* REMEMBRANCE * LOVE * GRATITUDE Chun-She / Qing Ming Praying As “Chun-She” falls on 24 March 2009, according to traditional Chinese customs, family members whose departed loved ones interred at Nilai Memorial Park of less than one year are advised to pay their respects before “Chun-She” i.e. from 14 to 23 March 2009. “Qing Ming” for this year falls on Saturday, April 4, 2009. To avoid congestion, family members are advised to perform prayers to their departed loved ones anytime from 25 March to 14 April 2009.

Xion En Service

Open from 8:30AM to 5:30PM daily during this festival. Praying material such as joss-sticks, candles, paper boxes, flowers & fruits will be sold on weekends only at the Service Hall below Xiao En Temple.

Xiao En Temple

I woke up at 9:15AM. After having some breakfast in Seremban 2 coffee shop, I drove to Seremban town to get some vegetarian foods for the Qing Ming prayer. Later I headed to Nilai Memorial Park and reached there around 11:00AM This the place my late father laid to rest.

Before the Qing Ming praying, I need to go to this Xiao En Temple to pray for the Tua Pek Kong (大伯公) first [Da Bo Gong, Tua Pek Gong, Dua Pek Gong, Dua Pek Kong or whatever the spelling it is!]  just because He is the “landlord” of this park and as a respect for Him. This praying also as a form of “seeking permission” from Him to perform Qing Ming prayer on this land.

As I left this temple to go to the praying area, I almost bump into a cute girl but too bad I am not She is about 18-20s?  wore a black T-shirt, mini jean skirt. I drove my car to a car park near the praying area. After parked my car there I managed to snap this temple picture just before taking those praying materials to the praying area (Niches – Quadrangles)

15 minutes after I performed the prayer in front of my late father niches, I noticed the cute girl that I almost bump into came in to the opposite quadrangles with her family (Her mum with 3 brothers) While waiting for the joss-sticks and candles to be fully burn, I keep an eyes on her from distance. She noticed that I looked at her but she just pretended that she did not see me. While her mum and brothers preparing the foods to be place on the table she just looked around the niches on the wall. Once a while she stood beside her mother and I noticed that she almost same height with her mum. If not mistaken, around 5′ 1 or 5′ 2″.

While watching them, suddenly this thought came to my mind. I am a bit sorry for her mum as at such a young age she have lost her husband. She looked around 40 to 42 years old and needed to raise the 4 children on her own. What a big responsibility and I believed that, it is not easy for her to be a mother and father for her children but she have all the courage to take up this challenge. Life goes on even without her other half. Her children should be proud of her!

Does her situation now reflex the same thing as what will happen to my wife and children one day? I looked at my late father niches. Now I am here praying for him. Will there be anyone to pray for me if one day I leave this world? At the age of 43+ I still single. I don’t have any women now who willing to be my wife nor any women want to have children with me. If really there is a day I have chance to get marry and have children, does what I saw now in front of eyes will be happened to my wife and children ? Or I don’t even have a wife and children?

I left the Niches – Quadrangles around 12:30PM because I have an appointment with a dentist in Seremban town at 2:00PM

P/S Sorry… I only have the picture of Xiao En Temple here as I dare not take pictures near the Niches – Quadrangles surrounding area as I afraid it will show disrespect to those have been laid to rest.