My mum says I haven't understood the value of money, because when I get my angbaos I don't count the money inside them. My angbaos are still sitting in my bag, unwrapped. But I'm still very glad when I receive the angbaos (I'm just too lazy to open them.) Angbaos are the only reason I don't view visiting as a chore, because when I visit relatives there is absolutely nothing to do, except for the occasional conversations with older relatives. The younger ones just play among themselves and the teenagers (me included) are too shy/awkward to say anything to each other. Something is wrong with my distant nephew because no matter how big my smile is or how gentle my "hello!" is, he stares at me with huge fearful eyes. I know I don't just look scary because he looks at other relatives like that too. My distant niece is almost two years old and she is adorable, because she can be carried by almost anyone and she smiles at almost anyone. I carried her once, but the second time I tried to do that, she squirmed around in my lap and I had to return her to her mum. 

So this sums up my CNY experience with relatives!

If there's one thing I regretted last time, it is not going for OCIP. But it wasn't the act of giving that I felt I had missed out on. There are two sides to volunteer work. One is charity and the other is gaining personal experience/making friends/touring a new country, and this side is what I felt I had missed out on. But not anymore. After thinking about it I feel like OCIP is just two great concepts mixed into one package, and for some it is another thing to list down on their resumes.

But who said OCIP isn't fun? I am definitely going to go for OCIP in university, if I hear of it then. Of course, I would not think of myself as doing something great, because real volunteering involves long term sacrifices.