My Ah Chor's wonderful heritage houseI always claim myself western minded, To be honest when im in my teen years, i always wish i'm not chinese ..I dont listen to chinese songs, i speak bad mandarin, my bos laugh at my cantonese lol but somehow i like it that way..I envy the Caucasian with green eyes, natural brunette hair and freckled skin..As i grow up i learn that being Asian is not that bad after all, I am proud of my culture , my herirtage, my family, where i came from..But to be honest at times i still mock fun at typical chinese girls who dress up like crap and speak in mandarin..then my mum will like '
Stop it, You think you're mat salleh izit'
My Beautiful Ah Chor Madam Chng'My Ah Chor ( great grandmother ) is a Nonya from Penang ( well, thats what she told us ).. I think thats pretty cool although growing up in her heritage house is not exactly like what we watch in Singapore's Little Nonya Series..( well, u cant believe everything that is shown in sitcoms )
But like many tradition houses, we have ancestors photos hanging on the wall ..Nobody really wears tradition clothes anymore . If will cost you big bucks to get a pair of kebaya nowadays..I wish i had one of my own..
Ah Chor middle, Aunt Helen from the left, My grandma & Aunt Annie
Photos of Ancestors hanging on the wallMy great great great grandfather with both his wives
The lady in the photo is my Chor Chor ( great great grandmother )photo taken during my grandparents wedding Ah Chor had a lot of pairs of beaded shoes, i remember when i was little when my feet is still SMALL, i like to put them on and once i got into trouble when i forgotten to put them back.I lied that it wasn't me who was playing around with them..and boy i get a hell of spanking that night
The other day while back In Penang , i asked my ah chor if she still keep her nonya kebayas, she some of the really good ones including some of her fine cheongsams and jewels were stolen during World War II..Last time when my grandma is still around , i told her i want Ah Chor's kebayas , and she sarcastically joke that I cant fit any of her kebayas ( lol , my ah chor is super petite , and i am obviously NOT )
This is one of my grand aunt, Suan Kheng Po, she was a a very nice lady, she died many years ago when im around 8, her funeral was my first
Well I cant remember who she is,but i found this in my Ah Chor's photo albumOne thing weird about me is that i really loves old building, espcially old houses which survived the pre-war days..It always amuses me..Sometimes when i passed by i will imagine and wonder how was life back then? Its really so sad that alot of them has been torn down or demolished due to developments..Like my Ah Chor's house, i guess around 5 generations grew up in that haven..I cried the other day thinking if one day Ah Chor is not here anymore, they will want to sell that old house..Because all her children grew up and have family of their own..Nobody wants to stay there anymore..How i wish i had more money so i can buy that place up..That house is where my late grandfather met my grandma , fell in love and got married ( someday i might write about them)..Its a place full of memories.....
This is a current photo of my Ah Chor showing me her wedding photo back in the 30'sI love old photographs too, Ah Chor had alot of them, i told her that when she passed, all i want is her photographs collection and her old wooden antique dressing table, she laughed and said how naive i was..
This is my Ah Chor with her late husband..She looks so stunning in her cheongsam, i wish the photo is clearerWithout the past there will be no present..My roots and background makes me who i am today..and i am proud to say that i am proud of who i really am. One day i will have my kebaya, and i want it to be a red one
♥
I love you Ah Chor ( my little nonya ) ♫ of the moment : My Favourite Things - Olivia Ong