We’ve acquired a new form of family entertainment and it isn’t the latest 32 inch flatscreen.
It’s a front porch.
In front of the shop house we live, there is sheltered five foot way. We got the carpenter to construct a waist high picket fence and plunked in a bench and a few plants.
Instead of watching TV in the evenings, we sit in the ‘porch’. Alix goes very quiet watching the birds along the road; waiting for the moment they fly away which happens whenever the cars go by. No matter how many times we’ve seen it, it is still entertaining to watch the daily parade of neighbourhood dogs being walked. When it rains, we can watch it pour without getting wet. The neighbourhood cat comes by and rubs her furry tum against our legs. Kids ride their tricycles down the five foot as the adults keep a watchful eye.
Along our five foot way, we have neighbours who use their shop house units as studios for their photography, bridal and makeup businesses. They leave their doors open and in the studio lights, the bridal costumes sparkle like fairy costumes. Peeking over, you see bright eyed young couples at the cusp of their new lives - poring over photo albums, picking out costumes and parading their gowns and suits. Sometimes, one of the 'brides’ will come out for an outdoor photo shoot. From our front porch, we have licence to gawp openly.
The transsexual make up artist from next door starts a conversation. Maria, also wants to put out a bench. It is very kampung. Then, we can all sit out and enjoy the cool breeze. Of course I'm not really listening to her. I'm staring at her immaculately shaped eyebrowz and her perfectly made up skin in shades of brown and dusky bronze.
Now, once Maria’s starts hanging out too, its occurred to me that Grace and I will be bringing out our face mirrors in a hurry so that she can show us the proper way of applying concealer on our facial blemishes. Yep, next we be doing that.
