[[*---Don't Catch Me As I Fall---*]]

Monday, August 30, 2004

Dialect

Had a rather full brunch at my 1st uncle's house juz now. Most of my aunties and uncles are all gathered at me and my 1st uncle's house early in the morning. By the way, my 1st uncle just live next to me. They are all here to prepare to go to the cemertry to pray to my grandparents and my 4th uncle for the lunar 7th month.

It has always been a habit for them to gather at our area before they set off to the cemertry. However, as times goes by, the amount of people that actually will go to the cemetry decreases. My cousins used to follow their parents along too but as they grew older, all of them don't seem to come anymore. I don't even get to see them during Chinese New Year. Me and my older sister living here, will have to tag along everytime. My bro and my younger sister are both converted to Christians so they somehow won't go or pray to any of them.

Sometimes, I really don't feel like going too. My grandma used to live with us before she passed away. My elder sister being really close to my grandma would always asked me to go as a form of respect. Though I am relucdant, I'll just go.

Its always my parents and my aunties and uncles that are always there to prepare the stuff for any praying sessions or other occasions. What if one day they are gone? I'm not cursing them or what. People will have to go sooner or later. Will we know how to do all these traditional stuff or will we even bother to do so?

Our dialect, being Shanghainese is considered rare in Singapore. I hardly can find anyone with the same dialect as me besides my relatives. I finally found one in poly, Cammie. We were like so surprised that we could actually find someone with the same dialect. Me and my siblings are always the only one in school with that dialect. Our surname is different too, Jang. People actally think we are some foreigner or what. But I'm proud of my dialect and surname. Thats what that makes us abit different from the others.

One day, I gonna from my Dad what my dialect is about. I wana learn how to cook the traditional Shanghai dishes too. Hope I can succeed...=P

Lynnie black out at 4:57 AM