In olden China, if you wanted to rise up and challenge the Emperor you better jolly well make sure you win and you kill the Emperor. If not, your life and those of 7 or 9 generations after you are forfeit. The Emperor leaves no trace of you nor your family and your followers to threaten him.
We no longer live in the ancient times, but the vindictive streak that runs in all leaders continue. So long as they are challenged and they survive to tell the tale, they will ensure that the challenger and his whole “family” are deader than a dodo. Never mind that the challenger stood by himself the whole time. Never mind that there are capable people waiting in the wings to take over if he fails to meet the mark. Slash and burn is the order of the day.
So, the lesson to learn from here is that no man is an island. If one person rises above the rest, it is because he rises on the shoulders of others who give him a leg up. The masses toil in order that one man may rise but the selfish and self-centered never see that. He fails to realise that his actions affect the life and livelihood of the people toiling below him. Because of one foray into folly against the wishes and advice of the masses for selfish gains, he has sounded the death knoll for himself and the people who walked with him. I only hope that the death edict does not cover the next 7 generations to come.
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On a lighter note, today is Chap Goh Meh which in Hokkien means the Night of the Fifteenth Day of the Lunar Month. It is also the last day of the Chinese New Year festivities and is popularly known as one of the Chinese Valentine’s Days. I say “one of the” because the Chinese (being super kiasu) have 2 Valentine’s Days!
One is on the 15th day of the first lunar month (last day of the Chinese New Year) and the other is on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month (see Legend of the Cowherd and Maiden involving lovestruck couples, bridges of doves, milky way etc).
Chap Goh Meh was traditionally the day when young ladies ventured out into the public closely chaperoned by their maids or mothers and young men jostled for a glimpse at their beloved. It is a night for discreet tete-a-tetes and passing of love notes as the spring air cools warm ardours and carries on it the scent of plum blossoms and chinese tea.
Tonight is the night when unmarried women throw oranges into the river with a wish for a good husband. Personally, I never understood the concept of this. Why waste a perfectly good orange eh? 
Then again, maybe there might just be an orange bobbing along with my name on it. Or maybe not.
Happy Chap Goh Meh everyone!
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9 comments ↓
Happy Chap Goh Mei, ParisB!! I am glad my forebears didn’t want to be heroes..
Thrown any oranges lately? Happy Chap Goh Meh to you too!
*throws a few oranges* Teeheehee!
Happy Chap Goh Mei!
I wanted to throw some oranges yesterday but my wife forbade me
so did any hunky studs catch ur lokams?
TM said “Oh, so this is how all you Chinese get rid of the excess oranges sitting around in the fridge!” LOL
yup, I’d rather eat the orange. and send love letters instead.
I guess bcos they are a lot of desperate people out there lol. Or maybe they received too many mandarin oranges from relatives and friends so they are eager to throw it away. Furthermore this year mandarin oranges are not very fresh.
LB: I’m glad your forefathers weren’t trying to be heros too!
GT: I didn’t think the condo management would be amused at me throwing oranges into the pool
Rinnah: Hope someone caught them!
Pablo: LOL!!! Actually I read somewhere that men threw apples - waste of a perfectly good apple, that!
kyh: aiyah… you didn’t catch them?
Cheese: Haha… which reminds me I should be getting rid of mine
May: Oh I’d rather just eat the love letters too!
littlepolaris: Oh that could be true - a romantic notion to a practical solution