On the ride home, I noticed all the extremely old people waiting at the bus stops and boarding the bus I was on. They moved with small, slow steps and fast-twitching head or hands. Their skin were shrunken, lined, and mottled with age spots. They all seem to know each other, greeting each other as they got on and off the buses at the stops. Hsinchu has the highest monthly government stipends (akin to Social Security in the US) for its senior citizens, and it's where my own paternal grandparents and now my two oldest paternal uncles lived. I know that Hsinchu doesn't have a good reputation for tourists--or even the locals. The people who work in the Science Park earn a ton of money, but for the rest of us, it's a small sleepy city that's a bit run-down without any flashy public transportation. Having spent the last 10 days in the metropolis and urban wonderland that is Taipei, my industrious yet also fantastically nature-focused hometown of Kaohsiung, and the historical and cultural center of Tainan, Hsinchu really seem quite sleepy and uneventful. But I had missed it, because it's where my immediate family lives, where my husband works, where my son goes to school, where my paternal side of the family escaped to as political refugees in 1948. I'm sure at any point, we could be uprooted and replanted somewhere else, and then that place could also easily become home-like. We've moved around so much that I'm used to that more than the alternative. But it's still nice to have a home base for now, no matter how unsophisticated it appears to those just passing through.
So for Chinese New Year this year, I observed the following traditions: Traveled to visit the most senior generation of my family tree and had New Year Eve's Dinner with four generations under one roof. Stayed up until midnight and listened to the firecrackers to herald the new year. Returned to my hometown to visit my parents and my dad's sister. Brought gifts for my elders and red envelops for my younger cousins.
The traditions of cleaning out the whole house before the new year....I was not successful. Because I got sick at the last minute. Yep. Only reason. Yep. I also didn't go to the temples to light incense for the gods or turn on the kitchen stove to welcome back the kitchen god, but I did have to explain for the kids why so many people were burning paper money along the streets.
It's nice to catch up with relatives who have felt more and more distant every year I've been out of the country. Being able to celebrate Chinese New Year with them this year has been a privilege. I was also thankful for being able to hike Elephant Mountain on the first day of the new year, courtesy of the MRT station to get me to the foot of the mountain quickly. Other highlights include running around Da'an Park, the kids playing there with my mom, strolling along the Love Rive in Kaohsiung with my mom and Petra while admiring the Lantern Festival installations, celebrating my mom's 60th birthday in person with her and my dad and surprising her with a small cake. The last time I did the last event I just mentioned was over 10 years ago. I hope I am finally becoming a better daughter.
Declan in his silk qipao, bidding everyone peace on Chinese New Year's Eve
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