mELAka

Melaka is located on the Western Coast of Peninsular Malaysia facing the Straight of Melaka, about 147 kilometers from Kuala Lumpur and 245 kilometers from Singapore. Melaka is actually found sandwiched between the states of Negeri Sembilan and Johor. It covers and area of 658 square kilometers and is divided into three district namely Alor Gajah, Melaka Tengah and Jasin.

INTERESTING PLACES

PULAU BESAR

Pulau Besar is located about 3 nautical miles off Pengkalan Pernu at Umbai, 10km south of Melaka town. Those in search of fresh air, sandy beaches and tranquillity will be entranced by the unspoilt natural beauty of the island. It also abounds with intriguing legends and sacred graves and shrines. There is an island resort with beach chalets, a yacht club and a host of sea - based sporting facilities. The island is ideal for swimming, fishing, snorkelling, camping and picnicking.

The most famous of these has it that several hundred years ago, a beautiful and kind-hearted princess of the Sultanate of Malacca fell in love with a fisherman from Sumatra. When the fisherman had to return to Sumatra, he promised the princess that he would return to marry her.

A few months later, misfortune was to befall the happy couple when the boat the fisherman was on, capsized on its way to Malacca after being caught in a raging storm. The young fisherman was to go down with the ship.

All this time, the princess had been waiting patiently for the fisherman's return. She was soon to discover that she was pregnant. Hearing no news and in total desperation, she threw herself into the sea. Legend has it that her body miraculously floated to the site of her lover's capsized ship and remained there. This is said to account for the shape of the island of Pulau Besar.

HOW TO GET THERE???

There are regular bus services to Umbai from the Jalan Tun Ali Terminal in Malacca town. From the Pengkalan Pernu jetty, a boat then transports you to the island. The journey to Pulau Besar from Umbai by speed boat takes 15 minutes. A 45 minutes boat service is available from the Shahbandar jetty in Malacca town as well as the jetty behind the State Tourist Information Centre.

INTERESTING PLACES



MARITIME MUSEUM





A FAMOSA



HANG LI PO'S WELL

D-PARADISE





JONKER STREET

PORTUGUESE SQUARE





A LAUGH A DAY MAY KEEP THE DOCTOR AWAY!

Laughter is made up of a set of gestures, which can range from waving hands to holding the stomach, and sound, which can range from a quiet, “tee-hee” to a great guffaw!
Fifteen facial muscles also move and we can gasp for air. Sometimes our face goes red and at other times our eyes may water.

Laughter works wonderfully well in the moment, but it also has some surprising long-term health benefits.

What can laughter do??

• Lower blood pressure
• Increase vascular blood flow and oxygenation of the blood
• Give a workout to the diaphragm and abdominal, respiratory, facial, leg, and back muscles
• Reduce certain stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline
• Increase the response of tumor- and disease-killing cells such as Gamma-interferon and T-cells
• Defend against respiratory infections–even reducing the frequency of colds by immunoglobulon in saliva.
• Increase memory and learning
• Improve alertness, creativity, and memory

Have you ever heard the saying, ‘Laughter is the best medicine’? This is what psychoneuroimmunology is all about. Phew! What a long word! It’s the science of studying how laughter benefits our health and our immune system, in particular.

It seems that laughing is good for you. It relaxes you and makes you feel good by releasing chemicals into your bloodstream.

But remember one thing. Even though laughter is good for you, try not to be funny around people with broken ribs!

KEBAYA NYONYA

Kebaya is a costume worn by South East Asian women. It consists mainly of a jacket and a sarong. The styles of the jacket and the sarong differ from place to place. The materials and embellishment that go with them also differ regionally.

Nyonya Kebaya  is a unique traditional ethnic clothes worn by the Straits Settlement Chinese ladies who are known as nyonyas. The Baba and Nyonya, even though originally are ethnic Chinese, adopt the way of dressing, some cultural practices and also local food in their daily lives.

The main difference of nyonya kebaya from other kebayas is that, the material used for the top is sheer. The material can be gauze cotton, voile or georgette. Since the top is made out of translucent material, it is necessary to wear an inner cotton camisole which is called "anak baju".

The top is embroidered with beautiful motifs with extra emphasize at the collar, the sleeves and the hem of the jacket. The motifs are usually hand-made. As with other craft, machine-made embroidery would not look as good as the hand-made ones.

As for the sarong, batik from Java is used. Locally known as "batik Jawa", there are several cuts to choose from. The more shapely ladies would love to show off their lovely legs with a sarong with a slit in front. The slit would only show as they walk.
"Now you see it, now you don't" is supposed to be so seductive that jealous husbands would not allow their women to be seen wearing these costumes outside the house. A more modest version does not have slits, but instead adorned with pleats at the seams in front so that the movement is not hampered much.

There are two basic styles of nyonya kebaya.
1. with long jacket (known as kebaya labuh)
2. with the short jacket (kebaya pendek).

Kebaya labuh is usually worn by elderly ladies. The cut is straight, and the length comes down to the knees, sometimes almost to the calves. The material is still sheer, and anak baju is also needed. A set of brooches (usually a set of three) are used to secure the front of the jacket. A chiffon embroidered handkerchief is cleverly tucked at the collar completes the look.

Kebaya pendek is much preferred by the younger nyonyas. The cut hugs the figure and the length of the jacket only reaches the hips. This costume shows off the shape of the women beautifully.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

INTRODUCTION

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the most common lung diseases. It makes it difficult to breathe. There are two main forms of COPD:

- Chronic bronchitis, which involves a long-term cough with mucus.

- Emphysema, which involves destruction of the lungs over time.

CAUSES, INCIDENCE, AND RISK FACTORS

Smoking is the leading cause of COPD. The more a person smokes, the more likely that person will develop COPD. However, some people smoke for years and never get COPD.

In rare cases, nonsmokers who lack a protein called alpha-1 antitrypsin can develop emphysema.

Other risk factors for COPD are:

- Exposure to certain gases or fumes in the workplace.

- Exposure to heavy amounts of secondhand smoke and pollution.

- Frequent use of cooking fire without proper ventilation.\

SYMPTOMS

1. Cough, with or without mucus

2. Fatigue

3. Many respiratory infections

4. Shortness of breath that gets worse with mild activity

5.Trouble catching one's breath

6. Wheezing

TREATMENT
There is no cure for COPD. However, there are many things you can do to relieve symptoms and keep the disease from getting worse.
Persons with COPD MUST stop smoking. This is the best way to slow down the lung damage.

Medications used to treat COPD include:

- Inhalers (bronchodilators) to open the airways, such as ipratropium (Atrovent), tiotropium (Spiriva),    salmeterol (Serevent), formoterol (Foradil)

- Inhaled steroids to reduce lung inflammation

- Anti-inflammatory medications

In severe cases or during flare-ups, you may need to receive:

- Steroids by mouth or through a vein (intravenously)

- Bronchodilators through a nebulizer

- Oxygen therapy

- Assistance during breathing from a machine (through a mask, BiPAP, or endotracheal tube)