继承

除夕前夕时去看姨妈时，碰上表姐与表姐夫。姨妈说：大家来得正好，我在姨丈裤袋里找到钱，大家各分一点放在红包里 heng heng （“兴兴”）。于是，我继承了姨丈的两张五元与两个五角。

除夕吃火锅闲聊时，牛爸爸说：你要跟你牛妈妈学着怎样做菜，以后自己才会做。我说：我会的，我这几年都在继承妈妈的煮法*。

在上海时，我碰过一个名叫继承的人。当初听到他名字时，我吓了一跳：怎么给孩子取个负担那么重的名字？

虽然仍不赞成给下一代这般的压力，但我也开始体会到：继承是无常中的一种延续。





*是煮法而非食谱，因为妈不看也不写食谱。

Sometimes, spring is like autumn

Happy Pongal

Pongal falls on the first day of the Tamil month Thai (January 14 — 15). Also known as Sarkarai Pongal or Veetu Pongal, it is celebrated by boiling fresh milk in new pots early in the morning and allowing it to boil over the vessel. This tradition gives Pongal its name. The moment the milk boils over and bubbles out of the vessel, the tradition is to shout "Pongalo Pongal!" and blowing the sangu (a conch), a custom practiced during the festival to announce it was going to be a year blessed with good tidings. It is considered a good sign to watch it boil over, since it means that good luck and prosperity is forthcoming.

The next evening

Yesterday last week, I thought to myself that I should shave him again over the weekend. His whiskers were growing out, I noticed, and they had brought the shaver home.

While I am at it I should also clip his nails, I made a mental note.

That night, I packed the nail clipper and decided I would visit him the next evening instead waiting till the weekend. I texted my niece to bring the shaver.

Unfortunately, even the next evening was not good enough.

我的姨丈 — 陈绳祠（1934 - 2009）

我的姨丈，祖籍福建省南安市，享年七十五，是位看着我长大、令人怀念的姨丈。

谢谢表哥今天让我一起夹姨丈的骨灰。