上海的月亮 大马的倒影

Temperature: 25c
Weather: Clear

Mid Autumn Festival 中秋节 has just quietly passed by. If not because of the 2 boxes of mooncakes I received from the office, I would not realize mid autumn festival had arrived.

This could not be true. After all I am now living in a country with 1.3 billions of Chinese who are supposed to celebrate mid-autumn and needless to say mid-autumn festival originated from this land！But where had the atmosphere of mid-autumn gone?

I remember when I was younger (I am still young, so I intentionally use the word “younger”), mid-autumn was a big thing in Kuala Terengganu. Despite its insignificant Chinese population, there were organizations busy organizing various exciting activities like tang-lung march, tang-lung contest, riddles, cultural performance etc. Of course mooncakes and "pig biscuits" were things that could not be missed.

Damn! Mid-autumn was such a big thing in Malaysia that a local boy group even made a song called 月亮圆 specially dedicated for this festival.

Mid-autumn is a public holiday for Hong Kong. But their holiday is on the 16th day of the Lunar calendar because they want to spend their night in a family reunion while appreciating the 15th day moon and do not need to work the next morning. I was in Hong Kong on the 15th day. My Hong Kong colleagues were discussing their plans to celebrate mid-autumn: some suggested shopping with husband, some suggested having a big and expensive dinner, bottom line: all had plans to do something in the name of mid-autumn.

Well, very unfortunate for Mainland China, mid-autumn is not a holiday. It is business as usual. The spirit of mid-autumn here has been reduced to selling and giving expensive mooncakes in beautifully decorated boxes. Where is the lantern? Where is the family gathering?

月圆人团圆, the Chinese says. "But if there is no holiday, how am I going to reunite with my family?" my Chinese colleague complained during dinner.

I can see the big bright moon from the window of my office, the same moon that is shining on my family now wherever they are. When you are thousand miles away from your home, the following verses by 苏东波 become very meaningful:-

人有悲欢离合，月有阴晴圆缺，此事古难全！

但愿人长久，千里共婵娟。