Aziz and Fatima - Malaccan Travel Helpers

Aziz and Fatima

Jonker 88 (restaurant with traditional Malaccan food) was full of Chinese but it also proved Jason right. On my table I was first joined by a Malay Tourist guide called ‘Andrew’ and a Hong Kongese tourist. After they had finished, two Malay students joined the table and the next leg of my Malaccan journey opened up.

Aziz and Fatima had a car and they showed me a Malay experience called ‘jalan, jalan’. I was staying at a hostel called ‘Jalan, jalan’ and I translated it as ‘road, road’ and then ‘crossroad’. They laughed. Like the sounds, ‘jalan, jalan’ is fun and describes many a traveller, whilst Aziz and Fatima also used it for ‘window-shopping’. To me, it meant travel for fun, without purpose.

Aziz drove us to the seaside first where lots of Malay were flying kites and then onto a beach. It was cooler and more spacious than the city. Aziz and Fatima were very bubbly and asked lots of questions about London. They both want to travel when they finished university.

Milik Ahmed, owner of the house


After, Aziz took us to a Malay Kampong (village) that’s within Malacca. We drove round and found an extraordinarily cute house. There, the house owner took us round his house, which was more like a living museum.

It was a fun few hours driving around with Aziz and Fatima.



Later that evening, I went to the weekend night market and ended up sitting at the karaoke end of Jonker Street. Next to me was a man who’s Gan Chinese (from SE China originally). He was an old guy who shared his satay and some Gan snacks. We talked about Malacca, life and China, to a backdrop of old Mandarin, Hakka, and Taiwanese songs sang live.

Life on the street is something that I miss, now I’m back in Europe. The UK is famed for its nightlife but it can be one-dimensional, based on drink and mostly for 20-30 somethings but the streets of Asia are for everyone, from the youngest kid to grandpas and grandmas. There’s food, games, shopping, lights and even some drink too, but I guess Asia has the weather for this kind of nightlife.

Traditional Malay House

















Me sitting in a cute Malay house

Jason Yoong - The Third Helper in Malacca

Jason didn't wanted to be photographed, which is surprising as he's handsome and has an intelligent look. Anyway, no portrait but some pictures from the city he loves - Malacca
Jason knows his stuff. Jason's history of Malacca came with dates, people's name and even the names of various treaties that have been made over the centuries. This went well beyond the average person. He knew the date that the Chinese temple was built, when the Dutch arrived and the start and end period of British military rule and many, many more things.

He even told me that a Chinese junk from 600 AD was discovered in 1999 off the coast of Java and speculated that the Chinese have been at the very least, trading in this area since those times. He also added, to my admittedly stretchy knowledge of Cheng He, that he was chosen because he was a Muslim. This would make trade negotiations between the Chinese and Javanese/Malay easier because Muslims see other Muslims as brothers and are able to relate to them better and quicker.

As we talked more Jason shared with me his views on modern Malaysia and in particular Malacca. He said “I believe that our forefathers wanted integration (between the races) and I think it has worked, especially here in Malacca. Malacca’s a unique case as this integration and mixing of races has been going on for five hundred years. Malacca’s too small a place for the races to remain separate.”

I then asked Jason, what makes this mixing of races so success, he said “Respect for each other is what’s brings us together” then he stopped and thought about it more “What’s the most important thing…… Yes, it’s respect!”

Jason was very proud of Malacca’s UNESCO’s status and felt that even people in Malacca didn’t really know what an achievement this is. He wants more people in Malacca to understand this. I really enjoyed talking with Jason. He knew his stuff and he spoke with passion. The next day at the museum on Malacca’s history I was more enthusiastic than normal about a place’s history and I believe that was thanks to Jason.

Interior of a Nyonya House - Baboon House in this case


I was getting hungry, so I said “Jason, I’m hungry. Can you recommend somewhere for me to eat?
“Can you eat spicy?”
“Yes, well, a bit.”
“Jonker 88, still makes traditional Nyonya food.”
“Can you recommend a dish?”
“Baba Laksa, do you want spicy or sour?”
“I’ll go for spicy.”
“Be quick, they close at five.”
Jason gave me the card for the place. That’s was the last time I saw Jason but our conversation will last a long time in my memory. Also on his business card it has 'Melaka Intangible Cultural Heritage', perhaps that's another reason why Jason's history is so good. He's certainly the right man for the job.

Travel without a Guide Book - Thomas

This is Thomas, my second guide to Melaka

Perhaps I ate the toast the wrong way. The man at the next table had his feet up and dunked buttered toast into milky tea. He looked very cosy, anyway, the toast was ok but not fulling enough, so I ordered some minced pork noodles from a guy called Thomas.

I liked himself straight away as he continued to chat in Chinese while I ordered breakfast. He also agreed to answer some questions after I'd finished breakfast.

Thomas, originally from Kuala Lumpur, has been retired for 15 years and now lives most of the time in Malaka but still also has a house in KL. He runs a small noodle stall at a coffee shop with his wife.

Thomas "It's more relaxing in Melaka, free time is concentrated into coffee shops as there's not much in the way of nightlife."

Me "What's do you enjoy about Melaka?'

Thomas "There's more good than not good. The people are friendier, you spend less and the races mix much more. Here, you always see Indians in Chinese places and Malay in Indian places and so on."

Me "Why does that happen more here?"

Thomas "I think it's because the communities are smaller here. In KL they all have big communities, so there's less need to go outside their community but here, because the communities are smaller, people mix more."


Thomas next to his noodle stall - food's very cheap here

Thomas really liked his life in Melaka. He recommanded that I should go to the Cheng Hoon Teng Temple as its the oldest Chinese Temple in Southeast Asia.







Woman burning incense sticks - in the week of Guanyin's Birthday

At the Cheng Hoon Teng Temple, things were really busy. I talked to the woman (and her family) in the picture. She was here because on the following Tuesday was Guanyin's Birthday (the God of Mercy). She strongly recommend that I come here early on Tuesday morning.



Photos and memorial plaques for the dead

I meet another man called Thomas, and his family in the room with the memorial plaques for the dead. He had come to pay respect to his dead relatives. This place in the temple is replacing traditional Chinese graves as they're cheaper and they don't take up so much land. Thomas brought his young children with him so that they can learn more about their culture.

Birds being released at the Temple

First Helper in Malacca

Ray, outside Red Handicraft





It was eight thirty and left to my own devices I found myself in a trendy cafe bar called Limau Limau.

My habits ruled and my nose took me to coffee. I decided not to eat breakfast here but to ask the owner instead for suggestions.

Jasmine, the owner, suggested I talk with Ray, her most loyal customer. Jasmine has only lived in Malacca for five years and felt that I needed to speak to a real Malaccan.

Ray was tucking into a healthy fruit salad breakfast. He's probably in his 30's and runs a shop called 'Red Handicraft' (Blog with photos of Ray and his shop)which specializes in papercuts.

"My favourite place, a place where I take friends is Jalan Bunga Raya, in the old cinema area. I always take my friends from China there. They do great 'doygan' (soyabean cakes). It's a simple setup, just on the side of a street."

Shellfish at the roadside place Ray recommended

The crowd at the roadside cafe


Later in the week, Ray took me here and also to the Portuguese area of town, where we had a Portuguese style meal. The people still speak Portuguese but in a 17th dialect.













The subject of food took Ray on to traditional food.

"This place used to be full of traditional food and cheap it was too. Not like now. The traditional ways are going, sadly and in more ways then one. It used to be very safe here. There was no need to lock your doors but now, break-ins are common. People get into house through the airwells looking for antiques."

Antique dealers and migrants got much of the blame for this change in Malacca's fortunes.
Jasmine and Ray also talked about streets names. I remember Jasmine said about Goolie Street and that it was the place for very cheap labour. Oh, so Koolie is a Malay word.

We talked a lot but my stomach got the better of me. I asked for a breakfast suggestion.

Ray "Here's great. The food's healthy and delicious."
Me "Yes, this does look great! But I want to eat what locals eat. Do you have any suggestions for a more traditional breakfast"
Ray "Ok, toast and jam."

Ray gave me the directions. It was only a couple of minutes away. Unfortuately, I didn't record the name of the place but it's on the corner of Jalan Kampung Kuli and Lorong Hang Jebat.

Travel Through People

Cowboy Lim - the first famous trishaw driver in Malaka


It was simple, NO TRAVEL GUIDE! Also no looking up travel information on the web either. I was going to Malaysia and Singapore, two countries where most people speak English and I’ve been travelling for twenty years, so wasn’t it time I did something different.

Don’t get me wrong. I think travel books are great! They’re motivational and inspirational, encouraging wayward spenders to forsake some excesses and save for a dream holiday. I remember the magic of buying a Lonely Planet to India and reading about rat temples, Shiva and the countless Indian gods, Varanasi, the Himalayas and countless other exotic and exciting Indiapeadia. But travel books can give you too much information!

Mother and son releasing birds on Guanyin's Birthday















Many travellers end up in the same hotels and restaurants, go to the same tourist sights and experience nearly the same experiences because of travel guides. Obviously, this is very sociable and a great way to make friends but most of this socializing is with people from similar backgrounds. Thanks to guide books, many people don’t need to talk to people in the country they’re visiting; hotel workers, waiters and travel agents being the exceptions. Add in modern devices such as Ipods, GPS, laptops, Wifi and this result is multiplied.

Me and Tan Hoon Keong at La salle's St Joseph School






So to inject ‘the need to communicate’ into my travels I ditched the travel guide for a two week trip to Malaysia. I had been there before and I knew that English and Chinese was widely spoken and in general Malaysia was a medium cost and easy country to get around. It wasn’t that radical but the results were, especially in Malacca, the place where I‘ve never been before and had no contacts.

Some school children taking photos at St Paul's Church

In Malacca, I kept meeting people and I built up an impression of Malaka that extended beyond places. The history came alive as different people gave their version of it and not only the history of Malaka but personal history too. I met some people a few times and got taken to places that I think I’d have gone with a guide book.

But the best part was how warm and generous people were with their time.

A woman visiting a temple for Guanyin's birthday

Malaysian Strangers

Hi

Xinyi, outside the Sun Yat Sen Museum

This post is long overdue. I met these people back in June/July when I went to Malaysia for six weeks.

Two of the strangers are mother and daughter, Jessie and Xinyi. They both work at the Sun Yat Sen Museum in Penang. I learned lots of things there, like Sun Yat Sen was kidnapped in London and that he was a bit of a fugitive, moving around alot and I get the sense that he had a women here and there.

The museum itself is in a beautiful old Chinese townhouse on Armenia Street. The house is very long as frontage was taxable and incorporated several feng shui elements into its design. There's a an airwell that lets in wind and water, satisfying the feng shui as the Chinese believe that water flowing in, means wealth coming to the family and it also cools down the house. The Penang Convention was staged here, this led to the Guangzhou upraising in China and eventually the fall of dynastry rule in China. Pretty monumental historical event, eh.

Jessie and Xinyi

Xinyi, the daughter, is a very cheerful and charming girl. She took me around the museum explaining the history of the man and the place. She speaks English, Malay and Chinese, and works at the museum on Sundays. She thinks Europe is very romantic and its her dream to travel Europe one day - go girl, I'm sure you'll be in Europe sooner than you think.

Jessie, told me about the feng shui elements of the house and showed me a video of Sun Yat Sen's life (probably where I got the idea that he had a few women in his life). Like her daughter she's very helpful and cheerful.

Kheng

Kheng works at 79 Travellers Lodge in Penang. He's an incredibly kind and helpful man. All the people I met at the hostel loved him because of his consideration to people's needs. I enjoyed chatting with him, especially as he entertained my Chinese.

I have passed a 100 strangers already but I haven't posted them yet. More on this soon.