Melaka: Shades of Cochin

We have landed in Malaysia and moved from the big smoke to the slightly more relaxed smoke of Melaka. The guest house we chanced upon (or rather booked over a month ago...they were quite taken aback that we might want to book a room 4 weeks in advance) is called the Samudra Inn and is nice, clean and, above all, quiet. Somu and Marcia run the joint and have won Jonah over with a combination of pet birds (Jonah gets to tuck them in with a super-quiet "Good night quack-quack") and a ready supply of crackers.

We've been here almost a week and, although it is a relatively quiet town, we are still finding things which delight at least one of us (and frequently two or three!).

There are, of course 2 self-proclaimed Megamalls within strolling distance of our room. Much to our disgust, we have somehow managed to feel compelled to enter them at least once a day (KatiaQuote: "...but supermarkets have practically everything you could ever need!). Needless to say Jonah loves the escalators and gets really worked up when it is time to take a "BIG STEP!"

Megamalls aside, Melaka had Katia and I both reminiscing about Cochin. It is partly the richly confusing smells of 'little india', but I think it has a lot to do with the sense of serendipity we've felt as we chase Jonah into shops, alleys and playgrounds. We have met some wonderful people who create some very wonderful things.

Charles Cham is an artist from Melaka who has intrigued us with both his designs and his conversation. We've been drawn back to his shopfront by the classically smoky blues which waft for blocks if you've got your ears tuned right.

Mr. Yee and his wife Susan (he has refused, point blank, to tell me his first name) have been wonderfully welcoming, taking us out to dinner and breakfast as well as teaching us about the joys of tea. Mr. Yee also showed us how to cook some malay and chinese dishes (recipes in the next post). We found Mr. Yee through couchsurfing.com and contacted him before we arrived but have been bowled over by their enthusiasm and warmth.

They have been amazing with Jonah, entertaining him with toys, painting, songs and general silliness. Mr. Yee takes particular glee in Jonah's habit of rearranging his tea shop (like moving 5 litre bottles of methylated spirits from corner to corner). Mr. Yee's child-rearing philosophy goes something like this:
Children should be respected. If a child asks for something that will not immediately lead to their death or disfigurement, you should give it to them. The child will then learn from his/her experiences and will not feel limited by your fear.

Thanks to Mr. Yee, Jonah has tried whisky, given himself a pepper facial, indulged in some front seat driving and is currently coming down from a 2-day caffeine bender. As you can imagine, they are the best of friends.

Jonah has also been regularly accosted by locals who feel that it is their inalienable right to pinch his cheeks and upper arms. He now says a very loud "No!" whenever anyone approaches with their pincers at the ready.