Quiet charm

The BBQ party was great. The inviting smell of meat grilling over the charcoal fire filled the yard. We were seated around the table, eating and drinking merrily as usual. Besides the usual meats (chicken, pork, beef and ham), we had seafood (squid, fish and prawns) and other local favourites (curry vegetables and longtong, otah, fried chicken) and salads. My friend even made a refreshing cold honeydew/sago dessert and set up a chocolate fondue!

I simply love alfresco dining at my friend's place. They're one of the lucky few to live in a spacious house tucked away in one corner of our island yet not too far away from civilisation.

Here, you can still see the stars twinkling brightly in the sky and hear the crickets sing. They're constantly remodelling and upgrading their house, so everytime we visit, there is something new to greet us. First it was the treehouse, then the new lawn. The most recent addition is a big pond which is home to some kois and a big bullfrog living amongst the aquatic plants.

Now, if we're lucky, we can hear the bullfrog croaking away into the night too.

The sunset here is beautiful. I feel so at home whenever I visit.

The flowers are always in full bloom. This is the kids' treehouse.

Unfortunately, some new developments are taking shape really quickly just across the road. Most of them are monstrous houses that tower over the older abodes in the estate, promising a Shangri-La type of lifestyle complete with swimming pools and tennis courts.

Once these bungalows are completed, I'm pretty sure the tranquility and quiet charm of the little enclave will be lost forever.