The first picture below was where my paternal grandfather used to live in. It was so small! I can’t remember how many siblings he had but I know that he did have a tiff with one of his brother(s) and guess what? This incident repeated in my dad’s generation and now I can actually see that happening to my generation too. Is some kind of generation thingy repeating one generation after another…scary….
I don’t think the brothers reconciled but thank God my dad reconciled with his brother when my grandfather lapse into coma and didn’t stop breathing for over a day despite the oxygen tank we brought back from the hospital was used up. It was so sad seeing him struggling for air but he was still breathing nevertheless! The moment my dad shoke hands with my uncle and assuring him that they will always be brothers, it was so dramatic as all the women around were sobbing (so was I) and all and I will never forget that incident ever! And believe or not…my grandpa passed away shortly after that happened…Sorry side tracked from my trip…
Back to my grandfather, I felt it was appropriate to share his story since I visited his homeland. My dad found out the reason he left his homeland due to arranged marriage. And strange enough, that was the reason why my paternal grandmother left her homeland too! Saga leh….It’s like the typical TVB drama huh? Well my grandfather’s family due to some weird reasons “married” a girl into the family (meant for my grandfather) when she was only 12 years old!! I guess it was due to poverty since in those days as families who were not able to feed another mouth it’s better to give them away so they do not suffer….
Anyway..when the girl reached the marrying age…the family was going to prepare for the wedding and my grandpa got cold feet and ran away! The poor girl still had to go through the marriage ceremony without the groom and when they bowed to the ancestors a rooster was used to replace the groom!! OMG!! I thought roosters were used to replace the groom when he dies before the wedding day! So I guess they actually thought my grandpa died when he left! I dare not ask my relative about this incident to clarify as I thought he may have forgotten about it since it happened soooo many donkey years ago..
This the living area of the house maybe the poor lady married the “rooster” here…
There were some parts of the ancestor houses that were demolished and the residents there used the spare area to plant vegetables. There were spring onions and “choy sum”.
Then some village kids came round to look at us with curiosity and I couldn’t help taking photos of them. Notice the first one and can you see what he was holding on to?? Cigarettes!! One thing about China that I so absolutely hate is the people smoke so much and there are no restrictions in smoking indoors! *Cough Cough* The next picture is an older kid carrying a younger kid and notice the hole in his pants bearing his buttocks! Well they don’t have the luxury of wearing disposable diapers and besides, if it’s cold weather, it’s not condusive to change their diapers as the pants would have to be taken out…brrrrrrrrr….The last picture shows how dirty the clothings they were wearing and from looking at their living conditions there, I doubt they have their daily baths!
See what’s in his hands!!
Hole in pants for convenience….
Dirty clothes…
