Grandma

I went to visit grandma today. The journey took about 3 and half hours from home. I had to get to the airport first and from there catch a coach to the customs at Huangguan, From Huangguan, I was transferred to a car. This pic was taken while I was on the highway. Think it was near Shenzhen. Fell in and out of sleep as I was getting there.





Finally, I got there. Was outside grandma's house for a while trying to get in. Knocked a couple of times and she didn't open the door. And then someone told me to go around her house and yell for her. Yelled, and grandma came and opened the door. I was a little too early and she was still preparing lunch for me. While she was preparing lunch for me, I walked around the house and took a couple of pictures of the house. In July, grandma's house was flooded.

Thank God at that time, she was in Shanghai. When I heard the news, I was sad for her. I remember visiting her in Dec 2004, she showed me pictures of grandpa and her in London and some other pictures. I was worried and thought that the flood has have destroyed everything. Thank God that the flood, was not high enough to damage grandpa's portrait. If you look at the pictures carefully, you can see the watermark. The flood was about 1m high. The first time that I went to visit her, I thought that grandma's home looked really like the home that she had in Spore. She made it look like the home that I grew up in Serangoon Gardens.

She told me that after the flood subsided, her relatives came and helped her to clean up the mess. Very thankful for them. Grandma cooked a real delicious lunch for me. Brought back lots of childhood memories. As kids we used to visit her every Sunday and she'll cook for us. As kids and even now, we have a special way of calling her grandma, a special intonation which was known only to Joanne, Jackie, me and now hubby. After lunch, we took time to chat and then we went out for a stroll to have a look around.


Took this picture outside grandma's house. This shopping mall is meant to be the biggest in her province. I remember the first time I went there, I thought...Is that Russian or a huge typo error? Grandma lives in Liao Bu in Dongguan. It's a little province. This time, I didn't have time to walk around and take more pictures of the house that grandma grew up in. This is the province that she was born and she grew up here till she left for Spore in her early teens. After grandpa died, she bought her house. I guess to a certain extent, she always wanted to come back to her hometown. About 4 years ago, she decided that
wanted to return to her hometown and that's where she has been since. Except for the couple of months that she was in Shanghai. Mum was adopted and yet, grandma loved us like her own. Out of us girls, only I can speak enough of Cantonese to communicate with her. Each time, I visit her, I come home knowing her a little better. When I heard that Elizabeth Choy passed on on Wednesday, it made me all the more to want to visit grandma. I want to see her while I still have the chance and on top of it, she's only 3 and half hours away from me. Last night during dinner, Michelle said that it's hard for her to believe in love that lasts a long time.
I asked grandma once if her marriage was an arranged one. She looked at me and laughed. She told me that grandpa and her fell in love. It was so sweet. Grandpa went home with the Lord in 1984. I was 1o then. As far as my memories can bring me back, I remembered grandpa and grandma having a good relationship. They'll go for vacation every year to a different country. I remember the day that grandpa went home. We visited them in the afternoon and when we went home, while mum was preparing dinner, phone call came. And grandpa went home. During dinner tonight, I chatted with grandma. To my best ability, I try to check out if she knew where she was after she passes on. I wanted her to be sure of her salvation. She seemed pretty sure and she told me that she was ready to go home. But I told her that her time is probably not up yet and that she still has things to do on earth.

I left about 6.40 after dinner. Spent about 6 hours with grandma. The last time I left, tears were streaming down as I rode on the bike to the hotel to catch the bus. I didn't know when will I see her again. And this time, I went off feeling lots better. I know that I'll be back to see her soon again and this time, I'll bring hubby. And I also know that she's sure of her salvation and that's even more important for me. Grandma, I love you!!!

12.30 am

Hong Kong