I See Dead People

A lot of them. It wasn't particularly pleasant, especially since there were mosquitoes at the "meeting" too and the sun turned scorching hot after an hour. In attendance were also all sorts of insects, i.e. CREEPY CRAWLERS (Ewwwwwwwwww! SO GROSS!!! I LOATHE insects). Despite that, it wasn't too bad.

I'm sorry I can't post pictures up though because I just realize it probably wouldn't be too respectful to them. I wouldn't want my tomb picture circulating round on the Internet via my blog. They might just come back and haunt me, and though it was pleasant enough to meet them yesterday, I'd rather they do better things, like listen to the missionaries in the Spirit World.

OK, just kidding!

I did go to a cemetery yesterday morning though, with a few of the RS sisters from home along with my mom. We went to a Teochew cemetery somewhere near Kranji MRT to re-collect some data. Here's what started the whole thing going:

Last year, the Singapore government wanted to exhume the graveyard for land reclamation (yes, our high-handed government, does not fear anything of course, even the dead... notice my sarcasm), and announced to the public about their plans. A non-member professor/ historian (?) (I can't remember) read about it and contacted out church in Utah and then here, and together we have been collecting as much information as possible from all the tombstones in-the-process-of being exhumed.

Since then, members have been taking turns going to the cemetery to take pictures and write down any information found (place of birth, date of death, etc). I went yesterday morning and *gasp* it actually turned out to be pretty FUN!

OK, the insect part was really really REALLY disgusting (you get my point). Other than that, everything else was manageable.

I'm such a weird person! : I love collecting data from tombs; I felt so bad for all the dead people whose tombs were already exhumed or destroyed from decay (imagine, feeling sorry for someone who's dead for goodness sake!); I thought it interesting to get all down on my knees in the knee-high grass to take pictures, to try and figure out what in the world was written on those tombstones...

It probably helped that I am such a HISTORY JUNKIE. It really was quite exciting, like finding history treasure.

One quick funny thought:

We were clearing a tomb plaque that read this:

It reads (in case you can't enlarge it):
In Loving Memory of Mr Lee Ee Chye
Exhumed from Balastier Cemetry
5TH May 1956

And I thought, "So poor thing! I bet this poor man is in the Spirit World pleading, 'Please let my body finally rest in peace! I need it for the resurrection.' "

Yes, I know, I am such a weird person.