The Singapore Chapter....... A Voice in The Wilderness

We were driving around  what used to be familiar areas of years gone by. The mansion, bungalows, condominiums and Government apartments all over the place.  While driving down this road, Iain gave an excited shout..'RUMAH KAMPUNG !!!!!.... What ? The two words seems almost impossible and non-existant in this environment !

I was still in a daze , even after some seconds. Then the driver reversed...and I had to look twice to make sure I wasn't hellucinating !

Smack in the middle among all this modern concrete houses.....stood a kampung house on stilts - a 'rumah panggung'. No ! It can't be.

Its just an ordinary wooden house but why are 5 people here so excited ! Probably because we considered it as a miracle to find one still standing amongst all the giants.

The house sits in a plot of land big enough to have a terribly big mansion built on it.  Its well painted in mild yellow with brown beams.  The compound itself is covered by concrete but it is SOO clean.

I was busy taking photographs on the outside when I saw a woman coming out of the kitchen.  Gave my salam and started a conversation. after the routine introduction, she gave that look to ASH, and in my head I went, 'Oh oh !'....and true enough , she turned out to be ASH's ex student. So we were invited in and ASH and the women were hugging and I think both of them were in tears. I mean ...after all these years...30 odd years or so..

Anyway from the talk, we derived that the house is 37 years old and she is staying there with 3 other siblings.  They said they refused to let go of their father's heritege inspite of the offers made on them. They said their father spent his last day in that house. And all these years there were attempts to m,ake their life miserable BUT THEY STOOD THEIR GROUND.

They did not give them any reason to find fault as everything about the property followed the strict health and environment regulation.

I walked round the compound and could not believe my eyes ! That place is clean .... really clean. I'm not sure their neighbours with their super designed building could actually match the cleanliness !

Kudos to these siblings for hanging on to what they believe in and my prayers go out to their continuing existance . WHAT BRAVE PEOPLE !

 The front view

a bigger picture

a close-up

Iain and ASH

 From their front gate

me and ASH

ASH and Halimah, her ex-student.

The cross-beam - totally dust-free, supporting the house

Their cat in the court yard.. NOTE HOW CLEAN THE CONCRETE FLOOR IS !