Grandparents & great grandmas got to stay indoors and in fact the whole procedures o moved 4 bodies and purchasing the urns cost our extended families SG$ 10,000. It was expensive ! However, theirs was indoors air-conditioned. That's explain why the price tag too.
It was really a good gathering for all of us. Ever since my grandma passed away 18 years old. We have hardly met as everyone is busy with their own stuffs and the most we met once a year at my First Uncle's place. However, I haven;t been catching up with them over the years as I have been going on holidays during CNY.
It's lovely to see all my 5 uncles & my dad altogether. They have aged yet they still looks the same to me like when I see them when I'm a little gal. While the women (my aunties) was preparing,
the men (my uncles, bro & a cousins) was sitting at one corner talking among themselves while waiting for my aunties to get the altar done. It was interesting to watch & listen to them talking. I was like watching a bunch of bigs kids cracking jokes about each other and other relatives (not present today). My 5th uncles was busily video taping everyone.
Bravo ! The altar is done !
The men began offering their prayers and joss sticks first, followed by the women. After that, we loiter around for about half an hour before proceeding to another place to burn all the paper money. Why do we have to wait? Bcoz we have to wait for my grandparents & great grandmas to finish 'eating' our offerring mah ! Then, they can 'follow' us to collect the money we have burnt for them at a corner of the monastery.
The sun was blazing by this hour. We quickly make our way back to the altar and collect back our offerrings. It was almost 9.30am by now. Phew ! All done ! While some of them headed home, a number of us proceed to a vegetarian restaurant in Waterloo Kwan Im Temple for lunch...er.....it should be brunch for me.
while leaving the monastery, I felt a bit of down. I miss my grandma.......
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