Chinese New Year is just barely two weeks to go and i haven't done any single thing.

New clothes, new haircut, new shoes, CNY dinner arrangement and booking for CNY class gathering are all still left unchecked. Alright, i try to get it done by next week, i hope.

I remember last year, it was few days before CNY, i only started my CNY shopping and gosh, it was so packed! Maybe i should start earlier this year. Anyhow, i'm not extravagant for CNY, gonna be penny pinching this year for bigger plan later in the year; perhaps two shirts, few Mickey T-shirts and few pants, two pairs of shoes will be enough for me. Maybe i should join the common gay style in wearing Abercrombie & Fitch in the year of snake.

Since CNY is around the corner, i believe you would have been bombarded with the CNY songs on the radio. You like it?

For me, i'm in the realm of somewhat.

Don't get me wrong, I'm proud of being a Chinese and i'm not poking any jokes of my own race, i'm just telling what it is.

Don't you think modern CNY songs are putting Chinese in negative position? Though I'm not good in Mandarin but almost CNY songs nowadays got the word "Fatt" (wealth) or "Fatt Tah Chai" (abundance of wealth). Are Chinese that greedy and money minded?

I think so. Come on, for my Chinese readers who are reading this, don't tell me your parents didn't tell you this line when you were small "When you grow up, you have to earn a lot of money".

To be honest, i prefer Christmas songs because it is more sentimental and relates to the bonding with the family, love, Jesus, Santa Clause and presents...wait a minute, presents? Christmas and CNY share the common theme of materialism - it's all boil down to money.

I think the best festive songs is Raya songs, really, there are simple -describing gratefulness to have the Raya together and the scene of Hari Raya like go back to hometown, respect the elderly and the festive delicacies.

Anyway, back to CNY songs. Throughout my 20 plus years span of CNY celebrations, the lyrics of CNY are still the same and never ever gonna change. Come to think of it, i could write my own CNY song though i don't know Chinese. Just put these words/phrases will make a good CNY song: abundance of wealth, good health, job advancement, longevity, good grades in studies, fire crackers, give me ang pows (red packets with money) - there you go!

Really, i still love those older version (way older) of CNY songs. You may call me an old fag but those songs are so pure and so simple and yet so beautiful. Like this one below,

Ta Di Hui Chun 大地回春 (welcoming spring in motherland).

The singer is serenading the scene of spring (the beginning of spring marks the first day of CNY)

"Welcome spring back to earth.

Butterflies dance light and gracefully.
Buzzing bees collect pollens.
Lovers ramble in warm breeze.
The colors of spring excite our feelings".

Let me take you back in time to 1956. This is one of my favourite classic CNY songs by Yao Li

姚莉 , 春風吻上我的臉 (Spring Breeze Kisses My Face)

"The spring breeze kisses my face. Tells me that it is now a spring day. Who says the lull of spring is an unconscious dawn? Only lazy young men sleep deeply. The spring breeze kisses my face. Tells me it is now a spring day. Although spring light is infinitely good. I’m afraid to grow old in front of it".

I think whoever CNY song writers these days should emulate the writers those days - it was so simple and so beautiful.

Aside for never ever change lyric, the small kids are utilized to sing CNY songs also along with the MV. My gosh, the kids are so ugly, the voice sucks big time and choreography is hardly synchronize. Kids, please have a nice set of teeth before shooting the MV. I wonder who will buy their CDs or DVDs. Their family members and friends? Or pedophiles perhaps. Just click below:

Hardly making money through singing CNY songs during younger days, why not try the luck once again when grow up. Let's dye the hair and skimpy dressed and dance at the temple like the two girls below:

For the love of God, why every CNY MV has to be shot at Temple Thean Hou in KL? That's the only temple in Malaysia?! I guess you have seen those singers wearing scarfs singing CNY songs before. Fashionable but 30 degree Celcius (or more) in Malaysia, they are asking for heat rash.

The only temple in Malaysia (courtesy from mangovine.net)

To me, My Astro team has the best group of artistes/dee jays/hosts to sing the CNY songs without any redundancy. And pretty catchy as well so i'm really anticipated every year. So I end this entry with the kids singing the medley of My Astro CNY songs. Trust me, these kids are far more better than the girls above: