Chinese New Year has come and gone. The first one without Yee Pak. I reminisce by going through my photo folders. Not many Chinese New Years do I make it back home, but I am so grateful that I was back for Yee Pak's last one - January 2009. For many years since moving to Darwin, he would plan for me to go back to KL for CNY. He'd give me the dates a couple of years in advance so that I can arrange my trip home. So afraid the tradition will be lost amongst us Generation X and subsequently our kids.
Every year without fail, Yee Pak always exuberated the spirit of CNY. He would clean the house weeks on end, go shopping for CNY decorations, make his own decorations, stock up the fridge with food and treats for the many days of feasting, organise ang-pow money for everyone, and of course the never-ending family photos.
His ever-insistence of doing everything himself always had us rolling our eyes and shaking our heads, such as cleaning his house from rooftop right down to the ground all by himself. Not to forget the origami fishes and swans that he makes out of ang-pow packets so that the kids can hang them from bamboo plants in his house. He always bought the best of CNY delicacies like lap-cheong and waxed duck and crates of mandarins to distribute to everyone. Nothing was spared. Everyone had the best.
I scrimmaged through my multitude of photos from CNY last year and yet, I can only find these few with Yee Pak in them. The rest of the hundreds of photos were all of us, his family. He was behind the camera most of the time.
Then I found this one of us, the Gen X. If I'm not mistaken, this was taken by Yee Pak in 1976 on Chinese New Year day as well. The four cousins. His four nieces and nephews. Note: Ah Sum is missing in this picture because she was still floating on a cloud. The stork hadn't found her yet...hehe ;)
And this one was taken in 2009 by Yee Pak on the same street...well almost...around the corner of the same street as pictured above. With the addition of Gen Y - and Ah Sum! YAY!
All I have of Yee Pak now is memories. Memories may fade. But pictures speak a thousand words. Despite my disappointment at not having enough pictures of Yee Pak, I am grateful for the thousands of photos he had taken of us. I am grateful that he gave me copies of photos he took.
From these photos, I see through his eyes. I see his love for beauty and nature. I see his love for life. I see his love for his family.
The above Then and Now pictures are testament that memories are here to stay.
1 comment:
We went for our yearly Cheng Meng yesterday morning. For the past 24 years, we paid our respect to Grandpa at the Chinese Cemetery. This year was different as we had Yee Suk next to Grandpa at Nirvana Memorial.
Everyone looks 'normal' - chatting and mingling around, but deep down each and every one of us MISSES Yee Suk.....
I have last CNY's family photo by my bed side. I was staring at it for over 10 minutes on Chap Goh Mei night, eyes filled with tears...just thinking of Yee Suk and how this year's CNY was totally different.
I know how excited Yee Suk was everytime round CNY. He loves to see us all dress pretty and handsome, enjoying all the feast he prepares and most of all making sure there's enough Coke in stock!!
Wai Yin Che, after reading your blog, the feeling of missing Yee Suk is even greater. He played a big role in organising trips, outings, dinners etc but most of all he played a significant devoted member of the Lee family all these years....
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