So there's this list of micro-aggressions that relatives apparently say to one another during CNY. It probably started out as a joke (I didn't see the birth of the list though) but I think it quickly degenerated. While a few are downright rude, most are really just harmless remarks that don't deserve to be on the list. If they are to be classified as "micro-aggressions", then it would show that some people nowadays are too sensitive to be able to carry on casual conversations. If you're secure enough you'd be able to stand your ground firmly without feeling offended. In life, curve balls come your way all the time. Just deflect them. If the smallest of remarks count as a micro-aggression, I'd say it's time to live a secluded and peaceful life as a hermit.
Prestige anxiety is still well and alive in Singapore. People are still awfully concerned about their "face". We need to remove ourselves from this toxic mindset, and live our lives as we truly want them to be. And be able to tell anyone about it to their faces, whether they are mocking us or not. Or sometimes, deep down, they are in their own ways, simply trying to understand us. Let them try.