All Souls' Day

It's been so so so long since I last touch this oven. I've wanted to blog about so many things but many things propped up along the way and the desire just died immediately. For now, my mind is blank because bloging to me must be fast and hot served out from the oven.. it cannot stay too long in there else it'll be burnt and the outcome is not as tasty anymore. At least well, that's my way of interpreting it.

It's a good short and lucky break I get to go back to Penang last weekend. The main purpose is for the Ching Ming festival. As usual the graveyard was stormed by many many Chinese paying rituals to their deceased family members. Ching Ming is more like Chinese New Year to us. Even Chinese New Year doesn't mean anything much because not everybody is celebrating it. Some people just show their faces and leave. But Ching Ming, people go there to the grave, do something, stay there for awhile although some may not chat but at least people were there, together for awhile.

I managed to talk to Grandpa and I believed he answered me when I asked him if the food was served was nice enough. I also believed when I asked my sister to ask him if he's "there" and he "replied" yes. It was a good ask, a funny way of asking as if he's there but he was there. It's amazing, huh? That a soul can still be with us, although the person may have left more than 10 years ago. Still I believe my Grandpa is around, he'll always be around watching us.

On my way leaving the cemetery, I saw a pile of offerings ready to be burnt and I saw an LV bag there. It looked really like real. It's funny but it's also real creative way of those sellers making money out of this festival.

We would not think much where or what we are, 40 or 50 years from now. We celebrate birthdays, events, meet friends, joke, go to work as if next year is slowly to come and we'll always be within our "prime time". Maybe it's a good thing that we do not think about it because if we did, then we will not be able to enjoy our prime time. I still believe in living everyday to the fullest, that is, every single day because tomorrow may or may not come.

2009 is fast. It's now April and by the time I am back home, it'll be May. A few more blinks of the eyes, it'll be the second half of 2009. What's more to come? Life must not be just about work, I'll look for more things to do.