Losing a wallet is a traumatic experience. 失去钱包是带来创伤的经历。

Introduction | 简介

Losing a wallet just before Chinese New Year even more so. Amidst being busy with spring cleaning, I had to deal with making a police report, cancelling the credit cards and getting them replace, still not replace driver's license and identity. So, I'm still a man without identity. However, no PTSD. Life has to go on to prepare for the new year. So, I went to get myself a Fortune Pack for auspicious reason.

在农历新年前失去钱包是带来创伤更加痛苦。忙于大扫除，还得到警局报告，联络银行取消信用卡。还未搞好驾驶执照和身份证。所以，我还是一个没有身份的人。然而，没有创伤后忧郁症。年总还是要过。所以为了讨个吉利，我去“领”了个福袋。

Fortune Pack | 福袋

If you have seen my Chinese New Year related posts, you will know we have an affinity for new things for the new year. New clothes, new socks, new bedsheets, new money. Yes, new money.

One of our customs is to give this lucky money in red envelope to children and anyone unmarried. This is called Hong Bao (红包). These hong bao envelopes can be quite fanciful. Usually the banks print their own design and give them out but you can also buy other fancy designs froms shops. The envelopes are stuffed with money. In Singapore at least, we like new money - meaning new currency notes.

Many people diligently spend time queuing at the bank branch to exchange or withdraw new currency notes in different denomination. One bank, OCBC Bank, has started offering a prepacked bag of currency notes a few years ago and that is quite popular that each customer is only limited to one. So, one of the days before the Chinese New Year, I went and got one of this Fortune Pack as they called it with a withdrawal of $400.

很多人该知道我们在新年期间都喜欢买新东西。新衣服，新袜子，新床单，新钱。是的，新钞票。新加坡人就喜欢用新钞票包红包。通常银行有制作自己设计的红包封但也有不少人花钱买自己喜欢的款式。
很多人都在银行排长龙为了换或提不同的面额的新钞票来包红包。一家银行，华侨银行，几年前已经开始提供一袋预先包装的纸币。这是相当受欢迎的，每个客户只限一个。所以，在农历新年之前几天，我也去提$400换来一个福袋。