Dear readers, today is the first Day of Chinese New Year and I wish All of You a Happy Chinese New Year of the Wooden Dragon!
As usual and as expected, Day 1 of Chinese New Year is a day where a majority of retail shops are closed for the day. It is one of the rarer times of the year when one can walk into a shopping centre to find that the shopping centre is deserted. And this is where those stalls that are still open on Day 1 of the Chinese New Year will draw most of the crowds looking for a snack, or meals or purchases.
I bought coffee from one of those traditional toast chains today. Before I made payment, the cashier reasonably informed me that each item to be purchased will come with an additional 50 cents Chinese New Year surcharges. The cashier asked me whether I would still like to proceed with my order given the surcharges.
Well, it is not too difficult to answer the cashier. I slept late on Chinese New Year eve and there I was, rather tired but would like to be in the Best form when I met up with my relatives, many of whom I have not met for years. So the answer is a straight away yes!
The iced kopi which I have asked for upside costs $3.80 and a 50 cents surcharge translates into an additional 13.2% of the cost of the iced kopi. But the surcharge is worth it, not only for me to be in the best form as earlier mentioned but it also serves as a morale booster for staff who still have to be at work on the first day of Chinese New Year.
Have a Great Chinese New Year!