As I hang around Cuihu Lake park in Kunming, one of the rare free place in China, I was sort of transported back to my hometown Taiping.

There were ponds of blooming water lilies that reminded me of the heydays of Taiping Lake Garden where there was a huge pond that used to be filled with fresh water lilies too. At that time the weather was cloudy and wind were blowing wispily, just like how half the time the weather in Taiping is like.

As we sat by the little bridge, the wind got stronger and I listened to the rustling of leaves while the wind caressed my face. In the sky, dark clouds started looming from afar and soft thunder can be heard from a distance.

I told my travel partner, “This is how Taiping sounds like when it’s just about to rain.”

Then he asked, “Does this makes you missed home?”

I paused, “It does make me think of home…”

As we exit the park, rain started falling (though luckily it is not like Taiping where when it rains it pours) and I walked back under the rain with lingering thoughts of where I grew up.