When Garrison”™s Madeline Rae switched her professional career from the political world of her native Ohio to the arts field in New York City, she had no idea her new life would open doors to an exciting project in Singapore.
Married to James Rae, who was raised in Cross River, she recently returned from a prolonged stay in Singapore and later in China, where Credit Suisse transferred her husband. Her documentary on the ancient practice of Qingming ”“ a time set aside for tending graves ”“ is in the final stages of editing and has been set to traditional Asian music. The holiday ushers in the spring season.
“Family members gather at ancestors”™ graves to scrub the tombstones, weed the area and burn joss sticks and joss paper offerings of items they think their ancestors would enjoy, as well as leaving such food offerings as chicken, oranges and coffee to please and thank the ancestors and to discourage them from returning to haunt the living,” she said.
“The joss paper is a multibillion-dollar industry,” Rae said. “The paper items manufactured for sale to family members include replicas of such diverse items as golf clubs, thermos bottles, houses, iPads, even figures of servants.”
“After the graveside visits, families convene at home for a celebration comparable to our Thanksgiving,” she said.
Rae was encouraged to undertake the documentary by professors at New York University”™s Tisch School of the Arts, which opened a branch in Singapore.
“The biggest problem in making the documentary was that these are very private people,” she said. “There are questions they won”™t answer. They don”™t want to anger the ghosts. You can”™t get too personal and they don”™t want cameras in their homes.”
Rae feels fortunate to have had this contact with Singapore natives.
“Ex pats gravitate toward one another. It is no problem meeting them, but it is difficult to know local residents.”
Singapore was a far cry from Bexley, Ohio, where Rae was raised as the youngest of five children. Their mother, a forensic scientist, was a role model for an ambitious daughter. While working for a B.A. degree in English at Ohio State University, Rae served on the staff of Ohio State Sen. Richard Schafrath. Upon graduation she relocated to Washington, D.C., as the personal secretary to the late Ohio Congressman Paul Gillmor.
Her introduction to the world of arts came after a visit back to Ohio while serving the congressman. The owners of a new business featuring gifts and collectibles were impressed with the congressional secretary”™s people skills and offered her an opportunity to move to New York City for a hefty increase in salary to run its showroom.
“I filmed their corporate videos and then started doing shorts on my own,” she said of her introduction to the world of documentaries.
While working in New York, she met James Rae on a blind date arranged by a mutual friend. The pair dated for three months when his company threw them a curve ball with a transfer to Tokyo. They made the decision to marry and make the move together. That was 11 years ago.
In moving back to the states, Rae”™s husband had wanted to live in Garrison. No sooner had they settled into the house on Old Albany Post Road than the most recent job transfer came. But she had time to get involved in the Old Road Society, serving as a board member.
The Raes have no intention of abandoning their dream of living in Garrison. During their times away, family members enjoy occupying the house and availing themselves of its proximity to New York City.
Challenging Careers focuses on the exciting and unusual business lives of Hudson Valley residents. Comments or suggestions may be emailed to Catherine Portman-Laux at cplaux@optonline.net.
