melaka – w w w . x e .s . c x

Marketing for Young Lawyers @ Melaka

I usually do not blog about my talks but this talk is worth a mention. I was invited by the Melaka Young Lawyers Committee to speak about the above topic. I spoke about this topic few months ago to some young KL lawyers, chambering students and law students at the KL Bar.

My presentation was attended by around 50 people. It was held at UTC Melaka, a multipurpose building with numerous Government offices.

The hall

Leong, the chair of the Melaka Young Lawyers Committee, was an excellent host. He brought me out for lunch and I met some other young lawyers too.

The presentation encompasses information about types of clientele, building your own clientele, how to get media coverage, specializing in your practice, marketing methods and tips on networking sessions.

After my presentation, I got the participants to do a group exercise. The organisers separated the participants into groups and they are required to come out with 5 ways to market their law fictitious law firm. Each group will nominate a representative to present on stage. I made each of the representative announce the names of their members. I did so because I wanted to instill a habit on these young lawyers to remember the names of the people they met. There was one girl on stage could not remember all her group members’ names. I hope she does now.

Some of the groups came out with brilliant ideas like having a drive through counter for clients to drop off and sign their documents, 24 hours legal services, roadshows.

From what I gathered, the Melaka legal industry is a small one. They only have 30 over chambering students this term. My old firm has minimum 20 chambering students at any given time! Many of these students came from the local Melaka Multimedia University (MMU). Some stayed back in Melaka to do their pupillage although they are not from Melaka.

I am told that specializing in certain subject (like IP) does seem to be viable as Melaka is a small market. But I think one can actively tap into the small and medium industry by approaching and educating them of their legal rights and obligations.

Leong and a few other fellow Melaka lawyers brought me to a nice place that apparently sells the best tosai in Melaka. I had a great time chatting and learning from the Melaka lawyers.

Melaka – 30.10.2010

The first thing that came into my mind when I arrived Melaka was DJ Anatta’s gig back in 2006. She had a gig at Pure Club hence a few of us accompanied her there.

There we encountered some helicopter boys.

Anyway, my trip this time was to accompany A, who had to go there for work. We ate and ate and ate throughout the trip.

We started off with chicken rice balls, roasted chicken, barbecued pork and hot and spicy cabbage at Famosa Chicken Rice Balls. I wanted small portions for each dish but the waiter gave us too much -___- Our plan to leave some space for other food was interrupted.

We didn’t go to Restoran Chung Wah for chicken rice balls because I like the dark sauce provided by Famosa.

Anyway, the queue at Chung Wah was crazy!

I wonder what is so good about this place. I came here once and I find it so-so.

We decided to take a break from food and visited the Cheng Ho Museum. Entry was RM10 per person.

The museum provides a guided tour both in English and Chinese. The tour lasted around and hour.

If you didn’t know who is Cheng Ho, Cheng Ho is a famous Chinese official who had traveled all around the world in the 1400s. Author of the book “1421 – The Year China discovered America“, Gavin Menzies, claimed that Cheng Ho found America before Christopher Columbus.

Notwithstanding that Cheng Ho was a eunuch, some of his descendants can be traced until today. Apparently, most of them live in Thailand and their pictures are shown in the museum.

Models of Cheng Ho’s 208 ships that sailed through the world

Our tour guide also gave us a brief explanation on how forced castration was done on eunuch in China. According to him, a boy’s penis together with his balls will be carved out and covered for 3 days. If he is able to pass water on the 3rd day, he will be able to survive. uuuhh..

Plenty of porcelain in this museum. Many of them donated or loaned by locals.

Overall, I think the artifacts and presentation of this place is rather mediocre. I don’t understand why Malaysia museums like to use mannequins. I don’t remember seeing any in the British Museum in London or Mets in NYC. Some local politician got contract to provide mannequins is it?

After our museum tour, we walked to Jonker 88 for our favourite cendol.

However, the queue was bloody long and we decided to forget Jonker 88. As we were about to enter the shop next to Jonker 88, our friend Frederick waved at us.

He was in front of the line and he offered to buy us cendol! Woohooo.

He even gave us a bowl of curry laksa cause he over ordered. -_____- I was soooooooooo fulll!

Before my trip to Melaka, my colleague recommended me to try the Mille Crepe in Nadeje Cafe. Apparently, it is better than Food Foundry hence I was determined to try it before I head back to KL.

Before setting to Nadeje Cafe…we bought a packet of fresh onde-onde 😀

To be continued..

Tioman Island: Melaka: Abandoned Baba Nyonya House

We spent the entire day walking around shopping and eating around Jonker Street.

While walking back to our hotel, we found an abandoned house with its door wide open. The house is one of the old Baba Nyonya Houses, which is probably around 100 years old.

The Baba Nyonya House was dilapidated – with its roof missing. Almost all its fixtures were missing and the paint on the walls was peeling. The well was cover with a plant.

Other than the roof, the second floor is gone except for the front portion of the house where a room is still intact. The room is locked with a padlock. I wonder what’s inside!

See the padlock?

One of the things that interests me was the stairs. Here we found a dilapidated concrete stair which ends abruptly.

I walked up the stairs..

Looked up..

Viola! Lovely picture by WK!

I walked toward to the end of the house which was probably 100 meters deep. The end of the house was a small garden with overgrown weed. I could see its neighbour’s house from there.

Suddenly, I heard someone slamming the door at the neighbour’s house. I quickly made my move to avoid being caught by the neighbour for being a nosy bastard.

After taking some pictures, we left the place. I told Umeng about the neighbour slamming the door. Umeng and I then peeped at the neighbour’s house and find that…the neighbour’s house is empty and vacant.

\(*O*)/ chong kuai ar!!

Tioman Island: Melaka: Hotel Puri

Due to the return of Aussie boys Umeng and sLoonG, my high school friends and I made a road trip down to Pulau Tioman. It was supposed to be a farewell trip for Jin Han but he was tied up with something else. Jin Han and his family will be migrating to Australia.

We stopped by Melaka for a night before heading to Pulau Tioman. We stayed at Hotel Puri at Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock (behind Jonker’s Street).

Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock was formerly known as Heeren Street which was also known as the Millionaire’s Row. Many many years ago, Peranakan millionaires used to live along this street. Many of the millionaires’ houses are still around, some turned into shops and some vacant and abandoned. Our hotel is one of the many houses that have converted into a commercial lot. But just right opposite Hotel Puri lays the Chee Family Ancestral Home which I believe is still privately owned. It is so grand that it stands out from the others.

Chee Ancestral Home

Hotel Puri used to a mansion of a local Chinese tycoon. It was built in 1822 and it was said to house a zoo with a tiger and few deer!

Another interesting bit of this house is a hall which houses a number of swiftlet bird nests. I wonder if the bird nests are edible.

Bird Nests and CCTV

Just next to the ‘bird nest’ room lays a small museum with some history of house and even about Malaysia.

Our room was reasonably tidy and spacious. sLoonG, WK and I had to share the bed. Poor WK was assaulted by sLoonG and I whole night long.
Parking is provided by Hotel Puri. It’s located few blocks away from the hotel.

The drawback about this hotel is their breakfast. It comes in buffet style with a mixture of local and western cuisine. Their hash browns and sausages were almost tasteless. But with Jonker Street just behind, food shouldn’t be a problem.

Melaka Makan Trip – Part II

Continuation from Melaka Makan Trip

Hajjah Mona Asam Pedas @ Kota Laksamana

We took a break before heading to Taman Kota Laksamana for Asam Pedas Ikan Pari (stingray). Hajjah Mona is within walking distance from Jonker Street. This place was introduced to me by some clubbers I met in Melaka.

Their speciality would be their Asam Pedas Ikan Pari. Just order Ikan Pari and they know what you meant. Within minutes, they will serve you a plate of plain rice and a bowl of asam pedas ikan pari with sauce filled to the brink.

The stingray’s meat is tender and the sauce is sourish and a little bit spicy. It makes me salivate whenever I think about it!

Putu Piring @ Jalan Tengkera

Long queue!

Barely 10 minutes after Assam Pedas, Cris brought us to one place that sells Putu Piring at night. Putu Piring is made of steamed rice flour filled with gula melaka (palm sugar).

What made this place special is the stall itself. The stall is actually in front of the owner’s house. The entrance to their house is wide open.

Since it’s a housing area, parking might be a little bit troublesome. Cris parked his car in front of a house and had two Indian men ‘molesting’ his car. Mmm Suzuki Swiftt…you’re soo hooott..

Cris said this looks like nipples. Many many nipples.

Each piece costs 70cent but I would recommend that one should not eat more than two pieces as you’ll get sick of it after the 1 ½ piece.

10 pieces of Putu Piring packed with newspaper!

Mmmm

Jonker’s Walk, Melaka @ Melaka

Last week, before DJ Anatta’s set @ Pure Club, we went to Jonker’s Walk for dinner.

At night, Jonker’s Walk is filled with stalls selling food, clothes and many other rubbish. We had to brave through a sea of people to get to the other end.

We were greeted by the sight of a crowd surrounding an uncle. The uncle was performing some sort of martial arts and also promoting his herb. Apparently he’s some sort of Malaysia Book of Records holder. Record holder for breaking the most coconuts with his bare hands …I’m serious!

He had this Caucasian to hold a coconut which he intends to break with his bare hands.

Uncle: Now you hold the coconut. Like this..
Dude: OKOK.
Uncle: you then throw the coconut to me! (uncle walks away)
Dude: ok..
Uncle: Don’t throw it to my face, you hold it like that.. ok?
Dude: ok..
Suddenly,
Uncle: Ladies and Gentlemen, this is my product, very good for sores etc etc
Dude: (Hold coconut while listening and ready to throw)
Uncle: (goes back to the white dude) ok don’t throw it to my face!
Dude: okay..
Then..

Uncle: Ladies and Gentlemen, with my product you can blablablaa!!
The uncle kept on talking and talking and promoting his product until we got bored and left. The poor Caucasian was left standing there with a coconut with his hand. Bet he hates Malaysia now.

Fortune Teller.

Chicken Rice Balls! w00t!

You can sing karaoke in the open here.

You can even perform on stage!

DJ Anatta @ Club Pure, Melaka 11 March 2006

DJ Anatta was hired to spin at Club Pure @ Melaka. So Cris, Florence and I decided to accompany her. We were given a free room at Aldy Hotel, 3 stars! 😀

Frankly, I am not familiar with the clubbing scene in Melaka. But recently I have been approached by a club in Melaka to judge a Melbourne Shuffle competition (which will be held @ Station 3 @ Melaka, 24 and 31 March 2006, more details soon!) for them. Hence, it would be interesting to see how the scene is like beforehand.

DJ Ashvin of Club Pure picked us up from our hotel. The club is located somewhere around Melaka’s business district centre.
As we were brought to the club, my first impression was that the club is made from adjoining few shop house together. Well, in fact, it was a corner lot with brilliant interior and design!

IMPRESSIVE!

The street where the club is located is theme as the mini-Bangsar of Melaka. There are other clubs and pubs there as well.

Club Pure is made up of 2 rooms, 1st room being the R&B room on the ground floor and the other room is for dance music, which is on the first floor. The R&B floor was packed to the max. Pack as a can of sardines I would say.

But the other room was pretty deserted, probably because dance music hasn’t really picked up in Melaka. We were given two buckets of beer while waiting for DJ Anatta to finish. Cris and I went on a photography spree. I heard Cris took about 1 gig of photos O_O

Florence & DJ Anatta

Men’s toilet – a small strip of one way mirror to see whether any guys are hitting on your girlfriend.

There are two weird things in Club Pure. The first is that male patrons cannot wear caps. I had this bouncer poking my waist and thereafter grabbed my cap from my head. I stared at him in disbelief and immediately grabbed my cap from him. He then pointed his head and said, “No Caps”. I was told that the reason behind it is that caps obstruct the view of CCTVs in the club. So there I was, clubbing with a head of flatten hair. I felt like a bloody schoolboy.

As for the second weird thing, I would have to start by explaining how the dance room is like in Pure Club. The DJ console is built on an elevated stage, which overlooks a small cemented dance floor. And on that dance floor, there were couple of young shufflers. Yes, the Melbourne Shuffle has invaded Melaka! I even saw someone wearing phat pants there too “=_=

While the young shufflers were tearing the dance floor with DJ Anatta’s progressive house and breakbeats, a group of kids came. Immediately thereafter, the kids were break dancing….

WHAT THE FUX! BREAK DANCING TO PROGRESSIVE HOUSE AND BREAKBEATS???

Those Bboys were doing their helicopter shits and flips.

It was culture shock I tell you.

Of course, many thanks to our beloved DJ Anatta, whose music can influence clubbers to break dance to her progressive house and breakbeats. Looks like the crowd loved her music 😀

Immediately at 230AM, the music ended and lights were turned on. Club Pure closes half an hour earlier than clubs in Kuala Lumpur.
We met DJ Ashvin, DJ Raymond and DJ Alex for supper thereafter. They brought us to Hajjah Mona Asam Pedas @ Taman Kota Laksamana. Each of us had a place of Assam Pari (Sour Stringray). It was bloody excellent. My mouth waters as I type this man!

DJs of Club Pure, Raymond, Ashvin & Alex.