Recently, someone said... Never look down on an elder; don't underestimate the wealth and depth of experience in their lives. If I have only lived for 22 years and have done so much already, I can't imagine what it's like to be 60 or 80 and have all the experiences and knowledge I have. I've always been a sucker for stories, whether they are fictional or true... And our elders sure have lots to tell, and we have lots to learn from. It's a pity my Hokkien is so poor. I miss out all the good stuff from my grandparents.

I remember when I studied the Joy Luck Club in Sec 4, the book was basically a collection of stories told by 7 people about their lives.... I asked my parents about my grandparents' lives, and was indeed rewarded with a rich collection of memoirs. It's pretty amazing how much like a fairytale our lives can be.

The Lady with the Chopper
My great-grandmother was a very strong (cool) woman. When my grandfather was born, they went back to China to visit their relatives. The relatives wanted to keep my grandfather (the first-born son) with them to ensure that my great-grandparents kept strong ties with the family. You know what my great-grandma did? She went to the table of elders holding a chopper and threatened, "If you don't return me my son..." and Wham! The chopper slammed down on the table. And they took my grandpa and ran off to the boats.

Now I always tell ppl I have a very cool great-grandma. She's the reason why our ties with China on my grandpa's side is weak and why we all don't speak Hakka... Heehee... She also single-handedly brought up her children, but that's another story altogether.