House by a Waterway

FH2O got me everytime he wrote about his impromtu paddling. You see, he lives by the river in Kuching where he paddles as and whenever he likes, rain or shine, with companion or not. He has a jetty built into the water; with a breeze channeled from the distant sea.

Last week I visited ZhuJiaJiao, a watertown in the Jiangnan region. This town, and many other watertowns in the region, were built on the marshes and waterways of the Yangtze delta. All houses 2-3 storeys high in shades of white, black, and grey. The town was planned with the commerical houses along the main waterways, and the courtyard homes along the branches. Arching bridges and ancient trees stood as time passed. Every few meters there were small steps leading into the water. Residents lived their lives along the canals, washing clothes, playing chess, telling fortune, drinking tea, making a living, etc.

I had tea at one of their houses, at a balcony overlooking the canals and its life. Below it singing boatmen rowed their boats. I sat there with all these, and told myself how wonderful it is to have a house by a waterway.

Possible?