Bak Chang Day - today

As I was going out of my house this  morning, I saw my neighbour hanging a red cloth in front of her house and I was surprise and my wife , who was sitting next to me in my car told me that today is Bak Chang Day.  In the Chinese tradition, today is the day , the Chinese poet and statesman , Wu Xizu committed suicide by drowning himself in the river.  He was greatly respected by his community that the people make " Bak Chang" or the river dumpling and throw it into the river to feed the fishes so that the poet's body can be spared.  Well, this could be a real event and it  had became a day for the Chinese to celebrate this day with the " Chang "  or dumpling.

So far, I have not taken any dumpling today and here I am sitting in starbucks drinking Green tea latte celebrating the occasion. There is no river nearby but the outlet is near a sea front hotel. Well, maybe, it is still acceptable since there is water and fishes around. LOL.

This outlet was my usual  Sunday hide away a few years ago. My wife used to visit my father in law in one of the condo units every Sunday and I will be left hanging around in this outlet until dinner when she join in the mahjung session with my in-laws. Now, I am sitting in the same outlet and both my FIL & MIL have passed on. The feeling so weird and funny.  How time had passed and I am back to this particular spot in my Starbucks outlet.

Just like this " Chang " day, it had been a few hundred years  and yet, the people on this particular day is still celebrating the occasion. It will go on and on after my passing as well. The show must go on, the wind will continue to blow, the sun will continue to rise from the East.  What is the difference of one person to this Universe ?

There is a saying "Time and Tide" waits for no one. By the way, we are just a speck of dust in this whole Universe.  It does not matter whether anybody remember me or not or whether they celebrate my birth or death. Yes, the wind will continue to blow ....

Namaste.
A brief history of Duanwu Festival :

Despite the modern popularity of the Qu Yuan origin theory, in the former territory of the state of Wu, the festival commemorated Wu Zixu (526 BCE* – 484 BCE). Wu Zixu was a loyal advisor whose advice was ignored by the king to the detriment of the kingdom. Wu Zixu was forced to commit suicide by the king Fuchai, with his body thrown into the river on the fifth day of the fifth month. After his death, in places such as Suzhou, Wu Zixu is remembered during the Duanwu Festival to this day.
A brief history of Duanwu  Festival : Chinese 5th day of the 5th month: