Description
Flooding at Kampong in Woodlands, Singapore. 1971.
Sketching an old Kampong was another suggestion given to me. Kampong means village in the Malay language. In tropical weather with lots of rainfall in the year, wooden houses on stilts are such practical and functional design. The space below the house is used for rearing animals like chicken and also for storage. When it floods, the floor of the house is kept dry. Brilliant! We no longer live in stilt houses now this but it is always good to know how it was like in the past.
A really bad flooding or storm can take down a stilt house. I seen it in the news or TV in other countries like Philippines where there are people living in similar houses. This is contrasted by the buildings in Japan built to withstand earthquakes. I am reminded of the verse Psalm 127:1a “Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it.” The architect and builder of a home matters as it determines how well thought out to protect it from the elements. The same applies for our lives.
