Sunday, December 10, 2006

The well that my grandfather built

(Hainan 2006)

During the day of the feast, I met many of my relatives for the very first time in my life. I sat in the same table with a few of my relatives and we had lunch together. The rest of the relatives sat at the many other tables that were set up for the occasion.

After the lunch, cousin XH and another relative took me for a walk. After five minutes of walk, cousin Xh pointed out to a distance away, and told me that my late paternal grandfather built the well that stood at that very spot.



In the right of the picture above, the brick structure is where people would have their bath in those days after drawing water from the well.

I could not help but feel a sense of awe and respect for my late paternal grandfather whom I have never met in person. Building a well is a task that is beyond my knowledge, and I have no idea how that was being done.

Anyway, I found a site that might give some ideas as to how wells can be constructed:
http://homebuying.about.com/cs/privatewells/a/construction.htm

I overheard that nowadays, the folks don't draw water from the well anymore. Nowadays, water is being carried via pipes to the house where my paternal grandmother and aunt live. This might have been a good thing since the well is at least five minutes away by foot, and it must have been a physically demanding task to carry buckets containing water from the well to the house.

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