The Year of the Snake

The most important date for all Chinese families to observe is the Lunar New Year. Each year without fail, family members will return home from far and wide. This year in particular for the Tan family, there are two other events that adds to the festivity. First is the gathering of the descendents of Tan Sew Bin over dinner at Sin Chong Hwa Restaurant on the first day of the Chinese calender and second,  the wedding reception of Shirlene, Poh Thiam's daughter. The first reception hosted by Poh Thiam at Siang Hai Restaurant, Segamat was held a week before the new year whilst the reception by the groom side is at Bei King Restaurant, Sitiawan, a week after the new year.

As is the case each year, some family member's from far and wide will make the journey back home which always make it a joyous occasion. This year, Lilian and KC arrived from the states on 5th February and make the road trip  home  two days later. My family and I drove back home on 8th, arriving afternoon, whilst Felix and Jessie arrive in the evening. Calvin, Malini, Benedict along with Paris came back on the eve. Stephen too flew in from Shanghai and took the road trip direct from the airport and arrive just after Calvin. It's the build up like this that makes each new year an event we all look forward to. On the 29th day, it has become a yearly affair that we have our dinner out at any restaurant in town. This year, we went to Tai Ah Restaurant and the dishes they served is still better than most others in my opinion. We all enjoyed our dinner there.

8th February, 2013 ( 29th Day )

Dinner at Tai Ah Restaurant.

9th February, 2013 ( New Year Eve ) 

Reunion Lunch

The next day, being the eve, my mum would do the prayers and offerings to the deities in the morning. This would be followed by the family reunion lunch. This year, we had to go ahead without the late comers.

It's "Lo Sang" first, before the start of lunch.

 

This year's lunch is modest in number of dishes.

We 're glad this year's lunch is just adequate. Every other year, we always have too many that we have to be eating the same food the another one or two more meals. However, we left aside some for the latecomers who arrived at about 5.30pm.

 Look who's late for lunch ?

 Benedict and Paris

Calvin and Malini

 Later in the night, the neighbourhood are all awake until midnight. Every Chinese house lights were on and just about midnight, the fireworks will go off everywhere. Every house that celebrates, they all have their table laid out on their porch and pray to the Jade Emperor ( Tian Gong ). The lights, noisy fireworks and firecrackers, smell of lighted joss sticks, burning incense papers, smoky air, all these to usher in the snake at the stroke of midnight.

Praying to the Jade Emperor and ushering in the new year.

10th February, 2013 ( New Year's Day )

Ang Pow Giving and Tea ceremony

The Ang Pow giving has always been a fun affair and it's a much looked forward to event each year. Whilst not steep in tradition, we follow this culture in a light hearted manner. The respect of elders in heirachy is observed in a good humoured way. The eldest will start by serving tea mum and dad.

After the collecting of Ang Pows, it's photography session. This is always an opportunity for the family album when all are dressed up in traditional chinese costumes.

 The whole cink gang this year.

 The expanding Symons family with the patriach and matriach

 Five children with their parents. Three others did not come back this year.

 The Symons, happy and proud.

 Yvonne with Ben and Paris.

 Mother with daughter, daughter in law and daughter in waiting ?!

 This year family potrait is without Sherman who is in the States.

 Mum with Lilian and Yvonne.

 The boys.

 The three sons.

Another family potrait.

Last year, when some of us went back to the ancestral homeland of Yong Chun, we brought back a copy of the Tan's lineage Zupu from Hong San village. That book had spark a great deal of interest, especially KC who had pursued the family geneology with the help of one Dr Philip Tan. Dr Philip Tan had a great passion in chinese geneology and has helped many people who wants to trace their roots. It's through him that KC managed to put up a chart that spans 23 generation. I had printed an A1 size of that chart and have it printed in glossy paper just before coming back to Segamat to have it framed. Having traced your anscestors lineage and see how the other existing nrelatives are linked up, it would be meaningless if there is no effort to link up everyone. So it was planned a few months before to start the ball rolling by organising a dinner and get as many relatives to have dinner together on the first day of Chinese New Year. That is the only time when families are back in Segamat. We are trying to link up all the descendants of Tan Sew Ben, my great grand father. Tan Sew Ben is the progenitor of the Hong San Tan clan in Malaysia.  And so, on the first day,  those that agree to attend came for the clan reunion dinner at Sin Hwa Choon restaurant at Kg. Abdullah. It's the first time we had 80 people from Tan Leong Tham ( my grandfather ) and Tan Gen ker's descendants. Both were the sons of Tan Sew Ben. We showed them the chart and some photos of the ancestral home during dinner. That we hoped had instilled in them a sense of kinship and would bring everyone closer as relatives. It is also for the younger generation to continue that bond when the elders are no longer around in the future.

 Dr Philip Tan ( left ) showing KC some of his work.

The chart that I had printed and framed, proudly hanging on the wall in my parent's house.

My father studying the chart.

The clan dinner at Kg. Abdullah  was a good time for catching up with the many relatives that we had not met before or had not met since childhood. The dinner started off with the usual Lo Sang. After the dinner, there was an LCD projection of the family chart with Tan Kang Hai explaining the lineage. Some photos of the ancestral house where our great grandfather used to stay was shown, including the village ancestral house, Yong Chun town and Hong San village.

Uncle Choon Chee and Uncle Boon Guan chatting with Kang Hai.

A lot of interest in the chart. They can see their roots here.

After dinner, we dropped by 1608 at the insistence of Poh Thiam. 1608 is the house where we spent most of our childhood days there. The area remains the same, a single narrow access road but most of the neighbours that we grew up with have moved off elsewhere. 1608 has been renovated but has the same feel of yesteryears. We spent a couple of hours catching up before we called it a night.

 KC found a host of information from Uncle Lee about the Lee lineage.

 Catching up with Tian Sin.

 Jessie chatting with Show Kee.

 Jessie and Ah Hoon, must be talking about bird's nest.

 Mum with 3rd and 4th aunt.

It was a great start to the new year. We have not been this close for a long long time. A lot of water had flowed under the bridge.  What goes around, comes around, and I think we are completing that one circle.

On the preservation of Tan Sew Ben's heritage, KC will continue to catalogue all the missing links and create a modern Jiapu. This is an arduous task as he has already come across brick walls. Not all are keen to divulge in names, date of birth and the entire family records even in the noble cause of common Jiapu. I on the other hand would be researching into the times when Tan Sew Ben ply his trade as a monsoon trader between Amoy and Makassar that ultimately led to him settle beside the river settlement at Jalan Hassan in Segamat. To go forward, you need to know the past. Hence, this tracing of roots has done a lot of good. In an effort to preserve some family records and to understand their early struggles, it is necessary to talk to the elders who would have some recollection of the past. This has also provide us a ready topic to talk on, without which, the conversation do not last very long due to differing interest.

This New Year in Segamat was a meaningful New Year for many of us. To me, New Year is always a time to go back to where you come from and be reminded of your humble beginning. It is always good to see old friend and relatives happy in modest environment. It is a town where you have time for everyone. It keeps us sane from the fast track of the working environment. I would not trade it for anything else.