boon's log 0110.07: Happy New Year 2010

A very happy and prosperous 2010 to all. I hope that you had a blast celebrating the new years with your friends and families. IL, Ab and I were at our Aunt's for the count down, with the rest of our rellies. It was fun - especially for the younger cousins - who, basically had a whale of a time! ;)

We spent the rest of the holiday weekend at my parents'. Ab had a wonderful time swimming with grandpa at the newly renovated (and impressive) RPGC. They really did a good job with the reno. They even allowed us to bring "Ooo-gway" into the pool with us - that was nice.

It was also Popo's 49th-day Prayers at the temple. Most of the rellies were back for the prayers. Thanks to Ab, she managed to lighten-up the entire atmosphere during the prayer sessions with her "charm" ;) We really Thank God for her. Everyone enjoyed her a lot... and i bet she also enjoyed herself too ;)

It was also a nice and refreshing, albeit short, reunion for the most of us before we meet again in a few week's time during CNY'10 - which I'm definitely sure will never be the same again.

Here are some pics...


Buddha tiles...


Curly joss sticks...


"Cymbals"(?)


The "hymnal"?


The "priests"... or what Ab calls them - Master Sifu


"Altar ceremonial lights"

boon out...

boon's log 5109: Remembering Popo

Popo [1919-2009]

It took me a while before I could bring myself to blog about this.

On the dawn of Wednesday, November 11th 2009, Popo, passed on peacefully. Her leaving, though not something entirely unexpected, but it still came as an unwelcomed surprise and it created an empty vacuum within all of us - the lives who have been so deeply touched by her love.

Perhaps it's the thought that she will always be with us, or at least for a longer period of time - perhaps another Chinese New Year, perhaps another birthday, perhaps another family gathering, perhaps another celebration of the welcoming of another great-grandchild... perhaps... another hour.

She had led a truly fruitful and blessed life. As far as I know Popo, she has always been a giver. Her abundance in love and compassion seemed unending and overflowing - the epitome of selflessness.

I still remember the times when she would take bus trips up to Kangar and down to KL and Ipoh, in between - either because someone was through exams (i.e. her grandchildren) or someone was down with chicken pox - with 5 children, 10 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren, I'm sure she's seen a lot of poxes... S

he would stay up in the middle of the night, making sure that we are feeling alright - soothing our pains and aches and also making sure that we are well nourished with her ever-ready and ever-handy herbal conconctions. All she needed was a trip down to your local Chinese medical hall.

Many who stayed through out the wake, were with her a few days before, attested that she looked fine and that there was no signs of anything all.

"We must have chatted for over an hour"

"She even asked me help bring some groceries over to her on Monday"

"I just talked to her over the phone just the night before she was admitted"

"She was in Penang just a few weeks ago".

But she was admitted into ISC on Monday due to difficulty of breathing...

She has also been truly blessed with caring and loving children and grandchildren. But we are just a mere faint reflection of what she had been to all of us. Things will definitely not be the same again.

...

Most of us made it back to see her one last time, at the hospital. It is not easy letting her go (it never is), and I guess we are not created or made to handle departures. We will miss her, love her and remember her always...

boon out...