Before you continue to read this posting, first take about 5 minutes (or less if your mind thinks fast) and ponder on this: If you're a Chinese (and even if you're not, you're also elligible to ponder on this), what is the meaning and purpose of a Chinese New Year Reunion Dinner/Lunch to you?
For me, a CNY Reunion Dinner/Lunch is a time for a family to get together, to have a meal together, to catch up, to re-connect, especially if members of the family are geographically separated or have not been in touch regularly, to usher in the New Year together as a family as we say goodbye to the previous year. For me, it has always been about the FAMILY and REUNION.
However, what we have experienced this CNY (2009) has made us ponder: does being a Chinese, and the fact that it's a CNY Reunion Dinner/Lunch, makes it COMPULSORY for the meal to be a CHINESE MEAL, in a CHINESE RESTAURANT, in a CHINESE SETTING?
Before we debate on this, let's talk about facts that we all mostly agree on: FACT 1: Almost ALL Chinese restaurants will raise their food prices during Chinese New Year (and let's not argue over this, different viewpoints have been raised, e.g. they are working while the rest of us are enjoying, etc.), FACT 2: Other non-Chinese restaurants will most likely maintain similar food prices during CNY and FACT 3: Other non-Chinese restaurants might throw in additional goodies in their menu to tie in with CNY (e.g. CNY set lunches, etc.).
Now here's the situation: would it make sense to pay RM200 for a CNY dinner for 4 people and be forced to wait almost an hour before you are actually even served with your meal (due to the insane crowd size) for dishes that you know fully well you can order in any other non-CNY-related days for a much much cheaper price (and minus the insane waiting period), or wouldn't tbe nearby KFC with virtually no crowd and offering the very same menu and same prices as yesterday and tomorrow offer a more reasonable option especially if it costs around RM50 for a meal for 4 people???
Worst still, we have asked such a question before (why pay so much when we can eat at other places?) and an answer that we got was: During Chinese New Year of course we eat Chinese food!
So now my question is: was there ever a rule that says Chinese must eat Chinese food during CNY? OK, like all Chinese customs, probably if we ask the elders, they will say that's how it has been done from yesteryears all the way till now, and that's probably true, else, it won't be a custom. But my argument is this: Did anyone consider that years ago, centuries ago, you probably would have a difficult time finding a non-Chinese restaurant in China serving non-Chinese food as compared to now, in the age of globalization?
Is it wrong to have a Chinese New Year Reunion Dinner in KFC, in Kayu Nasi Kandar? Should we blindly offer to pay so so much more and be forced to accept less-than-ideal service standards just so that we can stick to what we perceive is a custom that we must and should follow, without first understanding and accepting the meaning of what we are celebrating and what makes the environment of centuries ago different from what it is now?
Tuesday, 3 February 2009
Monday, 2 February 2009
Credit Cards Nightmare!
I just read some disturbing statistics recently - there are millions of credit card holders with millions and millions of debt! Worst still, people are now screaming for the banks to reduce their interest rates for credit cards. Is it a problem with the banks, or us? Or both?
What has happened to spending responsibly? Nowadays credit cards are everywhere, and it's common for individuals to have more than 1 credit card. In the past, credit cards were viewed as a convenient way to pay for goods and items without the burden of carrying loads of cash around (and having a flashboard on your head that says "Rob Me!"). Nowadays, credit cards are being viewed as just another credit line, like a personal loan. If in need of cash, the credit card is here to save the day!
From my point of view there are 2 problems here - credit cards are too pervasive in our society and people are not using credit cards responsibly. Recently, I was offered a Platinum card with the annual fees for the first 2 years waived! This was such a stark contrast to years ago when I was offered a Platinum card minus the perks and waivers currently offered. Go to any supermarket stores, petrol gas stations and you'll probably bump into credit card salesmen offering credit cards with perks that we can only dream of years ago. It's so so easy now to get a credit card!
2nd, credit cards users are not using credit cards responsibly! The onus is on the credit card holder to manage the expenses properly and not to incure giant hills of debt to the point that prompt repayment is no longer feasible (and digging a mile deep hole in the ground for yourself). Searching for flimsy loopholes and convenient scapegoats (a.k.a. the exorbitant interest rates) as a solution is already too late. I do agree that the interest rate is too exorbitant, but pointing fingers at the bank isn't the solution. Do we really need more than 1 or 2 credit cards per individual? Or if we have 6 credit cards, does that mean we have the capability to spend 6 times more than what we previously could?
We should all do our part to avoid another Subprime-like horror crashing down on us. And I'm speaking from experience - I've experienced the pain of overusing my credit cards in the past. I dug a hole for myself, but managed to climb out of it. I guess pain teaches people valuable lessons in life. However, let's not let the pain be fatal.
What has happened to spending responsibly? Nowadays credit cards are everywhere, and it's common for individuals to have more than 1 credit card. In the past, credit cards were viewed as a convenient way to pay for goods and items without the burden of carrying loads of cash around (and having a flashboard on your head that says "Rob Me!"). Nowadays, credit cards are being viewed as just another credit line, like a personal loan. If in need of cash, the credit card is here to save the day!
From my point of view there are 2 problems here - credit cards are too pervasive in our society and people are not using credit cards responsibly. Recently, I was offered a Platinum card with the annual fees for the first 2 years waived! This was such a stark contrast to years ago when I was offered a Platinum card minus the perks and waivers currently offered. Go to any supermarket stores, petrol gas stations and you'll probably bump into credit card salesmen offering credit cards with perks that we can only dream of years ago. It's so so easy now to get a credit card!
2nd, credit cards users are not using credit cards responsibly! The onus is on the credit card holder to manage the expenses properly and not to incure giant hills of debt to the point that prompt repayment is no longer feasible (and digging a mile deep hole in the ground for yourself). Searching for flimsy loopholes and convenient scapegoats (a.k.a. the exorbitant interest rates) as a solution is already too late. I do agree that the interest rate is too exorbitant, but pointing fingers at the bank isn't the solution. Do we really need more than 1 or 2 credit cards per individual? Or if we have 6 credit cards, does that mean we have the capability to spend 6 times more than what we previously could?
We should all do our part to avoid another Subprime-like horror crashing down on us. And I'm speaking from experience - I've experienced the pain of overusing my credit cards in the past. I dug a hole for myself, but managed to climb out of it. I guess pain teaches people valuable lessons in life. However, let's not let the pain be fatal.
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