Travel Gem #2: Scattering dad's ashes in Hong Kong water

When we travel, it doesn't mean that we have to hop on a plane and fly to a new place and call this 'traveling'.  We can 'travel' in our  own city and we should do this often. 

Take 1 day out every month to wander away into places where wifi is weak.

I live in Hong Kong and it is a crowded place here.  Today I use my day off to go away from the city to breathe some fresh air.  Yes, go to places where wifi is weak so that you can STAY IN THE MOMENTS of your travels.  The problem with us is that we are never 'in the moments' wherever we are because our mind is distracted by our daily routines of what we need to do, going to the bank, making appointments, getting groceries, doing laundry, etc.

When you are quiet and in the moment, important people come to your mind.  

Today I took a day off.  

I traveled away from my normal routine. 

I swam in the ocean for the first time this year and became very bonded with thoughts of my dad who passed away just earlier this year in January.  

My dad chose to have his ashes scattered in the ocean half a year ago.  That was the last time I went out to the ocean.  

So today, when I was swimming in the ocean, thoughts of dad overwhelmed my mind.  Dad seemed so near.

This idea of having ashes scattered in the water is a very new concept to the chinese culture.  My dad is a very traditional father who sticks to some very hard core chinese values. 

One day about  4 years ago, while I was visiting my mom and dad at their home, they told me that they have decided to go for water burial for both of them.   So serious was this decision that they told me they had this written on their will.  Wow... what happened?  

When they explained to me their reasons, my heart sank.  Mom and dad have 6 children - 5 daughters and 1 son.  This family had been in constant battle in family feud, spoken and unspoken, for decades.  Problems have been left unsolved with hard feelings so their final decision was to choose water burial with scattering of ashes.  They just want to be 'forgotten' in the years to come to end all family feud.  How wrong can that be.  We all have only one mom and one dad.  No matter how difficult parenting had been, they will forever stay close to our hearts unforgotten.   

"I miss you Dad!"   

In the last few years, Hong Kong has been promoting the scattering of human ashes in Hong Kong waters.   It is easy to apply to get approved and right now, this is free service.   The entire family gets to go on the ferry with tables assigned to you and the entire process of scattering ashes is done with respect and peace.  It is the first time I went through a scattering of ashes burial and this whole experience is tied in saying 'good bye' to my dad.  

This is the ferry that HKSAR organized for us on that early morning at the pier of North Point.   It can hold about 300 people and there is a long table assigned for big families that can sit 12 people.  There are also round tables for smaller sized families of 2 or 4.  

We got here an hour early that morning to prepare for this solemn occasion.  The ferry left on time at 9:00 and all the paper and registration work started at 8 am already at the pier.   People gathered around here and we went in at 8:30 am.

After we checked in, we rode on the ferry for about 1 1/2 hour before they anchored at a designated area near Lamma Island at the southwest channel.  

That morning was especially quiet for me.

Life suddenly stopped.

Nothing else mattered.

I don't feel like chatting at all.

Sit still and listen to the ocean waves.... and you can feel that dad is with  us.

Then come the time where each family is called to scatter the ashes to the sea.

Our turn came.

This is our moment:  REST in Peace Dad!

"Dad, I miss you."

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Take 1 day out every month to wander away into places where wifi is weak.

Challenge to my Steemit friends: Go out for a day and see who comes into your mind?

Please give me an upvote and re-steem if you like this post. 

Thank you for sharing my grief,

Rosa

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Travel Gem #1: SILENCE