the sea or river by unmarried women, hoping that the fruits will reach some young men who would then become their husbands. Basically, the Chap Goh Meh falls on the 15th and last day of the Chinese New Year (which is also known as the 'Lantern Festival' in China and Taiwan).



As all traditions goes, this started in the old, old days, where girls do not get to go out and socialized as and when they want. They are supposed to stay at home and learn to cook, sew and do housework. Chap Goh Meh is the only time they have to go out and to be seen by eligible young men also in search of partners. So, this is where love stories and affairs started. Romantic setting kan? :)



Someone was asking why do people still do this when we have all the modern technology available in dating services or finding a partner: Myspace, FB, Websites, Ads, Magazines and etc?



Firstly, it's a fun tradition and event.
Tradition: It's not everyday that you get to throw an orange over a bridge, or in the river, or at someone (oppss..crossed that out) or anywhere else! It's also the chance to watch hundreds of people throwing oranges (it's as if the sky is raining with them.. for a few minutes..hehehe).

Fun event: because Malaysia being Malaysia, everyone joins in when there's any festival regardless of your race.



Secondly, well...it's about human nature. It's almost the same case as when you see a wishing well. You would say out loud, 'Rubbish', 'Nonsense', Don't Believe in all that stuff'..but then you would still throw a coin in when no one is looking. Just in case.. :p..

Btw..nowadays, if you picked up an orange on that day, you'll see a phone number, e-mail address encrypted on it. That will be the girl's number. The guys are also joining in the fun..by throwing bananas. That is the only bit of modern technology that is incorporated into the tradition.



Hmm..this reminds cat of a friend's story where they waited until midnight in winter at the town square till no one is around.. and went into a wishing fountain ...collecting coins that were thrown inside. Hehehe..oppss..that is certainly not related to the orange story.. :)

Cupid vs The Tiger

Cat overheard a discussion between 2 friends on the oncoming Chinese New Year in February. This year, the first day of Chinese New Year falls on 14 February..yes the same day as Valentine. Both friends were gloomy at the prospect of not being able to celebrate Valentine's Day with their sweethearts.

Hmm.. cat just couldn't see what's the big problem. Why don't they celebrate it 1 day before? Valentine's Day is certainly not a religious celebration. Whereas the 1st day of Chinese New Year is. And that is also the day where all the family members and relatives gather around for the reunion dinner or celebration. The girls see their boyfriends almost everyday of the week. Would a few days of going back home and not seeing each other too hard to endure?

'But cat! It's Valentine's Day.' one of them cried out.
Ok.. but cat still do not get the point. Guess the puzzled look was very clear on cat's face :p Ouchh..
'No one celebrates Valentine's Day 1 day earlier!' the other girl said.
'Why not?' said cat. 'Will it be against the law? No! Will it be against the religious teachings? Of course not. There's always a first thing for everything and it's just 1 day earlier. Or would you prefer to celebrate it 1 week later? And you should remember that on 14th Feb, no one will be at the office to see the flowers arriving. But if you celebrate it on 13th instead, everyone will still be here.'

Both of them were looking at cat like cat was an alien. Duh..this is not a matter of life and death, dears. And it's easy to read their minds: they would love to show off the flowers to their colleagues. Then smiles appear on the girls' faces. There! One problem solved. Back to work.

'Cat!' Ooo..cat's heart nearly jumped out and stopped. Grr.. can't he enter the office the same way as other people. And pleaseee do not shout. Cat is not deaf yet.
'What is this talk about celebrating Valentine's Day 1 day earlier? You and your silly ideas!'
'Boss, wait. You see.. our restaurants are not that fully booked on Valentine's even if we do get more revenue because of the packages. You see..if the couples booked 1 day earlier on 13th, then we would have more tables for the Chinese New Year gatherings on 14th, won't we? Every other place in town would be fully booked. If you want, we just reserve one outlet on 14th for Valentine's and the rest for the Chinese New Year Dinner.. '
'Hmm..that way, we would get extra revenue on 13th'..That might work..' said he with his mind going 100km per hour. 'Hmm..then we'd better come out with a Valentine's early bird promotion only at..and..need to see how many would take the offer and need to get the companies... Sxxxxx. Why didn't you think of this earlier, cat? If this doesn't work.. Hey, PR, I got this interesting idea..' and off he storms out of the office. Grr..

Count to 20 ,cat. Count to 20. Deep breath, In and out. At least that will leave cat alone for a few hours. Happy working, cat.

Signing off,
Cat

P/S: The Tokong Chee Teong Beow at Jalan Tun Perak in Melaka will also be open on the 1st day of Chinese New Year to allow couples to register their marriage on 14th February.

The bad news is the price for Roses (usually sold at RM 6 per dozen) will now hit RM 30 or more this year. Alice Florist in Melaka says they will still offer the delivery service and open their shop on the 14th Feb (which is unprecedented). Their reason: After all, Valentine's Day is celebrated by all races and not only the Chinese. The only thing is to make sure that the person receiving would be at the address on that day (most offices will be closed).

Cat's conclusion: There's always a first time for everything. Business is business. Hmm..never thought to see the day where Valentine takes the first priority. Imagine that... Well, Cupid 1 and Tiger 0

How Deep Is Your Love

How do you know if a man loves you..?

Hard to tell, but let's go through the below checklist and sees if the signs are there. :)

1) More time
People say that the most obvious of the signs that he’s in love with you is his desire to spend time with you. When a man is head over heels he’ll find reasons to see the woman he adores. Even if it’s for a mere five minutes at the end of the day, he’ll make the time.
-Smiling. 10/10 for him. How he has always been there when you really needed him

b) SMS and texting
On a similar note if he often texts, calls or emails you, he’s got you on his mind.
This is another sign that his feelings are pretty intense.

c) Men are known to be very visual creatures which is why they can’t seem to resist looking when a pretty girl walks by. One of the signs he’s in love with you will be that his interest in others won’t be as piqued. If you two are out together he’ll generally focus mostly on you if he’s in love with you.

d)He’ll also be willing to agree to an all-exclusive arrangement. Don’t be at all surprised if he’s the one to suggest it. He wants you all to himself

e)If he constantly wants to hold your hand, kiss you and touch you, that means he’s falling deeper for you. Although many men aren’t comfortable displaying their affection in public, you may notice him reaching for your hand more often.

f)He’ll also want to pamper you. He may ask if you’ve eaten dinner yet or if you need anything when he calls. This shows he has genuine concern for your well being.

g)He's inviting you to meet the people closest to him
If he wants you to meet his best friend, or his family take that as a step in the right direction. Men typically don’t just bring any girl home with them to meet mom and dad.

h)Some men are glued to their television sets at the same time each week to watch their favorite sports team in action. If he wants to do something with you instead of hanging out on the couch, this is great news. He’s putting your interests and needs ahead of his, which shows he cares deeply for you.

i)He’s interested in your opinion.
He’ll want you to choose activities for the two of you. This shows that he wants you to be happy, another sign that he’s developing strong feelings for you. It also shows that he values your opinion.

j)The last of the signs that a man is in love with you is when he's talking about the future.
If he suddenly starts talking about where he sees himself in a few years and if he suggests how great it would be to have children with you, he’s fallen in love with you.

Listen carefully to everything he says, often his words will reveal exactly what he’s feeling, even if he doesn’t say those three little words directly.