I moved to Germany over 10 years ago, and none of my family is buried nearby. As such, Ching Ming has evolved into a time to think about ancestors and remember the good times we had. It's also often a time of reflection that my grandparents left China for a better life in the United States, and I followed in their footsteps and left the United States for what I thought is a better life in Germany. At the same time, it makes me homesick for family because I am mostly not around when Ching Ming rolls around and my family back in the US gets together.