Ching Ming Festival..Spring Cleaning for "everyone''...

Ching Ming Festival is a yearly event that stretches from half a month... Its a big festival for Chinese families to get together if possible to clear the tomb(s) of any debris, weeds and offer praying essentials...

I went back to Malaysia, Batu Pahat for my yearly spring cleaning..as most of my relatives have obtained Singaporean PR..we seldom venture back for such gatherings.. thus the sight of the house wasn't very welcoming( refer to picture) after driving at 130 km/h for few hours..and I don't wanna speed..my dad insisted that I should drive fast, because he wanna reach the place before evening..





Weeds grow to the height of a palm tree...but with me here now..they can kiss the soil goodbye.....










Spring cleaning starts at the house, the place that holds so many many memories for my whole family...or maybe almost everyone in my family tree...

Food is so darn cheap at the place...we had a feast for 8 paxs at a high end restaurant..the bill only came up to RM 116.00..converted to Singapore dollars..approx. $50 plus...and the fare was good... half chicken, fresh fish, finely sliced pork,greens and tou fu... and its enough for 8 paxs... don't think I can leave from places like Crystal Jade and Imperial Treasure after dinner for the above mentioned price...

And titbits...I bought a 50 pack Mamee at RM$10.00..and a whole lot of sweets, like 2 cartons of mentos..at a total of SGD $30... I confessed that I spent like there was no tomorrow and Malaysian currency just felt like coupons....

The people there are just so laid back and friendly..almost everyone was friendly..except for some sonofabitch..A hawker even let me tend to his stall, on the pretext of being friendly..but I think he just wanna slack.. refer to picture...



The portion I'm cooking is the one for RM $2.00...imagine the portion size for RM$3.00...it will need a full cover of the Straits Times to cover it...just in case you dont know, hawkers here wrap newpapers around the packaged food for easier eating when ur home..don't need to wipe the table top..

I've not seen my nephews and nieces and cousins for so long...just look at my nephew..he's like 100 plus kg and taller than me...sians......

So I decided to stick with my younger nephews and niece..who are by the way..smaller than me....refer to below !! * evil grin*

Anyways...I came home realising I got sun burnt on my hands and neck..but its worth it..for the moment of immersion of kinship with the entire family working towards a common goal, to preserve the traditions and ensure decendents know the life long atiitude of showing filial piety even when after death...Its worth it...very...

And I cant simply understand..I've some cousins who are really high flyers, I mean those really high places kind, but I never get to see them when we haf an alternative kinda gathering like this.. Even if your earning huge bucks now, but if you forget your roots..you're still at the bottom forever...

Till now, I can't say if showing respect for the death will bring me more money or wishes coming true...BUT i know deeply that, if I don't even have the commitment to spend a few hours for those people that left me with so many memories, then how can I be sure I can leave good memories for others?

My sister and me having a popsicle...its amazing how much these cheap snacks comes in handy....The guy behind is my cousin..don't know what he's looking...