The end of a (CNY) era for me

There are many things or moment that screams 'You are no longer a kid, you are an adult!!' even though I still feel like a kid deep inside. Often these moments conjure up a mix of emotions in me: of excitement and anticipation and sometimes fear, such as:
- getting my first credit card (not Bank of Daddy's supplementary card)
- buying expensive make-up from a proper make-up counter
- buying that first designer handbag with my hard-earned cash
- planning my own holiday
- first pay check from a 'proper' job
- going for an expensive meal (without Daddy and Mummy)
- the biggie, getting married (doh!)

Then there are those 'smack right in your face it hurts' moments that signifies you are  'not such a kiddo anymore love':
- getting life insurance
- mortgage
- paying off credit card bills (without Bank of Daddy's contribution!)
- pension plans
- dealing with a broken boiler
- getting the 'tick tock tick tock' lecture about the state of my ovaries from a nurse

I am going all melodramatic because today I feel old, which is even worst that feeling like an adult. This is all coming to a head because I just handed out my first ang pows at Chinese New Year! This is seriously like, the end of an era for me!!!! Once you start giving ang pows there is no going back!!! I would consider this to be one of the bigger disadvantages of being married.

No more excitement of sneakily trying to open the ang pow to see if it is a biggie. No more feelings of disappointment if the ang pow received is heavy (horror! coins instead of notes! This ain't cool aunties, aint cool!). My siblings and I will tip all the angpows we collected into a middle pile late one night and fan out all those notes and feel rich and beautiful while we count our takings. Mum will be watching with eagle eyes to make sure we did not sneak a note under our PJs.

The only way to soften the blow is to have kids so you will get something back in return - technically the ang pows are for the kid but if they are a toddler it doesn't count right? I think it should go to the parents. Mum always say she has 5 kids to recoup her 'loses'. Maybe she is right.

OK...I'm off to find Scott! ;)