The house back in Fiji where I had spent 13 years of my life probably holds most meaning for me. I remember every nook and cranny of the house as though I am still living in it. Coming up to the long cement driveway there is a large, rusty red, metal mesh gate. The driveway itself was somewhat rough and patchy in color but it was still really spacious. The gate was a locked from the inside so it was so difficult to open the gate from outside. We had to insert our hands through a small gap in the gate and fiddle with the lock for a minute or so to open it. It would be a horrible place to live during a zombie apocalypse. Beyond the gate was the two story house I had come to love so much. The house had a red roof which was slightly sloped downwards due to frequent rain. The rest of the house was a cream color with the first floor being a wide open garage. We had two doors to the house one on the west side and one on the front so we had two stairways leading to either doors. Also our house had huge windows and my brother and I would often prefer to climb out the windows rather than doors.
My father is a minimalist when it came to furnishing so our house was very spacious except for a few large furniture we had such as the beds and wardrobes. There were three rooms, a kitchen, a living room and two bathrooms. I always thought it was the perfect size for a family of four. The windows were excellent during hot days as the breeze would drift through the whole house. The sea was not exactly nearby but there was always a brine smell coming off of the cool breeze. Additionally, we had various types of plants in our front and backyard of which was a flower tree native to Fiji called frangi-pani. It was a milk white, five petal flower with a yellow center much like an egg. This particular flower had a very strong floral fragrance and we would often pick a few to place around the house. The scent would waft through the house and every time I smelled it I would think of the kiss of the early morning sun on the face. The interior of the house was white so the house was always bright looking especially when the rising and setting sun would reflect off of it.
I loved spending time at home more than going out because it had everything I needed for a productive day. I would wake up to the sound of my neighbor's rooster only to fall asleep again. Sometimes I would wake up to my dogs barking at passing people. At other times, I would wake up to the sound of our family gardener mowing the lawn early in the morning. The first I did when I woke up was go downstairs to feed my two dogs and they would greet me as if they hadn't seen my in years. Their soft hair, excitement and wet tongues always made me giggle. Then I would take a walk around my house and noticed the green surrounding my house glistened under the morning light giving off a fresh feeling. The front and backyard was a wide open area big enough to play practically any type of sports so my brother and I would spend days on end just running around and playing in the backyard.
Being away from my house made me realize how amazing it was. Back then I didn't think much of the atmosphere because that was how I lived my everyday routine but now I see how peaceful it was. I can still feel the dewy morning air when I stepped out onto the balcony to greet the day. At night the stars would light up the skies and I would watch them from the balcony. There were times I would fall asleep watching the stars so my father would wrap his hands around me to carry me to my bed. The cool night breeze would brush against my face as I fell into slumber once more. There's no other way to describe my home except that it was epitome of peaceful.
I literally burst out into laughter in the middle of Starbucks when I read the " It would be a horrible place to live during a zombie apocalypse." This sentence perfectly conveyed how meddlesome the lock was to open, and at the same time, showed how annoyed you perhaps were with it. I loved your other sensory details as well. The details were perfectly laid out, according to the order in which you perceived the different senses. It was amazing to read and notice how your place was so much like mine - aside from the roosters! :D (We had peacocks instead) That was really cute and funny as well. Additionally, I loved how you depicted the stars lighting up the night sky. Your place seemed very peaceful in general. Your comment in the last paragraph regarding how you did not realize how awesome this place really helped me imagine the beauty of your place. I could immediately tell that you wrote about this place because it was such a beautiful place, which you miss a lot. I could totally relate to you. One thing that would make your essay even better is some addition to the details on how your house had everything you needed for a productive day. Loved your writing as always :D
ReplyDelete201501855 Jung Aa Ahn
Memories of Home
ReplyDeleteThere is no place in the world that holds more meaning to me than my house back in Fiji. I had spent my good portion of my childhood from the ages 5 to 18 in that house. I remember every detail of the house down to the slightly peeling brown paint in the edges of my bedroom’s door. I can hear the creak of my bedroom door as my dad enters to wake me up. I can almost smell the fresh morning breeze that I used to wake up to. I can even taste the slight saltiness of the breeze as I stretched and yawned to wake up. I miss the kiss of the early morning sun gently warming my face. These seemingly everyday incidents are what made my home so special to me. This is because even if I were to experience the same things elsewhere, it just would not provide the same sense of home and peace.
Coming up to the long cement driveway there is a large, rusty red, iron mesh gate before we can enter the house. The driveway itself was somewhat rough and patchy in color, but it was wide and served its purpose as a driveway. For some reason, the gate was made to lock from the inside. Perhaps, the makers wanted a laugh out of our inconvenience and their wish came true. We had to insert our hands through a small gap which was barely 10cm in length and height. Then we had to awkwardly fiddle with the lock for a minute or so to open it. It would be a horrible place to live during a zombie apocalypse. Beyond the gate was the two story house I had come to love so much. The whole house was encompassed by greenery with the front yard connecting to the back from the spaces left on either sides of the house. It almost looked as though the house was literally placed on a large patch of grass. The house had a red roof which sloped downwards to allow the frequent rain to flow down. The rest of the house was a pastel cream color and we lived on the second floor because the first floor was a wide open garage. We had two doors to the house one in the west side and one in the front so we had two stairways leading to either doors. Also, our house had huge windows enough for a person to pass through. Thus, my brother and I made full use of it and often climbed out the windows to go outside rather than employing the doors like normal people would.
My dad was a minimalist when it came to furnishing so our house. The house was very spacious except for a few large furniture such as the beds and wardrobes. There were three rooms, a kitchen, a living room and two bathrooms. I always thought it was the perfect size for a family of four. The interior of the house was white so the house was always illuminated when the rising and setting sun would reflect off the walls. The windows were excellent during hot days as the breeze would drift through the whole house. The sea was not exactly nearby but there was always a brine smell coming off of the cool breeze. Another thing that I loved about the house were the high ceilings. I never liked confined spaces and that probably roots from living in a wide open space. Additionally, we had various types of plants in our yard of which was a flower tree native to Fiji called Frangipani. The tree stem was grey with white patches and the flowers were milk white, had five petals with a yellow center resembling an egg. This particular flower had a very strong floral fragrance and my mom would often pick a few to place around the house. The floral scent mixed with the brine smell would waft through the house and I would be reminded of the sunny beaches at the Fijian resorts.
Home was the definition of peace and serenity to me. I loved spending time at home more than going out because it was the one place I could do whatever I wanted. I would wake up to the sound of my neighbor’s rooster only to fall asleep again. Sometimes I would wake up to my dogs barking at passing people. At other times, I would wake up to the sound of our family gardener mowing the lawn early in the morning. The first I did when I woke up was go downstairs to feed my two dogs and they would greet me as if they hadn’t seen my in years. Their soft hair, excitement and wet tongues always made me giggle. I could spend the whole morning playing with my dogs. After that, my brother and I could even call our neighborhood friends over to hang out or play games that we made up in the backyard. Sometimes we would just stay indoors, watch movies, and eat all day long. It would be the perfect lazy day.
ReplyDeleteBeing away from my house made me realize how amazing it was. Back then I didn’t think much of the house and all its little gifts but now I see how peaceful it was. The very sounds and scents that I now wake up to are different. The perfect tranquility that I felt when I stepped out onto the balcony to greet the day is unachievable anywhere else. I’m almost not even sure if the sun in Korea is the same sun in Fiji. I didn’t know the night stars that lit up the skies would be something I would miss. I used to gaze at the stars for hours on end and sometimes I would fall asleep on the balcony bench. There’s no other way to describe my home except that it was epitome of peaceful.