One weird thing about my job is that I have VERY bizarre hours. Since I work at a tuition center, I basically work around the school hours - meaning during the week my day starts at 3pm and ends at 9pm, and on weekends it begins at 9am and ends at 6pm. My "weekend" is on Wednesday and Thursday, meaning that my "Friday" is in fact Tuesday, and the phrase TGIF no longer applies to me. It took getting used to, but despite its annoyances, it has quite a few bonuses. Five days out of the week I don't have to set an alarm clock - a luxury that I am certain will be hard to leave behind. I am able to accomplish a lot in the time before work, or enjoy hours of laziness by the pool. (I promise that I do actually work and that working with 4-10 year olds makes me feel like I earn every minute of this.)
The other benefit to this random assortment of working days/weekend days is that most of the public holidays in Singapore fall during weekdays - meaning that if it happens to land on a Tuesday or a Friday, I have a long weekend. Somehow the planets aligned perfectly for me, because the calendar has allowed me FOUR long weekends this year. Two of these occurred in the same month of August. With Malaysia as my neighbor to the north and Indonesia just a short ferry ride away, a three day weekend has infinite prospects of adventure and new sites to behold.
The first long weekend in August Julian and I decided to take advantage of the time off and journey to Malacca, Malaysia. A short bus ride from Singapore to Johor Bahru and a longer bus ride from Johor to Malacca and we were there!
Malaysia has been influenced by several different countries over the years (both willingly and unwillingly) which has led to some very random and almost conflicting cultures crammed into small cities. Malacca is no different. In the town square you could see Portuguese influence in the churches and architecture, the river had bridges meant to resemble those found in Venice and the food and people were wonderfully Malaysian. This was a city full of memorials and museums, all of which fit the mold of randomness put out by the city. It was perfect for a short weekend since there was plenty to see and do, but not too much that you felt as though it was impossible to complete.
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| Town Square |
The city was mostly built around the river and ocean...which is why it is known as the "Venice of Asia". It might not be as well known or beloved as Venice, but they definitely give a good fight. The river was lined with pretty lights and outdoor cafes to sit at. It wasn't until we rode the river tour and heard horrific Asian "pop" music being blared in our ears the whole time that we remembered where we were.
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| "Venice of Asia" |
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| dinner by the river |
There were World War II memorials everywhere, including real trains, planes, automobiles and machinery. It was the perfect opportunity for us to act like kids and take some goofy pictures. Maturity is overrated anyways. :)
The rest of our time was spent playing with "One-One" (or "Juan-Juan"...not quite sure) the adorable kitten at the hostel, trying our hand at archery, seeing the depressing and hauntingly creepy "Tortura" torture exhibit, rolling our eyes through Captain America, and seeing some awesome ruins.
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| riding in the gloriously tacky rickshaw |
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| cutest kitty on this planet |
Overall it was a great weekend full of randomness, fun, and laughs. It's always fun to tick new cities off the must-see list. As my last few months are coming to a close, I don't want to waste any time and take every opportunity to explore that I can.
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