Anyway, since the first quarter is over, I've been spending the last few days resting and recuperating for the next round of brutality. I finally got round to uploading all the pictures I've been taking with my new Fujifilm camera, which is very satisfying so far. Sorry, can't articulate my camera specs much because I'm still a very much digital camera dummy. Bought it because I wanted one, and I brought along a colleague who's into photography and all, and since he's a salesperson as well, pretty much did the job for the pretty sales girls. All he had to do was say, "Buy this!" and that would have been sufficient, but he went on and on about the features and stuff until I finally caught on with his enthusiasm and bought it.
And since I was mercilessly insulted by Gurjeet once again - she said I take lousy shots and I'm not good at photography... can you imagine?! - I've been experimenting a lot and being trigger happy with my new camera.
Among Gurjeet's other painfully blunt insults thrown at me...
- Your breath stinks
- Your feet stinks
- You have chicken thighs
- How stupid can you get (other versions - you're stupid, stupid woman, so stupid)
- HaHaHa... (this can be quite insulting, especially when used in the face of sensitive circumstances)
My first virgin shot...
Rainy day on the highway after workI also decided last minute to join my parents and sister to go back to Taiping for Qing Ming. Qing Ming (pronounced cheng beng) is the festival where Chinese people hold the memorial ceremony for the dead. And since it was the first year since my maternal grandma passed away, I thought it would be good to go back to pay my respects. I've only gone back for Qing Ming twice, prior to this, as far as I can remember. That's because I didn't personally know my maternal grandpa or my great-grandparents, so I never felt very inclined to go back, especially since my parents never forced us to.
So anyway, left KL yesterday evening and came back again today in the evening.
At the memorial park in Taiping. It has been packed with people for the last two weeks.
Sorry, since Blogger was experiencing problems uploading the pics, had to switch. My mom's youngest brother (I did mention that my mother has six sisters and three brothers - one passed away when he was a few years old, didn't I?) laying out paper over my grandma's grave. I asked my cousin brother why we had to do that, and he didn't know. He asked his mother why they had to do that and she answered something in Hokkien. We asked what that meant and she paused before she grinned and said she didn't know either. But it's meant to be somewhat like a covering or something. If anyone knows, please tell me.
Part of the ritual is to burn paper stuff for the dead, which is believed to materialize in the netherworld for them to enjoy. Popular items to be burnt - paper money and paper clothes. My grandma managed to get two new blouse on top of the oodles of money, new pair of shoes and a gold watch. Chinese people... sigh...
Another odd Chinese peculiarity, food being offered to the dead is a must. Wonder why Chinese people places so much importance in food.
My aunts, uncle and dad hiding under the shade while waiting for my cousins and aunt to finish preparing the ceremonial offerings.
My Amah's (grandma) tombstone
The memorial park
From left: my cousin brother, his mother, my nephew, mom
My rather naughty nephew who was running about creating as much havoc as he could.
From left: my cousin brother, his mother, my nephew, mom
My rather naughty nephew who was running about creating as much havoc as he could.
From left: youngest aunt, eldest aunt, me and my sixth aunt
U will supprise I'm the one who answer your question!
As my understand ( I ask my hokkien friend )....He said, they usually will layout the paper in 2 incident. First is while just past away...2ndly is when cleaning the grave. Hm...the main purpose why they did it, he din really know, but most likely is like cover it with new "road" / "treasure"!!! U un???
Posted by
StephyQ |
12:48 PM
err... i don't un lor... it still doesn't answer my question "Why do we have to do it?!" New road? what road? new treasure? what treasure??
Posted by
ee |
8:14 PM
Hm....let put it this way...is like your "house" old already, and you re-Cat it......un????
According to friend lah....!!!! But I think most likely just to show that, this grave been visited by the grand-children.....!!!!
If they didn't know the reason, why they still doing it ah???? hai~~~
Posted by
StephyQ |
10:55 AM