Say No to Kung Hei Fat Choi

It's the Chinese New Year - the Year of the Ox. Just like mainland China and Hong Kong, the most common greetings overheard during the holiday seasons in Macau is Kung Hei Fat Choi. Although the English media often loosely translate this line into "congratulations and be prosperous" or "wish you a prosperous new year", the true and original meaning of this line is actually "wish you get rich". Maybe this is just another symbolization of how the ideas of capitalism and consumerism had taken over socialist ideals dominating mainland China or traditional values dating back Confucius years or thousands of years of Chinese history, but the over-emphasis on material goods and money made me feel uncomfortable every time I heard someone taking a narrow-minded approach and materialistic view on life. If the Chinese or China as a nation put so much emphasis on craving for material things, the people will never be satisfied by the desire for material comfort, greed and crossing substance, money-centered view gradually became the dominant voice in society, gradually values, ethics and concerns for the well-being of others had taken a minimalist value in our society. I just hope more Chinese people can realize that a common greeting such as Kung Hei Fat Choi is not the best greetings available out there, and it expressed to a sickened over-emphasis over money, and within the next few years, I can hear much better greeting words than this selfish expression dominating in an acquisitive society. For me, even a simple "have a nice day" is better than Kung Hei Fat Choi.