Anyway, I went to Malaysia and Betong (Thailand) with my family not too long ago, for the Qing Ming Festival. It has been an annual affair for my parents, because that would be the only occasion (unless somebody gets married) the Pou family gets together and pay their respects to my grandparents. And this year, all of us managed to get away from our usual responsibilities somehow, and went back as a family.
Sunrise at my grandparents' final resting place
The Pou family has a history of its own. My grandparents were born in Guangxi, China, and came down to Betong, Thailand, to eke out a living. Before that, they had separate families of their own. Probably during wartimes, families got separated and my grandparents got together and formed another family of their own. My father has 10 siblings, and 4 step-siblings.
My father was born in Betong. He was the last of the siblings born there, before the entire family moved to Penang, then to Padang Serai. Some of his siblings came down to Singapore to work, but only my father stayed here, and thus my existence. :)
His step-siblings from my grandfather still live in Guangxi, while the step-siblings from my grandmother live in Betong.
Betong town
This gathering was a huge one, because my step-aunt from Guangxi came too, and all of us went to visit my step-aunts in Betong. This was my first time meeting all of my step-aunts.
But the most amazing thing was, I got to learn that one of my step-aunts joined the communists when she was only 20 years old, fighting against the then-Malaya government. She shared with us many stories, and I'm so privileged to hear these rare experiences of living in the jungles, from the woman herself. And she still lives near the jungles. :)
Probably the most valuable moment in this trip was that the Pou family got to spend time together, even if it was only a fraction of us who went to Betong for that 2 days. It was also then my father told us of his family stories.
The largest mailbox in the world
I remembered I've been to Betong once, when I was a young kid. I remembered seeing the red mailbox, visiting the temple and playing with chicks with my other cousins. Time to dig out all the old photos again.
Wat Phutthathiwat
But I guess this time round, it was much more fulfilling to know about the legacy that my grandparents had left us.
Langkawi morning
We did side-trips to Langkawi and Penang too. We rented a car and drove around the little island of Langkawi. There was not much to explore, only the Sky Bridge and the Telaga Tujuh falls were worth going.
Langkawi Sky Bridge
Telaga Tujuh falls
My father spent some of his childhood years in Penang, so this trip was also for him to reminisce his past. He loves to walk, even with so many different kinds of the local delicacies we have eaten, I don't think we have gained any weight. My father would simply explore the entire Georgetown on our reliable feet.
Cheong Tze Fatt Mansion
Inside a Chinese temple
This trip wasn't as bad as I imagined. I am so used to travelling independently, and I don't have the tolerance for my parents' constant naggings. Surprisingly, it was still endurable, not that they have been yakking non-stop. Ha. And it was all expenses paid for. :)
A little part of me wishes for another family vacation like this, to learn more about my own family. Perhaps we could start working on 'The Chronicles of the Pou Family - Part 1'. Haha.
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