My grandmother also spoke Hokkien. I didn't even have the benefit of Mandarin to help me out. She died before I ever got the gumption to think about learning the dialect.

Strange, but I also feel that being away from home has helped me a great deal in identifying who I am, heritage-wise. I won't say I've gotten a firm hold on my cultural heritage, but I'm trying. It feels... sad and odd that one should feel more strongly about one's culture when one is not immersed in it anymore.

Great post.