A Merdeka Outing

It is the 31st August 2014, so a very resolute 57th year of Merdeka! 'Di sini bermula sebuah cinta'.

So much for making plans to be at Dataran Merdeka to watch the parade in the morning. We were up late the night before so there was no way it would be an early morning the next day. So for the umpteenth time now I had to watch the parade on TV. Sheesh!

But anyway, I was adamant about making it a memorable day. So when M suggested we go to KLCC by bus from Ampang, I thought what the heck, why not? Let's leave the car behind and take public transport. The bus fare is only RM1 to, but as we discovered later, RM2 fro. Did that sentence come out correct?

We walked to the bus stand and caught a RapidKL bus to (Suria) KLCC. In the bus the passengers were mostly loud Arab women and their more subdued men.  When we got there we headed for the Aquaria but there was a long queue so we ruled it out. So also the Petronas twin towers observation deck because it was fully booked for the day. So we chose to ... lepak. We lepak-d with a very cosmopolitan crowd in front of the Symphony Lake of the KLCC Park. People-watching here was fun because it seemed like the whole world has converged on to Kuala Lumpur and spending this Sunday evening here. In between the lepak-ing, we browsed the bookshop*, had tea/coffee at Dome, and later a light dinner of my favourite Caesar salad at Chinoz on the Park before going back.

We wanted to take a taxi but instead hopped onto a rickety, old Metro bus (because it beckoned!) to get back to our destination. In the bus it felt like one was in Indonesia, because nearly all the passengers were Indonesians. In fact one (Indonesian) passenger also took it upon himself to shout out destinations as we went along. Somehow I couldn't help feeling 'foreign' in the bus. Anyway its great to be hoi polloi "the many" in a very cosmopolitan Malaysia. Merdeka!

*At Kinokuniya I bought the only copy of Nigel Slater's Toast that they held, a sweet and 'warm' memento of 31st August 2014.

A Birthday Celebration at Cafe Cafe

Happy birthday A!

We celebrated A's birthday recently at an eatery that was new to me - Cafe Cafe in Jalan Maharajalela, Kuala Lumpur. Timeout deemed it to have "Continental European charm and a top class French/Italian menu in the unlikeliest of places - a dim, candle-lit nook of Jalan Maharajalela". (www. timeout.com/kuala-lumpur/restaurants-and-cafes/cafe-cafe)


The food was good, the decor mainly antique, and the ambiance, 'very the French, very the noir' (according to moi). You actually need a torchlight to read the menu! We all had either fish (salmon) or seafood. Before the main meal you get a nice sorbet (raspberry) each. Thank you SB for the wonderful treat at a restaurant with attitude!

Anyway I would never be able to find Cafe Cafe on my own but I know now its just next door to the Dewan Bahasa & Pustaka.

Coffee, Cakes & Charlie Chaplin

Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977) of the silent era movie fame is celebrated at the eponymous Cafe located at the One City Mall in Subang Jaya. His iconic screen persona of 'the Tramp' welcomes you into the cafe and is stamped on plates, serviettes, etc. The black and white decor lends an old-time ambiance to the place. You can watch some black and white films* of Charlie Chaplin while sipping some delicious coffee and savouring delectable cakes. But of course you have to be sitting at just the right tables for this.

*Some of Chaplin's movies include: Making a Living (1914), The Kid (1921), A Woman of Paris (1923), The Gold Rush (1925), The Circus (1928), City Lights (1931), Modern Times (1936),  The Great Dictator (1940), Monsieur Verdoux (1947), Limelight (1952), A King in New York (1957), A Countess from Hong Kong (1967).

The menu at the Charlie Chaplin Cafe includes more than just coffee and cakes of course, but that was what we had when we were there recently.
PS. B & A, remember the time you both were in 'the Tramp' lookalike competition years ago? Heheh!
24 August 2014

The Beach at Pulau Carey

From Kampung Sungai Bumbun the straight road goes on nearly forever through oil palms till you reach the end - the beach at Pulau Carey. There are a few ramshackle stalls (selling fish) fronting this mainly muddy, rocky beach though there is a small stretch of white sand. You see container ships on the far horizon plying the Straits of Melaka. At low tide the sea is really far out and there are families with children (and buckets) looking to find and harvest shellfish on the mudflats.

Swimming in the sea here is out of the question because the Straits of Melaka, it seems, is really rather polluted. But then the fresh sea breezes entice. So despite the stray dogs, M and I get out of the car to enjoy a few lungfuls of FSB. Huh? Fresh sea breeze, lah.

24 August 2014

A Glimpse of the Mah Meri, Pulau Carey

At long last, on the Sunday yesterday, we managed to make a road trip to Pulau Carey. The Carey Island famed for being the home of the Mah Meri* Orang Asli (Indigenous/Aboriginal people). There are five OA villages here completely 'sheltered' within the ubiquitous oil palms of the Sime Darby plantations that cover the whole island. We visited the Cultural Village at Kampung Sungai Bumbun for a glimpse of the culture of the Mah Meri although we knew (from their website) that on this day no cultural performance /demonstration was scheduled. There we met Encik Sayor who seemed to be minding the Cultural Village, and his 12 year old daughter Siti Aida. We also later met Madiah (aka Genui), Siti Aida's grand aunt. They are rather friendly but quite shy.
* pronounced Maq Miri?

A with Encik Sayor & Siti Aida (CNB 2014)

There are beautiful nipah palm and pandanus leaf weave decorations set out all over the Cultural Village. These woven decorative pieces of birds, fishes and flowers/leaves can be found by the archways and doorways and also placed in strategic positions on tables/counters and long poles. (Additional information: Take a look at our 10 sen coin. The Orang Asli motif on the back of the coin is the unique weave pattern of the Mah Meri!)

Palm leaf weave decor and rattan toys (CNB 2014)

B, Encik Sayor, Siti Aida & moi (AB 2014)

The Mah Meri belong to the Senoi subgroup which includes the Che Wong, Jah Hut*, Semoq Beri, Semai and Temiar. The Mah Meri (and Jah Hut) are famous for their wood carvings. The sculptures display their daily lives, mythical beliefs and cultural values. Their mystical wood art including wooden masks and moyang sculptures have acquired the Unesco seal of excellence.

Some Mah Meri wood art on display (CNB 2014)

Encik Sayor, A, Madiah, moi & Siti Aida (BB 2014)

From information gleaned from a few sources, the Mah Meri living in the five villages in Pulau Carey (named after the former British Civil Service Officer Valentine Carey; who acquired the island originally called Pulau Si Alang from Selangor Sultan Sulaiman) are mainly fishermen farmers with increasing numbers being employed in the oil palm plantations.

B is all smiles in a Mah Meri tempok/songkho (plaited headband)
(CNB 2014)

We hope to visit again on a day when there are performances and perhaps during the festivals of Puja Pantai and Hari Moyang (Spirit's Day) in February/March. Also to visit the open air work place of Mah Meri craftsmen (like Gali Adam), to see the haunting mask sculptures (carved out of the swamp hardwood Nyireh Batu) for which the Mah Meri are famous for.

Decorations of palm weave at the wedding dais (CNB 2014)

B, M and A pose by a moyang sculpture (CNB 2014)

At the model Rumah Moyang (AB 2014)

Mah Meri Cultural Village, Kampung Orang Asli Sungai Bumbun, 42960 Pulau Carey, Kuala Langat, Selangor.

References:
1.  www.mmcv.org.my
2.  www.bnm.gov.my/microsites/2011/coins
3.  Orang Asli and Their Wood Art/Anthony Ratos. Marshall Cavendish, 2006. Ex Libris CNB 1921

Note: The first I heard of the Mah Meri (aka Ma' Betisek) was when I met Dr Wazir Jahan Karim while working in USM. She was the first woman to do anthropological research on the Orang Asli in Pulau Carey. Her research was published as "Ma' Betisek Concepts of Living Things" (London School of Economics Monographs on Social Anthropology - 54. (1981, 2004).

A Wedding Reception at KGSAAS

During this month of Syawal, every weekend seems about fulfilling invitations to open houses or wedding kenduri/receptions. At noon today A and I attended the wedding reception of the son of my TKC friend Siti (and her husband Dato' Hamzah) at the Kelab Golf Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah (KGSAAS) in Shah Alam. We wish Zul Hafiz and bride Lilyza, Selamat Pengantin Baru! 

SA Garden Catalogue: Lady Palm

Scientific name: Rhapis excelsa
Common name: Lady palm
Family: Palmae (Alt. Arecaceae)
Origin: South China

The Lady palm or Rhapis excelsa is a cluttering fan palm with leaves split right down to the stalk into 2-12 segments. There are varieties with leaves split into 24 segments and also variegated ones. This palm grows up to 2 - 3 metres tall and is very tolerant of light conditions from full sun to deep shade. Propagation is by division of clumps.

This Lady palm is one of only two palms I have in my teeny tiny garden. I brought it from Pulau Pinang in a large ceramic container which has since split but not broken.

The August rains started mid month and have lowered the temperature a bit. With quite a bit of rain falling heavily nearly every other day, hopefully Selangor will avert any water rationing.

The Garden, Lady Palm on the right (CNB 2014)

Ref: Tropical Horticulture and Gardening/ Francis S P Ng. Ex Libris CNB 1866

Chick Flicks & Romcoms: More Indulgence

First the Wiki definition, "Chick flick is a slang term for a film genre mainly dealing with love and romance and designed to appeal to a largely female target audience. Although many types of films may be directed toward the female gender, 'chick flick' is typically used only in reference to films that are heavy with emotion or contain themes that are relationship-based (although not necessarily romantic as many other themes may be present). Chick-flicks often are released en mass around Valentines Day". Chick flicks are also 'gal films'. This sub-genre of film was traditionally known as woman's films - melodramas in the 30s and 40s.

My favourite film genre is the romcom (romantic comedy) and romantic dramas, very definitely chick flicks! So I am a hopeless romantic! I dislike horror movies and cannot really appreciate 'guy/man movies'. My favourite actors are mostly female - Meryl Streep, Sandra Bullock, Keira Knightley, Drew Barrymore, Meg Ryan.

Here are films considered chick flicks as gleaned from the Internet, most of which I have watched and enjoyed. This tedious filmography of chick flick romcoms and romantic dramas is only because I have nothing better to do love lists and ticking against them. And the movie buff in me will try to seek out those films not yet viewed while the bookworm in me will track down the books/novels associated. It is good to note that many, if not most, of these films are adapted from popular novels and literary classics. Chick flicks have become the "prominent staple of films beginning in the mid-80s".

Before 1960: Morocco 1930 - Camille 1936 - The Women 1939 - His Girl Friday 1940 - The Philadelphia Story 1940 - Rebecca 1940 - The Shop around the Corner 1940 - The Lady Eve 1941 - Notorious 1946 - Black Narcissus 1947 - All About Eve 1950 - Born Yesterday 1950 - Pat and Mike 1952 - High Society 1956 - An Affair to Remember 1957 - Island in the Sun 1957 - Imitation of Life 1959

The 60s: Breakfast at Tiffany's 1961 - Lolita 1962, 1997 based on the 1955 novel by Vladimir Nabokov about an adolescent girl who is attractive and sexually responsive and a middle-aged man obsessed with her. - My Fair Lady 1964 - Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf 1966 - Funny Girl 1968 - Romeo & Juliet 1968, 1996 based on Shakespeare's tragedy. - Belle de Jour 1967
The 70s: Love Story 1970 - Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore 1974 - Julia 1977        

The 80s: Somewhere in Time 1980 - French Lieutenant's Woman 1981 - An Officer and a Gentleman 1982 - Terms of Endearment 1983 - The Colour Purple 1985 based on a 1982 epistolary novel by Alice Walker about women of colour in Georgia in the 1930s focusing on their low position in American social culture - Desperately Seeking Susan 1985 - Smooth Talk 1985 - Aliens 1986 - She's Gotta Have it 1986 - Earth Girls are Easy 1988 - Beaches 1988 - Working Girl 1988 - Steel Magnolias 1989 - Dirty Dancing 1987 - Sixteen Candles 1987 - Bull Durham 1988 - Say Anything... 1989 - When Harry Met Sally 1989.

The 90s: Ghost 1990 - Pretty Woman 1990 - Daughters of the Dust 1991 - Fried Green Tomatoes 1991 - Thelma and Louise 1991- The Bodyguard 1992 - A League of their Own 1992 - Joy Luck Club 1993 based on the 1989 novel by Amy Tan about the relationships between Chinese-American women and their Chinese mothers - The Remains of the Day 1993 based on a 1989 novel by Kazuo Ishiguro about the perfect English butler and his fading insular world postwar England and his relationship with a former colleague, the housekeeper Miss Kenton - Sleepless in Seattle 1993 - What's Love Got to Do With It 1993 - Four Weddings & a Funeral 1994 - Little Women 1994, 1949 based on the 1868/69 novel by Louisa May Alcott. - Before Sunrise 1995 - Clueless 1995 - French Kiss 1995 - How to Make an American Quilt 1995 - Mad Love 1995 - Now and Then 1995 - Sense & Sensibility 1995 based on Jane Austen's 1811 novel about the life and loves of the Dashwood sisters. - Waiting to Exhale 1995 - While you were sleeping 1995 - Bridges of Madison County 1995 based on a 1992 best-selling novel by Robert James Waller about a married but lonely Italian woman and her affair with a National Geographic photographer who is visiting Madison County to document the covered bridges in the area. - The English Patient 1996 based on a 1994 novel by Michael Ondaatje about fate, romance and tragedy in World War II Italy. - The First Wives Club 1996 - The Truth about Cats and Dogs 1996 - Eve's Bayou 1997 - My Best Friend's Wedding 1997 -  Romy and Michele's High School Reunion 1997 - Titanic 1997 - One True Thing 1998 - City of Angels 1998 -Ever After; A Cinderella Story 1998 -   Hope Floats 1998 - Practical Magic 1998 - You've Got Mail 1998 - The Wedding Singer 1998 - 10 things I Hate about You 1999 - Never Been Kissed 1999 - Notting Hill 1999 - The Story of Us 1999 - The Virgin Suicides 1999 - A Walk on the Moon 1999.

2000s: Girlfight 2000 - Miss Congeniality 2000 -Where the Heart is 2000 - Bridget Jones Diary 2001 based on a 1996 novel by Helen Fielding about a woman determined to improve herself while she looks for love in a year in which she keeps a diary. - Kate & Leopold 2001 -  Legally Blonde 2001 - Lovely & Amazing 2001 - Monsoon Wedding 2001 - Princess Diaries 2001- 40 Days and 40 Nights 2002 - Bend it Like Beckham 2002 - Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood 2002 - The Hours 2002 - Laurel Canyon 2002 - Life or Something Like It 2002 - My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2002 - Whale Rider 2002 - Rabbit-Proof Fence 2002 based on the novel 'Follow the Rabbit Proof Fence' by Doris Pilkington Garimara about the true story of the author's mother and two other mixed-race aboriginal girls who walked 2,400 km to return to their community while being pursued by white law enforcement authorities. - How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days 2003 - Love Actually 2003 - Mona Lisa Smile 2003 - Something's Gotta Give 2003 - 13 Going on 30 2004 - 50 First Dates 2004 - Along came Polly 2004 - Before Sunset 2004 - Little Black Book 2004 - The Notebook 2004 - Raising Helen 2004 - The Perfect Man 2005 - Pride and Prejudice 2005 based on the 1813 novel by Jane Austen (the first film adaptation was made in 1940). - The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants 2005 - The Breakup 2006 - Catch and Release 2006 - The Devil Wears Prada 2006 based on the 2003 novel by Lauren Weisberger about a graduate who lands a job as co-assistant to a powerful fashion magazine editor. - The Holiday 2006 - The Lake House 2006 - 27 Dresses 2007 - Enchanted 2007 - Music and Lyrics 2007 - The Jane Austen Book Club 2007 based on the 2004 novel by Karen Jay Fowler about a book club formed specifically to discuss the six novels of Jane Austen - P.S. I Love You 2007 - Sex and the City 2008 - Twilight 2008 - Bride Wars 2009 - Ghosts of Girlfriends Past 2009 - Grey Gardens 2009 - He's Just Not That Into You 2009 - The Proposal 2009 - The Time Traveler's Wife 2009 - The Ugly Truth 2009.

2010s: Going the Distance 2010 - Life As We Know It 2010 - Remember me 2010 - The Switch 2010 - Valentine's Day 2010 - Sex and the City 2 2010 - Eat Pray Love 2010 - Friends with Benefits 2011 - Just Go with It 2011 - The Help 2011 adapted from Kathryn Stockett's 2009 novel. - No Strings Attached 2011 - Water for Elephants 2011 - Anna Karenina 2012 adapted from Leo Tolstoy's 1877 novel. - One for the Money 2012 - The Vow 2012 - The Lucky One 2012 - The Perks of being a Wallflower 2012 - .The Five-Year Engagement 2012 - Brave 2012 - Salmon Fishing in the Yemen 2012 - Hope Springs 2012 - What to Expect When You are Expecting 2012 - The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel 2012 - Austenland 2013 - The To Do List 2013 - About Time 2013 - The Big Wedding 2013 - The Bling Ring 2013 - The Call 2013 - The Heat 2013 - The Spectacular Now 2013 - The Butler 2013 - The Great Gatsby 2013, 1974 based on the 1925 novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald - Her 2014 - August: Osage Country 2014 - The Other Woman 2014 - Belle 2014 - -

Refs: 1. www.filmsite.org/greatchickflicks.html          2. www.chickflickguide.com
(In progress)

A Purple Wedding in Shangri La

A 'purplicious' wedding reception (CNB 2014)

No, it was not purple in the Shangri La of the mystic mountains but at the hotel in Jalan Sultan Ismail, Kuala Lumpur. The bride is a grand daughter of a second cousin so it was good to be able to meet up with relatives, mainly from Kedah. The food was good, enhanced with lobster from Sabah, while the entertainment interesting, with Anuar Zain, Den Bisa and Igal/Daling daling dancers from Semporna.

With mother of the bride DS Yani (BB 2014)

'Roaring' B (CNB 2014)

Wedding receptions/kenduris are always a good opportunity to keep up with family, even distant relatives. You realise that time flies because you do not recognise some of your own cousins any more and think they have grown old! (In fact some times I don't know who the old lady in the mirror is! Well, duhh!)

Father of the bride blessing the couple (CNB 2014)

Kak Harison and family from Kedah (CNB 20140

9 August 2014

A Favourite Eatery: Commando Kiosk

For the best Asam pedas in Selangor, we go to our favourite place in Taman Dagang, Ampang. To the Commando Kiosk to be exact. The proprietor is a former army commando hence the name of his eatery. Although he is from Pulau Pinang, his wife hails from Melaka, so the Asam pedas you eat here is of Melaka origin. When we eat here sekali sekala (sometimes) and reminisce about our Melaka trips, the meal just tastes so delicious.

The meal we have here is Asam pedas and rice accompanied with telur masin, ulam, sambal belacan, telur dadar and vegetables.There is no doubt about it. The Commando Kiosk serves the best Asam pedas Melaka in Selangor. Now where can we get the best Asam pedas Johor?

9 August 2014

Books I Love: Then Again

Then Again is a memoir by Diane Keaton (b. 1946), written in 2011. Actually it is a memoir of both Keaton and her mother, because 'to write about herself, Diane realised she had to write about her mother, too, and how their bond came to define both their lives'. Keaton's mother Dorothy had kept eighty-five journals about her life - herself, her marriage, her children, also her parents. So Keaton used these detailed journals to write stories about her 'restless' mother and her entire family. This book is deemed 'about a very American family with very American dreams'.

Although unmarried, Keaton had a long romantic relationship with Woody Allen. Later with Warren Beatty and then Al Pacino. At 50, she adopted a daughter, Dexter and in 1996 a son, Duke. She famously said, "I don't think that because I am not married it's made my life any less. That old maid myth is garbage".

Keaton is a favourite legendary actress (with more than forty years in the industry) although I have yet to see the film that made her famous and won her an Academy Award for Best Actress, Annie Hall (1977). Her filmography includes The Godfather trilogy (1972,1974, 1994), Looking for Mr Goodbar (1977), Manhattan (1979), Reds (1981), Father of the Bride (1991), The First Wives Club (1996),  Baby Boom (1987), Marvin's Room (1996), Hanging Up (2000), Something's Gotta Give (2003), The Family Stone (2005), Because I said So (2007), Mad Money (2008), Morning Glory (2010), The Big Wedding (2013), And So it Goes (2014), Life Itself (2014).

Ex Libris CNB 2031

Iconic Trishaws of Melaka

Melaka's iconic trishaws serves the city's tourist spots well. Both local and foreign visitors gladly board these three-wheeled vehicles for a slow ride around this Unesco Heritage site. Most of these trishaws are gaudily decorated with plastic flowers, dolls (Hello Kitty and superheroes seem to be favourites), other toys,  and even building replicas (e.g. A Famosa).  

'You have not been to Melaka if you did not ride in one of these trishaws' - Anonymous (probably an orang Melaka).

At night the trishaws become mobile 'discos' - with loud booming music and psychedelic  lights. You hear them coming even at a distance.

Note:
Melaka 'icons' are: 1. Bullock cart 2. Trishaw 3. Nyonya kebaya 4. Mousedeer 5. Wooden clogs 6. Beaded shoes 7. Belacan 8. Bakul sia 9. Traditional house 10. Cincaluk 11. Kesidang 12. Gula melaka 13. Melaka tree

Checklist of Historical Landmarks & Sites of Melaka

There is no doubt about it. We all love Melaka. It is not too near yet not too far for a weekend getaway. So much history, so much culture to be found there. We all love lists (to tick off), at least I do. So I have this list on which there are thirty historical sites in Melaka. Some we have visited recently, some a while ago, and still some not yet. So this blog post will be in progress as I try to 'complete the list' with pictures, descriptions, and ... visits to Melaka.

*7 Landmarks/sites in blue yet to be visited. Good excuses to revisit Melaka again and again.

1. Porta de Santiago of the A'Famosa fortress.
No doubt the most famous historical landmark of Melaka.








2. Ruins of St Paul's Church & Lighthouse
3. The Stadthuys was the residence of the Dutch Governor and his deputy which now houses the Museum of History & Ethnography.

4. St John's Fort
5. Proclamation of Independence Memorial
6. Bastion House
7. Christ Church
8. Kampung Hulu Mosque is the oldest mosque in Melaka.

9. Hang Li Poh's Well. Hang Li Po arrived in Melaka from China to marry Sultan Mansur Shah (1456-1477). She came with 500 retainers and they were said to have married locals and settled in what is now Bukit China.


10. Cheng Hoon Teng Temple the oldest Chinese Buddhist temple.








11. St Francis Xavier's Church

12. Sri Poyyatha Temple
13. St Peter's Church
14. Tranquerah Mosque
15. Bukit Cina

16. Melaka River 'Venice of the East'








17. Kampung Kling Mosque

18. Sam Po Kong Temple
19. Hang Jebat's Mausoleum

20. Hang Tuah's Well

21. Jonker Street (Chinatown); now Jalan Hang Jebat.








22. Hang Kasturi's Mausoleum

23. Tanjung Tuan Lighthouse
24. Hang Tuah's Mausoleum
25. Fort Supai
26. Dol Said's Mausoleum.  
27. Portuguese Well
28. Tun Teja's Mausoleum. 
29. Middleburgh Bastion

30. Dutch Graveyard
30 historical sites of Melaka

Raya at Kampung Morten, Melaka

Our Raya in Melaka would not be complete without visiting the traditional Malay village in the city - Kampung Morten. It seemed a pretty quiet third Hari Raya day when we were there, but we were lucky to be invited into the home of Hajjah Bibi and Haji Ibrahim for sembang-sembang (chats), kueh (cakes) and tea.

The house of Hajjah Bibi & Haji Ibrahim (CNB 2014)

The hospitable couple (CNB 2014)

A third generation resident of the village, Hajjah Bibi had many interesting stories to tell about life in this kampung. She divulged that even the Prime Minister of Malaysia and Chief Minister of Melaka have dropped by to say hello/salam. Her traditional kampung house is a veritable museum of Malay domestic artifacts and she does get tourists peeking in. In fact the whole village is a living museum of 'rural' life in a bend of the Melaka River.

B & Hjh Bibi in HB's daughter's bridal bedroom (CNB 2014)

Hjh Bibi's dining hall/kitchen (CNB 2014)

There are many other pretty houses in the unique Melaka style in this riverine kampung and their surroundings are very neat and tidy indeed. The container gardens around the abodes here give added charm to the 200 odd houses. The Melaka River cruise boats come up to Kampung Morten before turning back, so the houses here are lighted up at night (with spot lights on the roofs as well). Some of the houses in this heritage village offer homestay/guesthouse options for visitors to Melaka.

Pretty pink curtains and salmon red staircase of the famed
private house/museum Villa Sentosa (CNB 2014)

Blue window panes and orange staircase (CNB 2014)

Next door to Hajjah Bibi is her sister's rather famous house. The 'Merdeka' house with the Malaysian flag painted on its roof gains fame come 31st August every year. It has been featured in the news time and again.

The 'Merdeka' house in Kg Morten (CNB 2014)

Some historical facts about Kampung Morten: It is a Malay village which had its beginnings in the 1920s in a swampy area by the Melaka River. It is named after Joseph Frederick Morten, then Commisioner of Land in Malacca.    (Melaka 28-30 July 2014)