My aunt's mother had passed away, and as tradition demands it, my grandpa's side of the family decided to send representatives attend the wake, as part of the in-laws family.
My grandpa would, with an aunt of mine. I'm pretty sure mum and dad would have gone if dad hadn't had certain matters which couldn't be postponed. All thanks to the whole merging thing, they're set to move sometime this month, so things are getting hectic. Mum didn't get her appeal to change locations, so she's ending up in KL for the time being. ORZ
Actually, I find it kinda idiotic....that both husband and wife can't be in the same location....after all...they're in different departments...and dur....they met as colleagues....and so did a few other of their colleagues. >.>
So, anyway...I kepoh-ed and offered to go...in their place. The second paper was due the day they were driving down to Malacca. And the last paper is like.....2 weeks later, deferred mar. ;o; The paper which the rest took was apparently quite tough....so I'm urghhh......errr...doomed big time.
But that's not what I wanted to blog about. XD
It's about the funeral proceedings which took place. In Hokkien style. the last night which we attended.
There's your usual chantings and prayers.....and there's the sand sculpture.
We arrive quite early for dinner, and mostly spent the time watching the remaining touches for the sculpture being put to place.
It's this magnificent twin dragons, with heads and tails. Made out of sand. About 2-3 meters long. Not highlar, slightly below knee length.
But it's so beautifully sprayed with green and orange spots. The orange spots are then added with coins to look like scales. Plus blinking red eyes, and coloured 'beard' Scattered around are more candles and strategically placed coloured paper for the 'gills', 3 gates....or something Iunno. There's eggs placed around to represent things.
Bear with my crappiness, since I only have a very rough idea of the whole thing. But I want to record it down to make up for not taking a picture. It's kinda memorable, and not easily seen in the streets of KL, even my grandpa mentioned it's the first time he's seen it done this way, so elaborately. Skip if you're boredlar =P
You have the setting of a sorta Chinese opera. Because the sculpture is suppose to represent the dragons helping to guide the wandering soul back to heaven, passing the gated and guarded obstacles.
There was the bargaining process between the 'judge' and the priest with representatives of the deceased family. Which btw omgosh...there's like about 48 of grandchildren and great grandkids.(yes, when you're bored, you count the most random things) My aunt comes from a huge family. DD:
So anyway, it's like play acting of the whole event. With chants and hymns and prayers. All which took a few hours.
Which we three were just sitting there and sipping more coffee and tea.
This has got to be a first I've ever heard of gambling during funerals. orz Maybe it's their tradition, my aunt did after all come from a relatively small kampung area. But gamble they did, in the table right behind ours. I did see another bigger group in the kitchen doing the having the same event. O.O
The hours passed and we still just sat and stared at the event which was happening in front and way to far to hear. We did get food in the midst of it. Bowls of 'mein fun kueh' and plates 'yau char kue' starting making their way onto tables.
It is the main part of the whole thing which adds to the grandness of it. There was a fire display as the grand finale.
So anyway, the last part was only done by the 'sifus'. Both the priest and 'judge'. And 2 more of their group running around keeping the fire burning.
In the middle of the twin dragons, there's a sort of path, in the middle they put a wok and filled it with oil. And they keep it burning by burning those chinese prayer papers continuously.
In the midst of the chantings and hymns and so, they would take turns to take a cup of water into their mouths and hop onto the middle and...
POOH!
The fire would blaze up to metres in height.
Even as the place I was seated, I could feel the heat. It went on for a few more times, so i figured out what happened.
He had hopped near the wok and released the water he took in his mouth onto the wok. The wok would overflow and the oil would spill onto the already burning fire beneath it.
It was an amazing fire show actually. XD
At the end of it, they had an ingenious way to dispose the dragon. Remember the coins, the whole family would gather and dig their hands into the dragons to dig up the coins. So it both symbolizes the end and good luck to the family.
That was all for the last night.
We adjourned back to the chalet which was about 10 minutes away. Pretty run down place, with old air cons....and no water heater. ORZ.
But it would do for the night, so whatever everlar.
The next morning, we had planned to take a walk to the main building for the free breakfast we were entitled to.
While we were busy getting ready, my aunt remarked,
'I don't think it's a good idea to walk....we should take the drive down instead'
Me: Eh, but the weather seems really nice and we get to see the sea?
My Aunt: Nono, look outside the windows.
*looks*
OMGAWD...MONKEYS.
Like a whole troupe of them. Easily 30-50 over, my aunt claims 100...but Iunno. She was after all the first one who saw them. *shrugs*
One by one, marching down the small lane in front of the chalet. To goodness knows where. Some carrying babies, some opening staring back at us...only to turn back and walk down the lane later on.O.O
Later we learnt, that it was a very normal daily thing, the receptionist said that they were marching from the trees back from breakfast to their nest. DDD:
Their routine also takes them onto the roofs of the main building. My grandpa and I stared as they would climb down from the trees, hop onto the wire (which was in between) and back onto the main building. Orderly one by one.
Oh wows. Random monkey crack. XD
It was only a night, but a rather interesting one we had. XD
Also, I spent most of our traveling time, listening to the tales my grandpa spun of his fishing tales and friends. (I'm pretty sure he exaggerated some of them =P)But I do love stories.
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