benchmarc

Seremban (15th – 17th Oct 2010)

22 Oct 2010 Leave a Comment

by egomarc in family, food, history, holiday, inspiration, interest, Just Updates, life, mood, reflections, singapore, whatever

This is a trip I will probably never forget in years to come. And it’s such an eye-opener, I’m feeling fortunate enough to be living in a place like Singapore. And it has opened up to me that life there is a totally different meaning in all, and I feel different. I feel that I seriously need to change. What did I face, you must have asked. Well, this is 3 days of life in Seremban, where my late great-grandparents lived and when my dad used to grow up at a playground and falling almost everytime he runs around it.

Day 1 – 2145H

Technically, the playground is not there anymore, and it has become a carpark by day, but roadside eateries by night. And I had char kuay teow without kuay teow. Solid eh. Sitting on stoods that probably will break anytime, I had a lot of food on that particular night alone, with my uncle bringing us to eat some great beehoon with handmade fishballs and zhi char. After that was supper at the roadside eateries. Had a bowl of tauhuay, a cup of coconut drink and that plate of char kuay teow. You know, the one that sold the coconut drink to us is an old lady that has been cutting, peeling and selling that drink since my dad was young? And how old and frail she looks now but still able to wield a freaking parang right at you? That’s the amount of energy she still got left in that woman. Respect.

And we left for my grandaunt’s place, getting to know some of them, like my twin aunts and my uncle, and yes, I only realise that I have more relatives than I think I had. Discovery #1 – I have more aunts and uncles. Discovery #2 – my twin aunts used to be reporters in KL. Cool or what. But anyways, they are very friendly and humble people, and patient for sure. And I’m truly ashamed that many Singaporeans are of the opposite attitude. I guess we all live in different worlds, but it’s hard not to compare about attitude and persona. So I turned in early, because the first activity on the itinerary is to wake up at 4am and be at a cemetry at 5am. You don’t wanna know that freaking feeling I tell you.

Day 2 – 0502H

Upon reaching the cemetry, we were all cooped up, dark and cosy in the car, with no surrounding lights, and nothing but only the bleak orange horizon that stood beyond the hills that provide that very very soft shade of light. Technically, you can’t see shit. And this is not the end of it. My great-grandparents’ grave is somewhere in between, and when I get to their tomb, it’s already scary enough because surrounding you are actually tombstones till the hills that masked off all light. Imagine when you are on a platform in the middle of the ocean with sharks surrounding you. That’s the kind of feeling you get. I didn’t think that much, but it’s damn creepy, because everyone else around you is dead. Like, yea, seriously dead.

The shifu got into his robe and he started his chanting all the way. It feels like going through a funeral all over again, just that it’s only a few of us and it’s not fun doing it at 5am in the morning when all souls are resting. The purpose of this is that we need to cremate our great-grandparents and place them at a crematorium at Seremban. But this cemetery is somewhere north of Seremban. So while waiting for the gravediggers to be done with their job, we headed for breakfast, and I caught one of the most beautiful sunrise in my entire life. It’s like a stream of cloud underlining diagonally up with the sky dyed red and orange. That feeling is undeniably good because I have been trying to chase sunsets and sunrise everytime. And I get good ones there. =D

It’s even better when you are having breakfast, with a bowl of noodles and a cup of Ice tea. What a way to start the day.

Day 2 – 0930H

So we headed back to rest after that, before heading out again to the temple with a crematorium at the top of a hill. It’s was all serene there, with birds chirping and light breeze every other second. The place was clean and neat, a very pleasant turnout for the eyes indeed. It resembles only one word in my mind – Peace. And the ritual continued, with myself being the eldest great-grandson (makes me feel that old), carrying my great-grandma’s urn and placing into the slot that our relatives purchased. After making our offerings and burning the necessary papers, it was time to head back for lunch, when another aunt of mine whipped up a sumptuous meal that I will probably never forget.

The best dish was the Ginger Wine Chicken. The best dish I had that afternoon. Two thumbs up!

Day 2 – 1450H

We headed to Jusco to talk a walk around, which basically, we had nothing much to buy except venturing into a familiar shop called Popular  Book Store. Bought some fengshui books because they were like cheaper than what Singapore could offer. Then we head back and got ready for dinner, which apparently my relatives there reserved for yet another round of great food. I dined in that restaurant like 4 years back, and it still serves great food with good service standards.

Then we had a surprise birthday celebration catered for my grandaunt! And it’s really heartwarming to know that because my aunts and uncle did this like how we are doing it for friends in a birthday party or celebration. Sweet eh. =)

Day 3 – 0920H

It didn’t had to be that early like the previous day, so we woke up a little later, and head down to the Big Market of Seremban to have breakfast that is so cheap and good. Even the coffee they made was so thick and nice. I had like a plate of Sotong Bee Hoon and a plate of Char Siew Wanton Mee. And we shopped for fruits and vegetables. Still the wet market I reminisce in Teban Gardens last time, the market itself is practically wet and a little dirty all around, but that’s what I have expected, and it feels like the old times all over again.

Day 3 – 1353H

Going home was a bit saddening, because I never wanted to leave this place. This is my take-away from this eye opening trip.

- My relatives are somehow humble, kind and heartwarming. It’s really nice to know that people like them still exist and it exist in Malaysia, of all places I expected. And it brings me to shame on how Singaporeans are so fortunate to be around. It also make me feel ashamed that we should all learn the proper ways of being human all over again.

- Going back in time, I learnt all over again to bathe in cold water with a pipe above my head, and I had to shit and pee in a toilet bowl that doesn’t flush. I had to tahan with fan and mosquitoes every night, and I had to dwell in the dark as sometimes there wasn’t light.

- It goes to show how important burial of the dead is to future generations down the road, because without a proper burial, there is no peace for the dead, and it goes to show how respectful you are to them.

- The time when my great-grandparents bones were dug out, my grandaunt saw and broke down and cry. A woman, so old in her age, still has tears and fond memories left to share and tear, and I feel quite pitiful because it’s her mother after all. But we had to console her a little, as it is so long ago since she passed away. It’s a sad sight, but a grief to remember.

- Though the food is cheap, it goes to show that even with the slightest amount of content they possess, it counts as a real blessing to them as it is not about how satisfying or worthy the food is but how full can the food make you feel. When we went to the restaurant, my relatives were like so well-dressed that it made it like we are attending a wedding. Contentment.

- It’s a sad day for us sometimes, but I also learn to put the past aside and face the future with open arms, and that we know we ultimately can’t run away from a problem, but more so that we could stick and fight to the very end. Determination is what we lack. And the right attitude to approach a situation lies so clearly drawn in the working world these days.

I’m glad that I’m back home though, but I’m glad that I bring home a valuable answer to unanswered questions back home. I guess it’s a very great eye-opening trip for me. =)