In my element

There are some places and times when you feel - just right at home.

In your element.

You feel that you could be here a dozen times more and still never tire of the place.

For me, it's Melaka. To be more specific, a drive around Melaka past midnight.
Somehow, I enjoy long drives around, late at night. It's getting impossible to do so in SG given the high prices of gas... but I did enjoy those rare sessions.

Even though I don't (can't) drive, the long midnight drives in Melaka always beckoned to me. It clears my mind of clutter and I can think clearly, crystalize my thoughts, and speak them, or I may be comfortable to remain silent and enjoy the scenery in the cool of the night. This is just one small luxury that money can't buy - you have to find the right driver (ie a Melakan), because the roundabout and one-way streets are only easy for locals to navigate, the right companion who listens to the sort of music that you like but somehow didn't know you liked until it plays, and someone who knows you for a long enough time to be comfortable with you, comfortable in the silence.

I love such moments, the way I love waking up to the sound of birds (right now I wake up to the sounds of lift upgrading), the certain cafes where you can be sure a steaming hot cup of cappucino awaits you, the sound of the waves at that cafe, and the atmosphere, puts you in your element. To be sure, there aren't many places like that, and that is why these places hold a fond place in my heart and excited anticipation about my next trip there.

The long drives also brought about a sense of nostalgia for me - I remember the time when I was utterly exhausted about all in life: a demanding sales job, a more demanding leadership position, a bad person trying to mess up my life... I just scooted to Melaka the fastest I could. My therapy consisted of reading comics, watching pirated DVDS the whole day and loving it, good Melakan fare, and the long drives around at midnight. The whole time I was there, I was plagued by neverending migraines - the sign of stress I could not handle, though I did not know it then - and was thankful for the deep sleep I had and the silent company. I thought I had always liked to be in the company of chatterboxes, but during the days I was there, I had hardly talked a few sentences in a day. Understanding as he was, Chestnut did not bother to pursue, and we sat in comfortable friendly silence, watching hours of astro and pirated DVDs. It's really thanks to the Malaysian pirates that I got to watch so many good movies. We never talked about those times, but the respite I got had cemented our friendship, unlikely as it was. I guess no one ever thought that we would hang out - those were his words just a few days ago, and I jibed with a return: It's hard to find a girl similar to you. We make a pair of unusual friends, but I think in life, it's some circumstances that leads to the solidarity of some friendships. He has been though 'my purposeful life', known my pain about losing Captain Zero, losing some things, and growing up from young adults, mere teenagers, to now, we are so old now, it seems!

I haven't met Chestnut for almost two long years, and it was such a relaxing feeling when I saw him again... I count him as one of my closest and dearest friends, we have been keeping in touch almost weekly if not fornightly, and if you are wise enough, you can see that such a friendship, one that can 'maintain' itself for so long and in such a way, is one to be treasured. So I treasure greatly the all-too short times we meet, just like I eagerly anticipate meeting MsBestFriend again in Oz later in the year. It seems a shame to meet once a year or more infrequent than that, but we do try our best to meet when we are in the same country. (Despite me ALWAYS being to Melaka, Chestnut is often not in the country, and thus we rarely meet.)

I brought TheBoyfriend's relatives - our trip consisted of his mom, aunt, uncle and cousin - to a local seafood place where I was once brought to. The roads were almost free of signs to the isolated place near a small stream, yet we could find our place there by GPS and a little bit of intuitive instinct and local know-how. Chestnut was amazed at how we could find such a local haunt; even though most singaporeans would boast they know of the best so-and-so dishes in Melaka, that place was deviod of 'S' plate cars. We were the only one in a sea of 'M's, 'J's, 'W's and the occassional 'P' or 'N'. So, it's a place I love, in the beginning not for the food for I was not a food person... somehow, I am in my element, there. Despite the heat and the mossies.