sporeboy in delhi

The morning rain was insistently falling on us despite the Melaka sun being out alongside blue skies. Glistening with raindrops, we took shelter in the closest cafe, Mods Cafe.

Follow parents, cheap shopping, allowed to shop (as what holidays meant for my sister and I), good and cheap Peranakan food. Today, it means different things; history, culture, craftsmanship, simpler way of life, tea, photography. This time, my sister and I decided to make a brief 2-day trip to Melaka.

Today, I discovered a new dimension to what Melaka can be, the ‘independent lifestyle’. The discovery happened when I stepped into Mods Cafe.

Brushing off the raindrops, Sarah and I looked up into a space that yelled ‘retro’. At that time of the morning, there was just A-bert and his pregnant partner in the cafe. I was really taken by the space, which was dominated by a orange and white Volkswagen van. My eyes follow the side wall collections of drink cans on one side and LP records on the other. My eyes eventually arrive at a fluorescent glow at the back of the cafe: a home-made music studio! Electric guitars hanging on the wall, aside a drumset and a small couch. I was momentarily distracted by the Ella Fitzgerald tune playing in the cafe.

The Ella music took me back to the Verve days of the 50s, and the Hippie-esque decor to the 60s. Funny how I get nostalgic of a time past that I did not even belong to. The gleaming espresso machine sticking out the back of the Volkswagen jerked me back to the contemporary. And when A-bert served up a perfect latte with impeccable latte-art, I was in a totally different zone. The finely-bubbled foam touched my lips, followed by the surge of hot tasty coffee beneath; panacea on any day.

Every part of the space has been carefully tended to, juxtaposed with. The modern interpretation of an independent lifestyle in a world heritage shophouse gives this place character. And the best bit about the indie-driven hipster attitude of this space, is that the dude who painstakingly crafted this is the same dude who serves you your coffee. 

The working boss. I guess in this age of of widespread commercialisation, it is nice to experience the little bit of ‘indie’ every once in awhile. Perhaps a little like buying vegetables from the farmer who grew them kind of thing, but only in the cities. Mods Cafe was started and run by A-bert from Johore.

Besides being a quaint haven amidst the touristy bustle of nearby Jonker Street in Melaka, Mods Cafe, like many other independent spaces in Singapore and Delhi, gives me hope. It gives me hope that despite the oft conniving, vicious and heartless corporations that rule economies and control societies today, there are still possibilities for the human spirit to thrive. Maybe slightly melodramatic, but what is life without the theatrics? Besides, anyone who has witnessed a proper tropical storm with fast-moving clouds and lightning will agree the natural is not without its pyrotechnics.

So whether its for the philosophical victory over corporatism or merely for a good cuppa, do visit Mods Cafe in Melaka. Hopefully, I will see you there.