the tale of two grannies Pt1 - Papaya Ah Ma

i have a hainanese grandma and a teochew one who just celebrated her birthday just today and i can't even remember how old she is. Let's just say she is relatively "ancient" but she still as the age old kinda concern she still showers upon me when i was still in my huggies. I love my grannies a lot, hence i decided to dedicate part of my blog entry to just talk and converse about them.

[even as I am writing this I am pondering about her ; roxanne is aussie bound] :'(

my teochew granny came into my life when i was of a very young age. I came into first contact with her [when i actually had memories] way back when i was 3-4yrs old, where my mum will let me have occasional stayovers at teochew granny's house. My teochew granny's occupation was a fruit seller at the old owen rd food market and the business was bustling. All her children was helping out including myself...eating all the leftovers muahahaha! I always see her eating papaya hence the nickname that i have tagged her till today "Papaya Ah Ma" The variety of fruits that was exposed to me was overwhelming because i never see so many colorful edibles in my life as 4yr old. My Papaya Ah Ma's house is also known to me as a place of refuge cause you know...sometimes mom and dad have silly disagreements and harsh conversations which results my mum in tears. So we then will scoot down to my teochew granny place and take cover for a few days. Still can remember the nights of stayovers where the rattling celing fan hovers above me as i lay on a soft cushion foam mattress while i get to La La Land. Those are good memories and new ones begin to create itself as years passes by. Wrinkles began collection on her face, body starts to deplete in its health, walking seem to be a torture for her and everything else that spells aged is dawning upon her. But whatever she become, she is still my "Papaya Ah Ma" today at her birthday bash, I was super duper late. However I think i did rescue the situation by going straight to her and gave her a super BIG PECK on her cheek and everyone WOWED. Good one ian...I am sure she knows that you love her ya.

Stay tuned to my hainanese granny who is my late father's mum! She sits on a sedan chair when she was ten yrs old whenever she needs to go anywhere on hainan island...to be continued