zhong qiu jie

I just went to upper seletar reservoir to join my grandmother and her gang of reservoir friends (friends who jog at the reservoir at every morning) for zhong qiu jie. They were seated in the dark, like the other groups of people there, on the stone benches lining the place, and chatting, all jolly, and there was a table of their combined supplies, like mooncakes, agar agar, red wine, pee-colored wine, chinese tea from a hu zi, and other things. One of the women wore one of those lights around her head and looked like an insane coal miner and the other women laughed at her for looking like she works at a rubber plantation. She looked mad indeed. They had to make comments about me (any grandchild would have been subject) and said, in hokkien, 'wah, so big ah!' and 'so pretty, like ah ma!' and 'now you look more like a girl'. I could sense my grandmother's pride. I'm glad she has such a group of friends. They go on holidays together, to places like helsinki, and china mostly. And I met that man, the man who films their holidays and then goes home and burns vcds for everyone. Yes, the man who filmed a building for a few minutes before it chooted with smoke. The man who films his old friends getting off the tour bus, and films them taking turns to take pictures at places. And who goes home enjoying his videos of people taking pictures and then burns it for his friends. And he was surprised that I, grandchild of one of the group, would know of the video-er. One day i shall go on one of their old folk holidays. On holidays my grandmother wakes up at 5am to scrub underwear in the toilet.

Oh yes, my father just came back from his work trip to korea and japan, and got me The Most Expensive Umbrella You Ever Did See, and high socks. One pink and white striped, one ahma canal-water colored with black and maroon lines, one rainbow striped. Sigh.

We went to nokia today to collect my phone and i told them not to upgrade the software so my things wouldn't be deleted but as i secretly guessed they did and everything was gone, almost 200 numbers and 500 messages. My father was mad, or acted mad, and spoke to the manager and demanded a letter of apology, which i will frame. It was hilarious and i wish i could've filmed it. Damn technology!

Remember?

I'm sitting here in a boring room
It's just another rainy Sunday afternoon
I'm hanging around, I'm waiting for you,
but nothing ever happens,
and I wonder

Happy zhong qiu jie, the childhood festival of glowing lanterns and playing with fire, wherever you are.