A kaypoh mf at Qing Ming

Almost every year around this time, I will go to the 3rd floor of this columbarium and stand around for a few hours in the simmering heat, waiting for the whole family to gather, make offerings and take our turn to pay our respects to the ancesters. This year, I was finally smart enough to bring my folded fan!

The actual Qing Ming festival falls on 5 Apr, also 8th day of 3rd lunar month, but there's a period of time when people will go pray-pray.. And of course, the famous poem for this season:

清明时节雨纷纷
路上行人遇断魂
借问酒家何处有
牧童遥指杏花村

We were among the first to arrive. The first had always been Eldest Uncle since he is, well, the eldest? :p People with food offerings had to go up by another stairway cos no food offerings were allowed at the niches. But we had a family house - no idea how else to call it - with space for food.

People going to the niches had to make their offerings at a common area


We hung around the usual corridor for a while waiting for the rest to arrive


While waiting, I looked at all those urns and could recognise only my Gramps and his parents. Had to ask the elders to figure the whole line.. The top-most urn - oh, don't worries, no photographs of urns here! - contained the ashes of my Gramps' granny. Next to that was some stone plaque of people so senior no one actually knew them. One shelf below were my great grandparents and their first son and daughter-in-law. Next shelf held my Gramps and his two younger brothers on his side. The remaining shelves were used as an altar for offerings..

Oh, I remember some years back, the elders said they kept a key for the gate inside the family house on one of the shelves, "so that they may unlock the gate to come out and stroll if they wish to!" Gaaar! But this year, I saw no key..

Also asked this uncle whom I'd seen before but had absolutely no idea whose son he was! So I asked and realised that he was my Gramps' younger (ie 3rd son) brother's son. Then he also realised that he took me for Eldest Aunt's daughter! Wrong! See la, too many of us and some of us see one another only once a year..

Still waiting, so I took pictures of the cutest boy:


And my sweet cousin, the boy's sister:


And even my bro!

Ok, bad shot, he doesn't look so bad la (but of course, I'm the best looking one among us three) but he wasn't kind to me:

mf: Eh this place is called 碧山亭 right?
YQ: No no no, 你家后院!
MZ: 你家啦!

Then my dear Grams arrived with an entourage of cousins and food! Took many pictures of her as she laid out the offerings but most were badly taken - of her back(side) but this is a nice one showing her glimmering white hair


Then Grams initiated the pray-pray..


Then the rest started queueing to get to the altar


All done! See the bunch - really, bunch - of incence sticks and the abundance of food


More waiting awaited us cos the incence sticks must finish burning before the elders could take the incence paper to burn downstairs in this, well, burner.. Again, I remember that some years ago, we had to write the unit number of the family house on each stack of incence paper so that it would reach the correct family :p 23-14 - 4D, anyone?


While waiting, the older cousins said they used to go to the tombs for Qing Ming until the land was redeveloped and the remains exhumed to current location. I don't think I've ever gone for the tombs. Anyway, that was so long ago that even if I had, I wouldn't have recalled a thing! I go ask Mother later..

At first, I wasn't sure if I attended last year as I could be in Japan/US. Then, towards 1230pm, Eldest Uncle called all of us to the altar and signalled for all to put our palms together. I was quite bewildered but followed suit. Then he started saying some blessings and stuff, and ended with three bows to the altar. In my astonishment, I didn't take pictures of the whole affair. That signified the end of the session and the cousins started walking away while the elders packed the offerings to bring back. Heard from cousins that Uncle did that last year too, which meant that I didn't attend last year else I could not have forgotten this!

Walked back to Grams' house via the Braddell-Westlake schools. The school compound (wah, haven't used this phrase for ages! School compound!) held so much memories! We used to walk around before or after dinner, play at the fitness corner, gawk at gor-gors playing soccer in the field (haha!), play silly beer games (without the beer, more of soda and packet chrysanthemum tea) sitting on the hard concrete floor.

Passed by this gate and was instantly reminded of the mf gate story.. Err, nvm..


See cute little Hui chasing a butterfly..


.. just before we reached the flat!


Found our flower pots on the ground and I didn't know why..


Anyway, the elders with the key were walking behind us. We were always so smart, never asked for the key! But nvm, we took a few more steps and reached Eldest Uncle's unit on the same corridor where we rested our poor feet, especially me, so active with my camera and asking questions that I didn't sit at all!

When the elders arrived, we went over to have lunch - the food offerings that we brought back! I left for ballroom and returned again for dinner, same food but smaller portions, supplemented with fresh cooked food by Grams.. Yan also joined in for dinner, which was nice :) This must be the most enjoyable Qing Ming - learnt a lot and also had something to do (photographing) finally! :)