Reunion

Finished my reunion dinner with my family. It was a superb reunion dinner with my family. It's been a long time since i last sat down with my family to dine, especially with my sister who's back in Korea. During Chinese New Year eve, it has become sort of a cultural norm for Chinese family to have a reunion dinner.

'Yu Shen', a must-have platter for West Malaysian during Chinese New Year

Eating 'Yu Shen' with my friends at Plaza Shah Alam the day before i return
( the every anticipating look on Chow's face was... un-describable )

All these customs and traditions, they all symbolize one thing - the unity of the family in entering another new chapter of life. It is also a traditional belief carrying out all these practices can ensure that an entire family will stay together and not be separated throughout the year.

Reminds me of the movie "True Legend" that i watched last night with Sing Siong and Lawrence.

Lawrence and Sing Siong posing at McD

I love one particular phrase inside the movie. It was simple, but the meaning was deep... the phrase was :

"骨肉不分离"

骨肉不分离 can be practically translated to "never being separated, ever". It wasn't this phrase that captivated me, it was the storyline that got me pondering on the weight of these words. There was this beggar kid in the movie who did not want to be separated with his father ( he was insane ) though promised with a better life by his father's friend. The kid said no matter the condition of his father, he had to carry out his duty as his son and care for him everywhere he went.

No matter the condition of the father, the son is obligated to him

The phrase "骨肉不分离" itself holds no value; it is the motive and the action behind that gives it the weight of the words - sacrifice.

Loyalty and devotion lead to bravery. Bravery leads to the spirit of self-sacrifice. The spirit of self-sacrifice creates trust in the power of love. How many of us are capable of such selfless acts for others, even our immediate family ?

Many men have been capable of doing a wise thing, more a cunning thing, but very few a generous thing. We always boast about how readily we are to sacrifice and help others in time of need. We always tell others that no matter what happens, we will be there for them. Question is, will we ? How often do we shun those in need like a plague when the time comes for us to prove our loyalty and dedication ?

Are our moral compass so corrupted nowadays that we lost sight of loyalty ?

Sadly, nowadays, 'A friend indeed is a friend to be avoided' has become the norm of the society. Have we become so morally corrupted that we no longer see the value of loyalty and love ? Are out moral compass so bent that we have lost sight of what is good ? Love for others leads us to accept accountability (in contrast to feeling guilt) and motivates our search for ways to end our complicity with structures of oppression. Solidarity does not require self-sacrifice, but an enlargement of the self to include community with others.


Self-sacrifice is never entirely unselfish, for the giver never fails to receive. I pray that everyone, including me, will learn the value of sacrifice and giving. For anything worth having one must pay the price; and the price is always work, patience, love, self-sacrifice - no paper currency, no promises to pay, but the gold of real service to others....

to friends...