Sunday, September 18, 2005 [ 8:15 PM ] ;
0 repliesYou know according to cantonese tradition, grandparents would give their grandchildren some money to buy lanterns for themselves. The amount of money usually ranges from $20-$50, although there might be some extreme cases. I don't know.
Approaching 18 in more than a couple of days time, you would have think I have outgrown laterns, and I myself know that I have already outgrown laterns since 10 years back. However, this tradition has never stopped, going on year after year, and I never fail to get $20-$50 every year from my grandparents, just to "buy lanterns".
Now let me start talking about the 2 people I respect most and love most in this world. My maternal grandparents. Maybe it would have been my parents if things were different, but well, my parents never did treat me like how they should have treated me if I were to treat my own son. Anyway, back to my grandparents. Both, cantonese speaking, my grandma already in her sixties and my grandpa in his late sixties.
I was the first grandchild they got(my sis came along 5 years later, my cousin another 5), and more than a handful too. They brought me up, for the first 12 years of my life at least, as both my parents had to work. So, I would stay with them from Mondays to Fridays, and then go back home in Simei to stay with my parents on saturdays and sundays. Growing up in a cantonese speaking family meant that from young, I spoke only fluent cantonese and mandarin with the correct accent, as attested by my aunt, who was dating my uncle at that time. However, I did start picking up english when i went into kindergarden and it was not long before I lost the grasp of cantonese and till this day, if i do speak cantonese, if at all, haltingly.
My grandma can cook fantastic dishes and I would say till now, she is still the best cook ever, and growing up on her food made me have a special attachment to both cantonese and teochew dishes. My grandpa, still working even though his already so old, claims that he works so he wouldnt feel bored. The income he brought home, was a pittance compared to the money he received from my uncle and my mom (my uncle was a futures trader, my mom a bank IT officer.) I supposed thats why from young, my grandpa pampered me with toys and the occasional extra pocket money, though now the toys have stopped, but the money is still around.
I feel bad, as they're still continuously giving me money, and if i refused, my grandpa would get slightly worked up, only by accepting it will make them happy. Also, so far in my life, I have always had my hair cut unwillingly if the authorities said it was too long. But if my grandpa thinks and tells me its too long, I would go for a haircut straightaway.
Being 18 already, I rarely ever go back for visits unless its Chinese New Year and I really really, regret not being able to make more time to go back. I would have to really find some time in the near future to go back. If not, I would not be able to face myself.
