Grandma

3rd September, 2008 - This morning, I felt compelled to visit my mom. It's not everyday that I get to help her in the kitchen! Well, actually it's just me, wanting to spend some time with mom rather than really cook ... ^_^

It's grandma's xxth death anniversary and mom never forget to pray, make offerings, as well as get blessings from grandma, every year on this date. My dad's mother ... hmm ... the way I remember her ....

She is one hell of an iron lady! She is much respected and whatever she says, goes! A left hander, she has got the palm reading of a great leader ... only if she was a male! After 11 children (8 boys and 3 girls) - all natural births, mind you ... she was a real tough woman and walked the 3 main streets everyday at a pace that I could hardly keep up to - ha ha ... imagine me as a toddler, trying to run and keep up with a 60+ year old grandma!



Mom related to me that grandma was the one who gave my dad a severe lecture when dad kinda scolded my mom when my 3rd sister, Bea was born ... after 2 elder girls... and no boys (yet) to carry on the family surname! So, let's just say, my grandma was a female activist! When it was my turn (to be born, that is), my dad had to keep quiet ... ha ha ... Well done, grandma! I salute you ^_^



Some of the fun things I remember about grandma : mending fishermen's net, burning coconut husk to keep mosquitoes away, cracking durians, making pink colour kueh stuffed with fried glutinous rice or shredded coconut (yummy! my mom still makes them these days), shredding coconut trunks for the pigs to eat (my uncle has a pig farm and those days, the pigs eat shredded coconut trunks ... oh yes, the mornings when grandma would go to the hens and roosters' den to feed, the lorry-unloading palm oil seeds by the roadside where we would then sit down and crack open the seeds to get to the flesh weighed in pounds for sale to factories. That's how sometimes I get some pocket money to buy junk food!! Oh yes, not to forget ... my grandma's favourite tea-breaks : strong coffee (every morning and evening, without fail) and yau-car-kuai. Those days, cannot understand why adults love coffee so much ... now I know ...



Here's where we used to stay ... a kampong style wooden 'hut' built very very dangerously close to the sea ...



Well, it has been years since grandma's passing ... sudden death due to heart attack ... and her beloved hubby, my grandpa followed suit just merely 2 days after that ... wah ... how "romantic"... what better way to remember grandma by, than to walk down memory lane on her anniversary ...