Makan literally translates to eat.
"Makan" is more than a word; it's a cultural bridge in Singapore, my hometown. A common greeting, akin to asking someone if they've eaten or inviting them to share a meal. In Teochew or Hokkien dialects, makan echoes in the words "ziah" or "jiak."
This blog is a tribute to my 婆婆 (Pópo, my grandmother), who departed in 2020 at the age of 104 years old.
Whenever I used to call 婆婆 (Pópo) and greeted with a simple 'hello', she would immediately recognize my voice which led to her familiar query, 'Ziah bhuê?' (食未? Have you eaten?) I'd always answered 'Makan' or 'Ziah ho' (食好, Eaten) even if I hadn't eaten. Saying otherwise once prompted her to insist I hang up, eat, before calling back.
And when I visited grandmother, she would ask the same question but she would actually prepare a meal or snack to feed me even if I was not hungry. Maybe that is the reason it is so comforting for me to watch cooking shows and the reason for my pursuit to connect with the ʻāina (land) and to be certified as a mahi’ai (farmer). Grandma's food was comforting because of the time she labored to prepare the food especially when she used to make popiah (薄饼) or zongzi ( 粽子) which would take all day to prepare. Grandma's food was also comforting because of the time she would take after preparing the food, just sitting with you till you finished your meal. 婆婆 (Pópo) truly cared for and loved each of us.
I remembered when I was bullied in primary school. Grandmother told me I was going to school and had nothing to worry about. The next day, she stood with me waiting for the bus to arrive instead of letting me wait by myself as was my usual morning routine. I thought she was going to simply send me off. To my surprise, grandmother joined me on the school bus ride. For the entire ride, she didn't say a word but just glared at my bullies. Grandmother was right, I didn't have to worry about being bullied. In fact, I learned from grandmother's strength and would come to be known as the bully of bullies. Meaning I would stand up to bullies and protect those who were bullied. 婆婆 (Pópo) was such a strong woman and her strength is in all of us.
Once, I sought Grandma's prayers for my studies, and her response was a simple but heartfelt, "Of course, I do."
That was when I discovered Grandma's daily prayer ritual for each and every one of us. Without fail, she recited each of our names, beginning with her children and their spouses, then moving on to her grandchildren and their spouses, concluding with her great-grandchildren. Intriguingly, during one of my visit back home, I inquired if she still upheld this daily practice. To my delight, she proceeded to articulate, listing one by one, the names of each family member—just as she does every single day, ensuring each of us is enveloped in her prayers.
Her prayers covered each of us with God's protection, provision, peace, grace, mercy, and love.
Her prayers are for our family to remain strong in our God who has sustained our generations with the His steadfast love and the strength of His wisdom.
Her prayers are that God would bless and strengthen our marriages in the midst of the everyday pressures and challenges in our lives.
Her prayers are for us as children of God to grow in wisdom and stature, in grace and knowledge, in kindness, compassion and love.
We are covered in prayers and blessings. We are her legacy.
We will miss you dearly, 婆婆 (Pópo) until the day we will see you in heaven where we can look forward to having a meal with you, enjoying all your Teochew specialties that you have lovingly prepared for us to show us how much you love each of us just as God loves us.
Popiah (薄餅) is a Teochew-style fresh spring roll stuffed with different fillings and sauce commonly found in Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
Zongzi (粽子) is a traditional Chinese rice dish made of glutinous rice stuffed with different fillings and wrapped in bamboo leaves, a classic treat for Dragon boat festival but also enjoyed as a meal by itself any day.
Comentários