sha v 4.0

Posts Tagged ‘gong gong’

Even I Don’t Know

Friday, May 13th, 2005

Last Saturday we had Gong Gong’s funeral. It was a nice service. Mae Mae played violin, and I said a few mostly-improvised words. I was fairly together until we actually placed his urn into the burial plot, when we all started crying. Although he passed away over a year ago, that really put a sense of finality to the whole thing. But it was nice to see the whole family.

Saturday evening I saw Kung Fu Hustle with peeps from work and I really liked it. Perhaps even more than Shaolin Soccer.

Sunday morning we had a nice Mother’s Day brunch at my cousin Albert’s house, thanks to his wife Karen. Afterwards I drove my sister to the airport. In the afternoon, just for kicks, my parents and I looked at some condos for sale in the area. It was depressing. So much money, so little condo.

The task I was working on last week (i.e. the reason I worked so much) got pushed until after E3. I found this out on Tuesday, and just got really really depressed.

But things work-wise were better this week than last, though I have definitely fallen into the pattern where leaving at 9:30 is normal. I must break myself of that habit, lest I become pastier than I usually am. Last night I was able to escape for a couple hours to have dinner at Ryan’s place and watch The O.C. But I came back afterwards to work on a bug and ended up getting home around midnight.

This weekend we’re running Bay to Breakers, which should be really fun. Looking forward to it.

Here’s a list of Non-Obvious Things Engineers Like:

  • Frisbee
  • Swing dancing
  • Juggling
  • White sneakers

Finally, courtesy of Scott: Fainting goats. You must watch this. It’s awesome.

Tags: , , , ,

Posted in Entertainment, General | | No Comments »

Gong Gong

Monday, January 12th, 2004

It sounds like a profoundly stupid thing to say, but you know, when someone dies, you never see them again. Ever. It’s a strange feeling to be able to look back in your memory and say that is the last time I saw, and ever will see, this person.

On New Year’s Day, my grandfather, my Mom’s dad, had a stroke and fell into a coma. As the hours and days passed, the hope fell away that he would ever come out of it. My Mom and her sisters flew out to California to see him, and I visited him twice. He held on for nearly six days, but he passed away Tuesday night.

People have asked me, “Was it unexpected?” And I answer, “No, it wasn’t.” He had Parkinson’s disease for many years, and recently had moved into an assisted-living community because of his declining physical health. But truthfully, it was unexpected. It’s always unexpected. Despite the fact that he couldn’t walk anymore, that he could barely see, and even despite the fact that he had had more than one close call over the past few years, nothing really prepares you for that call from your Mom saying, “Gong Gong passed away at 10:45.”

I cried, some. I cried for my Mom, and the look she had on her face when she came downstairs on New Year’s saying, “Gong Gong is in coma.” I cried for my Aunts, and how one of them couldn’t look me in the eye when I came to see Gong Gong for the last time. I cried for my grandmother, and how she kissed Gong Gong on the forehead when she left him just hours before he passed.

I once heard a quote that went something like, “When someone dies, you cry because deep down, you’re glad it wasn’t you.” While I don’t necessarily belive this, I knew that part of the reason I cried was that no matter how many people around me have passed away, it never feels any less scary.

But when I find myself thinking this way, I realize that, for Gong Gong, I don’t think it was scary. His last words before he fell into the coma were, “Hao shu fu,” which means, “So comfortable.” He died in his sleep with his daughters at his side, after living 93 years and seeing the birth of 12 grand children and 4 great-grandchildren. And I think that perhaps he had been ready for it for a long time. So, unexpected? Yes. Scary? Maybe not. Gong Gong’s finally at peace, and he’ll be remembered with love by us all.

Tags: ,

Posted in General | | 3 Comments »