Greetings…

oh, why am i always cursed with a lousy keybopard????? its a programmer’s nightmare, and while i’m not, i can imagine the sufferings it puts one through….

well, hello again. Malaysia is a country thats currently riding the wave of being THE country to visit at the moment, with all of its intense marketing (read…brand Malaysia….you think only you know marketing ah, mr beckham???) abroad. and it the perfect time for us locals to savour what the mat salleh’s will be doing by visiting some of our local-just spruced up-err, localities. i did, and it was wierd, simply because i’ve been dying to visit this place since i first read about it in the old English textbooks back in primary school.

Located in the quiet outskirts of Batu Gajah, lies one big mansion that once belonged to a certain Mr.Smith, who in return, was more interested in preserving his mother’s family name of Kelly, he even named is estate Kinta Kellas estate, and so too his first mansion, Kella’s house. you see, Mr. Kelly was a young Scotsman who boarded a ship (he couldn’t have swam all the way right?) to Malaya in search of glory (read = $$$ kashing!) and did like what other Scotsman (then why didn’t we all set up footy clubs with scotty names like Kinta Celtics or KL Hibernians???) did… clear a huge piece of land, bully the locals, throw some loose change all over, get some white-rajah fearing (you idiots!, pardon the words, but in actual fact, they were just like what i said…power to the people!) people from the subcontinent and get them all to work in the rubber estate. while the others toiled, this Mr. Smith was making de moolahs, and filled his coffers, got married, had kids, then decided it was time to evade the tax machinations and spend the cash and bling blings on a new mansion. no wait, a castle. yeah….a castle…..

its a magnificent sight, even now when its seen from far. people, go visit this place only if you have the following :

a) wild passion for history (one of the only subjects i paid attention in school, besides any classes taught by cute looking teachers…sigh…not many….)

b) wild imagination - imagine picturisations of the things you read in books and magz….

c) go ga-ga over CS (ceh, not counter strike ler… conspiracy theory)

if you have at least one of the above listed CV, the its worth the visit. othersie, its another complaint-ridden trip in the end of the day (whats so special about this run-down place, probably got lelonged by the ah longs or something…).

but if you think about it, Kelly’s Castle reads one word…. sheer romanticism.  no laa…not only the smooching kinda romance, but the whole idea of actually stepping into a fabric of time that stands still, waiting for answers to be spilled out in the open, and to find out WHAT actually happened in the good ol days of the Rajah Beruks….

i have so many angles to explore, but let me do it one at a time. its gonna be a long read, so, go, order some dominos and make yourself your fav cuppa ais kosong…

well, on a historical point of view, its a real tour-de-farce(ooopsy…force) on whats in the compounds of the building. the architecture, the grandeur, the lavishness that the colonial masters were throwing around, everything is like whats thats been printed in the history books and beyond.

this place has its own mystic charms as well. any tom dick and/or harry will testify to the fact that ANY old buildings will have its fair share of visitors of the thin (halus) kind. its up to every individual to divulge and believe of its existence, but well, i’m a bit of a skeptic, but firm believer of many things. like the existence of Gus, and that all are His will. including the halus types. man….to cut the story short…the place IS SPOOOOOOOOOKY!!!!!!

imagine, you’re actually walking into a construction site that was beleagured with civil problems, with workers dropping like flies one-by-one due to some Spanish plague (liga primera perhaps, hmmm…..) and the fact that Mr. Kelly himself passed on trying to complete the building. and reports of spectres, apparitions and other incidences. the closest i had to it, twice, was when i visited the wine cellar, and the linen room. and the overall feel of the place. man…. a real tour of duty for me. armed with my ever trusted mantras, i was ready. but in the same time, i was charmed of its existence, the fact that here lies a thin line between real time and past time, and how Gus weaves it all into one big blanket called time…..magnifique!

a true conspiracy buff would look out for many clues whilst on hallow and sacred grounds. i was just doing the same, and one thing kept ploughing down my spine…Scotsman…young….riches….MASON!!!

you see where i’m getting? this is truly a remarkable angle to ponder on, and to the majority of readers who don’t have a clue of what i’m talking about, well, i’ll save it for personal meetings. but i do suggest for all to look up on masons and how the scots are involved in it. my word, it was another magnifique find. and I appreciated Kelly’s Castle even more.

on a more melodramatic note, like what my grandma did, was the fact that this guy who loved his wifey and kids so much, that he wantedt o get the best for them in a country he had called his second home. how else to reaffrim this status than by building a home? and he didn’t even live to see his dream come true.

rest in peace Mr. Kelly.

ps - its a great place to visit alright. read up a little before you go, it makes appreciating our national treasures a little more fascinating….

cheers folks….

plain ol historical joe…