Sunday, October 18, 2015

Sea Burial

Sea Burial

Full fathom five thy father lies;
Of his bones are coral made;
Those are pearls that were his eyes;
Nothing of him that does fade,
But doth suffer a sea-change
Into something rich and strange.
Sea-nymphs hourly ring his knell:
Ding-dong,
Hark! Now I hear them – Ding-dong, bell.
(from the Tempest by Shakespeare) 

Mum passed away on 18th May  and was buried at sea on 22nd May
 
 
Wake at Mt Vernon prior to sea burial
 
Dearest mum you will always be remembered for your great beauty, your creativity and talent (as successful hairdresser)  and  for your kind and loving ways. 
 
In her prime Mum's  beauty  turned many heads and made many hearts flutter.... 

 


....how many loved your moments of glad grace..... 
 

....glad grace.....

She ran a flourishing hair dressing business in the 60s and 70s.
 
 
Mum's hairdressing saloon in the 60s and 70s

Mum  the creative  hairdresser
 
Her saloon was always packed to overflowing and she was the Tim ho wan of her generation with customers lining up at the door. During the pre lunar new year season, business continued into the wee hours of morning !
 
Always full house!
No room to walk
 
Packed end to end
 
Her customers came from all walks of life, rich tai tais, office workers, housewives, the rich and famous including starlets, songstress, bargirls and many other offbeat characters.  All came to have their hair cut and dressed by mum and her assistants.

mum seen cutting the hair of popular starlet of the 60s MsCheong Suet Fong
 


Mum (centre) with her 2 chief assistants

In her heyday Mum had more than 20 girls to help her run her business. During the Spring Festival or Chinese New Year she would hold an annual dinner to thank them for their hard work.

 

Mum extreme left with some of her staff during lunar new year celebrations


Mum you were a true Pioneer of your age and thank you for your legacy.
 
 Still feisty and lovely into old age, celebrating with family and friends, she loved music, karaoke, travel, jackpot, good food,..... loving life living it.
 
Globe trotting after retirement

 

Mum waving

 
Jaunts to Malaysia with jackpot and karaoke kakis (mum sitting @centre)


Childlike at heart mum loved Santa Claus and Christmas


Mum's 85th birthday celebration @ Shangrilla (2009)
 
 
For the final journey we boarded a ferry at Marina South
 
 
A nun chants scriptures in a simple ceremony of farewell

Mum's ashes float away in a pink sea shell accompanied by flowers and bread crumbs

Do not look for my grave and weep
I am not there
The stillness of calm waves will gently drift by
I will be as one with the sea.
 
Mum's Song

4 comments:

  1. Beautiful homage to a beautiful woman. Thank you for sharing this pictorial and annotated journey.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Waa, she was the equivalent of today's David Gan. Imagine to style hair for Cheong Suet Fong! Such a big enterprise she ran. Lovely tribute!

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