Three weeks ago when Seth and I were in New York visiting his family, I
heard that Grandma passed away. She was healthy and we were expecting a
few more good years with her, so it came as a surprise to the family.
Seth and I returned to Waltham and I flew out to Denver for her
funeral. Of course, despite the circumstances, it was a good trip, and
it was very meaningful to see my family--my parents, 19 aunts and
uncles, and 13 cousins.
Grandma's funeral was the same structure as Grandpa's, which was (as far as I could tell) a traditional Buddhist ceremony, all in Vietnamese. This involved wearing a white headband, doing lots of sitting on the floor, kneeling, bowing, lighting incense, and listening to the monk chant. I really wish I understood what was going on, and after going through it two times, I really feel motivated to learn more about the significance of the ceremony.
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| The altar |
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| Dad thought it would be amusing for me to take a picture with all my uncles (two are Mom's cousins) |
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| The kiddie table at the adventurous Seafood Superstar (actually Chinese cuisine) |
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| Jellyfish salad and seaweed, yum! (I didn't touch the freaky headcheese in the foreground, though... the Vietnamese say it is 'scalp'... ugh). |
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| The fish had eggs. I couldn't get myself to eat this, either, but it didn't go to waste; Phuong and Que were fighting over it (they say it is lucky). |
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| Delicate fish innards (the name translates to 'tripe') |
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| The ambitious spread. The younger cousins were pretty grossed out, but those of us old enough to appreciate expensive seafood were in heaven. |
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| The temple that Grandma attended |
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| It was great to spend an afternoon with Danielle (and Kyle) in downtown Littleton. |
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| Getting ready for another big family dinner |
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| While the ladies are in the kitchen... |
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| The fellas are demonstrating proper soccer form |
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| As if all that food wasn't enough, Aunt Amy also grilled hot dogs and hamburgers! |
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| The little cousins |
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| Roll it up! |
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| Guests' shoes |
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| Dividing up some of Grandma's fun accessories |
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| Daniel is a genuine yo-yo champ! |
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| Haven't had xoi like this since Vietnam! Oh my goodness! |
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| Banh mi by the temple |
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| After the service at the temple there was a big vegan potluck. This makes me want to be a monk. |
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| Phuong, Lynn, and Mary |
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| There is no meat allowed! :o) |
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| Driving down the Mexican part of town, we see pony rides in a parking lot |
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| Mekong Delta style clay pot and hot pot |
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| Little grandma with her (adopted) parents |
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Ông nội và bà
ngoại
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