Somehow today I started thinking about my grandma again, and can't help missing those old days together.
I would never forget how she always treated me like a princess, how she would always saved the chicken drumsticks for me, how she always iron my school uniform for me, comb my hair for me, and even let me share her bed with her.
I would never forget during my kindergarten days, how she brings me to school and fetches me home after school. She would then bathe me, cook simple lunch of porridge with fish, and sometimes Bubor Teriku as dessert.
I would never forget how she would always hold my little hand when we cross the roads, and how she would prepare and help me put on my raincoat when the weather turns dark.
I would never forget how she always give me a bottle of chicken essence for every exam paper I take, how she would always nag at me painstakingly to study hard, so that next time I can work in a comfortable air-con office.
I would never forget how she would always wake up early to iron my school uniform for me, prepare my breakfast for me, dress me up for school and bring me down to wait for the school bus. And she would always wait till I'm safely on the bus.
I would never forget the days when she brought me to the wet market whenever she needed her groceries, and I can tell you, she never fails to buy anything without haggling first. Earning money from her was never easy.
I would never forget how she used to take me to temples to pray for our family's safety, pray for my grades, pray for my dad. And afterwards, she would get the paper charms for us. Some for us to keep, some to burn and the ashes are added in our drinking water, which is supposed to be holy and we would get our prayers answered by drinking it.
I would never forget, especially how she supported me when I've to stay till midnight to finish my Chinese homework (till now I still have phobia of that Zhi Shi Hua Bao). She would promise to accompanied me by staying awake with me. And she would kill time watching her favourite Justice Bao, or sometimes Taiwan variety shows, and most of the time I would end up watching with her and discuss the shows with her. Sometimes when she fell asleep while watching, I would naughtily throw the pillows at her to make sure she kept her promise. She would wake up and chuckle.
I would never forget how I jokingly commented few days before my birthday that $20 was too little for my ang bao, and asked for $50 instead. I soon forgot about it and to my surprise, there really was a $50 note in my bday angbao.
There are so many memories of her.. She was definitely the best grandma any grandchildren would ever wish for, she loved, she cared, she protected, she encouraged and supported, and she's always there whenever she can. I was blessed to have her as my grandma, no one hsa ever loved me the way she does, I'll definitely miss her forever.
To be continued...
Thursday, June 03, 2010
Wednesday, June 02, 2010
Tribute To My Late Grandma 1- Her History
I had on many occasions wanted to do a post on my late grandmother during the whole of last week but just didn't have the time to do it as we're all busy with her funeral and the documentations here and there. Time passed very very quickly. Quickly she became weaker and weaker, quickly she lost her ability to speak, her muscles... Quickly she left us without a word, quickly her funeral was over, and before I too quickly forget these strong feelings and memories I had for her, I better eternalise them here before they are gone too...
She was a fighter. A strong woman who never say die. However life doesn't seem to go easy on her. She lost her mom when she was barely 2. Her grandmother was very strict on her, scolding and hitting her for every minute mistake she made.
She was born in the 20s, a time when males are hailed and females are condemned. It was then a common trend for parents to only invest whatever little savings they have on their sons, it's a waste of resources for females to go to school, they're expected to help doing household chores instead. She was no exception. While we often find going to school a chore, complained of homework and teachers, she was never allowed to go to school, forbidden to step out of the house.
Japanese occupation came, she braved through that too. She hid from the Jap helicopters by smearing her face dirt, hiding in bushes, and even had to stop her breath when they circled above her and her other friends. There were 2 other close shaves she encountered with the Japs. Once she was hiding in the rice bin, and was caught by one of the soldiers, but luckily at that moment they were called back by their headquarters and she managed to escape. Another time she and 2 other girls were hiding in the house, probably in an attap house. Luck was definitely on my grandmother's side, but not for the other girl. That unfortunate girl was her neighbour and she was very pretty, even though she hid herself well and had covered herself with soot, the Jap soldiers somehow managed to uncover her, and find her attractive. And just like what we read in textbooks and saw in our dramas, they slapped her, tortured her, raped her and then finally silenced her. My grandmother witnessed this whole gruesome episode while she's still hiding in her place, not daring to make a sound.
Life turned better when she met my grandpa later. He was considered well-to-do, worked for the British as a clerk. Not many people knew English back then, and he was one of the rare few. I never knew how they met though, and I probably never will. Probably they knew each other through a matchmaker, or probably they were neighbours, but they did fall in love with each other and had 7 kids of their own, and 2 from my grandpa's previous marriage.
While he worked, my grandma singly took care of all her 7 children and all her household chores. It was not easy to provide all 7 with food, shelter, and education while trying to make ends meet. My dad was their 6th child, and the first son to give them a grandchild, a 内孙 they call it.
That's me.
To be continued...
She was a fighter. A strong woman who never say die. However life doesn't seem to go easy on her. She lost her mom when she was barely 2. Her grandmother was very strict on her, scolding and hitting her for every minute mistake she made.
She was born in the 20s, a time when males are hailed and females are condemned. It was then a common trend for parents to only invest whatever little savings they have on their sons, it's a waste of resources for females to go to school, they're expected to help doing household chores instead. She was no exception. While we often find going to school a chore, complained of homework and teachers, she was never allowed to go to school, forbidden to step out of the house.
Japanese occupation came, she braved through that too. She hid from the Jap helicopters by smearing her face dirt, hiding in bushes, and even had to stop her breath when they circled above her and her other friends. There were 2 other close shaves she encountered with the Japs. Once she was hiding in the rice bin, and was caught by one of the soldiers, but luckily at that moment they were called back by their headquarters and she managed to escape. Another time she and 2 other girls were hiding in the house, probably in an attap house. Luck was definitely on my grandmother's side, but not for the other girl. That unfortunate girl was her neighbour and she was very pretty, even though she hid herself well and had covered herself with soot, the Jap soldiers somehow managed to uncover her, and find her attractive. And just like what we read in textbooks and saw in our dramas, they slapped her, tortured her, raped her and then finally silenced her. My grandmother witnessed this whole gruesome episode while she's still hiding in her place, not daring to make a sound.
Life turned better when she met my grandpa later. He was considered well-to-do, worked for the British as a clerk. Not many people knew English back then, and he was one of the rare few. I never knew how they met though, and I probably never will. Probably they knew each other through a matchmaker, or probably they were neighbours, but they did fall in love with each other and had 7 kids of their own, and 2 from my grandpa's previous marriage.
While he worked, my grandma singly took care of all her 7 children and all her household chores. It was not easy to provide all 7 with food, shelter, and education while trying to make ends meet. My dad was their 6th child, and the first son to give them a grandchild, a 内孙 they call it.
That's me.
To be continued...
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