All About Your Child

Like I’ve said yesterday, the moment I stepped into my parents-in-law’s place, my little girl, ZY greeted me with an unpleasant news. Remember? I’m her Sunday-mommy, so she sticks to me the moment I’m there…

“Shenshen (Young Auntie), I am very sick. Got fever, got pain everywhere, got cough, got running nose, got vomit and got mosquitoe bites.” ZY reported.

My eldest niece, CH, who is always eager to help, summarized it for me, “Aiya, she got DENGUE FEVER lah!”

My eyes widened. My heart sank. I remember the advertisement (sorry couldn’t find it in YouTube to show all of you) about how the mother felt so remorse over her carelessness in the maintenance of the house, which resulted in the breeding of the Aedes mosquitoes and eventually caused her son to be in pain, lying on the hospital bed because of Dengue Fever.

My heart sank because my beloved little girl is so sick. Then anger came in. I remembered Dengue Fever is contagious (hold your breath, I know what you wanna say..).

I turned to my 2nd sis-in-law, “Isn’t it contagious?!” My 2nd SIL nodded and said, “I got to know of it only after I’ve reached too..”

In my head I was going, “How come when the kids over here had chicken pox in the past, my MIL would forbid us to come. Now, is it because its Mid-Autumn Festival, that’s why she was willing to risk everyone else’s lives so that we will not miss this occasion?”

I was confused. Angry. Sad and most of all Afraid that my two boys will have dengue fever too. Well, one thing I know for sure is – Dengue Fever CAN KILL!

Throughout the rest of the day, I was not very happy, but the kids loved every moment of it, so I guess I’m happy too, in some sense.

Just before dinner, ZY woke up from her cat nap screaming and crying!

My eldest BIL, her dad, yelled at her, “Crazy ah! Why do you need to scream and cry? Just let us know what’s the problem!” That’s how all his 3 children behave whenever they are sick, especially if there is a fever. They will scream and cry. Even though ZY is already 7years old, it seems that this haven’t changed.

I’m really lucky to have kids who doesn’t even throw a tantrum when they are sick. All they do is just cling on to me like a Koala Bear.

I was sitting just beside her, watching her sleep on the sofa when it happened. Somehow, I’ve got a feeling she wanted to vomit and she confirmed my guess.

I brought her to the dustbin nearby but she refused. She wanted the toliet, so I brought her to the kitchen and that’s when my MIL took over.

MIL: “Stop crying. You are fine. Papa is angry already. Stop crying.”

ZY tried to vomit but nothing came out. Then she started to hammer her chest real hard. Keatkeat asked, “Jiejie is like King Kong..” Oh Kids, what can I say other than bring him away!

She started to throw a tantrum again. MIL instructed everyone to leave the kitchen and get out of her sight, she thinks that everyone’s presence might be pressurizing her and so everyone obeyed.

20mins after medication, ZY was back to normal, that’s why you could see her standing at the back of the photo (the one where the kids stood infront of the ‘lantern rack’).

When I got home, I searched through the internet just to confirm my fear……was a mistake! *laugh* Dengue Fever is NOT CONTAGIOUS!!! Meaning, it will NOT be transmitted from one person to another. *Phew* Luckily, I didn’t confront my MIL and make things turn ugly on such a wonderful day. *Phew*

Today is the last day of the one month long Hungry Ghost Festival. And what a way to end this day. It was pure excitement for the kids!

They watched ‘Finding Nemo’ on Disney Channel which started at 7.30pm, covering their eyes every now and then as they see Nemo’s daddy braved through all the obstacles and dangers, then almost broke into tears at the beginning and the end of the show when they saw Nemo and his Daddy separated… though I LOVE Dory and she still makes me laugh out loud even when I’ve already watched this twice before, looking at their expressions were more entertaining than the cartoon itself…

anyhow, the REAL excitement came when (as if it was planned) Nemo ended at 9pm, the drums started. Did you ask what drums? Lion Dance and Dragon Dance drums!!!! My kids’ love-of-their-life! That’s the procession to END the Hungry Ghost Festival!

I’m not sure about other parts of Singapore, but my place is HOT when it comes to this yearly festival where the Chinese believes that the gate of hell opens up and the ‘officials below’ allow the ghosts to come to earth to have a ONE MONTH HOLIDAY!

Allan was the first to jump to his feet. Popped his head out of the window and went, “ITS LION DANCE!!! LET’S GO!!!” Totally unprepared. Kids were still in shocked after the roller-coaster emotions they went through watching the 1hour 30mins movie.

But my ‘Big Kid’ slipped into his T-shirt in lightning speed and scooped up his 2 kids to the shoe rack, “QUICK! QUICK!” he demanded. It all happened too fast, I didn’t even bring the camera….*sigh* The following shots were taken from my ‘Big Kid’s’ handphone, which have very bad results for night shots….maybe by brightening up your monitor may help…(hope you guys can get a glimpse of what the procession was like)

There was the brightly lilted lorry which led the way, it was walk of about 400m and my boys followed ALL THE WAY. Right behind the lorry were the ‘Lions‘ , followed by the colorful Fishes and the Phoenix, then the Golden Dragon, then the Huge Flag Pole and last but not least the ‘White Officer’ who guards the gates of hell’, who is surrounded by huge groups of people.

It was believed that the ‘White Officer’ who guards the gates of hell will possess an appointed person from the temple and then the human with ‘him‘ in him will take this walk as a sign that the one month fun is over. ‘He‘ would make lots of stops , as if he was reluctant to go back ‘home‘. The whole procession takes about 2hours, boy oh boy I would take lots of breaks too, if I were him! When he stops, the whole procession stops!

Throughout the journey, ‘he‘ is supported by 2 to 3 men, grabbing him by the armpits. ‘He‘ does fall occasionally too…so its important that ‘he‘ is well supported. It was believed that all these absurd behaviour is controlled by the ‘White Officer‘, who is in the possessed man…Anyhow, these are just for information purposes. I DO NOT BELIEVE IN SUCH BELIEFS!

But the BEST PART was this!!!!!

‘Cos Keatkeat and Binbin were waving at all the performers throughout the entire walk, they seemed to have become my boys’ friends.

And before everything ended, one of the lion dancer used the furry Lion Head to play with Keatkeat. Can you see that HUGE smile on Keatkeat’s face?! (ok, you can’t. *Urggghhh* why didn’t I bring my camera!!!)

On the way home, Keatkeat couldn’t put his lips together. He was going, “The lion head tickled me!….and I touch his mustache….and I squeezed his ball-ball (which is his nose)….and I stroke him….and…and…” He just went on and on and on…

So goodbye to the food offerings that’s seen along the pavements everywhere….

Goodbye to the joss sticks and candles….

Goodbye to the big burning containers used for the burning of the paper money meant for the believers’ loved ones who have passed on….

Goodbye to some of the burnt pavements and grasses…some people still prefers to burn the ‘dead-people’s money’ on the grasses and the floor, thinking that it will ‘reach‘ their love ones faster, you know, the floor is nearer to the ‘underground’….*eyes rolled*

And not forgetting to say goodbye to the temporary structures that were built up for this unusual month. Structures that ‘house‘ the Chinese Opera Shows, the ge-tai (song-stage), the auction floor, the praying grounds and last but not least, the ice-cream man, with his super bright white fluorescent lamp, who is always present when there is a performance going on, on stage….. *Phew!* What a month!