It’s the season for Qing Ming (Tomb Sweeping Day) again.
Today, we visited my maternal grandparents, who are resting in the columbarium of Tai Pei Yuen Temple, along Jalan Kemaman, off Balestier Road.
My dad brought some simple offerings for them.
The columbarium niches - high-rise living for the dead.
My grandfather.
My grandmother.
It comforts me to know that their urns are on the same floor, in adjoining rooms, so they won’t have to travel far to see each other.
Facebook reminded me of this post 12 years ago:
Context: It was the final semester of my four-year Honours course with the History Department of the National University of Singapore’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, and it was close to Deadline Day for our Honours Theses.
Word then got around that the Sociology Department had given their Honours students a one-week extension for their Honours Thesis submissions. This immense luxury was not extended to the other Arts departments like Political Science or History. Cue plenty of righteous outrage!
Good times.
This is Kottu, a Tamil dish. “Kottu” is Tamil for “chop” or “mince”, referring to its method of preparation - roti prata is chopped up, then fried with eggs, onions, chillies, and spices. I usually ask for shredded chicken to be added. The result is a really delicious dish that should be a staple in all hawker centres and food courts around the island!
