Where I've Been...

My Uncle Nissan passed away Feb 15th at 6:41pm. 

He was the first born in out of the siblings - 5 sons & 3 daughters.

Earlier that day I was able to say good bye & thank you to him while he was still here with us.

Because he was much older (almost 90) I grew up treating him like he was my grandfather.

When I told this to my Mom recently she said because she lost her father at a young age (early 20's) she felt like he was a Father figure more-so than an older brother. 

He supported my Mom financially in her early 20's before she married in her mid 30's.

His wife passed away of cancer pretty early.
I never had the chance to meet her as I wasn't born yet.

He has 3 children: Two daughters & 1 son who is the youngest.

I remember in the late 80's two of his 3 children immigrated to the states.

He went back & forth as his eldest daughter & her family were still in Taiwan.

But eventually in the late 90's he permanently moved to California.

And around 2007ish his eldest daughter & her family immigrated to California as well.

I remember sometime 2-3 years ago I went to visit my parents and found my Mom on a webcam talking to my Uncle.

Even though in his late 80's he knew how to work a computer and he even blogged - Chinese politics I believe.

And he wrote & published a couple Chinese/Taiwanese books as well.

Today was his funeral. 

It was semi traditional funeral with Chinese monks chanting hymns & burning incense.

It's a bit hard to explain the ceremony because there are some Chinese words I can't translate.

But we set out food, burn incense and paper money.

Lonny attended and was very helpful & supportive throughout the ceremony. 

He met my Uncle once in 2007 at a family function.

I was very grateful for his support today and he even partook in the ceremony with the incense & praying as well.

My uncle was cremated & my cousins will fly his urn back to Taiwan and bury him next to his wife in our family plot.

My Mom's brothers & sisters w/their significant others. 

I'm sitting next to my Uncle Nissan and this picture was taken he last time I was in Taiwan.

My Dad to the left. My Uncle Nissan w/his 1st grandson and my Aunt's husband in the back.

My cousins are all much older than I am by a good 20 some years. 

Sometimes it's harder for me to communicate with them because of the age difference but also because I was born & raised in America.

While I can understand Chinese (Mandarin) & Taiwanese it's harder for me to actually speak it. 

I guess my Chinese is very simple and I only communicate like this with my parents.

I'm shy when it comes to speaking to other family members or even other people.

Me (I think I was 12 or 13), Cousin Eugene, Mom, Eldest Aunt & 2nd Aunt.

I'm sad he's gone but happy he's at rest with my grandparents & his wife.