悲喜交集
Best spot to witness the hub of the town –
with the hustle and bustle of people trading goods and services,
while others sipping on freshly brewed coffee or fresh cold tropical drinks
at one of the many coffee shops
and glancing up at the symbol of the cross every so often.
Best spot to enjoy the breeze from the palm leaves,
or mesmerized by, oftentimes, the glorious twilight.
Best spot to watch the night market come to life as vendors eagerly set up their booths with colorful clothing, bags, hawkers’ delights; awaiting shoppers to bargain at the endless merchandise and to savor the many delicious finger licking foodies.
Inside the place, we brainstormed and our ideas flowed; a simple make-over for the place was ignited. Through a couple months of strenuous work by my two dear friends & their fabulous team, a new face-lift for the hospitable dwelling place came to be.
After just two months of indulging in the freshly painted wall and the polished new flooring… then came the unexpected… which happened just two days ago.
*blazing pics courtesy of Borneo Post online & The Star online
Hearts torn to pieces staring in disbelief at this colonial-era shophouses — our nostalgic dwelling place, where six generations had built their families and memories — collapsed to shambles.
Though all materialistic good including daily simple clothing, that we took for granted, were burned to ashes;
we are thankful that our dear family members were able to escape from the inferno unharmed!
The “best spot” mentioned earlier is now cautioned as hazardous.
Lives were saved, and we are prayerfully waiting in anticipation for the rebuilding of the shelter that our ancestors had passed on for us to inherit.
Here’s one of the offsprings who represents the 6th generation in this estate.
詩 篇 Psalm 36:9
… 在 你 那 里 有 生 命 的 源 头 ；
在 你 的 光 中 ， 我 们 必 得 见 光 。
For with You is the fountain of life;
in Your light we see light.
(Aftermath pictures taken by Mek & TKY)
