Renovatio

renovate
n. restore (something old, esp. a building) to a good state of repair

ORIGIN early 16th cent.: from Latin renovat- ‘made new again’, from the verb renovare, from re- back again + novus ‘new’

Renovatio means rebirth in Latin. It is also the name of the luxury yacht in the movie The Island (2005). In the film, Ewan McGregor’s character, the clone Lincoln Six Echo produces a sketch of a yacht imprinted from his sponsor’s memory.

To renovate is to restore, to refresh, reinvigorate and to make new that which is old. My home in Penang is currently under renovation. My parents have decided to knock down parts of the two-storey bungalow and rebuild on the same plot of land.

Many have questioned their decision to do such a thing. Some believe it is more practical and cost efficient to buy a completely new house, or even a plot of land that allows them to build to their hearts’ content. Why spend so much money restoring an old building?

I think, it is always easier to start from scratch than to work on what is already there. But perhaps, it is also like how it’s easier to walk away from a problem than to go through it. Or to abandon a person than to stick through the good, the bad and the ugly with them.