The cemetery ...

I went to the cemetery this past Friday (27 April - SA's public holiday, Feedon Day). Now,before you think strange of this statement, let me explain. In the Chinese culture, there is plenty of emphasis on paying homage to the family members who have passed on. On Friday, I went to pay my respects to my grandfather, uncle and other relatives.

The cemetery used to be a very special place for my "living" family, both immediate and extended, totalling as many as 23, including grandma, uncle, aunts and cousins. We would go to the cemetery as often as once a week on a Sunday. Besides being a place where we would come and pay our respects to our relatives who had passed on, it would also be a gathering place for us to chat, gossip and just catch up with each other. After we had done our rounds at the cemetery,we would head off to Chinatown for lunch.Later still we would go to one of the uncle's or aunt's house to go swim, ride bikes, play games, sing karaoke, play station, listen to the kids play music, watch TV, play pool, play mah jong, make dinner or have a braai (BBQ). It was great family bonding time! Those were the good 'ol days...

I took this picture of my mom and aunt walking at the cemetery. It is what remains of our once HUGE family. The family's been torn apart by personal grudges and misunderstandings. Gone are those days of gossiping about others.It's now replaced with gossiping about each other.

My Uncle Terrence, who immigrated to Oz with his wife and daughter, came back briefly last year for a short visit. He said that we should appreciate the time we can spend our family, purely for the fact that we can now.
Inevitably, the rounds in the cemetery will become longer, as we'll be visiting more relatives who pass on.

Family is important...it is vital.

I hope my family start burying those grudges first before we start burying each other.