BLOG (PERSONAL) -- My Vacation Week (Oct. 8 - Oct. 14)

Well, I was on vacation this week... but it really didn't feel much like a vacation. Just to note that this entry is more for me, so this could be boring for you. I just want to have a record of these thoughts, or something.

Before my vacation even started, I knew that a couple days would not be devoted 100% to relaxing, so I kept my 6 AM alarm turned on everyday to ensure I woke up early to make the most of the rest of my vacation days. So... I didn't get enough sleep. Many of my vacay days were uneventful, but I was stressed -- often thinking about the upcoming couple of days that wouldn't be 100% relaxing. In some ways, I think I was "lucky" and "unlucky" I was on vacation -- "unlucky" in that my vacation days were spent this way (because those days were definitely not a "vacation")... but "lucky" that I could actually be there and that work did not prevent me from being there.

MONDAY OCTOBER 8 (THANKSGIVING)

Nothing happened today, as I mentioned in my last blog. I played video games for most of the day and watched some StephenVlog YouTube videos (I am watching his vlog videos from the beginning and am at Day 124).

TUESDAY OCTOBER 9

I met up with my sister and watched The House With a Clock on Its Walls. I'll give my brief thoughts on that on my recap blog -- but it's a decent movie -- I'd recommend it. Then my sister and I spent a couple hours chatting and planning out details for the next two days (the days that wouldn't be 100% relaxing). When I got home I played video games for the rest of the day.

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 10

When I woke up at 6 AM, I did my usual morning stuffs. Then I played video games until about 2 PM. Then I turned on the computer and listened to YouTube videos while getting dressed. Around 3:30 PM, my sister came by. I showed her a couple short StephenVlog videos (was at Day 142), and then we left the house at 3:50 PM.

Around 4:30-ish PM, we arrived at the Ogden Funeral Home. Last Friday, my father told me that Grandfather passed away. Today was Grandfather's wake.

I won't go into every detail of the wake, but it consisted of offering incense, sitting, bowing when instructed, joss paper / other burning, and monk services. I was not familiar with Chinese funeral rituals so I tried doing whatever was instructed of me.

The wake was until 8 PM, but my sister and I left a bit early to make sure we got somewhat sufficient sleep for the funeral tomorrow. I stayed over at my sister's place so that I could tag along when my sister and her hubby went to the funeral.

THURSDAY OCTOBER 11

A call came in around 4:45 AM, waking up all three of us. My sister and her hubby went back to sleep a bit more, but I stayed awake, knowing that my alarm would go off in 15 minutes. We left the place around 7:20 AM and got to the funeral home around 8:10 AM.

More funeral rituals were done.

During one of the times we could sit, Grandmother started crying. I couldn't look at her, knowing that I would cry if I did. But I heard her. And I heard one of my aunts say in Chinese to her, "We'll look after you." And the tears came anyway.

All of a sudden, all the thoughts I didn't want to think about were going through my head. Thoughts about Grandmother and how she must be feeling. Thoughts about my father and how he must be feeling. About Loss. About living a full life. About leaving everybody behind.

During one of the funeral rituals when all of us (the family members) were standing and a monk was chanting prayers, I was imagining Grandfather's "spirit" sitting by his coffin and looking at us -- his family -- his "legacy".

When everything was finished at the funeral home, we drove to the cemetery (Elgin Mills Cemetery, Section 26), and more rituals were done.

Afterwards, we had a reception and there my sister and I got more acquainted with a cousin who was refreshingly just as "weird" and "geeky" as us.

When I got home, I went straight to playing my video games for the rest of the day, needing to focus on something else.

FRIDAY OCTOBER 12

Today I stayed at home and played video games, aiming to finish one so I could start playing 428: Shibuya Scramble on the PS4. Every now and then my mind would think about yesterday and the day before. Around 8 PM, I played 428: Shibuya Scramble for about two hours, and then I turned on the computer to catch up on some gaming news and to watch more StephenVlog videos (up to Day 166 now).

SATURDAY OCTOBER 13

I had a Gaming Day with my sister, her hubby, and a friend. We played Super Mario Party for the Switch. I'll detail my brief impressions on my recap blog. I stayed over at my sister's place and we watched some PVR'd episodes of MasterChef Season 9.

SUNDAY OCTOBER 14

We went to Costco and I bought some lunch snacks. Now I am back at home writing this blog. Once I am done I will check the Playstation Store to see if there are any decent sales, and then I'll probably watch some more StephenVlog videos and then continue playing 428: Shibuya Scramble for the rest of the day.



That's it for this blog. If you read to the end -- thank youuuu. *bow*
Even though this blog entry is personal, I held back on a lot of my thoughts and emotions -- 'cuz I just get sad thinking about them.

Anywho... thanks again for reading and until next week!