A Rendezvous with Colonial History at Kellie's Castle

Yesterday we went to a wedding kenduri (feast) in Batu Gajah, Perak. Just before reaching the venue, we spotted what looked like a 'tourist stop' along the way. Serendipity! It turned out to be Kellie's Castle, a must-see spot of history in the state of Perak.

A building of Moorish architecture, this castle, also deemed 'Kellie's folly' was abandoned when its owner died.

(In progress - will be more substantial about the research and writing later. Soon I hope!)

Landmarks of Selangor: Menara Mesiniaga

Whenever I take the Federal Highway from Shah Alam to Kuala Lumpur and vice versa, this particular landmark stands out when in the Petaling Jaya/Subang Jaya stretch. In fact even while driving, I cannot help stealing glances at this architectural wonder that won the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 1995.

The Menara Mesiniaga (office of Business Machines Pte Ltd) is a 14-storey circular tower built in 1992. This 'most unconventional' and 'high-tech corporate showcase' was designed by architect Ken Yeang who espouses a 'green' philosophy in his work.

Among the design features are the vertical landscaping, and the incorporation of low-energy features that are ideal for our tropical climate.

Moroccan Pavilion at Taman Botani Putrajaya

We wanted to walk around the Taman Botani Putrajaya or Botanic Gardens of Putrajaya (after Ebak's wedding reception), but by the time we got there, it was raining. It was just as well that by chance we'd parked in front of the Astaka Morocco or Moroccan Pavilion, and so we walked around it to gaze in awe at the fantastic architectural details of this beautiful complex of grand arches, wonderfully decorated walls and doors and a quite lavish garden of palms and fountains. A serendipitous encounter of the most awesome kind!

The dominant archways welcome visitors into the courtyards and gardens.  The buildings are decorated with colourful tiles in geometric patterns and adorned with exquisite Islamic calligraphy. Even the door details warrant long lingering examination.

The architecture in Morocco is said to be 'a blend of Black African and Islamic design styles, with the Islamic styles dominating this combination'. Their artistic heritage had been 'enriched by the cultural contribution of Muslim Andalucia'. We'd never been to Morocco but you bet it is on my bucket list. This Moroccan Pavilion is but a tiny hint of the splendours of Moroccan architecture, I'm sure.

This one example of Moroccan architecture is indeed breathtaking. The water element in the garden courtyard runs straight through the complex ending in a beautiful fountain in the main building. Lovely brass lamps adorn the ceilings. Even the floor tiles are very admirable. But our harsh tropical climate has made it a challenge in the upkeep of this complex. We notice some broken tiles and the scaffolding around the archways into the grounds.

The scaffolding are but a minor distraction because nothing can detract from the beauty of the complex's architectural details. The exquisite door decorations of wood carving and brass knockers just warrant close-up pictures. As do the colourful tiles and other decorations of walls, ceilings and floors.

The Moroccan Pavilion exude breathtaking Moroccan architecture with its rich artistic and alluring decorations. But don't just take my word for it. Visit it the next time you find yourself in Putrajaya, and be prepared to be mesmerised. And feel as though you have been transported to Morocco. Enjoy the (vicarious) travel.                                                             1 November 2014

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)

A Peek into the Istana Alam Shah

Recently we had the privilege of joining a small group which were given a tour of  Istana Alam Shah, the Selangor royal palace in Klang.

Before going into the Palace proper, we were given a tour of the Royal Automobile Gallery housing the Sultan of Selangor's official and private cars. These include Rolls Royces, Ferraris, Jaguars, etc. and the vintage car used to complete the Peking-to-Paris Motor Challenge in 1997 to promote Malaysia.

A stone's throw away from the Gallery is the Selangor Football Museum, small but very interesting. The history of the Selangor team is traced here and one of the displays is Mokhtar Dahari's jersey worn at his last game.

At the Palace there was a welcome briefing by palace officials who then showed us around the various rooms and spaces. Among others, we were shown the Balai Santapan Diraja (Royal Banquet Room) that can seat a thousand guests.

We were also shown around the Balai Dewan Diraja (Council of the Royal Court Chamber), the Balairong Seri (Throne Room), the Royal Guest Bedroom, etc. All over there are paintings, photographs and artifacts that document and exhibit the important moments of the Sultan of Selangor and his family.

The afternoon visit ended with a high tea in fine dining style prepared by the palace chef. It was a memorable outing that gave us an insight into the life of the Selangor royal family.

5.55 pm

Snapshots: Manhole Covers

Manhole covers are quite interesting to look at, in some countries more than others. I usually take a photo if I come across a 'pretty' one in the course of walking around cities during my travels lately. I have yet to spot a 'nice' one here in Malaysia. I never really thought much about manhole covers but I know they serve a very important function. Ypma believes they are potent symbols of change ...

"The manhole cover is a potent symbol of the changes brought to society by the Industrial Revolution. With the increased pace of life, modern necessities such as power, sewerage and drainage all had to be organised, preferably out of view. The 'utilities' would issue their own 'manhole cover', cast in the graphic style of the company." - Herbert Ypma in London Minimum*

1. Georgetown, Pulau Pinang

A Georgetown manhole cover (CNB 2014)

2. Wellington, New Zealand

 A Wellington manhole cover

3. Kurashiki, Japan

4. Osaka, Japan

5. (Pic) Berlin, Germany

* Ref: London Minimum/Herbert Ypma. Thames & Hudson, 2010. Ex Libris CNB 2036

Note: President of the US, Barack Obama is now in Malaysia from 26-28 April 2014 - described as a historic visit. I don't remember Lyndon B Johnson's first visit of an American President to Malaysia in 1966, except for the fact that one Felda settlement Labu Jaya was renamed Kampung Lyndon B. Johnson after him on the occasion of him dropping by there.

Books I Love: The World's Greatest Architecture

My copy of 'The World's greatest architecture'

Architecture is a fascinating subject. Although I have had the privilege of visiting some of the wonders of built structures in the world, yet there are just so many to be awed by. So to enable me to enjoy great buildings at the turn of a page, I bought this book of "The World's greatest architecture; past and present" by D. M. Field. As the cover promises, it is 'an illustrated celebration with over 600 photographs'.
The book explores buildings from the earliest times to the 20th century. The contents cover: 1. The Ancient world  2. The Classical world  3. The Medieval world  4. Renaissance to Baroque  5. Baroque to Revivalism 6. The Far East  7. South Asia  8. Islam and 9. The 20th Century.

The author describes each of the buildings with helpful details for the lay person (including moi). The photographs as well as the history of the landmark structures make for very interesting referencing. I am constantly reading this book whenever I feel like visiting a country (often times, vicariously only, heh-heh).

The World's greatest architecture; past and present / D. M. Field. Hermes House, 2010. 
Ex Libris CNB 1988

World Wonder Architecture 2: The Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China is the largest man-made structure in the world and has a total length of about 4000 miles/6400 kilometers. It stretches across northern China into Central Asia.

In 221 BC the Qin emperor Shih Huang-di united China and had early sections of the wall (made of rammed earth) linked and rebuilt into a single system. The purpose being to defend settled communities from nomadic invaders. The 15th-16th century Ming dynasty saw to the present structure - a complex of fortified walls and constructed of masonry (though the original was sometimes faced with bricks). In general the wall is about 30ft/9m high, and the towers about 40ft/12m. The wall is up to 12ft/3.75m across, enabling a column of ten men wide to march along it. The wall did deter raiding parties but did not prevent large-scale invasions. After the Manchu conquest of 1644, the frontier moved farther north and the Great Wall became redundant. It deteriorated over the years but then large parts have been restored now to cater for international tourism.

We visited the Great Wall in 2007, at the Mutianyu section just north of Beijing. I managed to climb up to the Juyong Pass and it felt like a great feat, even if it was only a teeny, tiny section of the Wall. My fascination with this world wonder continues to this day. In 2011 I bought a book by John Man, "The Great Wall"*, and on and off I have been dipping into it to read about 'the extraordinary story of China's wonder of the world'.

* The Great Wall / John Man. Da Capo Press, 2008. Ex Libris CNB 1914
Ref: The World's Greatest Architecture; Past and Present / D. M. Field. Ex Libris 1988

The Sultan Abdul Samad Building & Merdeka Square

The Sultan Abdul Samad Building may be the most photographed colonial building in Malaysia. And deservedly so. This very beautiful building by A.C. Norman was built in 1894-97 during the British administration and named after the then reigning Sultan of Selangor. This Moorish style building of Mughal architecture serves as the backdrop for many national celebrations, including Merdeka Day on the 31st August and Malaysia Day on the 16th September.

Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad (CNB 2013)

It is located in front of the Dataran Merdeka (Independance Square) and together the buildings and grounds are witness to historic moments of the country, the most momentous being the declaration of independance in 1957. Merdeka Square before independance was the cricket ground for the colonial administrators, and fronting the Royal Selangor Club which was Malaya's most exclusive whites-only club. Merdeka Square was officially opened in 1990. A 95 metre flagpole, one of the tallest in the world, is at one end of the square.

The Royal Selangor Club (CNB 2013)

(In progress)

The Sultan Abdul Halim Airport, Kepala Batas

The Sultan Abdul Halim Airport in Kepala Batas, looks still rather new (2006) when we had the occasion to take a flight from there back to Subang early last year. It is 15 km away from the capital of Kedah, Alor Setar.

The architecture of the exterior porch and facade was rather interesting. We also found the interior interesting as well, with branch-like columns. Rather similar to the ones found outside the building though of a different colour. I know I have not described the airport well, so may be these two pictures will help.