I Don't Believe You Guys

This post is addressed to my friends who left my place just over an hour ago. And of course my mother dearest, without whom, I wouldn't have been able to sleep a wink last night.

Giao Guis you know, you all. How can play FIVE rounds of mahjong from 9pm till 6am??? And I know Ms Overbleached has another session tomorrow right? Tsk tsk.

The Photoshoot...

....left me tired and with rashes on my thighs!

We started the session at 9am and were done by 5pm, which, according to the photographer, is quite early. Apparently, couples usually end at about 7 or 8pm. The studio shots lasted about 3 hours and then we were off to Labrador Park and Alexandra, where I got my rash.

A big thank you goes out to my aunts, cousins and mum, who came down to help out. From getting the flowers (early in the morning) for my hair to deciding which accesories should go on my head. See the red flowers with the kua? They thought it would be too much red with the outfit, but I thought it would be quite pretty. So they left the Ah Huay in me to decide. Turned out quite well what, no? Was a bit worried about the Ah Lian copper coloured streak in the hair, but it came out quite alright after the hairdo.

Thanks for the jewellery too - gifts from my aunts and grandmother - which probably left me looking more elegant than if I had opted for the bridal studio's accesories.

The whole day was tiring, but quite fun. And I'm sure when we see the photos, it'll be worth it. I just hope we can stick to the 40 pictures our package entitles us to.

Secret Recipes

One of the things my Mama was remembered for must be her cooking skills. To some, it was her Ngoh Hiang or Buah Keluak. To others, it was the Achar or Fish Maw Soup. Then there were also the desserts like Kueh Salat and Kueh Kosui.

Sewing was the other thing Mama was good at. From sewing pyjamas and knitting baby booties from scratch to altering our school uniforms and clothes, Mama could do them all.

Having lived with her for 30 years, I have, very sadly, not picked up any of these skills.

Fortunately for all of us, my mother had taken down some of the above-mentioned recipes over the past years. I leave you with pictures of the family members scrambling to copy and trying to decipher their favourite recipes from my mother's hand-written scribbles, which sometimes had post edits. And only because Mama's instructions were always, "A bit of sugar" or "Some corn flour". There was never a certain fixed quantity. Which is probably why her food tasted so good....she played by taste. :)

An Unfamiliar Quiet

I woke up this morning to the unfamiliar sound of total quietness. There was no shuffling of feet, no teaspoon stirring against the coffee cup, no gush of water from the toilet tap from the room just next to mine and no one asking me if I was going to be back for dinner just before I left for work. There was no one for me to argue with over how she handled the dog, and no one for me to tell off for leaving taps and switches on.

In fact, the days have been like this since 12 July, when Mama, my paternal grandmother passed away on 11 July. It hit me how much I had taken these simple things for granted. And it dawned on me that I should always remember to be a little nicer to people dear to me. Less impatient, more understanding, more tolerant, more loving. But human as we are, apart from the "what-if" questions we will never have answers to, we also tend to live with the "If-only-I-had......" statements. Honestly, we should all live like today's the last - live life doing things that would not render us living in the "if-only-I-had..." mode.

Nonetheless, my Mama had lived a long and meaningful 84 years. The most beautiful gift she left us must be our extremely close-knit extended family, comprising 7 of her children, 10 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren.

Mama's tone of voice and actions sometimes leave you annoyed, frustrated and wanting to argue back (which I did, many a time), but deep down in her heart, there was always love and good intention. And vice versa, the way we sometimes spoke to her. This, I saw in my own relationship with her, as well as in the one she had with my father.

My only regret is that she did not stay long enough with us to be at Kayestercan's and my wedding, which I know she was so looking forward to. But I know she will be there with us in spirit.

Mama, till we meet again, know that you were truly loved by all of us and will continue to be in our hearts, thoughts and prayers.