In October 2019, we chose our ancestral home - Xiamen (厦门), China for a family holiday.
It's been too long since we had a full family holiday. I think the last time was Taiwan trip in Dec 2015. Our parents though, had multiple holidays and outings for the past 5 years, at least 2 annual oversea trips, as we took turns to bring them out. They can be considered frequent flyers.
We departed from KL to Xiamen Gaoqi airport via an evening flight. The morning before the flight, I arrived back in KL from London. Anyway, this was not the first time I took back-to-back flights in a day, but I don't expect this kind of travel to happen in the near future.
Before the family boarded the Yo-Yo Bus (airport liner) from Johor Bahru, I was already at KLIA killing time.
Xiamen, China is the family's origin. In fact, dad was born there, only to be the last 'kid' to leave the village with grandma in the 60's. Thus, this was also a family reunion trip. Dad's elder sister (姑姑) - Aunty Hua still lives in Xiamen. She was married off by grandpa at like 20, as the 'males' of the family left the village for then Malaya to trade and earn an income. There was no question of feeling self-pity or sadistic. Life was tough, and that was a fact, when the country is mismanaged by an incompetent government.
China had a turbulent modern history, since the end of the 1800's. The country suffered in the hands of the Europeans, who poisoned the population with drugs (opium). China lost badly in multiple opium wars, witnessed horrible scenes during Japanese occupation (WW2), endured a brutal civil war, and years of mismanagement during the early days of communist rule.
Countless families got displaced, and to survive was to do whatever it takes. Overseas Chinese of the early 19th century had nothing to lose. Tin mine coolees, deckhand at ports, farmers, fishermen, petty traders... Any work that puts food on the table, was worth doing. By sheer hard work and ingenuity, some would strike it big in life.
Still, the condition outside then-China was still so much better. Those who left actually had little social status in China, and were mostly from the coastal cities.
Unsurprisingly, the first destination the next day (Day 1) was to head back to village of Zhan Chu/Zheng Cuo (增厝), in Tong An (同安), nowadays redrawn and named Xiang An (翔安). It's around 2 hours drive from Xiamen city center.
It's been too long since we had a full family holiday. I think the last time was Taiwan trip in Dec 2015. Our parents though, had multiple holidays and outings for the past 5 years, at least 2 annual oversea trips, as we took turns to bring them out. They can be considered frequent flyers.
~~~
We departed from KL to Xiamen Gaoqi airport via an evening flight. The morning before the flight, I arrived back in KL from London. Anyway, this was not the first time I took back-to-back flights in a day, but I don't expect this kind of travel to happen in the near future.
Before the family boarded the Yo-Yo Bus (airport liner) from Johor Bahru, I was already at KLIA killing time.
Xiamen, China is the family's origin. In fact, dad was born there, only to be the last 'kid' to leave the village with grandma in the 60's. Thus, this was also a family reunion trip. Dad's elder sister (姑姑) - Aunty Hua still lives in Xiamen. She was married off by grandpa at like 20, as the 'males' of the family left the village for then Malaya to trade and earn an income. There was no question of feeling self-pity or sadistic. Life was tough, and that was a fact, when the country is mismanaged by an incompetent government.
China had a turbulent modern history, since the end of the 1800's. The country suffered in the hands of the Europeans, who poisoned the population with drugs (opium). China lost badly in multiple opium wars, witnessed horrible scenes during Japanese occupation (WW2), endured a brutal civil war, and years of mismanagement during the early days of communist rule.
Countless families got displaced, and to survive was to do whatever it takes. Overseas Chinese of the early 19th century had nothing to lose. Tin mine coolees, deckhand at ports, farmers, fishermen, petty traders... Any work that puts food on the table, was worth doing. By sheer hard work and ingenuity, some would strike it big in life.
Still, the condition outside then-China was still so much better. Those who left actually had little social status in China, and were mostly from the coastal cities.
~~~
Unsurprisingly, the first destination the next day (Day 1) was to head back to village of Zhan Chu/Zheng Cuo (增厝), in Tong An (同安), nowadays redrawn and named Xiang An (翔安). It's around 2 hours drive from Xiamen city center.
The ancestral home - 2 generations after grandfather left for Melaka
