农历正月初七 - 人日

Today is the seventh day on the lunar calender after the chinese new year. In the cute choice of words by Ruby, it is the "everybody's birthday day". i send out a birthday greeting to a selected few people, 35 people to be exact. Some people knew what i was talking about, and obviously displayed their knowledge of Chinese customs and traditions. Some, 19 people to be exact (54.3%), replied me with "??", "...it's not my birthday today..." and "did you send it to the wrong person?", with the funniest from my ex-superior Ailin replying me, "...sent to wrong person...not my bday...This is ai lin fr suntec.". i really wanted to laugh my ass off when she gave me such a reply. But slowly, my laughter started becoming a sigh.

i cant believe so many people (all 35 of them are Chinese) dont know their Chinese tradition. Only 7 wished me Happy Birthday back, which means there were 9 people who didnt reply me. Most likely, i believe, they just ignored my message, assuming that i had sent it to the wrong person. Oh My God! But there was some comfort knowing that there are people who still knew their roots. But clearly, more than half of my surveyed group showed a lack of this knowledge. WAH LAU EH!!! In any case, when i revealed that it was 人日, many of the 19 displayed realisation, which was nice to know. But there were two persons who totally disappointed me. Lionel and J.Low! i really cannot believe you replied me asking me, "What is ren ri?" i really want to smack the balls of the two of you la! In the end, i became a teacher to them, telling them what 人日 is. Okay, let me get a more accurate information. This is what wikipedia offered to me and i shall do the honour of doing the translation to English for the benefit of everyone.

According to legends, the start of the lunar new year, 初一 is the chicken's birthday, 初二 is the dog's, 初三 is pig's, 初四 is goat's, 初五 is cow's, 初六 is horse's, 初七 is humans', and 初八 is the birth of mountains. The seventh day is the birth of the human, therefore, on the seventh day of every lunar new year, it is the birthday of every person.

So much for being a nice person to wish people Happy Birthday. Tan Peck Ying, you freaking idiot. Scold me cheena pok with the exact words used! And Samuel Xie Weicong, for implicitly saying that i am a cheena pok also. Vince said i was lame. Xiujing was clearly annoyed that i had mixed up her birthdate, and told me how the hell would she mix up her birthdate after i told her that "IT IS HER BIRTHDAY TODAY!".

It was really nice watching all those varied yet similar reactions coming from everyone. At least those who didnt know, but yet replied to me, well, you guys bothered to bother with me. For those 9 who totally ignored my message assuming that i had made a mistake, well, never mind.

This whole affair managed to give me some form of distraction from work. It was, or rather is, stifling and boring in the office. Melissa doesnt come down on Wednesdays to Fridays, so i am left all alone to work and entertain myself in the office. Not to mention makaning on my own during lunch.

Anyway, although i made it sound like i was doing a survey, i AM NOT! i was just being nice to wish YOU a happy birthday. Haha. Smile! =)