Sini Sana: travels in Malaysia

“Hujan emas di negeri orang, hujan batu di negeri sendiri …” Thus begins a Malay version of the proverb, “Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home.” Humble, perhaps, but never humdrum. Sini Sana: Travels in Malaysia features the very Malaysian journeys of a dozen writers who have managed to uncover hidden gems that may not all glitter like gold, but are still rare and precious finds.

A kopitiam stopover yields an unexpected trip back through time, and a promise delivered too late. A foreigner’s visit to a pasar malam educates yet overwhelms him. Romance is rediscovered on an island paradise, and Zen is found on an ancient lake. There are also encounters with trees that seem to come alive and a child seemingly possessed by a Hindu god. These are just some of the stories found in this collection.
From idyllic beaches, isolated jungles and ancient ruins, to sleepy hollows and small towns, these travellers’ tales chart a course back to a country we once knew—or thought we knew—and its ongoing metamorphosis into a place of our best hopes and sweetest dreams. Even after all this time, it’s still possible to find the new within the familiar.