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23 January 2004

2nd day

It was really good to be able to rest one self after a tiring day out but it didn’t stop there. Today I would be going down to KL to visit my mom’s side. We started our journey visiting the usual people we visit during Chinese New Year and our journey always begins at Old Klang Road, visiting Auntie Dot (who passed away 6 years ago) and Uncle Jeff house. Despite Auntie Dot absence we always make it a point to visit the family. Uncle (Auntie Dot’s dad) had grown very weak now and had to be assisted but despite his sheer weakness, he was still able to show humour even if he wasn’t able to speak. I always remembered him as a cheerful man who always had a smile for me when I go to visit him. My mom always remember him as the one who would always chauffeur my mom and Auntie Dot for Chinese New Year. And I guess visiting them was a sign of paying respect to them. Had a chat with Eric who was a Network Implementer at IBM. Got some insights about being a networking person and there was actually a difference between an network architect and implementer, in IBM for that matter. Implementer was more knowledgeable regarding whether a network is workable although architect job is higher in hierarchy of a company.

Besides that, we also stop by Auntie Geok Leng’s place, a classmate of my mom who we constantly visit every new year. Her dad has passed away recently and they weren’t able to visit people during Chinese New Year due to customs. So even without any angpow to be collected or gift, it was a nice chat between my parents and her although my sisters did mention a weird feeling about the place due to numerous idols and folded hell money in the living room in anticipation for the dad’s anniversary of his passing.

Later on, it was down to Imbi to visit Auntie Alice, who is always full of stories to tell and also to Uncle Yee Meow at Taman Tun Dr. Ismail. We stopped my Uncle Yee Kiat’s office to collect some stuff before that too. After sitting for an hour or two, we made our way to my mom’s favourite restaurant in PJ, Restaurant Green View which is near the Rothman round about. The place was full of people and they normally open their doors even on Chinese New Year to anticipate the big crowd who throng there for reunion dinner. Fortunately, my mom had made reservation and we were able to sit down with my grandma, Ah Mui, Uncle Yee Ho and wife, Uncle Kee Hin and our family. As usual, we had the “Sang Ha Mee” and not forgetting Yee Sang to toss for good fortune, though I prefer playing it rather than believing in the elements that were behind it. Its kind of surprising that Yee Sang is a Malaysian dish that can only be found here. And what is more surprising is that this dish originates from Seremban, the place I stay in. Got this information after reading an article in the newspaper some years back regarding the origins of Chinese New Year dish.

Before we headed back to Seremban, we stopped by Wah Wah place to visit his new apartment at Bukit Jalil and also to drop Uncle Kee Hin off. My mom could stop asking about Wah Wah new girlfriend was keep on mentioning about meeting her all the time till we got kind of bored hearing about it. My mom’s enthusiasm was due to the fact that he was one of my mom’s closest cousins and Wah Wah has always portray a very a good son who took care of his dad after his mom pass away when he was in form four, about 15 years ago. My parents couldn’t believe how time has pass so fast that it seem like it just happened the day before. 15 years in a twinkle of an eye. So, maybe my mom was equally just as concern to know who his new girlfriend is or maybe future wife will turn out to be.

It was a good time visiting and spending time with my mom’s family. However, sometimes its hard to put up a straight in front of them as they have always been a lot of family rivalry within my mom’s family. There has always been a red eye or two with one another in the family. They couldn’t be happy in knowing that someone had something better. Ah Mui, my mom’s sister has always tested my parents patients a lot that sometimes we even do not feel like visiting them, in order to stay away from the ordeal of questioning and also backbiting. I question my parents about it also as I didn’t feel nice why is all of this happening within the context of family. I even realise that there always bound to be someone who is like that in every family. My dad calls in a black sheep in the family. I realise at that point that sometimes its hard to try to make things right. Certain can not be change especially attitude when someone grows older. The older we grow, the bigger the ego we have that we know better. Its good at time to accept things as it is and maintain the peace within the family rather than try to fix everything. Sometimes i feel that its all an act that we put up, a mask that we show to people that we are alright but in reality in isnt so as gossips arise, envy nature creeps in and honesty diminished. It reminded me of an advertisement i saw on TV some years back about Chinese New Year made my Perodua, "Chi Ki Yan, Em Sai Cho Hei" or simply "We Don't need to put up a show, We are Family."Because we can’t. All we can do is to pray that the person will realise his problem and try to correct it. It needs a personal intervention from the most High even though at times I would think that Christian aren’t suppose to act this way. But what is right and what is wrong. I know that its wrong to break the peace in the family. And maintaining will ensure that it will reduce quarrels and misunderstandings. I guess Chinese New Year or family gathering is one good way to show Christ in us through small little actions that we do.