Exquisite B & W Costume Jewerly

Exquisite B & W Costume Jewerly
Exhibited at Holland Days in Malacca

Monday, August 27, 2007

Dutch Harbour Café – Melaka

I have had the privilege to enjoy a delicious, sumptuous and meaningful lunch at the Dutch Harbour Café situated at 39, Jalan Laksamana 75100 Melaka http://www.dutchharbourcafe.com email: info@dutchharbourcafe.com I was presently surprise to see almost everything going Dutch culturally the very moment I enter the said premise.
A prominent signboard was displayed at the five-foot walkways with Dutch Foods delicacies and drinks. Inside dining sets were positioned romantically with little bouquet of flowers in the middle of the table. The main facing was two clocks; one with Malaysian time of 1.10pm and the other showing 7.10am Holland in the morning (correct me if I am wrong!).Another notable seen was the bunting of Holland Days in Melaka hanging high up readily visible to all. In the middle was a smiling Dutch Lady ( immediately reminded me of the DUTCH LADY infant nutrients in Malaysia ) greeting with colourful tulips and fresh vegetables.
I choose to sit in front of the serving ‘kitchen’ where a courteous waiter name Amy and a sweet fair lady Melissa came to my rescue; as I am alien to Dutch servings. I was referred to try out Chicken Croquette ( RM 7.00 )and a Cuban Perrier ( RM 9.00 ); although I couldn’t pronounce them! Though I must say the Chicken Croquette looked too small a plate for my appetite; it certainly tasted delicious. The Cuban Perrier is a mixture of sweet, sour and bitter drink before being stirred. The little umbrella over the drink was indeed in resonance to the hugh umbrella I was shield under. I was left with no more choice but to try another as my stomach was yarning for more ; so I tried the Chess Croissant ( RM 6.00 ) or else I would ‘die’ of hunger by tea break which I hardly leave the Maritime Archaeology Museum www.maritime.emalacca.com .
That it, I have had a sumptuous Dutch meal today. It was price reasonably and I would highly recommend to all visitors to Melaka to try them out. I was told that they open daily from 9.00am to 1.00am the following morning. Before I forget, the rear of this café is the ever historic and nostalgic Melaka River; where one or gang could spent the evening drinking beers till night fall…….
Although the Melaka River will continue to flow effortlessly, be it upstream during high tide or vise versa; our beers shall continue to flow towards building better acquaintance and friendship for better days ahead and luck in whatever we endeavor in.

Holland Days in Melaka , - 2 to 9th Sept. 2007, Melaka.

Dutch Heritage Melaka
The first relations between Malaysia and the Netherlands date back about 400 years ago when Admiral Cornelis Matelieff de Jonge of the Dutch East Indies Company ( V.O.C.) signed a treaty with the Sultan of Johor reconquer Melaka.
This eventually bore fruit in 1641, after which the VOC established a trading post in Melaka with the agreement of the Sultan. This marks a period of co-operation during which Malaysia and the Netherlands influence and benefited from each other. This is clearly visible in the centre of town with the Stadthuys and Christ Church. At the Dutch Graveyard one can find gravestones with names as Theodorus Hebbers and Hendrik Evertsen. You will also fine the Dutch heritage in Kampung Belanda, with street name as Jonker Street ( Jalan Hang Jebat ) and Heeren Street ( Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lok ). There are still Dutch descendents living in Malaysia, the Dutch Eurasian Community, carrying Dutch surnames such as Westerhout. Even some Malaysian words derive from Dutch language such as duit ( money ). Beside a British interregnum from 1795 to 1818, Melaka remained in hands of the Dutch until 1824, when they surrendered Melaka to the British in exchange for the Sumatra port of Bencoolen ( Benkulu).
Activities
Saturday 1 –Sunday 9 September
‘The Dutch Market’
Weekdays from 09.00am to 07.00pm
Weekends ( Fri, Sat, Sun ) from 09.00am to 09.00pm
Venue: Dutch Square
Featured: ING Delft Blue Painter, Flowerbooth, Dutch Snacks Booth, Photoshoot Dutch
Costumes, Tradewind Treasures, Presentation Dutch Folklore costumes,
presentation Rembrandt etc.
Thursday 6 September
Lecture Ar John Koh on the Old Melaka Fort
Time: 04.00 -05.00pm
Venue: Melaka Historic Museum, Dutch Square, Jalan Kota.
Architect John Koh has written an article on this subject in the Buletin Warisan,
Apr-June 2007.
Saturday 8 – Sunday 9 Sept September
Cooking lessons from Celine Marbeck
Time: 03.00 – 06.00pm ( both days )
Venue: Quayside Café & Seafood Restaurant, No 4, Quayside Heritage Centre ( both days ) Tel: 06 281 6958
As a, from Dutch originated, Malaysian-Eurasian chef, Celine Marbeck presented cooking demonstrations on a Malaysian TV Channel and presented Master Classes in Eurasian Cooking at the International Gourmand Awards held in Kuala Lumpur 2006.
Saturday 8 – 9 September
Concert ‘ Kleintje Pils’
Time: 03.00pm -04.00pm ( both days )
Venue: Dutch Square ( both days )
Time: 08.30 -09.30pm ( both days )
Venue: Jonkerstreet ( both days )
Kleintje Pils plays joyful, catchy music, mainly Dixieland Jazz and Dutch classics.
Exhibition
Exhibition Dutch East India Company ( VOC )
1 – 30 September Venue: Melaka Conservation Centre, Jalan Laksamana
Exhibition Dutch East India Company coins ( VOC Coins )
1 – 30 September Venue: Melaka Conservation Centre, Jalan Laksamana
Exhibition Sketchbook Malacca
1 – 30 September Venue: Melaka Conservation Centre, Jalan Laksamana
Exhibition EU Herd of Cows
2 – 9 September Venue: Different locations in Melaka
Food
During the “ Holland Days in Melaka” several food and beverage outlets in Melaka will serve automatic Dutch food and snacks.
The Windmill Station (1)
“We make Great Western Food affordable & enjoyable for Everyone.”
No 48 & 50, Jalan Melaka Raya
For reservation/enquiries: 06 285 0145 website: www.the-windmill-station.com
The Windmill Station (2)
Ground Floor ( G33), Jaya Jusco Shopping Complex
For reservation/enquiries: 06 233 1145 website: www.the-windmill-station.com
Dutch Harbour Café
A fusion of Westeern and South East Asian Cuisine. A New Food Sensation comes to Melaka
No. 39, Jalan Laksamana
For reservation/enquiries: 06 283 7606 website: www.dutchharbourcafe.com
Thinking about Netherlands or Holland as it is popularly known, people think mainly about a friendly country with windmills and tulips. Well-known Dutch icons are football player Van Nistelrooij and famous artist Van Gogh. But there is much more!
This is the reason why the Netherlands embassy is working together with Dutch companies and organizations in Malaysia and Dutch related companies to promote the Netherlands and Dutch products. The celebration of 50 years of Malaysia and 50 years of Netherlands-Malaysia diplomatic relations in 2007 offers a golden opportunity not to be missed in this context. The motto ‘Holland, More than tulips’ has been chosen for this year’s campaign. Activities will be organized during the whole year throughout the whole country.
Of course Melaka is prominently featured! Melaka played a vital role for the Netherlands as major trade hub for the Dutch East India Company for nearly 200 years between 1642 and 1824. Many of the most visible buildings, such as the Stadthuys ( townhall in Dutch ) or the Christ Church, are build by the Dutch.
To revive this history and build a bridge to present days, the town will ‘turn orange’ between 2 and 9 September 2007. Featured will be a Dutch Market where typical Dutch specialties will be sold; exhibitions on the VOC will be held; Dutch traditional costumes will be shown; restaurants will be offering Dutch specialties; cooking demonstrations will be organized; and lots more!
The ‘Holland Days in Melaka is supported by ING Insurance, TNT, MISC, Dutch Lady and Douwe Egbert.

Thursday, August 16, 2007

The Memorable Malaysia Dollar Banknotes with Legal Tender in 5 Territories

Extracted from The Strength of Malaysia – by Allington Kenneth
Pg 2 -7, The Straits Times Annual, 1964
In Spite of ‘ confrontation’ and misunderstanding by two of her biggest neighbours the Federation of Malaya, (Singapore) , Sarawak and Sabah is assured of a flourishing future of the great human and material assets of its many people. – How true!
The hostility of Indonesia and Philippines has reinforced every argument for Malaysia. Their bitter conclusion is that they would prefer Malaysia not to work. The Philipines Government has failed claim of North Borneo ( Sabah ), while Indonesia believed that both North Borneo and Sarawak should be part of the Indonesia Republic.
“Confrontation” was an unexpected background to the end of British colonial rule in South East Asia. It was as though the Indonesian would welcome British withdrawal only if permitted to fall upon the Borneo States and add them to Soekarno’s empire.
Most of the original doubts which the Borneo States had about Malaysia had disappeared even before ‘ confrontation’ supplied a new and urgent reason for federation. The Borneo States are too small to stand by themselves, while Malaysia quite obviously needed Singapore as much as Singapore needed Malaya.
Politically separated, economically Singapore and Malaya have been partners because they could not be anything else. Singapore has been the gateway and the commercial capital of Malaya.
Sarawak traded with and through Singapore. As for Sabah, the merchants of Singapore were trading with the Sultan of Sulu, the overlord of North Borneo, long before the Chartered Company became king. More so than ever for both, after they became Crown colonies at the end of the Japanese Occupation.
Brunei has not joined Malaysia because of failure to agree on the Sultanate’s oil royalties which the Malaysia Government thought should become federal revenue in another ten years’ time.
Despite all these, in 1959, a new One Dollar banknote was issued with the picture of a fisherman’s boat, signature by Tun Lee Hau Shik and had a security stripe together with a watermark of a tiger’s head. It was printed by Thomas de la Rue co. Ltd. London.
In 1961, a new Ten Dollars with a farmer plowing the rice field with the signature by Tun Tan Siew Sin was issued. It also had a watermark of a tiger’s head – both with captions on the observe that read:-
“ This Note is Legal Tender for Ten Dollars in the Federation of Malaya, Singapore, Brunai, Sarawak and North Borneo.”
And Crest of these five respective territories on the reverse sides.
Eventually, the role of printing was taken over by Bank Negara, Malaysia established in 1963.
Although Singapore eventually left Malaysia and Brunei was never part of the pact; however,
this unique collaborations and understandings in the common issuance and utilization of banking notes within 5 territories of 3 sovereignties was instrumental to the eventual formation of ASEAN!