When you become too heavy for me to carry,
I will still hold you tight in my arms.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
When The Aunt Met The Nephews
My dear nephews,
When you become too heavy for me to carry,
I will still hold you tight in my arms.
When you become too heavy for me to carry,
I will still hold you tight in my arms.
When One Cousin Met Another
My fourth brother Ah Yu's family of three were flying back to Malaysia from Japan for Dad's memorial service. We were in charge of fetching them home. The day of their arrival, Mum, my eldest brother Seng and my third brother Leong's son Zer Yih came to Melaka first. Due to the limited space in the car, Mum decided not to join us to the airport.
Zer Yih had never been to the airport.
He was very excited to explore the departure and arrival halls, and to see aeroplanes on the ground.
When Ah Yu and Emi appeared with their baby Yuri,
Zer Yih knew that the cousin he had seen only in the web cam and pictures previously was right in front of him in person. He could touch and played with the little baby who was almost eight years less than he.
He immediately became a loving cousin to Yuri.
So the next day, I assigned to him the task of taking pictures of Yuri when I was busy with preparing breakfast. He happily accepted the job.
This was Yuri in Zer Yih's eyes:
We adults like to take the portrait of others when they smile, children do not.
And Zer Yih was artistic enough to create some special effects.
When Yuri grows up, he must also admire his cousin's talent of photography.
Zer Yih had never been to the airport.
He was very excited to explore the departure and arrival halls, and to see aeroplanes on the ground.
When Ah Yu and Emi appeared with their baby Yuri,
Zer Yih knew that the cousin he had seen only in the web cam and pictures previously was right in front of him in person. He could touch and played with the little baby who was almost eight years less than he.
He immediately became a loving cousin to Yuri.
So the next day, I assigned to him the task of taking pictures of Yuri when I was busy with preparing breakfast. He happily accepted the job.
This was Yuri in Zer Yih's eyes:
We adults like to take the portrait of others when they smile, children do not.
And Zer Yih was artistic enough to create some special effects.
When Yuri grows up, he must also admire his cousin's talent of photography.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Melaka: Mini Malaysia & Mini ASEAN
I was planning to bring Kimly to the Historical and Ethnography Museum at the Stadhuys for his last afternoon programme in Melaka. After I had introduced him to my colleague Sara, an expert of the cultures and ticketing subjects, she suggested that the Mini Malaysia and Mini ASEAN would be an interesting place to visit for my French guest.
When we reached this large theme park, there was sadly no sign of other visitors. The previous time I went there with Edidav, the number of visitors was barely more than ten. Tourists did not seem to be attracted by the culture and life of the people of Malaysia and other ASEAN countries. What a shame!
We were impressed by the replicas of traditional houses from the thirteen states of Malaysia.
Inside each house, we found various handicrafts originating from each state.
We had the privilege to have the whole group of dancers to perform on stage just for two of us. Their sincere smiles and energetic movements assured us that as long as there was one spectator, they would always show their professionalism.
After the short cultural show, it was the nap time.
Wake up, Kimly! We had yet studied the similar but by no means identical designs and structures of many houses.
Inside the Melakan house, we discovered some traditional costumes hanging at a corner, which arouse our naughty minds again. We looked around, nobody else was there. Now began our own cultural show!
Kimly was excited to find out which Nyonya lady would become his bride
while I was waiting for my Baba husband to give me a hug.
We could not stop giggling at our silly acts. At the same time we had to be careful not to be seen by the staff.
After the nonsense, we were a bit tired to visit the rest of the houses. But since we had a lot of free time left, we decided to walk longer.
Being an Malaysian, many ASEAN houses also looked exotic to me.
Kimly learnt more about the home country of his parents through its traditional house.
We were quite disappointed with the lack of maintenance inside the beautiful architecture, though we understood that most of the visitors would not even bother to visit those ASEAN houses which were so far off from Mini Malaysia and were scattered everywhere.
Kimly left Melaka to go back to Penang that evening. I was glad to have accomplished my mission. Kimly, I hope that you will not remember the nonsense we did more than the places we visited!
When we reached this large theme park, there was sadly no sign of other visitors. The previous time I went there with Edidav, the number of visitors was barely more than ten. Tourists did not seem to be attracted by the culture and life of the people of Malaysia and other ASEAN countries. What a shame!
We were impressed by the replicas of traditional houses from the thirteen states of Malaysia.
Inside each house, we found various handicrafts originating from each state.
We had the privilege to have the whole group of dancers to perform on stage just for two of us. Their sincere smiles and energetic movements assured us that as long as there was one spectator, they would always show their professionalism.
After the short cultural show, it was the nap time.
Wake up, Kimly! We had yet studied the similar but by no means identical designs and structures of many houses.
Inside the Melakan house, we discovered some traditional costumes hanging at a corner, which arouse our naughty minds again. We looked around, nobody else was there. Now began our own cultural show!
Kimly was excited to find out which Nyonya lady would become his bride
while I was waiting for my Baba husband to give me a hug.
We could not stop giggling at our silly acts. At the same time we had to be careful not to be seen by the staff.
After the nonsense, we were a bit tired to visit the rest of the houses. But since we had a lot of free time left, we decided to walk longer.
Being an Malaysian, many ASEAN houses also looked exotic to me.
Kimly learnt more about the home country of his parents through its traditional house.
We were quite disappointed with the lack of maintenance inside the beautiful architecture, though we understood that most of the visitors would not even bother to visit those ASEAN houses which were so far off from Mini Malaysia and were scattered everywhere.
Kimly left Melaka to go back to Penang that evening. I was glad to have accomplished my mission. Kimly, I hope that you will not remember the nonsense we did more than the places we visited!
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Melaka: Unplanned Visit II
I was still full with Indian snacks that Shiv had offered to us earlier. But Kimly who usually skipped breakfast and only ate two meals a day would definitely need a heavy dinner to charge him up until the following lunch time. The Newton foodcourt was just opposite the Taming Sari tower to offer him a wide choice.
There were two sections: Chinese food and "halal" food. So far everytime I went there, I always searched for my own roots.
Kimly first ordered sizzling noodles. When I thought of taking a picture of the dish, he was already attacking his second order, claypot noodles.
I was not surprised at his appetite. When I first came back from France, I also noticed that the serving in Malaysia was half the size of the serving in France. But the price was at least five times less. Thanks to the humble Asian portions, I succeeded in losing all the extra weight that I had gained with my enlarged stomach.
Kimly loved all types of noodles. As his parents raised him up as a Chinese, he had no problem eating with chopsticks.
Doesn't his look remind you of one of your cousins or your friend's brother in Malaysia?
It was still early to go back. We returned to the A Famosa area to have the night view.
The Maritime Museum sent me back to the sixteenth century when the Portuguese navigators placed their feet on Melaka ground.
There were hardly any other visitors at the historical sites. People seemed to more enjoy shopping inside the Pahlawan Mall.
The staircase leading to St Paul Church was not illuminated. We were not sure if that was to discourage us from climbing upstairs. However, we managed to reach the ruins again in the dark. The full moon was just behind the statue of St Francis Xvier.
We tried to take a few pictures from different angles to produce funny effects: St Francis with an aureole,
a shining ball on Kimly's head
and in my hands.
Later when I told my colleague about this, she said that actually it was forbidden to go up there at night, for safety and probably religious reasons.
Thank God we were not caught by the religious officers. Anyway, I would have argued that we were three, not two.
With St Francis, of course.
There were two sections: Chinese food and "halal" food. So far everytime I went there, I always searched for my own roots.
Kimly first ordered sizzling noodles. When I thought of taking a picture of the dish, he was already attacking his second order, claypot noodles.
I was not surprised at his appetite. When I first came back from France, I also noticed that the serving in Malaysia was half the size of the serving in France. But the price was at least five times less. Thanks to the humble Asian portions, I succeeded in losing all the extra weight that I had gained with my enlarged stomach.
Kimly loved all types of noodles. As his parents raised him up as a Chinese, he had no problem eating with chopsticks.
Doesn't his look remind you of one of your cousins or your friend's brother in Malaysia?
It was still early to go back. We returned to the A Famosa area to have the night view.
The Maritime Museum sent me back to the sixteenth century when the Portuguese navigators placed their feet on Melaka ground.
There were hardly any other visitors at the historical sites. People seemed to more enjoy shopping inside the Pahlawan Mall.
The staircase leading to St Paul Church was not illuminated. We were not sure if that was to discourage us from climbing upstairs. However, we managed to reach the ruins again in the dark. The full moon was just behind the statue of St Francis Xvier.
We tried to take a few pictures from different angles to produce funny effects: St Francis with an aureole,
a shining ball on Kimly's head
and in my hands.
Later when I told my colleague about this, she said that actually it was forbidden to go up there at night, for safety and probably religious reasons.
Thank God we were not caught by the religious officers. Anyway, I would have argued that we were three, not two.
With St Francis, of course.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Melaka: Unplanned Visit I
Night started to fall when we came out from my former colleague Shiv's house. Kimly managed to take a picture of the state mosque while I was driving.
I planned to bring him for dinner at the Newton foodcourt. When we reached there, we realized that the tower we had seen in the afternoon was right in front of us!
The Taming Sari gyro tower was officially opened for business on the 18 April 2008. It was one of the destinations of the double-decker bus.
The tickets cost RM10 to Malaysians and RM20 to foreigners. I was upset with this difference of prices. In France, I always paid the same entrance fees and tuition fees as the locals. But Kimly was used to this discrimination that he had experienced in Penang.
I told Kimly, "If I succeed in making you pay only the local price, you'll pay my entrance ticket then."
I approached the counter and told the casher that we were two. She required me to show my Mycard and typed down my state of origine. Without asking for Kimly's identity card, she passed to me a ticket for two persons in exchange of RM20.
Kimly, as long as he did not utter a word, would always be considered as a Chinese Malaysian.
We got into the glass cabin which revolved as it rose from the ground to the top of the tower.
We had a 360-degree panoramic view of Melaka town and beyond.
From 100 metres' height, everything on the ground was like a miniature. I recognized my car which looked like a matches box.
The viewing session lasted about seven minutes, which was just nice before we got bored.
Thanks for your treat, Kimly!
I planned to bring him for dinner at the Newton foodcourt. When we reached there, we realized that the tower we had seen in the afternoon was right in front of us!
The Taming Sari gyro tower was officially opened for business on the 18 April 2008. It was one of the destinations of the double-decker bus.
The tickets cost RM10 to Malaysians and RM20 to foreigners. I was upset with this difference of prices. In France, I always paid the same entrance fees and tuition fees as the locals. But Kimly was used to this discrimination that he had experienced in Penang.
I told Kimly, "If I succeed in making you pay only the local price, you'll pay my entrance ticket then."
I approached the counter and told the casher that we were two. She required me to show my Mycard and typed down my state of origine. Without asking for Kimly's identity card, she passed to me a ticket for two persons in exchange of RM20.
Kimly, as long as he did not utter a word, would always be considered as a Chinese Malaysian.
We got into the glass cabin which revolved as it rose from the ground to the top of the tower.
We had a 360-degree panoramic view of Melaka town and beyond.
From 100 metres' height, everything on the ground was like a miniature. I recognized my car which looked like a matches box.
The viewing session lasted about seven minutes, which was just nice before we got bored.
Thanks for your treat, Kimly!
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Melaka: Old Town III
We were going to walk a few more hours. In France, I had learnt to appreciate my tanned skin. Carrying an umbrella under the hot sun was no question to us. But once awhile, we still enjoyed a short refreshing moment of being sheltered under huge trees.
To give us more motivation for the afternoon visit, an ice-cream was necessary.
The A Famosa-Porta de Santiago was another famous landmark of Melaka. The Portuguese had brought their civilization two centuries earlier than the Dutch. Now only ruins of the fort and its gateway remained.
The Sultanate Palace now housed the Cultural Museum. The architectural design was based on the description found in the "Malay Annals".
We walked up the stairs
to St Paul's Church.
Once a leading prayer house for the Portuguese, it later became a burial ground for the Dutch noble dead.
From there, Kimly noticed a gyro tower which seemed totally unknown to me. I had no idea where it was, but we decided to find out its location later.
To give us more motivation for the afternoon visit, an ice-cream was necessary.
The A Famosa-Porta de Santiago was another famous landmark of Melaka. The Portuguese had brought their civilization two centuries earlier than the Dutch. Now only ruins of the fort and its gateway remained.
The Sultanate Palace now housed the Cultural Museum. The architectural design was based on the description found in the "Malay Annals".
We walked up the stairs
to St Paul's Church.
Once a leading prayer house for the Portuguese, it later became a burial ground for the Dutch noble dead.
From there, Kimly noticed a gyro tower which seemed totally unknown to me. I had no idea where it was, but we decided to find out its location later.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Melaka: Old Town II
The Jalan Hang Jebat, with another popular name of Jonker's Street, has an ordinary look during daytime.
Towards the end of the week, this antique row where you can find three-hundred-year-old artifacts become very animated because of the increase of tourists and the stalls in front of the shops which light the whole street up. It used to make me excited to buy all kind of cute objects when I first came to Melaka. This is also the place where I experienced a crazy count-down with Melakan friends at the New Year Eve of 2006 and where I received free mandarins with Edidav just before the Chinese New Year of 2007.
Kimly only spent Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in Melaka. Regrettably, he would miss the night market. Never mind, we could still discover some interesting sites.
When I first came to Melaka, I was very impressed by the length of some old shop lots and I loved to visit the interior of these buildings. From the entry of a shop, you must walk past one or two courtyards before you can reach the toilet! There were two courtyards that I wanted to show him particularly. The first one was inside a souvenir shop;
The other one was inside a restaurant which was like a Chinese palace.
As we stayed there quite some time to take pictures
and pose everywhere,
we felt that it would be more polite just to have our lunch there, though I knew that the decoration of this franchise restaurant
was more appealing than its dishes which were not as nice as the two other chicken rice balls restaurants on the same road.
Even the chef was wondering whether he could sell more ducks or chickens.
I was not a fan of rice balls. I remember Dad thought that those were fish balls when he first saw them! After Kimly had tried this Melakan speciality, he agreed with me that normal rice was tastier.
Towards the end of the week, this antique row where you can find three-hundred-year-old artifacts become very animated because of the increase of tourists and the stalls in front of the shops which light the whole street up. It used to make me excited to buy all kind of cute objects when I first came to Melaka. This is also the place where I experienced a crazy count-down with Melakan friends at the New Year Eve of 2006 and where I received free mandarins with Edidav just before the Chinese New Year of 2007.
Kimly only spent Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in Melaka. Regrettably, he would miss the night market. Never mind, we could still discover some interesting sites.
When I first came to Melaka, I was very impressed by the length of some old shop lots and I loved to visit the interior of these buildings. From the entry of a shop, you must walk past one or two courtyards before you can reach the toilet! There were two courtyards that I wanted to show him particularly. The first one was inside a souvenir shop;
The other one was inside a restaurant which was like a Chinese palace.
As we stayed there quite some time to take pictures
and pose everywhere,
we felt that it would be more polite just to have our lunch there, though I knew that the decoration of this franchise restaurant
was more appealing than its dishes which were not as nice as the two other chicken rice balls restaurants on the same road.
Even the chef was wondering whether he could sell more ducks or chickens.
I was not a fan of rice balls. I remember Dad thought that those were fish balls when he first saw them! After Kimly had tried this Melakan speciality, he agreed with me that normal rice was tastier.
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