Melaka notebook: thoughts

You've never really been to a place until you have talked to the people.


Frankly quite bothered that I had to go to a meeting immediately after touching down at the Kallang bus station, and then receiving 50+ emails in the course of these 3 days. Seems like the hectic life of working in Singapore is 'all coming back to me now'. Hate it. Wished I could have stayed longer, like a fortnight and to the other nice places.

Still, I shall not let this affect me and think happily of my short solo backpack trip. Lots of interesting things happened, it's almost as though I was destined to meet these nice people.

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After the short bus journey, touched down at Melaka Sentral bus station. It is now the biggest bus station in Malaysia, I was surprised to hear that. About 4 years ago when I was there, it was a small rural station near the river, near the guesthouse (20 mins' walk).

I stayed at the same place I was at, Eastern Heritage at Jalan Bukit China. It is a long chinese peranakan-style guesthouse with art deco European tiles and design interspersed with Chinese motifs engraved on the walls and doors. I love that place, big and airy and almost ancient - was built in the 1930s and very well maintained up to this day. There were others there: Czech, Austrian, Italian, French backpackers who were also staying for a few days in Melaka. Actually this trip is very meaningful for me because I went up on my birthday - it's like my birthday present! I hope that will be the case every year from now. Also, because of the recent relationship woes, I hoped that my spirits would be lifted by this trip. Was supposed to meet Ches but he had a last minute call to Oman.

When I was walking around later, I wanted to go to the old bus station that I was at 4 years ago, and so asked for directions. But no one seemed to know, or understand me. I met a nice old lady, she was walking in my direction, so I asked her about it. And also about Jonker's Street. She took me there in her car, just said, "Hop on if you are not scared of me." Me, scared of a little old lady? She was really nice and told me about the developments in Melaka. Now, it is becoming a bit like Johor or KL, there are more robberies, more bad people. It is considered unsafe for a person to walk the streets alone, especially at night. But somehow, though I have heard that in Johor too, (I've walked alone in Johor Bahru and Skudai too)... I have never met with any danger at all, so I guess God has been protecting me all along.

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I love walking by myself, around the historic city, seeing all the well-preserved buildings with Dutch and British influences...somehow when I am constantly surrounded by people, especially in a busy city like Singapore, I lose a part of myself - and find myself getting angry, irritated and pushy - perhaps out of the need to survive in the midst of the busy crowd. Surprisingly, I find myself a much better person, more gracious, gentle, affable here in a sleepy town. I hope never to lose that part of myself again, that I will always have a friendly smile and not let the distractedness of the city get to me. In fact, I was brought up here all along but maybe it's a gene in me that would thoroughly enjoy roughing it out in a farm or something.

It got really fun at night, my guesthouse's owner, an uncle, Yen, brought me to some fun places to be entertained. Not the usual suspects, only serve beer and play pool. Some karaoke. Word spreads around fast in the small town for I only sang 2 songs in one of the places, and the next day, the owner of the other place, a kindly uncle named Richard, heard about it. He seemed to like talking to me very much, and for me, I quite respected him. He's Chindian, married a portuguese wife and studied in Singapore, when Beach Road was still a beach. He told me many stories about Melaka and Singapore that seemed to be almost a history lesson (Remember those we learnt) come to live! I wondered how it was living in those times, it must have been so fun for them. Also met many people of mixed - Portuguese and Chinese descent. They looked very different from each other, but had a unique look of their own - quite good looking with a dark brow and chinese eyes with a sharp jaw. I just wondered how their parents managed to fall in love with each other. One speaks Portuguese with little Malay I suppose, and the villager chinese women only spoke Chinese and dialect. So I guess they did it by looks, hand gestures...but they did fall in love and get married. Love is too complicated nowadays, it's nice to see some couples transcending normal cultural, race or age barriers often criticised by today's media. I'm sure the children will face some repercussions - a good looking mixed Portu-Chinese man in his 40s I spoke too, fit looking and nice, said he cannot find any girl who would want him - Malay, Chinese or Portuguese. So I guess for their children they have it difficult. Being Catholic makes it harder too.

Met Kent E that night too, saw a friendly looking tall guy with sipping a beer by himself at the second place we went to. Somehow felt like he was a kindred spirit. Yen wanted to play pool with him but didn't dare ask. So I volunteered.

Kent E is Swedish and he has bicycled (Can you imagine that!) through BangKok all through West Malaysia to Singapore, and then to Melaka, KL, ...The last I heard (email is good) he is heading to Penang. Then Thailand again and China, Beijing. He has really nice legs. Looks like the new James Bond but much taller and better. I think it's really amazing to just do this, alone, in a strange land. He has some interesting stories that he shared with me. Meeting him, I feel that my life is so much enriched.


Turned out we liked each other's company very much. The next day was a really memorable one for me. It's like meeting someone you have known for years - chemistry? I don't really know how to describe it, but I will always hold the memory of that day in my heart ( yeah can't even begin to write it for fear words do not do it justice ) Definitely a special v-day for me, drinking orange juice in a mosquito-swarm newly opened cafe at midnight with a Swede. How I managed to meet him later that day (with the help of Ah Qiang) is a story in itself! Strangely, it seems that we both met, by chance...then again maybe we were destined to meet. Sometimes, I feel that no one understands me...but somehow I feel that he does, in the way because he is like me, too, the kind of character that is almost an enigma.

And these memories of a 3 night sojourn into Melaka on my own will bring sweet thoughts when I am bothered with work, stressed and wearing my blazer, I will imagine just me and my crocs(heehee), battling the hot sun, walking into the unknown and just loving it. In fact, this trip has made me so motivated to work harder so that I can travel more this year.


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So who says Melaka is boring? It is only boring if you go with old folks or a guided tour (super boring). For a fun, exciting and relaxing time, I advocate backpacking, in twos or solo if you dare.