Up in smoke...

How strange. When I found out that the Sarawak Club, a place that I haven't frequented since coming to NZ 12 years ago burnt down 3 days ago, I felt really sad. It felt some some part of me, or my story, has gone as well. In reality, I am no longer a member of the club. My membership came under dad's till I turned 21, and being in NZ, it made no sense for me to be a member (considering the costs!). But I frequently went to the Club as I was growing up.

I learnt to swim there when I was 6. And subsequently went swimming there very often. It was convenient for my parents, and my cousins and I went there often during our school holidays. Meal were easy cos we just need to sign our orders and it got charged to our parents account! I always ordered Ribena 7-Up (7-up with a splash of Ribena) and enjoyed eating a chicken wing before dad picked me up. I had a number of favourite dishes there such as tomato mee and quail and even fish & chips! Later on, I had my squash lessons there (they had the best squash courts in Kuching). We often had dinners (with friends or extended family) at the restaurant there too and when I returned for my grandmother's 88th birthday in 2001 and had a kind of family reunion, all of us rang in the New Year there - all four generations of the family - dancing away with each other. Mum had her swimming lessons there too. And thats when I discovered the fun of swimming at night. My bro had badminton lessons there. And dad has (or now had...) his name on the board for scoring a 'hole-in-one' when they had a golf course.

Memories... of a place I have not been to for many years, and has changed much with the renovations over the years. But yet, after learning that the place has gone up in smoke, it has still created a sense of loss.