As usual, like every other year, my uncle would invite my family to attend 一年一度的中秋晚会. That is akin like what the Chinese always say 'jia dor' or, 吃桌 in Teochew. Other than those really big red and white tentages that one would see being built on those wide grass patches, stacked up wooden planks as temporary flooring, it is not unusual to see Teochew opera being performed on a built-up stage by its own.
I remember when I was really young, other than the Teochew opera, the committee (炉主会) would also engaged mobile movie-screeners -- a group of people who would set up a projector screen and just a rolling film video player for the people in the vicinity to watch. The tradition was this -- the adults would always watch the Teochew opera, while the kids would always sit in front of the big projector screen, watching films that we don't quite understand. They stopped engaging them because no one likes it anymore, which is a very saddening fact.
But it was always fun. For one, we didn't have a lot of chances to watch movies when we were young, mainly because we had no money or my parents were not interested. And two, you need to be really lucky to be able to sit in front of the projector! Because it is always an outdoor-thing and when it rains, no movies for us. Three, there were no chairs placed in front of the projector screen. You have to find your own 'seats'. What me and my cousins did was to go to the bin centre, find some really clean cardboards, preferable still in intact box-shape and use them as chairs! We were normally small enough to sit down in the box and for one, I liked to sit in the box particularly.
Because it gives me a safe and clean feeling. No insects, no bugs, no wet butts after sitting on wet grass. Just me, and my cardboard box. I know it sounds weird but don't all your childhood thinkings seems all warped to you now? Like you might used to think that your dad is a gorilla? Hee.
I used to run to my grandmother, an avid fan of Teochew opera. She would always be sitting with her friends and watching the opera intently and nodding her head at times. Grandfather was always an active member of the committee in charge of all these in the neighbourhood. Every year we got to eat, have fun, play with lanterns, fire sparklers and candles. The adults would be bidding for auspicious items on the ongoing 喊镖. Everyone in the neighbourhood knew everyone. When I went to primary school, we even knew our friends' parents and grandparents. Like 'oh your 阿嫲 is fry carrot cake one right?' or 'oh you are whose whose whose's daughter right?" that kinda thing.
I remember she used to have a neighbour whose face was really in bad condition and I always ran away when I see her. Now thinking back, I feel so bad but how can you blame a child? In that neighbourhood, I have had a
That night, I went there and sat down in front of the Teochew opera for awhile. I forgot to bring my camera so I borrowed my dad's camera handphone. Although half the time I did not understand what they were singing about, the culture was so engaging that I was attracted to sit there for at least half an hour.
These are what I caught.
Old-style painted advertisement, normally for medicated oils like 双蝦标青草油.
I think I was the youngest there.
Mum said that guy was acting as a 马夫. I hate it that they have gone easy on the costumes now.
The ladies.
I would like to think that the above six are the generals (将军)?
I was about to leave when Mum said, "你留下来看！等一下还有一个王会出现." So I stayed.
I think the guy in black was who she was referring to as the '王'.
There! The '王' with the generals. Makes sense, yes? Anyway that yellow thing the '王' is holding has pictures of a big wheel painted on it. My mum told me that it meant that he was travelling/commuting in a moving vehicle. I don't know what forms of transportation they have in that 古代 era. Sedans maybe?
If you noticed, the new backdrop behind had been rolled down and that brought us into a new scene of the drama.
See what I like about this? There's a lot of inference to be done. You can infer an actor's character from the paintworks on his face. A few that I know is that, if the nose is painted white, normally termed 白鼻, that guy is a lecher and often hounds on beautiful innocent girls. If the paintwork is very red on the face, that guy has a strong character or somewhere along those lines.
Not just Teochew, I think any form of opera is intriguing. If only I understood what they were singing.
Digression: my dad jokingly wanted to bid for this for OTS.
A kid's drum set.
I'm sorry for the bad resolution. See what I mean by I have to bring a camera everywhere I go?! Okay maybe a good phone would be better.
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