Ching Ming Jie

It's ching ming jie again!!
My whole family woke up at 4.30am despite sleeping at about 2am. We hurry gussied up and was done by 4.50am and immediately drove to my grandma's house to collect the necessary items. Later, we drove to Mandai Columbarium to visit my ah gong and did the step by step procedures. We came with the mentality that it would not be so crowded since ching ming jie is tentatively on April the 5th, but we were so wrong. It was packed and there were hardly any parking lots!!!

Anyway, we offered our prayers and burnt the stuff for my ah gong to use. =D During that period of time, i observed that people were burning yacht, LCD TV, credit card, cars and yada yada. This simply mean that as technology improved, there'll be more variety for ching ming jie. Maybe, there'll soon be wii and Xbox though i'm not sure if they'll know how to use it. However, fret not as there'll always be a manual attached to it and of course it will come in many languages. =D

Later, we ate breakfast at NTU hall 2 as usual and fill our tummy with hot tea/coffee and kaya toast. The breakfast there is really cheap!! Set A and B is selling at $1.50 and it consists of 3 kaya bread toast, 2 soft-boiled eggs and a coffee or tea, or 5 kaya bread toast and a coffee or tea!!! =D
After that, we went to visit my brother's hostel room and there was a cat there which followed us all the way to my brother's room. Only then did my brother said that his roomie even had a cushion laid on the floor for the cat to sleep on at night. However, according to my brother, it landed on my brother's bed, causing him to get shocked and was being woken up a few times. I'm worried for him as he does not get enough rest plus he has a sensitive nose that sneeze when in contact with too much dust or furs!!!

Right, later we drove to a temple located at Hougang to visit my Great grandparents. Did the same procedures and looked for my great grandparents tablet amidst the pool of tablets that laid there in a staircase form. We found it nonetheless and my big brother suggested that someone should invent a technology such that when you write down your loved ones names, the specific tablet will light up!!! Don't you think that would be cool!!! =D

Anyway, that's about it and i really should be sleeping now!!! Just awhile more!!! =x

Did you know?
-Ching Ming Jie means Clear and Bright festival or Tomb sweeping day in English.
-Every leap year, Qing Ming is on April 4.
-Qingming is a statutory public holiday in mainland China starting from year 2008.
-Qingming festival holiday has a lot of significance in Chinese Tea culture as these teas are prized for having much lighter and subtler aromas than those picked after the festival.
-You can offer your prayers online at http://www.xinzheng.gov.cn/web/bz.jsp (try it)

According to http://www.asiaone.com/Digital/News/Story/A1Story20080805-80764.html , it says that "There are now several websites in China and Taiwan dedicated to ancestor worship on the Internet, as well as thousands of online memorial halls. These prayer websites offer users the convenience of paying your respects from the comfort of one's home, with many featuring a special form they can fill in to send good wishes, messages and even presents to heaven (or hell)." I guess in time to come, ching ming jie will all be virtual due to the lack of land space but of course nothing beats waking up early in the morning and physically burn paper moneys etc. It is more sincere in a way as effort is put into it.

Alright, i've just finish gobbling up my green bean with sago dessert which means it's time for my beauty sleep. Mind you, i'm not a pig!!! I just had 2 hours of sleep last night!! hehe..

Night fellow citizens and be a good boy/girl and follow your parents during ching ming jie!!!