DAILY PHOTO: Malacca Street Art
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Tag Archives: Malaysia
DAILY PHOTO: Colorful Reflections, Malacca
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DAILY PHOTO: Dutch Square, Melaka
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BOOKS: “Southeast Asia: A Very Short Introduction” by James R. Rush
Southeast Asia: A Very Short Introduction by James R. RushMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Publisher Site
I’ve been to most of the eleven countries of Southeast Asia, but still my questions are many. This short guide answered some of them. The book takes a largely historical approach, breaking the timeline into periods during which these countries were pre-nation-state kingdoms, then colonies, and then independent countries. While the guide is written by a historian and is organized by governance (i.e. who won the wars,) it does not solely address politics and regimes.
The guide also explores subjects such as religion. This was fortunate for me because a lot of my questions involve this topic. Why is the northern part of the region mostly Buddhist while the southern part is mostly Muslim? Why did Hinduism and other Indian religions (not inclusive of Buddhism, which virtually died out within India) almost entirely give way to other religions in this area, except for spotty exceptions (most notably Bali?) Incidentally, the former question is answered more than the latter, which makes sense as this is small book for a relatively large area, but more importantly for a long history. Southeast Asia has been a strategically and economically important place for centuries.
As a traveler, I found this book well worth reading as a way to gain insight into the region. It doesn’t dive deep into cultural questions (except a bit into religion,) and so there is much more to learn from other books. It does explore who governed these countries and how, and the last chapter brings the question up to date — reflecting on the political and economic changes in the last couple decades. If you’re curious to know more about Southeast Asia, in a way that doesn’t get too deep in the minutiae, this book is worth checking out.
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BOOKS: “The Story of Malacca” by Allein G. Moore
Sultans and Spices, Guns and Greed, Race and Religion: The Story of Malacca by Allein G. MooreMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Publisher Website
With an upcoming trip to Malacca (a.k.a. Melaka) planned, I decided it would be good to learn something about the city of Malacca besides that it shares a name with the pirate-infested strait that it sits beside. Fortunately, given the tremendous historical import of this town, there were at least a few English-language resources available. I settled on this history and was pleased with my choice. [It’s definitely the most up-to-date work in English that I found.]
The book covers the history of Malacca from its earliest human occupants through to the COVID pandemic [during which it was published.] (Actually, the last chapter is a wishful forecast of what the author hopes for the near-term future of Malacca (i.e. over the next decade or so.)) The core chapters are chronologically oriented and sorted by the ruler of the day (of which Malacca had an impressive sequence: Indian, Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch, British, Japanese, British (again,) and then Independence and a Malay-led government of its own.) Interspersed with these chronological chapters are a few topical ones, beside the aforementioned chapter about the future, these include chapters on the mythology of the city and one of biographical sketches of prominent historical figures.
I found this book to be educational and full of fascinating tidbits. While I appreciated that it brings the reader up to date, the last couple chapters do sometimes veer from “just-the-facts” description of events into a combination city planning rant / wish-list (Pollyanna, in places) regarding the state of the city and its future. I did like that the book touched upon cultural dimensions, from language to martial arts, in addition to a telling of historical events. The book is well worth reading for travelers and / or history buffs.
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DAILY PHOTO: Petronas Towers on a Blue-Sky Day
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DAILY PHOTO: KL from the Klang River
DAILY PHOTO: The Little India Fountain, Brickfields
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Kuala Lumpur Limerick
Two builders working in Kuala Lumpur vied to outdo each other's grandeur; but one tower is straight, and the other one ain't. So, I guess we know who won that war.
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Limerick of Malaysia
There was an Orangutan from Malaysia
who dreamed of leaving Southeast Asia.
“Sure, I’d love to linger,
but it’s hard being ginger
when you live deep in the heart of Asia.”
Tiger Riding for Beginners 