Cheng Meng

On Monday, I took half a day off from work to go to Seremban for Cheng Meng. This is an annual event for Chinese, something like a memorial day I guess, to visit the graves of their deceased family member(s), clean up the area a bit and of course, to pay respect.

I took a 2.5 hours drive with the little one which was quite a pleasant journey, since he is ok being strapped up for that period of time and didn't complain much. I am one lucky mother. Since we travel quite often to Seremban, I guess this is not new to him. And I was also lucky that I didn't feel sleepy at all, which I usually do on a long-distance drive. Maybe because I had to sing songs and chat with him throughout the journey. Exhausting!

The next morning, we headed to the cemetery with our offerings which consist a boiled chicken, some rice dumplings, some 'paos',3 bowls of rice, chinese tea, rice wine, lots of jossticks, prayer candles and folded paper money to burn. Ya, this is a memory re-cap for those who hasn't done this for your ah gong ah ma for a long long time.

Nowadays, the cemeteries are cleaner and well-maintained compared to eons ago where you might get lost in the jungle of tall grass and lalangs all over the place and get scratched by the thorny plants. That's why kids don't really like this event I guess, as well as vainpots because you're practically under the blazing sun for an hour or more, and this is an event you don't do at night. Even with an umbrella, the heat can really get to you, plus, how would you offer jossticks and hold an umbrella at the same time right. Well, I tried. Not because I'm a vainpot, but because too much sun is not good for babies. I developed good arm muscles within an hour.

By the way, two funerals took place when we were there, and grandpa tried very hard not to let the little one see it because it's a taboo especially when the coffins are lowered into the ground.

We were done in a couple of hours. Daniel and I head back to JB that day itself, and I had the whole journey to myself and my iPod while he slept. Ahhh...bliss.

I am glad I made this trip :)