What makes an Auntie

I met one of my older friends who is now with 2 lovely kids, one aged two and a half and the other... about one. ( I figured that I lost my connection with kids. Some people looks so amazed at them and just cant help but play with them and make them smile. Is this a sign that I'm growing old?) Anyway, she introduced me and my friends to her kids, " This is uncle ____ and this is Auntie JT." O_o

For the first time, someone called me an Auntie. Usually, ppl call me xiao mei. Once in a blue moon, xiao jie. And now, Auntie. Not in the joking kind of way which we girls laugh at each other for "ooing and aaaahing" at all the cheap sales. It's auntie coz I've hit the age about a generation from her kid. That's about 18 years. Only. Hey, I'm not even twenty yet. At least not till 3 months later. Don't call me an auntie ok.

Haha. Then again, face it lah. 18yrs is quite a big gap. If I were to see a 40yr old lady now, I'd feel strange to call her by name or as ___ jie. Auntie sounds a bit more respectful. On the other hand, the stereotyped image sometimes associated with aunties can be interesting ... Haggling in the market over the prices of vegetables (and now eggs)... hanging those red plastic bags on their elbows and trying to kiap their wallets between their elbow and waist so that both hands can be free to hold more plastic bags... being very thrifty and goes for the best buys in town... fashion-wise, some people would say there's something distinctively "auntie" about them. Quoting from a friend, "You'll know when you see one."

I think ladies who are mothers wouldn't mind being called an auntie even if they are young... like in their twenties. But if the ladies are single 30s and 40s... I still feel a little reserved about calling them aunties. Especially if "you know they are not when you see them". Just go hello lah. And tap them. haha. Sometimes, I'd just jokingly call some of my older friends ___ jie -- a term of cute endearment.

There's nothing wrong with aunties. In fact, girls, if you to ever get bullied on the bus or in the shopping centres, they will be the ones to stand up for you! (Remember the bus rides and all the nice aunties I mentioned?) When the time comes... when I'm way past my 20th birthday and I come under the "you know when you see one" category, call me auntie if you like.