Paper House Fire

I don't want to tip the scales again because it was hard enough the first time.

My eye swelled up again. -______-

It was getting much better yesterday but today it became all red and squinty again!

Is it because I was staring at the computer screen for too long doing data entry???

I'm sorry my precious eye! I didn't want to do this to you! But data entry haunts me wherever I go!

Yeah, my job at Pet Safari will include data entry and printing adverts plus occasional customer service should they need me. NO ANIMAL CONTACT WHATSOEVER.

Can you like stop haunting me?! I hate data entry as it is the most uninteresting and repetitive and unsocial job ever!

At least any data entry job I've ever done.

Thank you Esther for helping me with my Saturday's data while I did some of her interviews for her. I would've seriously cried if I had to do anymore.

The Esquire Kitchen people in Parade were also super helpful and friendly. I really should learn to speak Cantonese. -.-

I can't wait to get my pay for this job though! Also thank you desperate Hong Leong people for paying us so much!

So here are the funeral pictures. I still fail to understand certain traditions and rituals so would someone explain it to me? I tried to google it but didn't find anything helpful.

Mum already rushed back in Wednesday itself so Dad decided to fly Air Asia since he was too tired to drive 300 km plus on such short notice.

Cute air con vents!

I heard Air Asia wasn't all that bad, especially for a budget airline.

It wasn't ALL bad, thought for some reason there is always a delay before the flight and the waiting areas and airplane itself isn't as classy and convenient as MAS.

But what I really REALLY hate were their seats.

It was soooo upright and rigid! And of course during take off and landing, you can't put your seat down so we had to bear with the 90 degree straight up seats!

Gah.

Got to Cititel since g hotel and Penang Royal all that was full.

Don't let the grand lobby fool you. I wouldn't say the rooms are bad, just economical.

Ah Foo koko came to fetch us. Dropped by for late lunch first since we hadn't eaten since this morning and it was already 4pm.

The stuff here at Padang (coz it's near a padang lol) was super cheap. This is the other side of the padang, not the one with yong tau foo.

The drinks only RM1!

And got loh bak! Don't know why now everytime come to Penang sure got loh bak.

This one got squid summore. :D

Got to Ah Ma's house after that. We still call it Ah Ma's house, probably since we've been calling it that for years and year, and also as a remembrance.

Is it me or do all old people's eyes look like they are smiling?

Old Mario game my cousin was playing to pass time!

Simple dinner but I like lady's fingers (okra), potato , cauliflower and vege stems! So it's yumm!

After prayers, we went for supper at Red Garden. As it was already pass 1am and this wasn't a night place, this was all the food we could find.

Brunch the next morning at that Penang Asia Cafe thingy.

Dabao-ed food for the ones at Ah Ma's house.

Mostly bak zhang.

Lol, she always smiles so cute!

Dunno why but she looks like a gangster smoking a joint here. -.-"

We had to help fold the paper monies again.

So all of us helped.

And when I say all...

... I really mean all. :P

Fold fold fold.

Fan out the paper first. You know how to do so nicely anot? :P

Paper money.

Bubble thingy from Panjang. It's called Panjang because the shop is very tall. Well seemed tall to my then short cousins.

Don't ask me why it's not Tinggi then. I guess bad Malay language skills runs in the ramily.

All the money she will get!

And the house! Just like Ah Kong.

The paper with red colouring will stain your hands wan.

Rocky FTW!

Super retarded picture but I couldn't help posting ut up. I was playing Cooking Mama I think.

Table for more chanting and prayers.

Simple dinner again but I love this dish. Because I love leek! And broccoli too!

Food for offering! Those pink huge pao things look yummy. T_T

Again, the weather there hasn't improved at all.

As you can see by this gross photo of sweat on my cousin's forehead, it's still sweltering hot.

And there's nothing much to do around here after all the money has been folded.

So I just sat in front of the huge ass fan and took random pics.

Of myself.

And of course other people la, I'm not that vain. Yet.

Random people doing their own random things.

More random shots.

I know what you're thinking: Where got her thighs that nice wan?

I mean, it still looks fat but not as fat as the real thing. Because I super pro at taking from angles that make me look less like a overfed whale.

In the evening, it was ritual time.

This was the last night before the burial so it was longer and more complicated than usual.

Once, Foo koko's entire joss stick even burnt till the end.

We do weird stuff when we're bored. Not like we understand what they're chanting anyway. -_-

Sis and I and our two cousins like to sit at the far edge there, hidden from them.

Yeah, managed to get a kitchen rubber band to tie my hair up or I'd have perspired into nothing.

More ritual stuff I don't understand. The deceased son has to wash his face or something.

Fiona eating Wang Wang biscuit! I love those!

Pray with a plate of kuih, flowers, prayer paper etc. This part I think I get.

In between we had breaks as usual though as this is the last night, they're shorter.

My niece and nephew!

Thye changed their outfits from the usual yellow-orangey one!

Mother and daughter listening to the prayers.

Brothers. Sit also same slouch. =.=

Saw one of them burning papers as the other two chanted.

Chant chant summore.

Weird bug on my pants.

=]

Omnomnom with tiny spoon!

He changed back to yellow-orange!

Then he started this weird talking in a singsong voice. Is it that he was communicating or something?

I don't get all these things! T___T

That bridge where we have to cross 7 times and deposit a coin at the start and end.

I understand the bridge crossing and the coin deposit thing but I don't understand why we're doing it. To visit the deceased? Or to help her? Or what?

@.@

Then we walked down the street carrying all the things we were burning for her.

Guys carried the house of course. We helped with the paper tv and money bags and chests and stuff.

Pile them up and we had to hold hands tightly as we burned it or someone else might take it away from Ah Ma!

Must protect the house!

At least that's what I was told.

This is only like one fifth of the paper money we folded. Can imagine how much altogether.

Summore the money is pressed quite flat so the pile is actually denser than it looks.

Then we burnt it all!

Burn burn burn, baby burn~

Fire is actually very beautiful to me.

I like the way the flames rise up, shapes and reshapes itself so smoothly in every possible way.

I don't get why fire and water are supposedly polar opposites because the way fire moves is just as fluid as water.

The colour and vividness and the heat on your skin can be very intoxicating to watch and feel.

And it's so dangerous the way it can hurt you, yet the risk makes it all the more interesting.

Omg, am I a sadist/masochist? T_T

Anyway, here's a video of it.



At the end, there's more chanting and then we turn to walk back. Cannot turn around for some reason THAT WHICH IS UNKNOWN TO ME.

Seriously, last year during my grandfather's funeral, I was less accustomed to dealing with it, as was the rest of the family, so I didn't dare voice out any curiousity just in case I said something wrong.

But I actually really really REALLY want to know!

Saw some kitties nearby and threw them some bread. This black and white one was the most daring and didn't run away when I approached.

Chuan koko trying to act yeng instead of cute for once. :P

Next day was the day of the burial.

Offerings again. I'm guessing la, because I DON'T KNOW. *fumes*

We had a 'professional' band playing sappy songs.

So not right for the mood if you ask me.

Waiting.

I hate those random not close relatives or friends that show up just to look good or for the free food and stuff.

They don't even have the decency to be respectable. They wear colourful clothing and accessories that scream insincerity and they talk in loud rude voices.

I mean hello? There are people trying to mourn here!

If you don't care, then don't bother showing up or at least have the tact to SHUT THE *beep* UP and wear less loud clothing.

Feh, stupid insensitive heartless jerks.

BTW, there will now be lotsa shots of the coffin so if you're superstitious then skip till the very end.

Before they close the casket, we can have one last look. This is the really emotional part for most.

The great-grandchildren with red sashes.

Again, different colours for different relations.

Again, don't know what's happening here. Why they got sticks with red cloth at the end? o.o

And why burn paper on top of the coffin?

Then kneel next to the offerings table?

This one can vaguely guess that we're paying our final respects.

We do it in groups, like sons and daughters first, then grandkids, then in-laws then yadda yadda.

Change of outfit again.

Random pic of birds from nect door.

We weren't allowed to see while the coffin was being loaded in (again, why not???) but it was ok once it was in the hearse van thing.

Then came the hot, slow walk to the bus. I know walking there is supposed to signify something and last time they probably walked all the way to the graveyard. But it's too far for that nowadays.

And I still don't know what it signifies.

And placing the hand on the hearse/van as it moves slowly down the road?

Lol, pity the driver though, he probably never even touched the accelerator since we were going at like 3km per hour.

We were given towels to dry ourselves and protect us from the scorching sun like this semangat photographer here.

Funeral procession.

Usually we tie it like a sweatband to wipe our... sweat.

Can see my skin turning red already. -.-

My uncle isn't actually smiling by the way, he was just saying something to one of the funeral people.

I took the second bus with less people.

It was a loooong ride and my cousin Xiang explained that the house and the cemetary were at different ends of the island.

Once we got there, we had to hike up a hill full of graves.

Not allowed to look as the coffin is lowered.

This is so different from the Western funerals where they have their last cry AS the coffin is lowered in.

And done.

Last prayers.

She was buried right next to my grandfather, again in this beautiful spot with the sea nearby and hills around.

One more thing to burn.

The carrier thingy.

Then, unlike last time, we went to this place. Don't know what it is but Chuan koko told me to take pics because the interior is all wooden and it's very nice.

Well, he IS the one that helped design our house so I will obey.

I saw the family's surname at the front of the building but I don't know what it is.

Couldn't really find anyone to ask that knew too.

All the plaques of our ancestors I think.

More rituals that I would really like the understand and explain.

Then the plaque for my grandparents was added to the rest.

They were all perfectly lined.

Back to the house which was cleansed with rice and holy water. o.O

We just chilled the last few hours and bought more junk food from Panjang.

Mister Potato con people, so little only! Uh, you can ignore the coke in the back. -.-"

Then we took the 10pm flight back home. Again, uncofortable seats and weird noises.

Hope you are well, Ah Kong and Ah Ma.

On a different note, LOL-ish convo we were having tonight. Anna is totally priceless!

Isa Real men love bunnymoons and fight with bananas says:
- Who cares about Ichigo anymore
- He just stands there and go "!"
- Like a factorial can kill Aizen.

When I lol-ed and told her I would so copy this down, she continued with:

- It's true. I will prove it to you by induction!

Ok, maybe last part no one but us will get the joke. -.-

And later she also told us news about plagiarism. Tsk tsk. Very bad case too.

The pathetic lifeless person who copied Kubo's artwork AND dialogue still won't admit it. He says there are only certain similarities because he admires Kubo's work and give no admittance nor apology whatsoever.

WTF, it's downright copied. COPIEDDD. Even the scar, and hair and words. Some were just laterally inverted. As if that could hide the fact that he COPIED OFF OTHER'S WORK.

Really sad.

Someone from the States go sue him please. Japanese people are apparently too blur as they don't read Incarnate according to Anna.