This article first appeared in Personal Wealth, The Edge Malaysia Weekly, on Feb 8 - 14, 2016.

I stopped counting how many ang pow packets I received each Chinese New Year after I started working. But I clearly remember that I did when I was a child, as receiving ang pow was one of the most exciting things. 

During the Chinese New Year holidays, dad would drive my mum, sister and I a few hundred kilometres south to Muar, Johor, where we would spend a night at our grandparents’ house. All the relatives on my father’s side would sit down for a reunion dinner on the eve of the Lunar New Year. After the meal, we (the kids) would have fun setting off firecrackers and playing hide-and-seek. We would also have pillow fights before going to sleep on a mattress on the wooden floor that night. 

The ang pow tour would start the next day, the first day of the Lunar New Year. This was a day I both loved and hated the most. I hated it because I would have to leave my grandparents’ house and miss out on all the fun the children would have that afternoon when I was away. But I also loved it as it meant receiving ang pow. The more houses I visited, the more ang pow I received.

Although I felt bored meeting my relatives and the friends of my parents, I would still remember my manners and greet the elders with a smile on my face and say “thank you” when they served me drinks and biscuits. Of course, there was a part of me that did all these for the sake of receiving ang pow. After that, all I needed to do was to sit quietly in a corner waiting for the red packets to arrive.

At the end of the day, I would pass them all to mum. She would count and put them into her handbag. Even though the money never belonged to me, I was happy to receive them. 

I turned 27 last year and I no longer count how many ang pow packets I receive. Instead, I counted how much money there was in the ang pow itself. For instance, an ang pow with RM300 was better than 10 ang pow packets with RM20 each — even though it meant that I only received New Year wishes from my folks compared with 10 from relatives and friends.

I am also no longer as shy as I used to be. I had picked up the hobby of backpacking during my university days and got used to talking with strangers. This has stood me in good stead as being a journalist requires me to ask questions at a lot of different events. I have taken a keen interest in what the folks in Muar talk about such as politics and what not.

When the ang pow tour ends, we hop into the car. Dad is still the one driving and I sit in the back. But now, I keep and manage the ang pow money I receive. Last year, I used all my ang pow packets to decorate my room. I even bought a bedstand with the money and forked out some of my own for a brand new Ikea cupboard. This year, there are a few things on my shopping list, namely a climbing harness and shoes, as I have just picked up rock climbing. 

In hindsight, I wonder if I have become a more materialistic person. Oh well, I think it is only normal for one to be calculative in a challenging economy. At the end of the day, I realise that what matters most are the people I meet as I grow older each year. While most people appreciate money while growing up (being in the middle class means getting a job and buying a car and a house), it is even more important to appreciate the people who love and support you. 

Happy Chinese New Year to all who are celebrating!

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