So, who do you think you are?
Don't be taken aback by my apparent rudeness, but really, who do you think you are? This question has been looming in my head for a while now. Not that I am unsure of my own identity as a person - I know very well that I am a twenty-something Chinese female who is still trying to make sense of what life is truly about. What I mean is, do I really know my roots or the story behind my ancestry?
I am about to find out this Chinese New Year as I follow my parents on a
balik kampung trip to China - the land where my grandparents once called home. I have mixed emotions right now as I imagine what it would be like to walk into the house my grandparents wed in, or to (try) and talk to my relatives who were born there. What would life be like if my grandparents hadn't made that big decision to leave China for Malaya in the late 1940s?
Since it's Chinese New Year, let us ponder upon the sacrifices our older generations have made to bring us to where we are today. Let's also be mindful that the decisions we make today will impact the lives of our future generations.
Have a wonderful Chinese New Year and happy holidays!
DIANE LEE
PHOTOGRAPHER / STUDIO MANAGER