Day: 14/02/2024

by

RIP Dearest Brother Steven

14 Feb 2024 – Third Brother

Sun: MandaiCrematorium for Steven’s funeral with nieces,nephews&grandnephews. Paid respects to my parents & to s-i-l since we were at the location, and surprisingly for a 2ndCNY-day, looked like many others were also paying respects to their departed ones.

A multi-million$ industry NirvanaMemorialGarden where both Steven&PohKit tablets with their names are now located.

Words will be out of place here as to how I feel about such extravagance spent on the departed, but each to their own beliefs to ease their conscience. The never-ending of beliefs, faith and hopes triumph over logic and reality again! As Denise puts it so eloquently – Our humanness makes us vulnerable and we all seek solace in different ways. I suppose it depends on the devils that haunt one from life’s experiences that determine what manner of solace we choose.

Nirvana Memorial Garden – A Six Star Memorial Garden (nirvanagarden.com.sg)

Tkx for lunch@CystalJade/JurongPt, Olai would have liked to see how they make his favourite XiaoLongBao小笼包 from scratch – 1st time in this location and was amazed at this made-to-be a HKG-St ambience.

Mon: sea burial today heading out to the open seas from MarinaBayFerryTerminal

where dearest bro Steven can now be free to RIP – despite of the rains we managed to send him peacefully off with loving memories&thoughts for his final journey to his resting place. Tkx for lunch@Daisy’s.

For the Chinese, a decent funeral is considered one of the most important acts of filial piety to one’s parents and elders. My dear children, when my life’s journey is over please let me go quietly and peacefully, no need with acts of filial piety, ie rituals, ceremonies, etc. The gracious decent lovely beings you are (during my life’s journey) and hopefully continue to be after my life’s journey are your acts of filial piety.

A peasant dies calmly because he is not a Christian. He performs the rituals as a matter of course, but his true religion is different. His religion is nature, with which he has lived – Tolstoy

Tue: fasting&resting to recharge for whatever may be ahead! Appreciations to Gel for delivering her annual homemade Kimchi+GreenTea – looking forward to tasting it.

Wed: 5thDay of the LunarNewYear/2024 is to welcome Caishen财神 in Chinese mythology, is a revered deity associated with prosperity, abundance&financial well-being. Forecast with the presence of quarrelsome stars, so best to be aware of such – hahaha!

Caishen | God of Wealth, Fortune, Prosperity | Britannica

Happy Valentine’s/Heart’s Day. The origins of V-Day is a pagan festival, Lupercalia in ancient Rome – not as romantic as you would imagine! According to Hallmark ~145million cards are sold in USA and ~250million stems of flowers globally each year! At my age, an affair of the heart is a bypass – Joan Rivers

To love. To be loved. To never forget your own insignificance.
To never get used to the unspeakable violence and the vulgar disparity of life around you.
To seek joy in the saddest places. To pursue beauty to its lair. To never simplify what is complicated or complicate what is simple.
To respect strength, never power.
Above all, to watch. To try and understand. To never look away.
And never, never to forget – Arundhati Roy/The Cost of Living 1999

Today is also Ash Wednesday for those marking the start of Lent:

Ash Wednesday, Valentine’s Day fall on the same day this year | AP News

Tkx with appreciations for dinner tonight@CrystalJade/GreatWorldCity, pleasantly surprised with not much of a crowd at the restaurant for a Valentine’s evening.

Menu: in pix 2CombinationRoastedMeatPlatter, ChineseSpinach with AssortedEgg in Broth, Sweet&SourPork, PrawnPasteChickenWings, BeefHorFun, RoastDuck + not in pix SautéedBeef&Asparagus, CrispyHomemadeTofu, Chicken&DuckCongee, and my all-time favourite mini EggTarts. As per request for MeiPin to let her know the dishes…