Farewell to a very dear Friend- Awi of Awi's Yellow House.

A Very close friend of mine passed away yesterday and he was a few years younger than me in his late sixties. He was a very physically well built and strong and had the same character to go with. He was not well educated and hardly religious being a Muslim but he had his own ways about life. My friend Awi had built chalets along the river in what is known as Pulau Duyong, located in the mouth of the Terenggnu River, in the East Coast. I used to hang out at these chalets with him and a few others where we used to get stoned and do our thing -mostly work on something. Awi as he was known to his friends and enemies alike was charismatic in the Kampung way, aggressive and yet he had great mind when it comes to wheeling and dealing on how to make money. He build the " Awi's Yellow House" as the chalets is known by almost entirely by himself with some help from friends and neighbors when needed. For as long as I had known him Awi was always working in and around his chalets, fixing this or that, seldom see him sitting around doing nothing, he was a workaholic by nature.

Awi, Getting his foot massaged by a professional, Masseuse.

Young and old traveler came from all over the world and some ended up staying for months.

Looking at it one cannot imagine that you are standing about six feet above the river below. This is a work of Art in itself.

It was not easy for one man to keep up with the repairs this was one of my last visits to the Yellow House

The Floor would sometime sink into the river and would have to be raised but with age came the rustic beauty. An Image of tender loving care of a master craftsman in his own right. 

I lost a very dear friend Yesterday Morning, Awi or his real name wan Othman 'The Lanun of Pulau Duyong.'To the children around the Village he was known as 'Aboh" of  Father and often whispered in awe or even fear. Despite his exterior fierceness, he had a good heart when it comes down to it.

The three "Chincang Gang" hanging out in the Yellow House Kitchen.

A Regular visitor to the yellow House from France, If I am not mistaken he was a writer of some sorts. Mr. Boyo I think he was called,