I am finally back from the utterly-miserable Brunei trip. I did not have pork for 23 days straight so when I got back and Mum made char siew, I thought it was chicken breast meat.

The weather was ridiculous, too. In the day, temperatures would surge up to 35 degrees Celsius, whilst at night (which happens at 6:30pm and ends at 6am; pretty much messed me up quite a bit for my sleep cycle) it dipped down to 24. Not that it is the most extreme of conditions, but being a Singaporean, you'd expect me to complain.

And all of what you've just read is not going to bear any relevance to the topic I'm about to discuss. Because that is just how I start things sometimes.

I have a very huge family. My dad has 9 sisters, my mother has 9 siblings. So naturally, I know a lot of people that are blood-related to me. And throughout all these years, I've amassed a list of types of family members that I know and perhaps you may find yourself relating to.

1. The Generous One

This person is the one to look for during Chinese New Year, because you can be darn sure your angbao will not be just $10. This family member probably is the one who does all the chalet bookings, hosts the birthday parties and offers loans to everyone, be it to buy a car or a broom (mind you - there are expensive brooms out there).

2. The Loud One

Everytime the family gathers for a reunion, this family member will share about every single thing in the world. Like how his/her recent Bangkok shopping trip went, and how he/she has found the latest and easiest way to clean the windows (and yes - mind you - there are easier ways to clean windows out there). Perhaps these people help keep the party alive and lively; because you can certainly feel - or rather, hear - it when they are not around.

3. The Mahjong King/Queen

Okay, we get it. You love a square table with a truckload of tiles on it. You love shuffling it around and winning everyone else.

There isn't a need to justify why mahjong needs to be played - at least for these people. We could probably understand if it is Chinese New Year, but some could play every single weekend. This is so rampant in my family that my dad actually invested in an electronic mahjong table. Just for, you know, the cool effect and how it actually makes a lot less noise shuffling. Because mahjong happens rather often and we stay in an area where noise is pretty much a no-no.

4. The Chef

This is the 2nd most important person in the family, after the Generous One. Mainly because he/she takes care of the catering. And when he/she starts whipping up the dishes, you know you're in for a treat. I have an aunt who specialises in more traditional Chinese dishes like braised pork, whilst my mum goes for the more contemporary ones like bacon stews and prata pancakes. And I cannot stress how important they are, especially during Chinese New Year. Because, you know, it's the time of the year for me to get fat (not that I restrain myself for the rest of the year but CNY is a big opportunity).

5. The MIA One

There are always ninjas in the family. Some have migrated to other countries - understandably, for family or business reasons. Others just seem like an endangered species - they appear for a couple of hours during CNY, and then they're gone for the rest of the year. Because, you know, work takes up the remaining 365 days and 4 hours.

6. The Harsh One

Direct people are running rare nowadays. Thankfully, in my family, it seems to be a natural trait - almost like something we take pride from. People have so much fun dissing each other and making fun of their current state. Sometimes things get a bit too heated up, but hey, everyone needs straightforward people in their lives.

My family can go from talking about sex and incest (my aunt cheekily suggested my cousin to be her boyfriend) to money matters. And the way they present it, the directness of it, is amazing.

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I don't know anymore. I'm running flat of ideas, guys.

I'll probably upload my Spotify playlist here over the weekend to share with everyone what I'm listening to at the moment. No, I've not strayed away from pop at all.

I'll probably also share my holiday plans soon. Because it's... well it's exciting. Probably not to you but to me, it means new destinations, even if it isn't all that far away.

Song of the day:
Disclosure ft. Sam Smith - Omen
(This collaboration is sublime.)
(Oh, and Sam Smith seems to have lost half his weight.)
(My mind would rule my heart, I didn't pay attention to the light in the dark. It left me torn apart, but now I see your tears are an omen.)