Homestay
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- Category: Blog Friday - Steve
While deep in (what remains of) the Borneo jungle we decided to have a home stay. This for me has been one of the most thought provoking and memorable parts of our trip.
Our hosts lived in a traditional Malay home; wooden and high on stilts to protect from floods. There were two huge rooms, the “posh” front room and the functional back room, for everything from cooking to cleaning the day’s catch from the river. The bedrooms were just about big enough for the mattresses on the floor.The kids took to it instantly and yet again showed that they are the most adaptable ones in our family. They loved the space and the freedom of kampung life; playing with the family’s and village children, mud slides on the river bank, trotting off to the shack/shop to buy sweets.
We had the whole middle class westerner discussion with our children about how this family had less stuff than us, but how they all still did seem to be happy with their lives. We discussed what would they think of our life back in London and how it was never quite clear who lived here, the house always being filled with extended family. We talked about how the village has only had electricity for the last five years, but already their dad is a keen play station fan. What was clear, was the kids did not really care. All our liberal angst washed over them. They, I think, saw a happy, friendly family. The blackouts and showering via water scoops from a bucket was just another bit of the big picture of travelling, no more weird then staying 19 floors above Waikiki beach.
We are now in Bangkok and the children are clamouring to visit the city’s 21st century shopping malls. But, interestingly, when asked they all prefer the simple joy and freedom of the village life – which I hope does not change too radically as they grow older.
