Here Comes The Dragon!

It's the most important time of the year for the Chinese -- the Chinese New Year is here again! And to make it more special this time round, it's the year of the dragon, the mystical animal that has become so synonymous with the Chinese. In fact, the Chinese are said to be the descendants of the dragon. Unlike Western dragons, the Chinese dragon is considered the most auspicious and powerful animal. Yup, even if it's just imaginary. That's why the Dragon Year is the best year in the Chinese calendar.

Being in a school that has Chinese students as a majority, I get to enjoy one whole week of holiday. The official public holidays are just the first and second day of the New Year, but my school has applied for extended leave for the next 3 days, making it a whole school week. Of course, we have to have replacement classes on future Saturdays for that, but still, it's good that everyone can really enjoy the festivities without worrying about school!

My former school had mainly Malay students, so the administration was always reluctant to apply for extended leave during Chinese New Year. That made it hard for the Chinese students and teachers, who often had to go out of town to visit friends and relatives. It was okay for students to be absent from school for 1 or 2 days, but teachers had to apply for leave. Since we were only allowed 7 days of annual leave per year, it was terribly hard to part with even one day...

Well, now that I have one whole week, it's time to really enjoy it! It's already the middle of the week, but looking back, I'm happy to say that each day spent was fulfilling and satisfying, and I just hope that the second half of my holiday will be equally worthwhile! It's the time to take a break from the hectic school life and re-energise before stepping back into it again.

Here's hoping that the Year of the Dragon brings good luck, prosperity, health and happiness to everyone! Gong Xi Fa Cai!