For the first time ever, I don't really feel the big thrill of receiving all those ang pows anymore. Not to say I'm ungrateful or anything; I do appreciate all the 'free' money. Perhaps I know what it's like to work and get paid and to spend your own hard-earned money. And it's hard to believe that I've only been gigging around regularly from about April or May last year; last Chinese New Year I was looking forward to the monetary windfall just like every New Year.

But then again I better not make too much out of the whole earn-my-own-money thing, or I may have to start giving out ang pows too.