"Human migration is an important part of our ancestral history. The places we live shape us, the places we leave behind forges our history, and the places we might travel to becomes our mysterious future." --- KILROY J. OLDSTER, Dead Toad Scrolls

Pardon the titular alliteration - it's nothing but pure coincidence. But having lived half my life in an urban setting, finding my way back to old towns and backwater locations have always made quite an impression in me. Even then when I was a wee teeny tiny lil tyke. Perhaps it's that sense of physical history and old-world feeling that comes with it.


I remember every summer when school's over, my mom and her side of the family would embark on a trip down south to visit relatives and bond over luncheons and meriendas. These would traditionally take place at a relatives' ancestral homes. I must say these were definitely hallmark moments seeing grandparents, aunts, uncles and the many cousins catching up on family news and just playing outdoor games. And when the table is set for the meals to start, everyone would just gather around the table, pray before the feast started. It was this ambience that made the whole experience unforgettable - the way everyone would share and take part in the conversation and laughter is what happiness surely looks like. And it was the kind of ambience that is in some way's possible because of the homey and relaxed feel inside an ancestral home. The warmth, the love, the harmony and the history practically sums up and gravitate around the fun family gathering.


Looking back now, I am still awed and privileged to have been and be part of such a beautiful journey. So much so, that every time I pass by ancestral homes I feel happy and nostalgic in equal measure. I can only imagine the many happy things that happen inside it and the family that lived in it. Apart from that, it also speaks of the uniqueness of the era at a time when such type of dwelling were first constructed. The type of material that were available then but are rarely found now, the kind of workmanship on how patiently it's been made then that can nowhere be done now. And don't forget the stunning furniture inside it.

To borrow the phrase "if these walls could talk", I can only think of the many great stories that took place inside these homes. Mesmerizing enough to dedicate an entire book about it. Not to mention the many other ancestral homes that dot around with its own special story to tell. If only they could.