Family Roots


I have a big family. It is extensive, including all my lovely cousins, who are so good and kind to each other.

No seriously. I love my family, extended relatives and all.

We're not a particularly rich bunch. On average, we may be called middle-class at best. None of us have any landed property or nice big cars (actually jie-fu has one, but Camry is an uncle car so it doesn't count).

At the heads of the families (both Mom's and Dad's), are my grandmamas and grandpapa. Coming down, I have 5 uncles and 3 aunts. Further down, I have 11 cousins and a sister, with extended 2 more cousins by law and 4 more cousins (I have seen and talked to) twice removed. Below, are my lovely nephew and neice, Zayden and Chloe, the babies.

Every year, when there are occasions like Chinese New Year, Duan Wu Jie (aka dumplings festival), ancestral anniversary, etc, everyone would squeeze into my grandmamas' houses to eat. For me, I would love to take every opportunity to go to my grandmamas' houses because I love them so much. Their houses are not big, but all the squeezing makes it feel like home.

On my paternal side, all of those in my generation would squeeze into my grandparent's room, staking claims to the beds or the floor, and watch tv or gamble while the elders sat outside on chairs and floors and chatted. It's a very noisy affair, and the place gets slightly chaotic. But that's what I love about my grandmama's place.



On my maternal side, there are less people but it's still a close gathering. Except for my grandmama's rude god-daughter who usually eats like 60% of the food, the rest of us are nice to each other. We'd squeeze into my aunt's bedroom and snatch the bed, or gamble on my grandmama's bed in her room.



My generation, which is my sister and cousins, go for outings together as a group and I love the fact that the outings are usually successful. We plan to have more, even overseas, but that'll have to wait til the babies are big enough to be on their own.



There's no rude shouting or badmouthing each other in my family, in fact we all love each other so much. I am thankful for my loving immediate family, my mom, sis and dad, and I am thankful for my loving extended family especially for my grandmamas and grandpapa. We love everything that grandmama cooks.

It doesn't get any better than this. I love my family. *contented sigh*

I was at Bright Hill Drive for a friend the other day. My maternal grandfather whom I've never seen before is there. It's frustrating when you're standing in front of thousands of plaques, knowing your grandfather is one of them but not know which one it is, thus, you are unable to light a joss stick in his memory. I am already an unfilial grand-daughter by default, so.. I will never willingly choose to be unfilial to my own parents and grandparents.