Relatives. Generally a group of people whom I'm obliged to make small talk with every now and then. If it's not the annual CNY house visit or phone call (depending on which part of the world they are in), then it would be the one-off restaurant meals when they are in town. Not a very close-knit nucleus we have going on around here, heh.

So anyway, an aunt based in NY was recently in town for work, and my 80 yr old grand-aunt (whom I hadn't seen in years) seized the opportunity to tag along. We met in a group of 8 over bak kuh teh, and feeling a little awkward with nothing interesting in mind to say to the grand-aunt, I subconciously made a wry face at her. If I were 10 and my parents had caught my expression, there would probably have been some kind of mild remonstration. But I'm not 10. And they didn't see me. Hehe. But back to the bak kuh teh. I mean, relatives.

My dear old grand-aunt... made a face back at me.

I chortled. Lunch was yummy, and after that I went over to sit beside her while the rest gabbled amongst themselves and flipped through the photos from my cousin's wedding (who married right after graduation, oof). She asked the standard question-:

GA: Do you have a boyfriend?
Me [thinks: oh no, here we go again...]: Nope, not yet.
GA: Eh. Take your time... Choose carefully.

No awkward pauses, "oh's", or "why's". Just that - Take your time. Choose carefully.

Hmm.

I like that.

A LOT.

My grand-aunt So. Totally. Rocks. :D