回顾中秋

I recall vividly how we used to play lanterns at our old house during Mid-Autumn festivals. The 3 of us siblings had our own favourite lanterns or for the earlier years, just simply the usual paper lanterns. We burnt the candles, carefully stuck them at the bottom of the lantern and carried the whole piece around our house. It seemed like we used to have a spare room in the old house (or that it was spacious and rather under-utilised) where we played with the lit lanterns. The best and most fun part was the burning. Due to the unsecured candles, the lanterns often got burnt by the loose candle (with its flame) and caught a mini-fire. We would then throw the burning lanterns on the floor and stamped on them when they were near dying-out.

That were the childhood days.

In NUS, as the festival coincided with inauguration for the Freshmen, there were beautiful lightings hung on the trees around the UCC. My hall stay during my last year of studies was at Sheares Extension where these lights could be seen. There was this happy festive hanging in the airs. Though I didn't get to carry lanterns or eat mooncakes then, I recalled enjoying the festival still just by absorbing the beauty of the colours and lightings.

WW and I have spent 4 Mid-Autumn festivals together. Heh, but I can't seem to recall the first 3 occasions except the last. We went up to Kent Ridge Park with a mooncake in hand and some lanterns. When we were about to start the mooncake feast, we realised we didn't bring along a knife and WW used his keys (wrapped with tissue) instead for cutting. There was a platform set up and we just sat on one of its edge, munching our mooncake and taking in the night view of Kent Ridge and Pasir Panjang houses below. We don't usually make deliberate efforts to spend occasions like this together (since we both don't really fancy mooncakes) but seize whatever opportunities we have.

The sweet little moments in life. How we wish for more of them amidst our busy work lives.