Ever wonder where your mandarin oranges end up?
I do.
For the benefit of those who do not know what this exchange is about:
During Chinese New Year, it is a tradition to present the host (who's home you are visiting) with a pair of mandarin oranges. These two oranges represent health, prosperity and a lot of other good stuff. In exchange, and it being polite, the host would usually receiprocate and hand you back a pair.
The thing is. These oranges arrive at a home, gets put into a basket along with all the other oranges, and then gets picked up again for another exchange. Wonder what the odds of seeing that same orange are. Especially when there is a lot of visiting among immediate relatives. I was tempted to mark my oranges, just for the fun of it. But I never got down to doing it. Guess there were too many exchange of ideas, i got lost in the process instead.... padumpum
3 comments:
Or... you can not bring them at all and still give the host oranges:
Step 1: Shake hands and give new years's greetings with additional vigour to make up for the lack of oranges
Step 2: Procceed to communal orange basket and pick up 2 (nice ones)
Step 3: Tap host (or host's mother) on shoulder- 'oh (auntie) so and so i nearly forgot, it was in my bag....' then compliment the food to change the subject
Step 4: ACT normal
Step 5: (optional) return oranges before you leave.
It really is true... a friend of mine fessed up to this out of earshot of the host
hahah you so funny
is that a singaporean thing?
well its a halfjap halfschinese singaporean who fessed up.
i guess so.. new age ways of being kiam
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