Melaka Calling!

I managed to atlast steal some time and take a peek at Melaka (aka Malacca) in Malaysia! I was interested because its a historical port and changed hands so many times over the last few centuries!

Melaka did not disappoint! Its a great little town that you can just walk around and soak in..dont miss the river cruise and Jonker Walk night market. The food is great (try the grilled and skewered potato with pepper!) and cool down with Baba Chendol (@Jonker 88)...or simply have a full chettinad meal on banana leaves on Indian Street!

Transport from Singapore is easy (i liked Luxury's coaches and service), immigration and customs was fast..all in all..a great weekend!

Oh yes...if you like Kites as i do, you can get some good ones in a shop on Jalan Banga Raya!

Kite Festival in Singapore

Spent a good saturday evening at the Kite Festival (thank you NTUC!) on Marina Bay!

Good weather, beer and Kites make a 'heady-n-high' combination!

on the mumbai-shanghai connection!

i don't exactly know why the erstwhile CM of Maharashtra picked Shanghai as the aspiration for Mumbai, but all i can say is - fat chance!

I was in Shanghai a month ago and in Mumbai a week ago, and i got a first hand, stark, reality-bites moment in Mumbai....it seems to be actually sliding back into an ugly, dark, impersonal metropolis.

and i hate that!

The citizens of Mumbai have let the city down...the 'chalta hai' attitude has reduced mumbai to a 'kuch nahi chalta' situation. No point blaming the BMC or the politicians - we elect them, and so we deserve 'em.

Unless we citizens take it upon themselves to fix the city, things will only get worse - there will be perennial digging, pollution, flooding and crazy housing prices for badly built, sad looking apartments.