It was 7am as I stepped out of my unit yesterday morning for school. With a glance, I could clearly see a white ball among the shrub. As I moved closer, I released that it was actually a flower! My “keng huay” had finally bloomed. =) Without a second glance, I headed to the lift and went to school in a hurry, anticipating my return to capture the gorgeous moment. However, when I came home late at night, it had ceased to bloom. =(

“keng huay” in hokkien refers to Epiphyllum oxypetalum, also known as the Night blooming Cereus. The flower usually blooms in late evening and close by sunrise, which explains the closing of the flower when I came home from school.
Beautiful the moment can be when the flower is in full bloom, but short-lived. That’s the main reason for the above photograph with a closed flower.
In life, beautiful moments are short-lived. Once it is gone, it will never come back...