TANKS Travel Tales - a travelogue.......

The state of Malacca (a.k.a. Melaka) lies south of the Malaysian capital city of Kuala Lumpur. The states of Johor and Negri Sembilan are to the south and north of Malacca respectively. By car along the North-South highway, Malacca is just a 3-hour plus drive from Singapore, depending on traffic conditions. Malacca City, viewed from a room window at the Hatten Hotel, Malacca, Malaysia (2015) Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008, the city centre boasts a number of iconic tourist attractions. Besides places for sight-seeing, Malacca's rich cultural heritage also translates into an equally rich food culture.  A simple breakfast of Roti Canai (an Indian flatbread) is usually served with curry, Malacca, Malaysia (2015) Claypot Rice served in a hot claypot with rice, chicken and lots of flavourful garnishing, Malacca, Malaysia (2015) Malacca's many historical buildings and sites have been "preserved" as museums. These museums are natura

Loch Ness is the largest lake in Scotland by volume. Reaching depths at up to 230 metres (about 750 ft) in some areas, it is not surprising that Loch Ness comes with legends of its own. Chief amongst the legends associated with this large Scottish Loch is the Loch Ness Monster (a.k.a. Nessie). Loch Ness, Scotland, UK (2011) I first read about Loch Ness and the Loch Ness Monster when I was a school librarian at the age of 9 years old! Since then, the legend of the Loch Ness Monster has continued to fascinate me. As I grew older, my perception of the possibilities of the existence of the Loch Ness Monster changes but somehow, I still choose to nostalgically believe in the legend! Thus, when I finally visited the famous and legendary Loch in September 2011, it was one item off my bucket list! Travelling north from Glasgow into the Scottish Highlands and passing by famous landmarks such as Glen Coe and the city of Inverness, I finally reached Loch Ness after several hours. A

Singapore celebrates the 50th year of its history as an independent nation this year. As part of the year-long celebration to mark the young nation's 50th year of independence, a series of events including exhibitions are held all year round in 2015. At an exhibition held at the National Library Board headquarters in Victoria Street in the month of August, plastic building bricks were used to re-create scenes of Singapore life over the past 50 years. These include interesting and iconic events that mark the country's journey as a young nation from 1965 to 2015. Recreated in mini-scale plastic building bricks are snapshots of Singapore's history such as public transport, public housing and the country's diverse cultures. One particular exhibit caught my eye; a recreation of a row of historical shophouses that features Peranakan architecture. Peranakan refers to the Straits Settlement people of Chinese descent who settled in South-East Asia around the 15th to