Melaka

Pudaraya bus station in KL is like Union Station except in the third world - equally chaotic and haphazard and frenetic except instead of computerized message boards and platform schedules you have two men standing around posting times and locations. Somehow the system actually works, and pretty well at that.

The hotel that we're staying at and the surrounding area in Melaka is/was populated by Baba Nonyas - this old Chinese (really rich) community. The houses are narrow but use an atrium style with the middle consisting of a garden and the upper level rooms all shuttered, opening to the middle (garden). It reminds me very much of some houses in India. Melaka is incredibly interesting - very culturally diverse and totally walkable. Imraan and I have now come to realize that everywhere there is a Chinatown in the world it is usually the smelliest part of the city. Imraan's theory is that the Chinese govt deliberately plants these communities to cleanse their own country of the smelly people. Anyhow, Melaka is this old colonial city that has Portuguese, Dutch, Muslim, Hindu, Budhist influences. A lot of the architecture here including the mosques have this mix of architecture. For instance we found many of the mosques to resemble pagodas and be wooden with all sorts of cool Hindu-style inlays and a Victorian chandelier...it works in this eclectic way. The ceremonies at the Chinese temples are so interesting to watch - all the food offerings and incense for the deceased and they also leave out furniture for the deceased to make them comfortable in the afterlife.

I must say that the highlight of Melaka was the Saturday night street fair. Jonkers Street in the middle of town was shutdown for traffic, much as you find in Boston or NYC fairs, except much more lively and colorful. The streets are PACKED with stalls - ppl selling everything from satay to trinkets, and even demenstrations on the latest ginger grinder gadget. Karaoke is big thing for these people - I have no clue why. At the end of the road Imraan and I found ourselves stuck in a massive crown staring at this huge stage with a team of 10 Chinese ladies in sparkly silver outfits passionately line dancing to "Love Shack", "Grease Lightening", and some disco song "Sexy." We couldn't stop watching, it was the best thing we'd witnessed yet. The moves were basically indescribable, it was better than watching Telemundo (think of some off beat hip jerks and the pointy finger Travolta move). I can now understand their obsession with Bollywood - shiny outfits and lip synching is all these people need to survive. On that note, I must mention that people here are oddly fascinated about where Imraan and I are from. They think that we're some anomoly "Indian?!...but your skin...its so light??..." motioning to our arms. Really strange. I look like an idiot and just shrug my shoulders while Imraan laughs at them (or with them).

Overall Melaka is great sleepy little town with a bunch of historical buildings and mix of pretty laid back people.