Wednesday, November 02, 2005

got the chance to visit my guakong yesterday.. it was a very exhilirating experience..

it has been eight years since i've been to the cemetery.. when we were kids, we used to visit our mother's dad in the chinese cemetery.. all of our titos and titas here in pinas would go with us and we would all go together to pay respect to our lolo..

sayang.. that tradition has long been forgotten.. my family's moved out to the province.. some relatives did the same thing, while many of them already migrated to the states..

the other day my mom asked me to accompany her.. i was hesitant at first, but later on agreed, since i miss having to go to visit guakong every undas.. plus, she threatened she'd tell guakong to haunt me in bed if i didn't go.. hehe..

it was a very refreshing experience.. i got to paste these banderitas made of papel-de-hapon around the tomb, that represents celebration [of the dead's life or death, i don't know].. while i was busy pasting, my mom was busy offering some food to the tho thi kong, the chinese equivalent of a saint, while burning supposed saint money [manila paper with silver streaks in the middle, with a veeeeeery thin layer of what i think is rugby to make it look like gold] as an offering.. then, i got to burn spirit money [like the saint money, only without the slush of rugby], this time, for our dead relatives.. i als got to pray for them, with matching slight incense burning..

i really missed doing all those things.. only, this time, it was just me and my mom.. yes, very lonely..

and you thought you were the only one watching..