Wednesday, November 07, 2007  11:36 PM
Nursery rhymes and penal codes
My extended family has increased in size. At my granduncle's 77th birthday party tonight, I realised that just a few years ago, half these kids didn't even exist. It is fun being part of such a big family where all the children are just running around, although it feels weird not being the one pampered, scolded or referred to as "the kids" anymore. And being at that age in between where you're neither a kid running around wrestling with each other, nor an adult engaging in conversation about the property market and politics, you sort of wonder where you should be in this frightening gap called the twenties.
I chose to sit in between, dividing my time between entertaining the children, making faces and engaging in babytalk, and participating in some intellectual talk with the adults about the liberalisation of gays in Singapore (which happens to be what everyone is talking about these days with 377A) - the Public Affairs Reporting class was of tremendous help.
Still, it was mostly about the children. The moms talked about what they did with them, their daily routines and how exasperating they could get, although with that obvious hint of pride beneath the rolled eyes. The dads talked about their daughters cajoling them for money, and their careers in order to support their children.
My twelve-year-old twin cousins, Gregory and Genevieve, the typical Anglo-Chinese Junior School and Methodist Girls' School stereotypes, waiting to go into secondary school, at where else - ACS (I) and MGS. With them, talk was all about schoolbus fares, Gen beginning to shop at Takashimaya, Greg and his tennis and rugby lessons, PSLE scores and how Gen is a good 20cm taller than Greg at this age even though they're twins.
Then there's James, Jared and Jessica, age nine, seven and five respectively, all behaving in the same shy manner, except when it comes to fighting with each other. You'd think that being the youngest and only daughter with two older brothers, Jessica would get bullied. But no, watching her with her sweet smile, small frame and fair skin, her ferocity emerges when she wins arguments against her two brothers. And the two boys are as different as night and day - James is big and wiry with a face that screams 'stay away', while Jared is a fair good-looking angmoh-looking roly poly.
The one that got most attention was three-month old Cedric, a bright-eyed baby boy who looks as if he's six months old. He let himself be passed around from one set of welcoming arms to another, and lapped up all the attention as he stared at the people that circled him half the time. I know he loved being the centre of everything though, he didn't shed a single tear. I swear he even nodded at me once.
And my grandmother, being adorably hilarious as usual with her mix-up of words. When James and Greg started kicking each other, she scolded them and told them to stop playing "karaoke". She meant to say "karate".
Then the 9pm show on Channel 8 began, and suddenly everybody, young and old had their eyes transfixed on the television. I miss those days when I actually had time to follow these drama serials.
When it was time for my granduncle to cut his birthday cake, all his grandchildren gathered around the birthday cake, gazing at it with wide-eyed fascination as children always do when it comes to chocolate and lighted candles. Until, my aunt's horrified voice resounded,
"James, don't blow the candles!!!"
Two candles were now emitting smoke.
So after the whole enchilada of lighting it again, and finally singing a birthday song, all my granduncle's grandchildren blew the candles out excitedly. All my granduncle did was stand there and smile proudly.
The older generation celebrate their birthdays only so that their family can come together once again. They sit quietly during these big gatherings, but really, they're watching their family interact, and nothing makes them happier than seeing the next generation happy and knowing that they have left a good legacy behind.
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