The Reyes Report

As Conrad well knows by now, I’m allowed one taxi trip / week from work > home … and I do it on Fridays. The rule is my own because a taxi fare (new fare hikes since I’ve arrived, too) costs about S$20 ($15) but a subway ride costs only about $2 … taxi is more direct, private, and takes only 30 minutes, vs a crowded hour by subway, so it’s desirable, but expensive. So if I’m good, I take a taxi “home” only once a week, usually my Friday afternoon treat … my reward for good behavior that week is a new pair of (cheap) shoes … which cost substantially less than 2-3 taxi fares.

Singapore’s taxi drivers are legendary. They are very talkative; English is … attempted and the questions they ask, well, they are renowned for being beyond personal.

But my ride home yesterday was excellent. So much so, that I even gave the nice man a little tip — he giggled. Love it.

We spent 30 minutes talking about Chinese New Year … the customs, the parades, the giving of 2 oranges (and the return gift of 2 oranges), the Hong Kong superstition around the positive meanings of the number “8″ — therefore meaning 2008 will be a great year … all kinds of good stuff. Here’s the net net:

• “8″ sounds like “prosperity” or “wealth” in Chinese. So “they” think it’s lucky. But the driver told me that most people here don’t subscribe to that notion — it’s mostly those Hong Kong types who get heavy into that. (snide tone about HKers was his)
• Expect everything to be CLOSED. This is a home-coming day. Complete with visits to family, a home-coming meal, and door-to-door visits. Sounds a lot like the US Thanksgiving holiday — it’s their busiest travel day of the year, and is a holiday mostly about family.
• A dragon may knock on your door. For a small fee, he will go through your house and scare away the bad ju ju for the new year.
• You bring 2 oranges for the family you’re visiting … and the family gives you 2 in return (not your same 2) … a good time to be an orange seller.
• Speaking of oranges … they are mandarin oranges. Hello, blondie. I never put together the fact that mandarin oranges come from China (where they speak … yep, Mandarin. Eish, it’s almost as bad as the pipe cleaner realization of 2004).
• You always visit the house of the eldest. This is beyond question. I guess this is 2-fold: 1. Out of respect, they make the younger ones do the traveling; and 2. You assume the elder is more successful, so they can afford to host the party (my taxi driver seemed to think this was more of a curse than a blessing as he has 5 siblings + their kids + grandkids … )
• Singapore’s government usually sponsors some events and displays before the new year along the singapore river.
• There is also usually a big parade a day or so after the new year (I think this is what my guidebook was hyping) somewhere in town — maybe Orchard Road (where I live) – this year’s location is yet to be announced. He said groups come in from all over the world just to participate. Sounds neat to me.
• The year of the … he didn’t know. I thought that was interesting. Or I didn’t explain my question well. But even I know that 2007 was the year of the pig. Sounds like this tradition is more “hallmark” hype than real cultural importance. After a little digging, I found out that we’re about to enter the year of the rat. Now I do feel like I brought a little bit of NYC with me to Singapore!! Here’s what else I found:

“Legend has it that in ancient times, Buddha asked all the animals to meet him on Chinese New Year. Twelve came, and Buddha named a year after each one. He announced that the people born in each animal’s year would have some of that animal’s personality. Those born in rat years tend to be leaders, pioneers, and conquerors. They are charming, passionate, charismatic, practical and hardworking.”

… Doesn’t sound like the NYC rats I’ve come to know and love, but maybe I just need to get to know them better Apparently Gwyneth Paltrow and Will Shakespeare were born in the year of the rat, so I guess rats aren’t all bad. … ok, back to the taxi.

• Food. Lots of it. I asked if there’s anything typical, and he described a raw fish with vegetable meal .. apparently you stir it all together with chopsticks, and the higher you hold the stirring chopsticks and drop the food back into the bowl, the better the luck. Not sushi he told me, a different chinese meal. “What’s it called,” I asked. “New Year Raw Fish,” he answered. Hmm, not sure I buy that one I did a little Web searching … turns out this is more of a Malaysian-Chinese ritual, here’s the write-up:

‘Malaysian Chinese toss and mix the Malaysia biggest “Yee Sang” or Raw Fish Salad with their chopsticks high in the air in conjunction with the up-coming Chinese New Year celebration. Yee Sang is made from thin slices of raw fish, shredded vegetables, herbs, spices and oil and is a traditional Lunar New Year dish. In Malaysian Chinese culture, Yee Sang is believed to bring good fortune and wealth in the upcoming year to those who toss and mix it while shouting”Low Hei,” which symbolizes liveliness, prosperity and longevity.’

They also put out a lot of sweets for visitors and just general enjoy snacking on holiday goodies. Sounds not too foreign a concept, right.

Chinese New Year begins on 7 Feb, 2008. Here in Singapore, we actually get 2.5 days holiday at work. Bring it on! I think that’s when Conrad’s going to be here too … so it will be an extra-huge celebration!!