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Jakarta in 36hrs, a crazy trip

I went on a 2days 1night trip to Jakarta Tenggelamnya Kapal Van Der Wijck movie and these were the activities I committed in its sequent.

Tenggelamnya Kapal Van der Wijck Trip

Yes. I am crazy.
I went on a 2 days and 1 night trip to Jakarta just for this movie - Tenggelamnya Kapal Van der Wijck. Kerja giler tak?

Anyway, it was worth it. What I regretted the most was not able to catch the other 2 movies which were Soekarno and 99 Cahaya di Langit Eropa. Frust sesangat, nampak gaya kena beli DVD ler nih kan.

Movie plot (from wikipedia [sebab malas nak type, verdict I kat bawah sekali])

Zainuddin is an orphan. His Minang father died in exile after killing a relative over inheritance; his non-Minang mother has also died. He is now living with his father's friend Mak Base in Batipuh, Sumatra. As a person of mixed descent, he faces much discrimination from Minang conservatives. Although he loves Hayati, the daughter of local nobleman, he is not allowed to be with her. He decides to move to Padang Panjang, although he continues to write to Hayati.

One day, Hayati goes to Padang Panjang to see Zainuddin and stays with her friend Khadijah. However, Khadijah's elder brother Aziz falls in love with Hayati, leading to Zainuddin and Aziz to compete for Hayati's affections. Aziz, who is of purely Minang descent and a noble background, is favoured by her family; they look down on Zainuddin, who is poor and of mixed heritage. Although Zainuddin receives a sizeable inheritance from Mak Base, he is too late to inform Hayati's family, and Aziz marries her.

In despair, Zainuddin and his friend Muluk go to Java, first to Batavia and then to Surabaya, where Zainuddin becomes known as a writer and philanthropist. Aziz and Hayati also move to Surabaya, after Aziz is transferred. However, their relationship has soured and Aziz's temper leads to him being fired, leaving the couple homeless. After a period living with Zainuddin, Aziz runs away to Banyuwangi, leaving Hayati for Zainuddin; in a letter, Aziz writes that Zainuddin is more deserving.

Zainuddin, who has suffered from his longing for Hayati, spurns her and tells her to return to Sumatra. The next day she boards the Van der Wijck, which sinks off the coast of northern Java. Hearing the news, Zainuddin and Muluk rush to Tuban to search for her. They find her in a hospital, where Zainuddin and Hayati make up; she then dies in his arms. Zainuddin's health worsens not long afterwards. After he dies, he is buried next to Hayati.

So, is the movie good? Check it yourself on this Youtube.

My take? I love it. But it is in Minang language though hence it might be hard when they starts speaking in Minang totok else it's ok, similar to Malay language. Oh! And the soundtrack (OST) is fantabulous... It's from Nidji.

 

Now, this is my plan (kononnya). I was thinking of doing an ad-hoc trip sometime mid of this year to the towns/villages shown in this movie, I am gonna call it Tenggelamnya Kapal Van der Wijck Trip atau #TKVDWtrip (siap ada hashtag ok!). I probably need to do multiple trip though, one to Padang and another to Soerabaya (check out the spelling, oldskool gitew). 

Sama nak ikut ANGKAT TANGAN.

Jom!!!

Melaka | Chetti, Chettiar and Mamak. The difference.

Chetti, Chettiar and Mamak. The difference.
Take a random guess. 
Need help?

Chetti Community
Chetti community originated from a small village or town in Kalingapatnam which is located Andhra Pradesh, in the south east of India. Kalingapatnam or 'Kalinggam' is known as 'Keling Continent', this is also how or where the word 'Keling' derive from (and not because of the sound of their anklet).

Chetti are big time traders that frequented Melaka during 16th century to trade spices and silk. Some of the settled down in Melaka and married the locals.

Chettiar Community
Coming from prosperous banking and reputable business community in south India, the Nattukottai Chettiar comunity are elite bankers migrated to South East Asia during the during the British empire. The Chettiars are very organise in banking, they introduced the concept of double entry in book-keeping.

They were the money lender or provider to help build Malaysia economy back then.

Mamak
Mamak community (known locally in Malaysia) originated from Malabar, south west of India. Mamak or Muslim Mappila or Jonaka Mappila are community resulted from pre/post-Islamic Arab contacts (Mughal). Famous for Thalassery biriyani, a Mughal-Arab influence rice and dish is made famous around the world, other popular Mughali food are tandoori, naan and roti.

Chetti Museum was officially launch in 5th August 2003 funded by Melaka State Government under the supervision of  Melaka Museum. All the artifacts showcased are from personal collection of the Chetti community here.

Chetti or Hindu Peranakan (similar to the Baba and Nyonya of Cina Peranakan) settled in Melaka 500 years ago during Melaka's golden era, some ended up marrying the locals hence adopting the Malay cultural and language while practicing the Hindu religion. This hybrid community creates a very distinctively fused and unique cultural and heritage, it is shown in dishes like haram jadda (click HERE for story) where the use of coconut milk but not the curry powder nor leaf, consume fish and meat but not pork, yet surprisingly observe the Hindu vegetarian Friday.

Some customs practiced by the Chetti like cukur jambul and wedding dowry are similar to the Malays.

The Chetti village consist of 30-40 houses of very close knitted community where everyone knows everyone or related in one way or another.

Kolem drawn at the street is still being practiced actively.

 

Chetti Museum

Address : Jalan Gajah Berang, Melaka 

Tel : +6019-6677226 / +606-2826526 

Coordinates : 2°12'13"N   102°14'29"E

Opening Time : 9am - 5pm (closed on Mondays and Tuesdays)
Entrance Fee : RM2 for adults and RM0.50 for children.

 A #VMY2014 #Melaka Media Fam Trip in collaboration with #GayaTravel

Things To Do in Cape Rachado/Tanjung Tuan, Port Dickson (PD)

Did you know that Port Dickson's popular Rumah Api Tanjung Tuan or Cape Rachado Lighthouse ("Broken Cape" in Portuguese) is administered by the state of Melaka/Malacca and located in Negeri Sembilan. Strange, I know. 

I asked the guy at the entrance on 'why and how come' but he have no definite answer. My own conclusion is simple, the lighthouse is one of the oldest in Malaysia, dating as far back as 16th century or during the period when Portuguese rule Melaka. In fact it is named after the naval battle between the Dutch VOC and Portuguese fleets - Battle of Cape Rachado in 1606, during Melaka golden era. Hence...

As Farah of ThatSoFarah and I start walking around at the entrance to snap some photos, guess what we saw? An interesting signage or map, we were beyond surprise after reading it, our first thought was...

"How come I didn't know about this?"
"We need to check it out!"
"How do you know it is his foot print?"
"We must share this great information....!"

Curious to know what was this "brand new information"???

Check out item No 5 - Tapak Kaki Hang Tuah/Hang Tuah Foot Print. Wouldn't you be curious and eager to know? Well, we did! Since we were there at noon and there were barely any people, we told the guy that if were not back in 3 hours, send a rescue team (kiasu!). We even took his number, smart heh! 

Yeah, you need 2-3 hours to cover the Tanjung Tuan/Cape Rachado Geological Heritage site.

800 meters of slope walk.

After 10-15mins walk (read : uphill crawl), this site welcomes us. Finally.

Tanjung Tuan/Cape Rachado information.

The lighthouse was built in 1817 and the present lighthouse was constructed in 1863. It is believed that Parameswara, the first sultan of Melaka was buried at Tanjung Tuan. Legend says that he was buried beneath this lighthouse and that there was also a tunnel leading to the sea. This create more curiosity to Farah and I (Indian Jones sangat, hehehheeee...).

The view was beautiful and the water was clear. Surprisingly.

We decide to look for the Tapak Kaki Hang Tuah or Hang Tuah Foot Print. 'Foot print' as in where his first landed or start, not his actual foot print :)

Perigi Belanda or Dutch Well is the first site we passed by, it is a good 15-20mins walk from the lighthouse. This Perigi Belanda was used by the Dutch as their main water source for drinking.

This was the highlight of the walk before reaching Tapak Kaki Hang Tuah.

We managed to find the next site - Perigi Keramat or Mystical Well. I saw some prayer stick and stuff for rituals. Oh well....

3 different steps leading to 3 different area and we were not sure which one leading to Tapak Kaki Hang Tuah (the Hang Tuag Foot Print) from here. Hemm.... this is not good (as we were running short of time, our 3 hours were almost up). Then I decided to peep over the boulder and saw what looked like the picture in the signage we took earlier - the foot print. Yeay! Dah jumpa!

The hole (lekuk) is known to be the Tapak Kaki Hang Tuah /Hang Tuah Foot Print. Tuh aje, gigih dak!

Ending our quest (hike je actually) :)

 A long climb back.

Cape Rachado (Tanjung Tuan) Lighthouse

Entrance Fee : RM1.00

Address : Rumah Api, Tanjung Tuan, 78200 Alor Gajah

How to get there by public transport

1. Take KTM train from KL Sentral to Seremban (between 1.5 - 2 hours ride)

2. Take the bus from Seremban town to Port Dickson town (approximately 1 hour ride)

3. Take the bus from Port Dickson town to Tanjung Tuan (Stop at Jalan Pantai)

4. Walk from Jalan Pantai to Hutan Rekreasi Tanjung Tuan/Tanjung Tuan Recreational Park (45mins walk)

#VMY2014 Bucket List (Tagging game)

Farah from ThatSoFarah tagged me to #VMY2014 Bucket List where I need to share my list of places I wish to rediscover in Malaysia, and I figure why not right? Let's make this #VMY2014 Bucket List  go viral...

Here goes...
 

1. Gua Kelam, Perlis

My memories and knowledge of Perlis is Kuala Perlis jetty to Langkawi. Period.
I shall make it a mission of mine to rediscover my own country and Perlis shall be my super duper top most priority (tuh dia.... kiasu dak? Eh, tetibe loghat utara lak). And Gua Kelam Recreational Park is a must, I wan to experience 'cave walking' (ada pacat dak? ada dak?) whereby I can enter from one end and exit on the other side (then cam na nak ambek kereta? hemmm...).

Source from Visit Malaysia Year.

2. Sipadan, Sabah

Since I have taken my diving license last year, this have been my dream (not that I am any good a diver or anything, but still... hahhahaha). The fact is, I want be here, take beautiful photos and jump into the water, let it be snorkeling, diving or just kuis-kuis air di tepian. Janji pergi, gitewww...

Malaysia have one of the most beautiful islands and diving sites that should be shouted out loud internationally and it must start from us, Malaysia. Country Ambassador!

Source from Cuti.my

3. Pulau Tiga, Sabah

Survivor Island. Titik.
This is where they shot the survivor reality show and I am curious, curious to "bercanda" in volcano mud pool, see those big monitor lizards and enjoy the serene beach. Wouldn't you?

I think I need to do my research thoroughly though as I hardly see it being mention in friends' bucket list. Mana nak korek info nih...

Source from Impressions.com

4. Taman Negara, Pahang

Have been in my list since.... like forever. dreaming of the boat ride, canopy walk, cave exploration and whatever they have to offer. Who in Malaysia that doesn't have Taman Negara in their travel bucket list right? It is the oldest tropical rainforest in the world, its 130 million years old, older than the Amazon! Confirm seantero Malaysia sure semua nak pergi kan kan kan...?!

So, jom kengkawan!

Source from Wikimapia.com

5. Pesta Benak, Sarawak

Ahhh..... Curious right? What is Pesta Benak?
Pesta Benak celebrated in Sri Aman is one of Sarawak's iconic event - a tidal bore event. Tidal bore is a tidal phenomenon in which the leading edge of the incoming tide forms a waves of water that travels up a river. Activities during this festival include longboat paddling competition, tidal bore surfing, water sports, food and trade fair.

Source from Borneo Tourism

6. Kelong Stay, Selangor

I don't know why but yes, I want to stay here even for a night. To wake up in the morning in the middle of nowhere, to eat freshly caught fish, to see sunset and sunrise from every angle. It is a Kelong stay located in Sabak Bernam. Who even know this place exist?

Kelong Paradise Waterfront Resort (Sabak Bernam)

Suite 838, Level 8, Block A, Lobby B, Kelana Centre Point, No. 3, Jalan SS7/19, Kelana Jaya
Mobile : (+6) 017 264 5315 / (+6) 012 655 7280 / (+6) 013 271 9481

Siapa sudi teman I?

Source from Infonet2u

That's all for now. Let's start out #VMY2014 roadtrip!

And I am tagging #TravelholicAwesome group, click HERE to see the group's blog.

Kelantan's Lost Craft - Wau-maker (Kite-maker)

“Ewa ewa… Wau Bule (Bulan)

Wau Bule (Bulan) teraju tigo

Ooo..

Maaf la cik sedaro-daro ini male...

Hok saloh silap sedaro jge sipe taroh dale dado...”

That’s how famous the Kelantan Wau Bulan (Moon-kite) is, there’s even a song dedicated to it. It symbolizes Malaysia aside from Keris (the Malay dagger) and Bunga Raya (Hibiscus). Kelantan’s pride and joy (and it’s our Malaysia Airlines’ logo as well *smile*).

I did a weekend trip with Andrea Gail early this year where we stayed at Pasir Belanda (click HERE for more info) and Adam Eben promised to take us around Kota Bahru, being ignorant of Kota Bahru and having only 2 full days there; we decide to prioritize the activities specific to the must-visit-attractions (kononnya). We told Adam that he must find out how to get to a Wau-Maker place, Pak Shafie specifically. Hahhahaha… not easy apparently. Sorry Adam!

We start our day with a single mission, to look for the famous Kelantan Wau-Maker – Pak Shafie, we drove all the way to Pantai Cahaya Bulan not finding it (Ops! Sesat barat berbagai. Siap tangkap gambar tepi pantai, minum air kelapa , lepak-lepak lagi….). We stopped here and there, asked a few locals and finally found where Pak Shafie lives; a small looking home full of waus, big waus, many big waus.

Pak Shafie was awarded the Adiguru Aneka Kraf in 2006 for wau-making skill. At age 10, Pak Shafie paid a close interest in wau-making, observed from wau sifus (subject matter expert). He was able to make a small living with this special skill, later Pak Shafie participated in kite competition in Kelantan and that was the big turning point; he was noticed by foreign tourist in which kick-started his fame. He was interviewed by national medias as well as showcased his artwork in Australia, German, Maldives, Melbourne and Japan by collaborating with MAS (Malaysia Airlines).

Wau, often decorated in vivid floral patterns, shaped in crescent moon, bigger than the average kite, a wau will rule and roar beautifully up in the sky. The most famous wau known is Wau Bulan, but the truth is, there is few others that shared the same rank such as  Wau Merak (Peacock-kite), Wau Kucing (Cat-kite), Wau Puyuh (Quail-kite), Wau Jalabudi (“Budi” leaf-kite) among others. It is said that Wau Bulan originated from Sriwijaya Kingdom and was used by Prince Dewa Muda, it’s patterns represents the map of the area conquered by the Kingdom.

I also found information stating that there was a plan to build a Wau Museum unfortunately unable to find further information, meanwhile, for those kite enthusiast or interested to know more and at the same time wanted to experience the wau competition, head down to Kelantan this May 2014 (please recheck and reconfirm the details with Tourism Malaysia closer to the event date).

Direction

Venue    : Shafie Bin Jusoh Home (Pak Shafie, a Wau-maker)

Address : On the road leading to Pantai Cahaya Bulan, near the police station

GPS        : N 06' 10' 35.8", E 102' 15' 13.2"

Event

Date      : 28 - 31 May 2014

Venue   : Pantai Geting Tumpat, Kelantan.

Link        : Visit MalaysiaYear 2014

Others  : Base on 2013 participation, there would be approximately 47 participants from 18 countries (Indonesia, Sweden, China, Brunei, France, Germany, Cambodia, Italy, New Zealand, Philippines, Australia, Belgium, Thailand, Singapore, USA, Nepal, Japan and India) and 119 local entries.

Competition categories

1.National-level traditional kite-raising

2.National-level traditional kite art

3.National-level traditional kite construction and raising workshops (4 days)

4.National-level Kite Open

5.PBT & National Clubs Kite Open

6.Government/Private/Clubs & International Open

7.Kelantan state University level traditional kite

8.Kelantan state Secondary School level traditional kite

9.International level

Wau, wowed us!

Teaser | Fort Cochin, Kerala - God's Own Country

Sharing one of my favourite place in Kerala - Fort Cochin.

Instagram : Lily Riani
Twitter : @lilyriani 
Teaser | Boathouse at Alleppey/Kerala Backwaters 

I am participating in Kerala Blog Express contest and would appreciate your kind time to vote for me. Your vote is very much appreciated.

To vote, please click HERE or copy this link http://keralablogexpress.com/user/single_participant/4725