Malacca Straits Hotel.......A Very Pleasant Surprise

The other day I accompanied a group of Soka University students for tea at the Malacca Straits Hotel and guess what ? While toddling into the hotel restaurant, I met a familiar figure who happens to be the owner of the hotel. I remembered at one time the hotel was known as the Straits Inn. Mr Bharat, being an ex - Malacca High School old boy and I started talking about the good old days. And seizing the opportunity he decided to show the Japanese students the inside of this beautiful boutique hotel. With 40 over rooms, it is better than most bigger hotels that I have seen. service was excellent and the people were courteous. I cannot complain. Upon entering the various rooms, we heard the oohs and aahs coming from the students. All rooms are of batik, songkit motifs, even along the corridors as one stepped out of the lifts( elevators ! ). Another big aahs were heard when told that the internet is free and all rooms had been installed with jacuzzis. And the rates are very competitive , everything boutique is not necessarily expensive ! My verdict : this hotel is an excellent boutique hotel with its unique charm coupled with service oriented people to manja you during your stay in historic Malacca whether you are on business or travelling. By the way, most historical sites and shopping activities are within walking distance from this hotel. Mr Bharat owned 4 other hotels in Malacca, so I was told by one of his staff. Hmm..mm. I just wonder what is his secret.

Another Try with the Camera Phone

The Stadthuys ( Dutch )

Church - also Dutch influence

Fountain ( memory of Queen Victoria ) in front the Clock Tower

Of Course...the most travelled felines : the Aristocats
Happy New Year! Today is the 2nd day of 2009....and the weather in Malacca is beautiful, a little sun but mainly cloudy. Perfect for me. Since there are no chores to do....time for another try with the camera phone which I am trying to master ( quite impossible really ! ). This time around with the help of a software which happens to be in my laptop, here are some results....

Malacca - Sleepy Hollow No More ( Part One )

Once tagged as the Sleepy Hollow state, now its no more. Born and bred in Malacca, I called Malacca my real home; the place to be upon retirement. Being a weekend, my daughter and I decided to pound the streets of that part of Malacca that recently was listed as a world heritage site by UNESCO. Things have changed alot since I last went about roaming the streets a few years back.....these are some of the images we managed to capture....
For more information on Malacca, please go to the following sites:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malacca
www.melaka.net/
www.melaka.gov.my/

Typical Malay Wedding in Malacca ( Part Two )

Sunday 30th November and close to 2pm on a bright and sunny day, Ainal's bride came with her entourage consisting of her uncles, aunties, nephews, nieces and friends, about 40 0f them to Kampong Banda Kaba, in the City of Melaka. The reception was equally noisy, again with the beatings of the circular kompangs...and they slowly marched to the reception area. The newly weds went straight into the bridgeroom's house for a simple bersanding ceremony where all his relatives gave their blessings while the king and queen for the day were seated on a special raised platform duly decorated. Then the bride and bridegroom were ushered to the special lunch area under a well decorated tent together with the rest of the bride's entourage. For the "King" and "Queen" the menu were extra special. Reflecting back when I got married some thirty over years ago, both my better half and I could not eat anything at all ! We were then too tired because for at least 3 consecutive days before this similar event, we were being asked to do all sorts of things customary....and it was energy sapping mixed with anxieties and headaches meeting our better half's strings of instant relatives via marriage. Ainal and Shikin must have felt the same, I suppose. Bless you, Ainal and Shikin. May your marriage be a happy one, now and ever after.

The World's Most Travelled Felines ( by road of course )

Ginger and ChiChi is undoubtedly the world's most travelled cats ! They are the proud holders of the most prestigous Platinum Card Frequent Traveller. Momo ,Karupin, Black and Saroo, only managed the Basic Card category coz they do not have much opportunity to travel and more homely by nature. Ginger and ChiChi travel every week on weekends on the 300 Km trip to and fro from KL to Malacca without fail for the past 4 years. By now, their total road trips can be equated to travelling at least 5 times around planet earth and 18 times around the moon, if they can get there in the first place !

PS : Momo and Karupin also known as the terrible twins ( Persians with Jet Black coats ) there is no image of them since there they are black, and would appear only as 2 black blobs and if lucky, we can notice their eyes only ! ) They are the perfect tag team chasing away "intruders" ( Ginger ) should she step in into their territory.

Black is of course not really black but with a tinge of yellow coat and Saroo is a regular tabby but small sized and can be playful at times. But they are all special with personalities of their own.

Ketupat

Ketupat, originally uploaded by repin.

You may travel the whole of Malaysia, but I dare say that you would not be able to see a sight as shown in the above photo. These are ketupat/s of the best kind ! . Of course, made by my mother. It is nothing more than rice wrapped in coconut leaves and allowed to boil till cooked. Of course, the final texture of the ketupat would be dependent upon on how much rice one put in the coconut leaf casing in the first place. One can consume the ketupat with rendang, sambal, serunding and curries of one's choice ! For me I would prefer ketupats that are soft ( not very soft ! ) and it would go along fine with beef rendang and sambal ikan bilis. Picture was taken by Poh Ling ( I do not have a camera then ! ) By the way, if you are curious, those ketupats were hung to let it cool.......before their next journey.