Marsha in Malaysia, Part 2

We are now in Kuala Lumpur, exploring the sights. More updates to come on that. Last Thursday, we explored a number of Chinese Buddhist temples in the old section of Penang's city of Georgetown. Pix are below.

Here are more Marsha impressions of Penang so far:

• The lushness of the tropical landscape, the Straits of Malacca right outside my building, the multicultural population, the colonial architecture, the vibrant colors in Little India, the veggie & fruit stands at the wet market, buildings associated with 4 different religions sprinkled all over town (Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, Christian)
  
  
• The feel of beautiful silk fabrics and cotton batik sarongs, the refreshing taste of nutmeg juice and an Indian yogurt shake called Mango Lassi

Above is an offering area at a Chinese temple on Armenian Street - note the offering of three cups of tea and incense sticks.

The stunning entrance to Khoo Khongsi - a Chinese clanhouse and temple. Per my Eyewitness Travel guidebook, "kongsis are designed to function as places of worship and community centers for members of the clan that built them. This kongsi however became a center not just for the Khoos, but for four other powerful families, the Cheah, Lim, Tan and Yeoh clans, who ran an influential secret society." The clanhouse was recently renovated. The original structure had secret passageways and tunnels.

Mom at Khoo Kongsi with the happy buddha. Note the cool signboards behind her. Red and gold are very significant colors to the Chinese. We later visited the tradesman who handcrafts these.

Above is the signboard maker. He treats the wood panel with a base coat and carves the letters into the wood. Then, he paints the sign. Unfortunately, it's a dying art.


The Goddess of Mercy temple, one of the oldest in Penang - this is a public temple, open to all. This place is always hopping - it's located on a main street and people are in and out all day. The woman above is offering a candle. People offer fruit, flowers, and oil as well.

Outside the temple, people can buy a bird or birds, which they then release after saying a prayer. The gesture symbolizes a good deed, putting magnamous energy out to the universe. We were there around lunchtime, and we saw a forty-ish woman in business clothes buy a bird. The seller gave it to her in a little cage. She walked to the entrance of the temple, said a soft prayer, then opened the cage and watched the bird fly free.

Marsha in Malaysia, Part 1

Yep, Marsha (aka my mom) has touched down on Penang soil! On this blog, you’ve seen many of my observations over the past months. Now, here are some of hers along with some pix from the past week as we explored the city of Georgetown.

• The smell of incense and joss sticks in temples, the smell of the storm drains (use your imagination), the aroma of spices - particularly in Indian curries
  
• The sound of motorbikes zipping down the roads, the local Hindu temple roosters making their presence known amazingly loudly, the mosque’s call to prayer (it’s sung through the air for a few minutes a number of times daily), all the different languages being spoken at once as we walk the streets – Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese dialects, Indian dialects, English
  

Above is a detail picture of the tiered entrance gateway to the Sri Mariamman Hindu temple. Note the 5 cobras above the goddess's head, providing protection. Indians consider cobras sacred and will not kill them.

At the Pinang Peranakan Museum - an old home that's been beautifully restored. It now houses a vast antique collection.

Mom at the famed Eastern & Oriental Hotel, where Rita Hayworth, Joseph Conrad and Somerset Maugham stayed back in the day.

Strolling the old Protestant Cemetery, which houses graves from the 17 & 1800s. It woud take a mighty steady temperament to walk around here at night.


Mom walking the streets of Little India with a hibiscus, Malaysia's national flower, pinned in her hair.