7th year for the Deepavali Rambo

I'm a veteran deepavali Rambo meaning I'm a one man show who never spent deepavali with my family for the last 7 years. I remember when I was a tiny kid in Singapore, deepavali was always a holiday in November when the chinese kids will use the break to study for the impending final-year exams during the november period and the malay kids will use it to play soccer in the void deck. I could have celebrated it with lesser inhibition if not for the fact that my exams will be a few days later. Nevertheless, it was nothing like mom's cooking, new clothes and basking in the happy ambience. I will be waiting by the kitchen so I could have the first shot in getting the food competing with my sisters. My mom will ask me to buy a bottle of Pepsi from provision shop downstairs to celebrate. I will unwillingly take a break from guarding the precious food and head downstairs.

During that phase in my life, drinking pepsi or coke was something extravagant. Probably equivalent to popping a bottle of Crystal Champagne or Moet Chandon or something. I will negotiate with lightning speed the flights of stairs from the 10th floor to head down (remember the food might be ready any moment). On the way up, I will step into the crowded HDB lift with some chinese families. The parents will be talking to their kids in chinese. I will be oblivious to the conversation till I hear "#@%...apu neh neh..@#$". Maybe they were discreetly wishing me happy deepavali or MAYBE they were disciplining their kids that if they don't behave the "apu" will get them. Apu neh neh or neh neh pok or whatever I was glad that I got some street credit on the block cos all the kids feared me..the formidable black mamba or rather the black mama..hehe!! :)