Penang remains a favourite holiday destination for many

Malaysians and Foreigners Alike

I recently returned from yet another holiday spent in Penang, that glorious tropical island. Surprisingly even after numerous family holidays spent along the beaches of Penang, especially the famed Batu Ferringhi beach, my entire family are still enamoured by the island’s many charms.

Looking back over the last sixty years or so, I can still remember my first experience of Penang. It was way back in the early fifties when my late father, Victor Morais was the editor of a newspaper in Ipoh, Perak called the Malaya Tribune. My parents took us for a holiday to Penang in a brand new Austin A40 motor car.

I remember vividly that we stayed for a few days at a then prominent and well patronised two-storey hotel with the quaint name, Springtide Hotel. This hotel was situated along the then famous Tanjong Bungah beach. Today, that beach plays second fiddle to Batu Ferringhi beach.

Springtide Hotel Beckons

Springtide Hotel was unlike our modern hill rise hotels and resorts. It was basically a two-storey bungalow that was converted into a small hotel. It was patronised mostly by British civil servants, planters and tin miners. Most locals then chose to stay with relatives or friends when on holidays because it was much too costly to check into a hotel in those days.

The hotel was able to serve both western as well as Chinese dishes. We normally had a western breakfast of toast, butter /jam, scrambled or half boiled eggs and occasionally some sausages. For our lunch, it was the all-time favourite of nasi goreng ( fried rice ) or sometimes fried seafood noodles, Cantonese style.

The rooms had ceiling fans to cool us and I think we also had nets over the beds to keep out the pesky mosquitoes. It was a different time and a different era but it nevertheless remains a wonderful, cherished memory.

Impressive Park Royal Hotel

On this visit, we took four rooms at the 300 plus rooms, Park Royal Hotel, a 5-star property located along Batu Ferringhi beach. My two daughters and their families had a room each as well as my son. My wife and I took the last room.

As luck would have it, the hotel had just completed a refurbishment exercise. A few years ago, we had stayed at the Park Royal Hotel during another holiday. So it was great to see the hotel looking spick and span and the lobby lounge itself was totally transformed into a modern and spacious lounge. A three-piece band comprising two young female singers and a male musician belted out lively songs during the evenings to entertain the guests in the lobby.

The buffet breakfast at the Cinnamon Asian Restaurant was pretty impressive and there was something for everyone’s taste. There are western, Chinese and even Indian dishes on offer. The waiters and waitresses at this restaurant were on the ball and were quick to attend to our requests with a smile.

The hotel has a large, well-maintained garden with many medium-sized coconut palm trees offering guests lying on deck chairs plenty of shade as cool breezes from the sea blew in periodically. However, it was disappointing to note that a few of the deck chairs were broken! The hotel also has two swimming pools, one with a slide which young children seemed to enjoy. There is also a tennis court and two table tennis tables for those looking for some light and fun work out.

Wall Paintings Adorn Some Buildings

One of the unique attractions in Penang, over the last ten years or so, are the many wall paintings of local scenes, especially children at play, that adorn some buildings in George Town. This trend in Street Art was started by a then little known Lithuanian artist named Ernest Zacharevic.

His paintings are regarded by many as funny, captivating, fascinating and certainly open to interpretation by individual viewers. Later on, a few other foreign street artists added to this effort to make the city even more interesting.

Penang, I suspect, believes in re-inventing itself from time to time and that makes it doubly attractive to visitors. No wonder, it is often referred to as the Pearl of the Orient! And shine the pearl does quite beautifully.

Amazing Penang Hill Railway

A must do for any visitor to the island, with time to spare, is to take a leisurely trip up Penang Hill. The Penang Hill Railway first started operations in 1923. It was then a two section railway. In 2010, a major overhaul was undertaken to improve the level and comfort of service.

In the sixties, when I first travelled up the hill, it was on a wooden train that took about half an hour to reach the top. The trains then had no air-conditioned carriages. After the overhaul, the new funicular trains, one section railway, were smarter looking and  Swiss made, I think. They were much faster but still afforded us lovely, breathtaking views of the hill as we ascended and descended. The new trains are air-conditioned and the one-way journey now takes a mere eight minutes.

Some Suggested Activities on the Hilltop

What do you do when you reach the top?

There are a few options. I have been up the hill thrice in the last seven years. My wife and I always take a ride around the hill in an eco-friendly electric tram that seats maybe four to six passengers.

The half-hour drive around the hill is a most pleasant and enjoyable experience. During the slow drive you pass under a canopy of tall trees affording much shade and you can feel the cool and refreshing air. You can also get fantastic views of George Town from different vantage points along the route. One can also go for leisurely walks or even rent a bicycle and go for a ride if one is so inclined.

To cap the day off before you descend, you can stop by David Brown’s Restaurant for Afternoon English Tea. But do be warned, this place is expensive. There is also a cheaper option, a food court, for those just looking for a drink and some bites.

Exotic Array of Hawker Food

Visitors to the island, who enjoy indulging in exquisite hawker food, can do no better than visiting and dining at some of the world famous hawker stalls in George Town, Penang. I do remember reading about Penang being listed as one of the 10 Best Hawker Food Destinations in the World some time ago.

Then recently, the famous TV personality cum travelling chef, Anthony Bourdain reported that he was going to include some of these Penang hawker foods in a new place that he was going to open in New York. This is true global recognition indeed.

Some Hawker Food Favourites

What are some of these famous hawker foods?

Char Kway Teow, Loh Bah, Hokkien Mee ( Prawn Mee ) and not to be confused with another dish with the same name in Kuala Lumpur called Hokkien Mee. This is noodles cooked over a very hot wok and with the generous use of dark soy sauce. Another winner in Penang is Nasi Kandar. I once attempted this dish in George Town but decided against it after I noticed rats scurrying around the place. This was at one of the more famous outlets!

And finally, there is that famous Assam Laksa from Ayer Itam. However, this is now, in my opinion, not worth the effort. I happened to discover by chance, a very good Assam Laksa in a 5-star hotel, the E & O ( Eastern & Oriental ) once owned by the Sarkies brothers. I enjoyed this dish at Sarkies Corner ( quite misleading actually ) because the restaurant is huge. It also has an outdoor seating area facing the sea.

Reputation Built Over the Years

The international fame and reputation for Penang’s hawker food started way back in the seventies. This was when Adelaide and George Town became ‘ sister cities ‘ after the Prime Minister of South Australia, Don Dunstan and the Chief Minister of Penang, Dr Lim Chong Eu initiated this historic move.

This resulted in a Penang Week or Penang Fortnight in Adelaide on an annual basis. A number of the then well-known hawkers were sent on a mission to Adelaide to introduce the hawker foods and in the process to whet the appetites of South Australians.

This exchange programme… both ways incidentally went on for a number of years. I believe this Penang Week, forty plus years ago, paved the way for George Town’s current culinary fame.

Foreigners Who Visit Penang

Among the foreigners who choose to visit Penang, sometimes on a yearly basis for months at a time, are Germans, Brits, Russians and Australians. The Germans and the Russians choose to escape the cold winter months in sunny Penang.

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) once had an airbase in Penang for a good number of years. Many of these visiting Australians were once stationed here while with the RAAF. Quite a number were also born in Penang. Mathew Radcliffe Ph.D, the author of the book published in Australia titled ‘ Kampong Australia – The RAAF at Butterworth  ‘ was born in Butterworth. He had served with the RAAF too.

These days many of the visitors are from the PRC. The citizens of this growing middle-class nation now have the money to spend on travel and the luxuries and they do travel extensively. According to some, they are also big spenders. They can sometimes be a little too loud too.

The Incredible Pull of the George Town Festival

I have sometimes visited Penang merely to attend some activities associated with the now famous George Town Festival. The George Town Festival or GTF is an annual month-long celebration of arts, culture, heritage and community. Some may remember that George Town was listed as a Unesco Heritage Site in 2008. GTF venues include historic mansions, landmark streets and arts-related sites like the Penang Performing Arts Centre.

The indefatigable and creative Joe Sidek is the festival director for the hugely successful GTF and he is also responsible for initiating two other fairly well-known festivals i.e. the Butterworth Fringe Festival and the Rainforest Festival.

From time to time, a one day Eurasian Fiesta is organised alongside the GTF and this fiesta is basically a heady mix of typical Eurasian food and music from well known Eurasian musicians and singers…… both past and present. The people behind this fiesta are James Rozzels and Kathleen Rodrigues.

I could go on but this should suffice for now. Penang is too big an attraction to be covered in a single blog post. Hopefully, this sharing has whetted your appetite to get to know this amazing island and its many delights.

 

Connecting the Lights

Facts, Mysteries and Eurasians

Two weeks ago, I received an email notification of a very interesting and fascinating Sunday afternoon programme at a leading hotel in Penang. After carefully perusing the attached flyer, I decided to make a trip up north and to attend the programme which incidentally featured a distinguished panel of speakers.

What does the average Malaysian know about Francis Light and Colonel William Light?

Now what was this programme, ‘ Connecting The Lights “ all about? It was about Sir Captain Francis Light, the founder of Penang, his son Colonel William Light and his wife and William’s mother, Lady Martina Rozzels.

What does the average Malaysian know about Francis Light and Colonel William Light? Who was that elusive and highly attractive Eurasian Lady, Martina Rozzels? So little is written or captured about her in the various historical documents.

Penang Continues to Fascinate

I must confess that I have always been fascinated with the island. Part of the reason could be that I spent a good two years on that island during my younger days at the small teacher training college, St Joseph’s Training College, meant to prepare La Salle Brothers to be teachers.

The La Salle Brothers also took in a few lay students, like me, who after training taught alongside the La Salle Brothers in the many mission schools throughout Malaysia. My college hostel was in Burmah Road and right in the heart of Pulau Tikus and next to the Eurasian Village ( Kampong Serani ).

Cultural Melting Pot

In addition, the whole island was and still is a cultural melting pot. I could see on a daily basis a procession of young Thai girls, dressed stylishly in jeans of all hues walking past our hostel. They were on their way to the local commercial institute in the area to be trained in typewriting, shorthand and secretarial skills.

In addition, when we attended local parties on some weekends, there was always a good mix of guests: Chinese, Malays, Indians, Eurasians and even Australians. The Royal Australian Air Force had a base in Penang and its personnel mixed very well with the locals.

Even then, Penang was an established culinary paradise. It had such an array of local dishes and one only needed to know where to go for a particular dish. For me then, it was Gurney Drive for char kueh teow and Dato Keramat for Leng Chee Kiang and / or Lobak! There were other places to go to for Nasi Kandar,  Assam Laksa and Cendol.

Distinguished Panel of Speakers

The organisers of the event, George Town Festival, had invited the following individuals: Marcus Langdon, a Penang-based author; Datuk Wira Mohd Shariff, a Kedah historian and a former district officer in Kedah; Kelly Henderson, a social activist and Parklands advocate from Adelaide; and Dato Dr. Anthony Sibert, Eurasian historian.

One of the collaborators in the event was The Royale Bintang Penang, a 4-star hotel which is housed in a heritage building built in the 1890s which belonged to Boustead & Company. This event was also to mark and celebrate the 30^th anniversary of the Penang Heritage Trust.

Marcus Langdon’s Contribution

Marcus Langdon was given the honour of making the first presentation.

Marcus has extensive knowledge of Penang’s early history because he has spent many years and much time researching the matter. He himself has a connection to Penang because one of his great, great grandfathers was the principal of Penang Free School!

In addition, Marcus has published two major books: Penang – The Fourth Presidency of India 1803 to 1830 Volume 1 ( Ships, Men and Mansions ) and Volume 2 ( Fire, Spice and Edifice ).

Some Facts about Francis Light

We were informed by Marcus that Francis Light enlisted in the Royal Navy at the tender age of thirteen! We were also told that he was a linguist. Francis Light could speak Bahasa Malaysia / Indonesia very well. He was also conversant with the local customs and traditions and was able to get along well with both the Sultan of Kedah as well as the Thai King. He also served for a brief period in Aceh, Indonesia. Believe or not, he was able to even read and write Jawi.

He could not only speak the Thai language quite well but he had taken the trouble to master the refined form of the Thai language used in the Royal Court. This must have surely impressed the royal families in both Kedah and Thailand.

What this indicates quite clearly is that Francis Light was a self-made man who believed in the concept of life-long education.

In addition, we were informed that Francis Light was a man of impressive diplomatic skills. Furthermore, he was equally adept in negotiations and was considered a superb negotiator.

Keep in mind that this was a man who had enlisted in the Royal Navy at the age of thirteen. What this indicates quite clearly is that Francis Light was a self-made man who believed in the concept of life-long education. All these remarkable qualities and abilities of his must have impressed his ultimate bosses in the East India Company ( EIC ) in Calcutta, India.

Enigmatic Lady Martina Rozzels

Lady Martina Rozzels remains to this day an enigma! What we do know is that she somehow managed to capture the heart of Francis Light. She had two children with Francis Light… a son, Colonel William Light and a daughter.

William Light, like his illustrious father, also joined the Royal Navy initially but later on, he became an army officer rising to the exalted rank of colonel. Part of the reason for his rapid rise in the military may have been due to his birthplace being given as Suffolk, England. He was thus seen and accepted as an Englishman. Was this for strategic and career reasons?  In actual fact, he was born in Penang and is a bona fide Eurasian.

One of the speakers at the event, Datuk Wira Mohd Shariff made a fairly startling claim. According to him, a Kedah princess named Siti Zubaidah had taken on the identity of Martina Rozzels in order to marry Francis Light. She had used this Portuguese name to assume that identity. This revelation, for what it is worth, only deepens the mystery of who actually is Lady Martina Rozzels.

There are other accounts that state Lady Martina Rozzels moved from Phuket to Penang with a number of other Eurasian family members because of war and unrest in the Thai island at that time. She is to be credited, in part, for opening the doors for the La Salle Brothers coming to Penang. St Xavier’s Institution was the first La Salle school to be established in Malaysia.

Contributions from the Other Speakers

The other speakers, Datuk Wira Mohd Shariff and Kelly Henderson also gave brief presentations. Datuk Wira touched on the Kedah connections in general while Kelly Henderson talked about William Light’s role in the founding of Adelaide.

William Light admired his father’s role in the founding of Penang and wanted to leave a similar mark. As such, just as Francis Light has a statue in his honour in Penang, William Light too has a statue in his honour in Adelaide. Like father, like son!

Like his father, William Light too was a noted linguist. His plans for the city of Adelaide are considered priceless, especially his efforts at surveying for the ideal spot to locate the city. It is readily acknowledged that his decision to locate the city in that particular part was simply brilliant.

Dato Dr. Anthony Sibert however, did not turn up due to unavoidable circumstances. His contribution was nevertheless presented very briefly by one of the organisers.

Kudos to Joe Sidek

Credit should be given to a remarkable person i.e. Joe Sidek for the success of the event. As festival director for the George Town Festival for many years, he has managed to make it a successful annual happening.

It should be borne in mind that the George Town Festival started out as a celebration of George Town’s heritage status. The fact that it has since evolved into an international showcase of arts, culture and music is a great tribute to Joe Sidek, his team and the enthusiastic volunteers who lend valuable support for its various activities.

Eurasian Fiesta 2014 Exceeds Expectation – Kudos to James Rozells and Kathy Rodrigues

My group of six from Petaling Jaya recently attended the third annual Eurasian Fiesta in Penang. The event this time around was held in the spacious ballroom of the grand Moral Uplifting Society building in Macalister Street, Penang. This fiesta was held in conjunction with the annual month long George Town Festival… a not to be missed festival!

The Eurasian Fiesta kicked off with a Forum on the contributions of the Eurasians to society and the country. It was held on a Saturday evening and at the premises of a Eurasian run bistro, Nazarani in Malay Street, Penang. There were eight speakers and each was given 15 minutes to give a brief presentation on a particular topic of interest to the Eurasian community. A few of these speakers really excelled.

Among the speakers who excelled were the following: Dato Dr Anthony Sibert; Mr Eustace Nonis and Ms Michele Richards-Andrews. James Rozells and Kathy Rodrigues, the brains behind the EF, chose to speak through their music and that was simply enjoyable. Kathy reminded me of the legendary singer Connie Francis in her one of a kind voice and superb delivery. Unfortunately, my party did not stay long enough to hear all the speakers because we had another commitment that same evening.

The Eurasian Fiesta proper was held on a Sunday from 6 to 11 pm. It featured a wide and interesting variety of Eurasian talent, food and music. Some of the dishes that were on sale to the attendees included the following: chicken devil curry, semur (beef stew), salt fish pickle, pork vindaloo, roast pork rendang, sugee cake – unmistakably Eurasian, and pineapple jam tarts.

As for the music… the main attraction as far as I am concerned, there was much talent on display. Some of those who performed included the following: Tres Cambrados, Finian Lowe, Don Beins and Papia Kristang from Melaka; Brian Duorado from Ipoh; John Silva from Singapore. James and Kathy Rodrigues led the cast of performers from Penang and they included Michele Baum, The Rozells, Darin Rozells and the E’voca – Acapella.

The crowd of about 3000 plus had a most enjoyable time travelling down memory lane as they listened to the music. Joe Sidek, director of the George Town Festival remarked in his message in the souvenir magazine: We are blessed with a truly diverse community in Penang, and the tapestry of our shared culture is woven by the threads of each group’s stories.

The Eurasian Fiesta is going global next year and is also slated to be held once again in August 2015 in Penang.