life is a dream, realize it! life is love, live it: Cheng Beng

Last Friday our lecturers flew to Shanghai for their free trip sponsored by IMU. IMU so rich right? I've said it before and I'll say it again- I'm glad I'm not paying for my school fees.

So I decided to pack my bags and bid farewell to Vista.

Bye Vista! This is actually the night view from my window..

Back to dear old Alor Star it is..

There's a new attraction in town!!
The new Bata shop. It's tradition for Alor Star-ians to flock to a newly opened place.

The kampung in my Taman.. I suspect they're under PAS influence from the defamatory grafitti on the TNB power generator house. But there's a BN flag waving happily too in the background.

I also managed to make it for Cheng Beng this time! It's been a few years since I've last gone for Cheng Beng, with me studying away from home and all that.

Mom and I went to buy kuih near the market.

Quaint little houses. I love the rustic charm..

We went cheng beng on Friday morning at the Hainanese cemetery in Langgar town.

There's a temple right at the entrance of the cemetery which we have to pray at first before proceeding further up.

The cemetery's actually next to a rubber estate. Cheng Beng was so much fun when I was a kid. My cousins and I would venture into the estate to look for rubber seeds. Here's how the game works: It's my seed against yours. One seed is stacked on the other and then hit hard. The person who's seed is smashed loses.

I remember once when my cousin sister found some snake eggs amongst the bushes when we were looking for rubber seeds. She accidentally broke the eggs and we fled!

The cemetery...

At my paternal grandparents' grave..

Mom woke up at 5 to cook but forgot to bring the tiffin carrier with the food inside. So my gong gong and po po only got chicken and siew bak and kuih to eat.

I wanted to put up a picture of the gravestone but then I thought it might be disrespectful. Anyway my grandfather had two wives. He came from Hainan Island in China, leaving his first wife with two daughters behind. He married my grandmother in Malaysia and they had 2 sons and a daughter.

I very nearly ended up in Hainan Island because my grandfather had wanted to bring his whole Malaysian family back there! He never forgot his roots. My Dad said that even when he was growing up, my grandfather would have him memorise the address of the house in China. 'So you know what to reply when people ask you where you're from', my grandfather said.

This is my niece, Anne with Mom.

Little kids ask the most difficult questions.

Anne Anne: Where's 'zho zho'(meaning great-grandparents)?

Her mother had previously told her they were coming to see her zho zho.

Her mom: Inside there. (points to the grave)

Anne Anne: Why do you put the food there?

Her mom: For 'zho zho' to eat.

Anne Anne: Oh.....

After a while,

Anne Anne: Will zho zho come out and eat afterwards?

Her mom: ...............

After that we took out the paraphernalia we were going to burn.. Got a pair of Vincci shoes for my po po. =P

The money we burned..

Anne Anne: Why must burn all these things?

Me: Burn for zho zho.

Anne Anne: Why must burn for zho zho?

Me: Uhh.. Cos zho zho is in heaven. We burn money for zho zho to use and also clothes to wear there.

I know it's written 'Hell money' on the banknote. But I don't think little girls of five should be introduced to the whole scary concept of hell. I don't believe in hell anyway. Or rather I prefer not to. =P

After stacking yellow and white paper on the grave ( I have no idea what it's for although I've done it numerous times), there wasn't much to do except wait for the deceased to finish their meal. We enquired on their progress a few times (it involves asking politely and then tossing 2 coins), but gong gong and po po took longer this time to finish their meal. Everyone joked that they makan tak puas because my mom forgot to bring her dishes.

After the deceased finished their meal, we set the paper offerings ablaze...