Month: March 2019

A Memorable Sunday in Ubud

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Many times throughout my life I have noticed that Sundays are often a day when I truly come alive and get the urge to do something on the spur of the moment. I clear my mind of all the things I should be doing and open it up to doing something I will enjoy.

I arrived in Ubud, on the beautiful island of Bali almost two weeks ago.  It’s been over nine years since I was last here, so I figured it was time for another visit to see for myself what changes this cultural and artistic centre for Bali has undergone. I wanted to see if all the horrible rumours of how it had been ruined by too many tourists and over development were true or not.

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A Visit to the Historic City of Melaka in Malaysia

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‘Malaka’ is a Greek slang word meaning someone who doesn’t use his common sense. It’s used in the company of friends and considered rude if used otherwise. Men are more apt to use it as they might if saying  ‘Dude’ or ‘Mate’.

While visiting the city of Melaka in Malaysia, I was confused by the numerous ways it could be spelled. I found it written as Malacca, Malaka, Malakka, and, finally, Melaka as the most commonly used spelling. In researching the spelling, I discovered the origin of the word which is even more confusing. How does this Greek meaning relate to the lovely, historic city of Melaka in the south-western part of Malaysia? I can hazard a guess that it somehow reflects the general make up of Malaysia which is one of diversity in its culture, religion, ethnicity, and language.

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