Camera rosak and gawai past.

My poor camera bought several years ago has decided to go on a strike just when I badly need it to snap photos during the gawai night. So folks there might not be any photo for you to see if I cannot get hold of a camera soon but of course there is still the one where I have to load a roll of film in but I cannot upload the images. You have to go to Uchukeling's blog for photos...hopefully.
I went to E-mart yesterday and I bought a VCD of gawai songs of yesteryears. I remember I used to look forward to gawai when my late dad was still alive. Around this time my mum and cousins would be busy getting bottles and bottles of tuak ready for my dad to take to the golf club because he would sponsor the gawai tournaments come gawai. On gawai day itself the satay men would come to kipas the satay and 5000 to 6000 sticks of satay would disappear in no time besides the other dishes that were available. People came even before the caterer brought the food.There were some people we had never seen in our lives who turned up for the open house but it was a good thing. I do not know about now whether open house is such a good idea especially where trusting strangers is a no..no... It's okay if the people that come are people we know.
Back to gawai past,my parents' house came alive with decors of pua kumbu that my cousins and the many anak angkat that they had. My aki and my dad took turns to beat the gongs when midnight approached before drinking the 'ai pengayu' which is tuak. Relatives were called to betaboh(beat the gongs) and to do the ngajat just to entertain my dad's friends on gawai day itself.
I had always looked forward to gawais,so many good memories,fun and merry making but not any more now.. If only I could turn back the clock, I would like it to be when my dad was still alive,so were my grandparents,some late cousins who stayed with us during our younger days and that all of us were still young .
....will continue....