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| This photo of cousins from 6 families (My grandmother had 9 children) |
My youngest aunt, sister of my mum, rented a unit from my grandmother. But she did not wish to share a kitchen with her brother.
So my grandmother asked a carpenter (who happened to be her own father in law) to come and build a fairly large kitchen, which jutted from the left side of the house. In those days wood was plentiful and easily obtainable. Even the belian posts were easily purchased. So according to a relative the kitchen was built in days!
Soon we had a new play place to the left of the wooden bridge that led to the kitchen and the side door of the main house. This wooden bridge also opened up a special access to the shop unit of the house operated by our uncle Wong Dien Ching. This shop was a convenience store of the old style.
The new kitchen had a big open, platform where two diesel tanks were placed to collect rain water for cooking and washing (my aunt did not have to go to the river to wash clothes and take her bath) and a big Foochow stove was constructed. The kitchen over looked the padi field belonging to my grandmother and uncles. A beautiful bench was built , adjacent to the half wall. No window was necessary. We often looked at the padi field and we could see everyone who was on the cement path from the inland. Students coming home from school had to use the cement path.
Today the building is gone and part of the land for the house is under water. The erosion caused by the wash from the express boats was very destructive.
Only good memories are left.
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