Home sweet Home

What is a home? Is there a difference from the term house and home? Are there any symbolical, connotative or simply a demotivate meaning? Does it comprise of different values? And what exactly do you call a home? Or a house?

The weekend was when I started thinking about this. One of the teachers here in my school had a house warming and I managed to reach the place, after much turning around here and there, asking around and trudging around bumpy construction roads. It was a really nice place in a new phase of double-storey houses. Being a Chinese, (actually this colleague of mine really isn’t a pure Chinese, lol! He is mixed. Like me! Haha) But no he is not an Indian-Chinese mix but more of an Iban-Chinese combination. I wonder what they call it? Chinban (Chinese-Iban)? Lol! I just destroyed an entire community with such an atrocious acronym. But being the half Chinese, this great friend of mine, who I keep learning so much from, never forgets his roots. In the Chinese believe, welcoming a new house is considered prosperous and welcoming good positive energies when you have red cloths garnishing your door way or window sills, decorated intricately with well wishes. The main idea of it is when you have people coming over to your place, sharing laughter, eating and having just a joyful time. I must say that despite being new to the group, I was most welcomed and treated with as much regard, care and love as anyone would have.

It truly was a nice thing. To just come and have loads of food served, sharing stories and just talking. It was indeed a nice house warming and I believe it will continue to be a warm nest for those who reside in it. 

This is a cultural believe that by putting a pot of uncooked rice brings well wishes, harmony and good blessings.

Some of the clan who got together. The food went round and round few noticed the picture being taken.

And yes, there's this i-dont-care-who's-snapping as long as i have my pizza. Much binge, less talk. LOL

I mean isn’t that what a home needs? Happiness, joy, people and good food. But what about homes that do not see this? Are they being shunned or have they shun themselves from this? Are they just unfortunate to be having exempted from such good blessings and well wishes? We often hear issues of broken home children who get caught in a war they never asked. We often cry and lend our tears to those elderly who is being ill-treated all over the world. We always sit back and wonder how much cruelty is vandalizing our homes. A place to call a nest and a place to grow and share, humanity seems to divert from what they are truly meant to do. What is a home then?

Does it have various definitions based on how a home is run? Does it stand individually one from the other? Is that how a home should be?

A home is where you learn to love. It is where you learn to sacrifice and you learn to give more than you take. A home is where you become stronger and in the face of adversity, you know of how to meddle your way through. A home is where you look back across thousands of places but can never call or see one that resembles it. A home is where you learn to be human and humane.

Nevertheless, how far have we crossed that path? How much have we forgotten about what truly is a home? When there is so much hatred and agony, pain and suffering, devastation and despair, what is a home? 

Still, who is to be blamed for such miscounts? Who is to be blamed when the father drinks and hits his wife? Who is to cry when a child goes to school unfed? Who is to be responsible when a mother chooses to ignore her maternal instincts? Where do we seek justice to remedy this?

Do we pray?

Or do we work harder?

Do we start despising life?

Or do we start taking control of it?

Do we cry?

Or do we fumble upon our fate and rot?

What do we exactly do to make a house a home?