Halloween Left in the Dark

Halloween is our favorite holiday.  However, in Singapore it's not celebrated all that much. I found some Halloween decorations, but the stores were not as commercialized as in the U.S.  We didn't even put effort into costumes which was so rare for us.  What did bring us back from the death of Halloween spirit were the oh-so-creative party invitations sent by our close friends Crystal and Jason.  We were bummed to miss their spook-tacular annual party, but happy we were still included.

Handmade Brain

Our mini-pumpkin

Zombie Apocalypse Invite

Halloween party at work!

The "Bewitching" Hour

Belated Birthday Post

Even though it's been months since my birthday here are some pictures from that day.  The evening started with Trisha giving me some brownies, my favorite dessert.

Brownie Assortment

For dinner Trisha took me to 81 Duxton Hill. The restaurant is part of a hotel and it's in one of our favorite parts of Singapore, Tanjong Pagar.  Trisha picked the restaurant because they served premium beef from Japan.  The steak was very expensive ($125) so we had the beef inside fried dumplings. 

Fried Beef Dumplings

Trisha's Duck

Tony's Pork Chop

Tiramisu Pot

Afterwards we met up with our friends at a nearby cafe The Pigeonhole and had some drinks.  Our friend Michael gave me some glow sticks so we played around with them.

Saint Duarte

Mini Singapore

Here's a fun way to look at our new city.


I think a lot of footage was taken during this year's National Day. You can find more information about the video here.

Portuguese Malaysia

Day One

Last Friday we had another public holiday called Hari Raya Haji (http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/singapore/hari-raya-haji), which allowed us to have a three-day weekend. To spend our time we took a trip to Melaka, Malaysia. We heard good things about the city from friends of ours. It was also Tony's birthday on October 17th so that gave us another reason to go. Our mode of transportation this time was by bus. The cost was about $50 U.S. roundtrip and we arrived in Melaka after 5 hours. Usually the trip takes about 4 hours. However, being that Hari Raya Haji was a Muslim holiday and Malaysia being predominantly a Muslim country, there were many people on the road which caused traffic. It was our first time to take a bus to another country (let alone anywhere outside a city) so we were excited for the journey.

Tony Chillin'

Asian Photo Pose

Inside the Bus

Crossing the Bridge to Malaysia

Roadside Landscape

Palm Tree Plantation

Inside the Bus Rest Stop

Malaysian Pay Phone

After two immigration check-point stations and the stamping of our passport we arrived in Melaka. Melaka is a UNESCO world heritage city with a rich history. It was first conquered by Portuguese settlers in 1511. Then in 1641 the Dutch defeated the Portuguese and took captive of the city. In 1826 the British took control under the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824. The European colonization remained apparent in the city within its landscape and architecture. 

We arrived close to the evening. So after checking into our hotel, we took a quick dip in the pool and headed out to Melaka's main drag of Jonker Street located in Chinatown. Every Friday and Saturday night the street turned into a night market. After walking around in the overly crowded street we turned the corner to a quieter street and had dinner at the Geographer's Cafe (http://www.geographer.com.my/ListProduct.asp?subject=Home). We were very tired and hot from being out so we hitched a Trishaw back to our hotel. (no it wasn't invented by me). It was a very fun and entertaining ride!

Dragon at the entrance of Chinatown

At the start of Jonker Street

Karaoke Night in the middle of the quad

Here's a video of the karaoke singer:

We picked this one because of the lively driver.

Colorful Trishaws

Discotheque on wheels!

 Here are videos of our ride. :)

Day 2

Since we had a full day, we wanted to check out the historical sites of Melaka. Due to the scorching heat (it surprisingly felt hotter than Singapore), we only saw a few of them and spent more time relaxing and sitting at a cafe along the river. The downtown area is where the older and charming buildings are located. However, right next to our hotel were two huge malls and a gigantic movie theater. It was such a contrast. Maybe Singapore had some influence in getting these built. :) We still enjoyed ourselves admiring the murals painted on the Riverwalk and the variety of animated Trishaws.

Enjoying the ride!

 

So many different styles

Bat-Trishaw

Main Square

There was a wedding happening.

River Boat Tour

Taking a break from the heat

River View

Bar across the river

Doesn't it look like Europe?

Our Cafe

Floating Door

Remnant of the past

Another Catholic church in a Muslim country

The old Melaka Fort

Assortment of animals

Start of our river walk

Such artists!

The Malaysia public transportation system

Pretty mural art

We'd like to live in that building.

Quaint little cafe across the street

As colorful as his Trishaw

The Pink Crew

In front of A'Famosa

Ta-da!

Pretty gardens on the hilltop

We paid a visit to a replica of the Sultan's Palace.

The Sultan's Meeting Room

I didn't know Michael Jackson paid a visit (see right)!

Colorful Palm Trees

The Sultan's Garden

Careful where you walk!

Sultans of the Past

The Whitest Flower

Heritage City

Dutch Graveyard

Later that evening after dinner, we planted ourselves at the Bucket Bar (http://www.facebook.com/BucketBarMelaka), had a few beers and watched many cars drive through downtown Melaka. It was a crowded weekend so we enjoyed the emptiness of the bar and the wall art.

Another cool mural

How to toast in multiple languages

What happens when you...

We heard our hotel had a "Filipino Band" playing (direct quote from the billboard) so we decided to check them out and have one more night cap. We found a comfy couch in the hotel lounge and watched this guy have the time of his life. He was more entertaining than the "Filipino Band." Thanks Melaka for giving us such a cultural experience.