Voices From the Street

"We began by listening to the voices of the ordinary Malaccans.  We listened to the city's streets, as we searched out hidden corners and abandoned alleyways.  Listened to houses and temples, ruins and cemeteries.  Even to the murmurs and whispers of empty spaces.  We listened at every turn, at every step.  To the living and to the dead.  The past and the present.  In the hope that the story of an extraordinary place and its people would be told.  And we heard them speak."

             Extract from Malacca:  Voices from the Street by Lim Huck Chin and Fernando Jorge (2005)

Scattered around the St Paul's Church, there were many headstones that had been found on the Bukit over the years.  Browsing around looking at them, the realization of how many family crests were there was enlightening.  Having dabbled in genealogy a few years back, I guess I had never realized how much family crests were such a huge part of history.

There were so many to look at:

And finally, walking down Bukit St Paul, we found these ancient tombs.  Reading their story, we realize that most lived only to the mid 40's and often not even that long.

This was an entire family:

 

 

And during our stroll, we continued reading more stories...

 

 

 

 

 

 

And we quietly walked back into the city, the voices of the past had indeed left an imprint in our hearts, speaking what no book can tell us.  History has touched our souls from half way around the world...

 

 

... once again.