My Longkang

Living in condominiums is wonderful especially if it is well maintained and have excellent facilities. Temporarily I am living in a condo and I am well satisfied. The place is clean and the everything seems to be orderly and well managed. However i have noticed that living in condominiums is a little bit different from living in ‘landed’ properties.

Due to the scarcity of land on Penang Island, many are living in high-rises and the prices of units are astronomical in some cases. It promises a life of ease, comfort and security. However nn matter how well managed, a lot still depends on the neighbours. When many people live together , we just have to pray and hope when we sign the sales and purchase agreement, we have nice neighbours. We come across them every day at the lifts, car parks, hear and witness each others’ lives being played out like a soap opera. To cut it short, we suffer a loss of privacy unless we keep our doors and windows closed most of the time.

Last night, was a very disturbing night.At about midnight a few floors up could be heard the sounds of a woman being beaten and we could actually hear the blows. The sound of the disorder, the cries of the children, the cries of a female elderly person, presumably the mother-in -law, the victim herself and basically, it represented the cries of human suffering.

I have never been under such circumstances and wasn’t sure what to do. But it was very disturbing to hear the sounds of raw pain and hopelessness and fear. Neighbours were milling about here and there, moved by the cries but none were brave enough to go up to investigate. I too was there. I wanted to go up and try to stop the cries by hopefully talking some sense into the situation. I was held back. It wasn’t the right thing to do. I was told, ” Security will come along and handle the situation. There is no need to get involved.” Security never came possibly because it is a domestic conflict and the wailing, cries and beatings subsided after an hour.

It takes a lot to live with so many other people sharing a common environment. We tend to get drawn into peoples’ lives. What would you have done under similar circumstances?

On a more positive note, I share some more food pics

This type of Chinese jelly is eaten with black coconut sugar or gula Melaka

Traditional Chinese cakes/finger food

Deep fried tauhu or bean-curd to be eaten with chilly dip