Sunday, August 20, 2006

Melaka Historical City

I got a malay wedding invitation yesterday. The place - a friend's house in Melaka. Thinking I could still find my way, I didn't bring the invitation card - the map was in it. I haven't been to Melaka for quite some times. Some of the roads looks different. Needless to say, I made a huge round before finally reaching the destination.

By the time I reached the house, the 'kenduri' (eating part) was pretty much nearing the end. The 'bersanding' and 'makan beradat' has very much ended. Thus, I could not elaborate on those. The food was delicous - 'nasi minyak' (rice cooked in herbs), 'daging masak kurma' (beef cooked in spices and coconut milk - i think). After meeting the bride (my friend) and the groom, as well as the mother of the bride, I left.

I went for a drive in Melaka town for awhile before stopping at some of the shops in Jalan Hang Tuah. Hang Tuah is actually a lagendary Malay warrior. He and his friends, Hang Jebat, Hang Lekiu, Hang Kasturi, and Hang Lekir, are better known as Hang Tuah Lima Bersaudara (somewhat translated into The Brotherhood of Hang Tuah).

Back to the shops in Jalan Hang Tuah. There were side walk cafes. The cafes were more like up-scale foodstalls. What grabbed my attention was the sign board "Tempat bertemu / Meeting point". The shops mostly sell clothes and textiles. After browsing through the materials, quality goods with reasonable price, I left.

On my way back to the highway, there were a "Pasar Malam" (night market). Night market is most probably a Malaysian affair. Malaysian love to go to their "Pasar Malam". There were a lot of people at the "pasar malam". You can find almost all essential things - raw food like beef, chicken, fishes; clothes; cooking utensil; etc. If not all, most, at a very cheap price. However, the organization of the stalls was not to my liking. Raw meat was sold next to cooked food. Unlike other "pasar malam" that I've been to where the 'wet' and 'dry' goods are segregated.

Even so, I enjoyed my shot trip to Melaka.

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