First Anniversary Part 2

Moving on to Part 2 of Penang celebrating first anniversary being granted UNESCO World Heritage Site status...

Indian flower vendors just beside Goddess of Mercy temple. According to our guide, out of 6 stalls, 3 are Indian Muslims, the other 3 are Indian Hindus. And they live together in harmony.

Masjid Kapitan Keling has strong Middle Eastern influences as its very founders are Indian Muslim traders.

Speak of Arabic influences.

Cross the street and you'll find yourself in Little India, the rustic, humble and lively early Indian community welcomes you.

You can find anything Indian here, from their fragrant spices to jewellery and even chettiar services - short-term moneylenders - "not like Ah Long har!" My guide emphasized. As it turns out, the chettiar approve loans based on goodwill and compassion, unlike the more profit-oriented Chinese "big brothers". No red paint and threats to kill your whole family if you just so happen to default your instalment.

Sri Maha Mariamman Temple at the heart of Little India.

This temple hosts the God which Penangnites pray during Thaipusum - a celebration even India never heard of.

A traditional bread vendor's tricycle along Queen Street, Little India.

The following day, Chingay players congregated at Esplanade for the revived Chingay All-Star competition.

Chingay is typically Northern Malaysia, a play/sport involving balancing a gigantic flag on several parts of the body - usually the shoulders, forehead, feet etc. Points are awarded based on difficulty of the act and how the team cooperates and complements each other.

It's definitely not everyone's bowl of soup...

But wait till you capture shots like this.

Conclusion
A brief study of Penang history reveals a rich, multi layered origins attributable to Great Britain, India, Southern China and South-East Asia. Over all the years our forefathers have lived on this little island and with it thrived. It's not an easy feat to find a Christian church along the same street as a mosque, but in Pitt Street (Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling), we have a church, a Chinese temple, an Indian temple and a mosque. Streets of harmony - the past showed us we have no problems living with people of different color or creed, so why do we yield so easily to political influences of "people up there"? Yasmin Ahmad - sadly - had sent the message across many times, but until her tragic and untimely death our papers are still full of racial issues and inequality. It's time to move on, Malaysians.
On another note, I am very glad the current government of Penang takes initiatives to promote culture and heritage to its people. Penang is an interesting place to live in - the people, the food, the friendly atmosphere. Needless to say it's also a difficult place to take leave. For Penangnites like me, if your visit is less than a day, then you're wasting your time. Penang needs to be savored slowly - like a bowl of assam laksa, it is not in league with Singapore or Kuala Lumpur where you can get a whiff in 3 hours and tell your friends you saw the towers and went to Chinatown. So, stay longer next time!

First Anniversary Part 1

This summer marks Penang's first anniversary being listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The application process itself was a toil, and hence the success comes with no easy feat in future as well. A host of events were held from early July ending with a blast this weekend. Among one that managed to get me up and kicking at 8 on a Saturday is a free Heritage Walk along Streets of Harmony - the grid covering Little India, Goddess of Mercy Temple, Masjid Kapitan Keling and Armenian Street.
A large group turned up for the day, mostly housewives, tourists and holidaymakers like me. We were split into groups according to the language which the tour would be conducted. Our guide was a volunteer with the Penang Heritage Trust, very professional in Penang history as well as all the religions and old-time life. Of course one wouldn't miss the golden opportunity to photograph the beauties of restored Penang on a most beautiful morning.

We started from Penang Town Hall, which incidentally is hosting an art exhibition on the weekend.

Cross the street to the High Court and Sections and Majistrate Courts of Penang. One wouldn't miss the beautifully restored Logan's Memorial - in memory of James Richardson Logan, British lawyer who'd helped many locals with British legal issues.

The original High Court building, now the balconies and walkways are glassed and air-coned to yield more space.

Across the street again to St. George's Church, earliest church in Penang and served as a social and religious symbol for the British as long as their reign in Penang.

Another view of the rustic, simplistic church - which coincidentally has a twin in Madras - same architect, same design, except for the slanted triangular roofs for the Penang sister.

Francis Light memorial just opposite the High Court.

A 3-minute walk would bring you to Goddess of Mercy Temple, founded by Hokkiens and Cantoneses in Penang in 1800. It was rumoured that the stone lions sprang into life at night and bathe along the coasts of North Beach in olden days.

Started initially as a Mar-Zor (Goddess of the Sea) temple, it slowly transformed to house the Goddess of Mercy as second and third generation of Penang Chinese move further from seafaring.

The comical and energetic joss-stick maker behind the temple. A living heritage and dying trade - modern joss-sticks were machine-made and lacked the 'feeling'.

More Chinese settlement along Cannon Street - stronghold territory of the Khoo Kongsi. These pre-war houses have a long history behind them if you have the time and interest. Our guide - the lady in red.

This would interest the Taiwanese - Dr. Sun Yet-san was based in Penang many times during his overseas campaign to overthrow the Ching dynasty. He called for revolution to transform feudalism into modern China. It was in Penang which he succeded in planning and securing funds for his final and most crucial uprising against Beijing.

Stay tuned for Part 2!

Give Us Faith

Wrote Yasmin Ahmad on July 16: Someone please wake me from this nightmare and tell me that this did not happen in my country and that Teoh Beng Hock is safe at home with his family.
And she's down with stroke yesterday, hopefully recovering to contribute more towards Malaysian unity and equility.
At times of turmoil it is easy to put the blame on others. However, a sincere prayer for a better tomorrow would more or less made the world a better place for all.
That said, we still want justice and the truth to be revealed.

Fearing Death?

It was a beautiful Friday morning. I went out for short jog around 9am, returning just after 9.40 to find a missed call from my babysitter's daughter. Neglecting it, I went for a shower only to find my Dad calling me later.
"Ah Por passed away," my Dad said plainly. The raspy telephone voice reverberated in my ears and took a second or two to register in my brain. I wished it wasn't true but it had been coming since years ago.
Ah Por was 95 years old. Her life itself was a history which traverses China and the early Penang Straits Settlements. Although at old age she fought with dementia, she had the fortune to be living together with her great-grandchildren and a caring daughter, my babysitter.

Back to the movie, Departures, our class was supposed to watch it during one of our class meetings in the semester. Due to work requirements I skipped the movie, and forgot completely about it until my sister kept singing praises about it when I came back.
Coincidentally, GSC Gurney Plaza was showing the movie on International Screens because it garnered Best Foreign Language Film in the Oscars. I took a Monday to watch the 140-minute film.

Funeral parlour touching up the dead before the encoffing ceremony.

Death is not a stranger to me anymore after the semester with our Silent Mentor and the grand funeral thereafter. However, anything dealing with the dead is still a taboo across Asia and perhaps the world.
Quoting a dialogue from the movie - "Death is merely a passage in life - a door, to which people randomly pass through into another realm of the world. When I send them away, I tell them 'we'll meet again, see you later eh!' So we need not be sad for the dead because even though we miss them in our material world, they're always with us in spirit. Sooner or later we'd join them and live in a world free of worries."
So everyday in life we hear people say "live like today's the last day in your life," while it may encourage us to put our best foots forward in any circumstance, we shall always remind ourselves even if death suddenly arrives we should have no fear of leaving - leaving for a better world. One prerequisite though - live life without regrets.
In the movie you see the funeral parlour treating all the dead with equal respect and humility - applying make up for the ladies and shaving clean the men. A simple question - how would you want yourself to look like when you pass? How would you be remembered?
Set in conservative Japan, the movie tackles with perfect grace and depth the main problem most Asians fall into when someone passes - never to grief and regret for one's death, make it like a date with your loved ones in the afterlife.

Kota Kinabalu - Port and Tourism City

Kota Kinabalu is stretched along the waterfront. From atop there's a hint of Hong Kong, albeit without the neck-craning highrises and dense population

There's an 'old town' and a 'new town'. It's not hard to spot the separation.

The K.K. Waterfront holds many exciting discoveries.

Magnificent views of the opposite shore (refugee asylum for Filipinos) and clear seawaters reminiscent of the Mediterranean. Da Ai television crew with an onlooker asking if they'd like a ride on his fishing boat.

Fishing in the Sea of Tranquility, anyone?

K.K. from another view. It was actually a clear day, but thanks to MAS' age-old aircrafts - scratched windows, the image turned out like this.

At KLIA. This bird was supposed to bring us back to Penang, but due to 'technical errors' we were transferred to another bird, with a one-hour delay. Seen behind one of MAS' 777 - despite being a little more than a decade old, these birds are the newest in MAS' fleet.

This concludes my Sabah trip for 2 weeks this summer. Look forward for more updates on Penang and spending the summer with friends and family soon!

Summer In Sabah Part 2

Visit to a coffee factory - learned a lesson or two on latte art.

From the observation hill atop Tenom. It's actually a small town on the convergence of two rivers - Padas and Pagalan river.

One of the schools we were working in - SJK(C) Yuk Hwa

Yuk Hwa's school building and us in elephant skin.

On another day we visited a palm oil mill with the Lion's Club. "Everything from the palm oil fruit brings money," the manager says, "down to the last fiber."

Cooking oil - we were skeptical about the pisang goreng served in the canteen later.

Later in the evening our dean, Dr. Hsu, joined us. Seen here teaching us to diagnose strabismus with a little light bulb. "3 seconds is all it takes."

Teaching table manners in SJK(C) Tsi Sin. Purple and yellow make good contrasts.

A brilliant sunset - I'd sacrifice their portraits for the view.

Compromise - a sarong with the school's blouse. Looks something between a kebaya and the Japanese kimono. Yves St. Laurent would gawk at this but I'd say it's a nice match and a wonderful performance later.

Coming up next...Kota Kinabalu and The Way Home!

Trivial Nothings July

• My flight back from Kota Kinabalu was delayed, 30 minutes ex-KK to KL and an hour from KL to Penang. I was frustrated definitely, but hey, this is Malaysia, as I've mentioned to my Taiwanese friends since their arrival.
• Both flights were full to the brim, however. With little seats to spare. Economic downturn? I'd say it's recovering already.
• Anyway, on the way back to Penang was served by this gorgeous looking crew - nice hair, nice teeth and an infectious smile. Just can't stop looking at him whenever he passed down the aisle. When it's time for peanuts, he just hands us one tiny packet. Hey! What's this?
• On the Bahasa Malaysia for Science and Mathematics issue - "No, our students are not practising Michael Jackson's Moonwalk, they're merely moving backwards."
• An editor of Sin Chew Daily described it being a scenario of asking for a pinch of salt on a bland soup, and the chef 'accidentally' let loose the whole packet.
• Imagine the money involved in all the translation and reference books reprint! As if that's not enough to feed our MP's cars and bungalows, hiring teachers from abroad?
• On a more personal note. I'd just finish editing all my team's daily journals. It's difficult to work on a 800x600 screen, but Mum insists I keep the setting because she can't read anything smaller than font 14 on a screen - rabun tua.
  
• While jogging a few days back, I'd suspect I had cataract - how come everything is blurry and whitish?
• It turned out to be the haze.
  

Summer In Sabah Part 1

We were based in Tenom, Sabah. Over the course of 2 weeks we hopped frequently to Keningau and once to Kampung Rundum.

A view of Keningau, a larger sister city 45 minutes away from Tenom.

We enjoyed brilliant weather throughout our stay, except perhaps some rain everyday.

Then to Kampung Rundum with the Lion's. From the photo one would think it's something out of The Hobbit from Tolkien. Living conditions were poor - two toilets for the whole kampung, no electricity, no running water.

And getting there is no easy feat. Road conditions of every imaginable scenario most of the way.

This is our Isuzu 4x4 after 5 hours of dirt and grime.

A total of 40 4x4s along the way.

For Taiwanese ladies taking pictures are the utmost importance. For a blogger like me, the task is equally important as well.

Of course, performing my medical duties comes not far after.

On another better day we visited the Sabah Agricultural Park. Fascinating place.

Taking pictures, again...