Pantang

Meaning : Red pants.

Okay. Maybe not.

I wasn't allowed to take any pictures.

But that bamboo thingy the prayer lady keep waving around while everyone was with their heads bowed and holding their josstick in silence, so fascinated me. I just had to take a picture of that bamboo thingy with white paper thingy before it too gets burnt.

That's Uncle Edward, btw.

I didn't know that I wasn't supposed to take any pictures. This was when we walked out from the tiny lorong of Jalan Hill into the main road. It was some walk of about 15 mins. By then they yelled for us to get into the car. And then it was a 45 mins drive to Temoh.

All this is new to me. My mom did her best in keeping me away from funerals. So I was basically very awed with all this.

The prayers, the jossticks, the bamboo, the smoke, the burning, the origami, the paying respect thing, it is just all so... new to me.

And that ancient looking chinese writing. Who could read that? And what are they chanting?

Okay. All this smoke from all this burning in keeping the bon-fire is irritating me. And my eyes are so sore from all that smoke!

BLEH

Thank God for Amanda. Thank God for Sydney.



Eh... how did I end up with these kids??!! And for makan also with these kids. Makes me feel like a million years old.


Oh yeah... We're the only few here conversing in English while the entire congregation is speaking Hokkien!!

Wa beh hiao kong Hokkien. Mai ka wa kong Hokkien, ok!!!!

Meaning : Hokkienese Unite. Hokkienese Conquer.

Okay. Not! I don't speak Hokkien, what u looking at me for?

No wonder I end up with the kids. We're the next generation not knowing our mother-tongue. And if we didn't speak to each other, we'd have been smoked alive. And then maybe poh2 will have siew chee on the other side ;-)

Who are all these uncles anyway?