I went to work early yesterday because I had to leave work early to head to Muar, Pappy’s hometown, for Qing Ming (All Souls’ Day).
My uncle drove us all down and it took us 4 hours to reach because of the heavy downpour, several accidents along the way which caused traffic jam. We then settled for a not very yummy wan tan mee because the stalls were mostly closed.
Woke up at around 5am this morning because we have to be at the cemetery by 6:30am. We’ve got to be early because we’ve got 5 graves to visit. My paternal grandma and grandpa, my uncle, my auntie and I don’t know who else. It was quite scary because it was still dark and misty and it’s situated in between some oil palm plantation but when it approached 7am, it was all nice and cool and breezy.
I didn’t talk much because all of my dad’s family speak Teo Chiew and I don’t really know how to speak the dialect. I understand what they are saying though. My task this time around is to paint the faded red Chinese word on the graves along with my other cousins. I have so many cousins, I don’t even know their names. I’m auntie to so many nephews and nieces, I really cannot keep track or recognise who is who. That is how big the family is on my father’s side.
Most of the time, I feel out of the league when I’m here. Luckily I know Mandarin so I can still communicate with them when I needed to. Else, I think I do not need to talk at all.
That aside, I’m learning the praying process. It’s not my first time praying but I’ve never really understood what I was doing when I was young. I only remembered burning joss sticks and putting them on the grave.
It was quite nice. I like the idea of being in a small town sometimes. Enjoyed homemade nasi lemak by my aunt at her house for late breakfast and then a RM2.80 wan tan mee again for lunch. RM0.70 for a glass of soya bean which tasted so heavenly.
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