If there is one city that you would go time and again, which would it be? London? New York? Tokyo? Melbourne? Mine is easy. Ask any of my friends and they can tell you without hesitation.

Paris.

What gives it away? Maybe it’s because I visit the city every year, often multiple trips in the same year. It’s hard to keep me away from the French capital. ;)

Mind, Paris and I had a tumultous start. The first time I was there, she was like an ice queen, beautiful yet aloof. I was very young then, an unseasoned traveller with a lack of finesse in how I dealt with people. I admit to feeling privileged and I did not understand the cultural undercurrent beneath the foreign language that I haven’t a clue beyond bonjour and merci at that stage.

Over the year, things got better. Waaay better. I learnt French (still learning – I need lots more practice time) and tried to understand their ways (there are so much embedded in culture and lifestyle that I barely scrap the surface), and more importantly, I made friends living in the city. They welcome me with open arms, had me entangled in their lives (in a very good way, as I met their friends and families too), and so much of my happy memories are undeniably linked to them. I wouldn’t want it any other way.

I like to think that I know the city pretty well by now. At least enough for the owner of Mouff’tarte (they do fantastic savoury and sweet tarts) to recognise me by sight! Next time, I’ll get him to remember me by name? Lol.

The Amazing Race took off to Penang, Malaysia in its latest instalment, challenging the racers a) in the Detours to either carry a dozen of giant joss sticks (“Buddhist Tradition”) to the top of a temple or balancing chingay flags across a certain distance (“Chinese Custom”), and b) in the Roadblock to prepare a Hindu offering.

Here’s a video if you’ve missed the airing on Sunday night.

The pitstop of the race is the Pinang Peranakan Mansion, a beautiful heritage mansion that houses antiques and collectibles associated with the culture and custom of the Peranakans.

In a couple of months time, I’ll be heading to Penang where one of my brothers lives. I must make this one of the places to see. Afterall, our greatgrandmother was originally from Penang and she was a Peranakan too. It’s high time for me to take a deeper look into part of my heritage, which I should have learned while she was alive. However, being young and naive then, I didn’t appreciate just how much I would have missed out by failing to take an interest in it.

It is definitely time to catch up.