Summer memories 2012 **(夏日的回憶)

Title : Summer memories 2012 (夏日的回憶)

3^rd September, 2012.

Time flies.  It seems only it’s yesterday when we paid visits to the relatives in Haifeng Xian, Tsuen Wan, Ching Yi, Tung Chung.  I start my new term of English Study in an evening school tonight.

In these summer holidays I spent most of my time doing housework, cooking and cleaning up the house.  I made clothes alterations so that they fit me more properly.  I did some Form 1 – Form 5 mathematic exercises.  And, I read some ‘old’ books, too. 

I stayed at home on Saturdays and Sundays watching the television, DVDs.  I cooked Italian, Japanese, Shanghais, Chinese and Korean dishes for fun.  I enjoyed my stays in Nathan Road, Kwun Tong, Tokwawan.  I visited Hong Kong Island - Causeway Bay, Mount Davis, the Peak. When I stayed at home, I turned on the air-conditioner to get cool comfort.  Occasionally, I fell asleep in my armchairs.

I joined several schoolmates’ gatherings.  I enjoyed chatting, communicating ideas with them.  I have suppers in Fu Kee roasted geese restaurant, Garden Jade Seafood restaurant, Fortune Chinese Food restaurant, etc. with relatives and friends.  I do the voluntary work for World Vision in a Saturday morning in August.

I strolled about Tai O and outlying islands of Hong Kong.  I appreciated the fresh air and beautiful sceneries.  I went to the libraries for short moments, not only enriching myself with useful knowledge, but also I got free air-conditioning.

I wandered along sand beaches and seaside at night solo, to escape the heat.  I loved roaring sea-wave.  I watched sunset, too.  I felt happy to do these activities.  I went to the cinema once in this summer.

As I’m having the diabetes symptom, I take the low-sweet drinks such as freezing lemon-zero-coke, salted lemon-zero-Schweppes, Sprite or 7Up.  I eat ‘no sugar added’ ice-cream, fruit and vegetable salads, beloved vegetation food and healthy dishes in this summer period.  Most of all, I like the dishes of fresh skillfully fried fishes, 'no sugar added' chocolates.

Certainly, I go to work in the office almost every day.  Every night when I go to bed I always mummer a wonderful proverb :- ‘Early to bed, early to rise, give you health and wealth!”

Thank you.

Mary

EPISODIC MEMORIES

Fantastic memories

I remember the day the graduation ceremony taken place in 1971.  The school hall was full of people coming from several catalogues.  They were our honorable guests, students’ parents, teachers, staff, show members, students as well as some organizations. The graduates were neatly dressed.  They were sitting in the right hand side while the guests and parents were sitting in the left hand side of the school hall.  Finally, everyone got their certificates and I felt my heart nearly fell out with ‘bang, bang, bang’ when I was announced to get the merit award in ‘Civics subject’ on the stage.

Thank you.

Mary

A visit to Tao Heung Museum of Food Culture

民以食為天 - 

.............中國諺語

"Dining is of paramount importance to people in their daily life." 

............a Chinese proverb

Success is never final, failure is never fatal, Courage is the only thing.
                                                                 .........Winston Churchill

清明節是中國最重要的節日之一，在農曆冬至後的第105日。它也被稱為掃墓節。顧名思義，它是清理祖墳的日子。大多數墓地都是遠離城市或位於山坡上，茂盛的草叢在一年中已經長成了，故此，每年都必需清理這些雜亂的野草。此外，祭祀祖先的祭品都放置在墓陵前，通常是一些水果，肉類，葡萄酒之類，還有年糕，麵餅，金銀紙錢，蠟燭等。家庭祈禱紙“鬼錢”也收集起來被燒毀。

另一個重要的清明節傳統是在墳墓上放置橙色的金紙。人們認為墳墓是死者靈魂居住的地方，放置或粘貼‘壓墓紙’在墓碑上相當於把房子的屋頂翻新。通常是用小石頭按住紙張或粘貼在墓前，使它們不會被風吹走。儀式結束後，掃墓者都吃一些貝殼類而把其殼子留在墳墓前，以象徵祖先雖然已過世，家庭生活仍然是持久的一代又一代。

傳統上，建設一座墳墓時，會另設一塊石碑雕刻上兩個中文字符的“后土” （后土），將其設立在墳墓前側，代表土地公。后土是地球的神。土地公通常也被稱為'土神'。在中國傳說中，后土是遠古時代（社，地球）的神。由於死的人都埋葬在泥土裡， ‘后土’土地公就成為墓葬的守護神。在清明時節掃墓時，家庭都會準備另一套祭品，包括動物牲品，蠟燭，溪錢，金紙等，以感謝他的保護和守衛墳墓。

最後，謝謝你的細心閲讀。

Mary 姐
11.4.2012

Tomb-sweeping Festival, which falls on the 105th day from last winter solstice in the Lunar Year, is one of the most important festivals in China. It is also known as Clearness and Brightness festival (清明節). As the name shows, it is the day for cleaning up ancestral tombs. Graveyards are located on hillsides away from the city, and grass is often allowed to grow luxuriantly for most of the year. It's therefore necessary to cut it all down at yearly intervals. In addition, offering of sacrifices to ancestors are placed in front of tombs - typically fruit, meat, wine, along with the rice cakes, flour cakes, different types of the grave paper money, candles and so on. Then the family gather to pray while paper 'ghost money' is being burned.

Another important Tomb-sweeping Day tradition is the placing of paper on the tombs. The people believe the tomb to be the residing place of the deceased's spirit, and placing the ‘Yamu Paper 壓墓紙’ on the tombs is equivalent to putting new tiles on the roof of a house. The paper is held down with small stones or pasted on the up-front of the tomb so that the paper will not be swept away by the wind.

After the offering ceremony, some boiled shells are then eaten and the shells are left on the graves to symbolize that though the ancestors had passed away, the family life is still lasting from generation to generation.

Traditionally, when building a grave, a stone stele craved with two Chinese characters ‘后土’(Hou Tu). would be set up besides or in front of the grave to represent the Earth God. Hou Tu is the Earth God. The Earth God is also commonly called ‘Tu Sen’ . Hou Tu was the God of She (社,the Earth) in ancient times. Since dead people are buried in the earth, Hou Tu, the Earth God, has become the patron god of the tombs. When visiting graves on the Tomb Sweeping Festival, families would prepare another set of offerings including animal sacrifices, candles and paper money for Hou Tu to give thanks for His protecting and guarding the graves.

Thanks for your perusal.

Mary

11.4.2012

海豐祭悼記

海豐祭悼記

劉姓祖先(老爺)出生於西元1898年的，於1979年離世，其中越過一百一拾四年的漫長歲月；兒孫滿堂，近有一百子孫的數目，令人艷羨。

2012年2月23至26日回海豐縣故鄉祭祀先人劉氏五伯的葬禮。

慎終追遠是中國人的傳統，各位孝子、賢孫、兄弟、嫂娌、外甥、親戚及朋友聚首一堂，舊屋大宅頓時變得人潮湧至，水洩不通，擠滿祭悼的人群，只見靈堂上插滿香案，關愛滿溢於面上。

據鄉里們説，依例1年至少需於春節，元宵節，春祭、清明節，端午節、中元節、秋祭、中秋節、冬至、除夕等前為祭祀，惟所有祭祖日，均不必集中定時舉行，只要於日出後，日落前均可，另春秋兩季先拜墓，再拜公廳及祖塔；統一祭拜祖塔日為清明節，上午9時開始，儀式約1小時。這項習俗凝結了這個劉氏家族的向心力，縱使社會形式改變，各房子孫外出打拼，無法似農業社會時期按時到祠堂祭拜祖先。惟每年除夕和清明節，幾乎所有劉家的子孫都會回到海城鎮舊屋祖業劉姓祖父公祠堂祭祖。

我們當然不能例外，前一晚就先行準備好行李。2012年2月23日中午，因為擔心親戚所駕駛的車子比較擠擁，於是乘坐公車到海豐縣，抵達羅湖火車站時，正好遇到適合的聯車，停靠在車站。我們及時搭到公車時，眉開眼笑。

沿途風景宜人，清風送爽，我還拍下鄧小平領導人的巨大肖像呢！半途上，一棟棟的老建築給人古樸又親切的味道，一片片綠悠悠的田園呈現在眼前；不過是2小時50分鐘，我們已經抵達海豐縣富之城酒店，本來我們準備訂下房間下榻的，只是太興奮，不消半分鐘便忘記了，心想著趕快到二伯的家門。那兒的三輪車與泰國首都曼谷的＜噠噠＞三輪車相似，價錢也便宜，但要講價還價才合經濟啊。

隨即遇到親戚們，我們安慰五伯娘一番後，給與帛金，便吃午飯。其後其他親戚接踵而來。下午五時吃晚飯。直至晚上八時才離開。

我們到聯豐酒店住宿，那處清潔便宜。第二天一早就到舊屋大宅。午間儀式開始，擠滿祭悼的人潮，彼此間或許不認識，但每位都有血緣關係，燒金紙前另有幾個具特色的祭拜儀式，至於柱子上的對聯及牌坊，因為人多，已忘記拍照了。一直到先人五伯安葬才回到舊屋去。在那裏我們吃了一頓豐富的「解慰酒」。

之後我們和親戚們遊覽海豐碧季園，大街小巷，街市及到郊區怡泰海鮮酒樓吃好好味的海鮮，由三姪兒及三姪媳請客的，感謝他們；然後帶著愉快的心情回到香港。又，謝謝四伯及八叔送我們到南湖乘搭客運公司的車輛回香港，那天回鄉的旅客好像特別多，車班密集且班班客滿，坐在車上的我，心情也似要回家的遊子般，都希冀盡快地抵達家門。

Mary姐
28.2.2012