From dust we come, from dust we go...

Oh my... i slept at 3.30am and woke up at 8.30am. Didn't really sleep well. Dad woke my sisters and i up to collect the ashes of my grandma. Manage to reach the crematory at 9.05am. When we reached there, we were ushered to a room specially for ash collection. It is air-conditioned!

Hmm... initially i thought "ash" was really a pile of wafer-like blackish dust that we burned from paper. Surprisingly, the "ash" was actually fragments of solid bones! The man above was distributing the larger bone fragment for us, which we in turn use a chopstick and place it into the bone container. Ceremonial purpose i suppose. If i'm not wrong, the bone container have a name called urn. Hmm... i took a smaller fragment, in case i dropped it. Hehe... After which we visited my dad's bro urn before leaving. He died when he was still a child, hence the picture was a kindergarden graduation pic i think.... left after everything was done.

According to wikipedia, these bone fragments are mostly made up of calcium phosphate + minerals and represented roughly 3.5% of the original body mass, while the larger part of the body and the soft tissue vaporized from the heat. Back into the topic, in fact, there is this "no taking of pictures" sign in the crematory. Just took it anyway... for memories sake... Don't know why i have the affinity to be rebellious.

Actually i was very mad at the monks in the crematory. After the ash was placed properly in the urn, 4 monks meditated for my grandma immediately after another meditation for another funeral. Fair enough they are tired as they walked in a Bo Chap manner towards us. As they are meditating, that fat monk don't know for what reason smile so happily. Are u a laughing buddha? ( Not able to use the F word cos Bugs bunny don't like, but it is most appropiately used here ). Please. Be serious. Even monks from other countries are looking at you. Don't disgrace yourself. Just beside this fat monk is a thin monk from China. KOU! Cannot keep still and the gaze is not fixed. Look up... look down.. look as if he is sick of the job and seriously, he really didn't meditate properly and just wanna do it a fast and quick job. You can tell this kind of attitude in reluctant people easily. Suddenly for no reason, there are 5 monks. One monk has joined the meditation for no reason just beside that Bo Chap china monk. I really doubt he is meditating cos even when his mouth is chanting, he gave eye signal to the opposite monks. After 15 secs, they left and we followed behind. What's more. After we place the urn at designated place, they smile so happily to us and tell us to pray for good studies etc before leaving. Smile so gayly for what. 3 words: Cannot make it.

The anger in me subside rather quickly. No point. Its their job afterall. Next my family went to a renovated hawker in hougang for our lunch cum breakfast. Took a picture with my sister!Not much things i've done today. So that's all~ Hopefully i can make full use of these 2 weeks before i go for reservist. Just a moment of thoughts: Cherish those who are alive! Make sure they know u love them :) Something for myself: Don't always complain. Learn to be thankful~!