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December 11, 2004
My trip to Penang
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I went to Penang for 6 days, 5 nights. Went there by car, 5 hours journey from KL plus traffic jam (my friend said 3 hours, she must be mad). Not much jam, though Penang itself was a hazardous journey because people there walk wherever and wheneever they please. Anyway reminded me of one funny observation. I went to Johor Bahru and the taxi guy was telling me my destination is not far but it is quite jam, about 15 minutes. I was laughing. In KL, anything near is almost an hour so to me 15 minutes is nothing.
I stayed at Mutiara Beach Resort. Before that I was staying at another hotel for one night and I was glad to get out of that hotel.
Anyway you may be surprised to hear 6 days 5 nights, because what can you do at Penang apart from eating and visiting temples? This is why I am writing this because I want to promote Penang a bit to those who may wish to visit Penang. Also those who are Penang-nites may wish to share the best places to go and the best food to eat in this post.
Eat, Eat, Eat
Frankly I always thought whatever I can find in Penang I can find in KL. And Penang food is expensive. Surprise surprise, the food (like mee) are reasonable, some as low as RM2-00, some of course about the standard rate of RM3-00 to RM3-50. I wanted to eat at Gurney Drive (Persiaran Gurney) but my family said "nooooooo! traffic jam! no place to park!". Guess what? We went there the night before we leave and it was raining and so plenty of places to park. Food are expensive here and frankly not that fantastic. What was surprising though are those small shops or hawker stalls at the kampung areas near Mutiara Beach Resort. Resonably priced, the food were nice. I do know near Kek Lok Si Temple there is a Assam Laksa hawker stall which served the best Assam Laksa but some might consider the big drain next to it a bit put off-ish which was why my family refused to eat there. We ate at a restaurant called The End Of The World, which was expensive but the seafood was quite alright. The fried sotong was the best though. We ate nasi kandar (nothing fantastic, maybe chose the wrong stall) as well as western food at The Ship (nothing fantastic, service was horrible, I had to ask THREE times for my cup of plain water and I was extremely annoyed since I had to ask more than twice). The best deal was at Pepper Corn, next to McDonald's at the Gurney Drive where you'll find western food (like mushroom soup, main course where you can choose from over a dozen interesting dish, soft drink/coffee/tea & one scope of ice cream ALL FOR RM10-00. The best deal for me. But my best meal was at that Nyonya Restaurant at that I think Gurney Plaza. The decor was excellent, the food was beyond excellent, the price too excellent (get the RM60-00 package deal, worth it) but the service not so excellent because family business. I liked to be served in the sense I don't need to wait to be seated when there are dozens of seats, my quota of asking for a cup of plain water is twice, anything above that I tend to be very bitchy. I learn a hard lesson when eating in an expensive looking restaurant with bad service; you have got to be bitchy to get things done. I hated that but no choice.
Activities
I enjoyed my stay at Mutiara Beach Resort. I didn't pay for the room but according to my sister who paid for it, it was a good package deal. There are so many things to do there, like swimming. I notice gwailos can really swim. Once there they swim everyday. There was this lady who was sun bathing under the really blazing hot sun (it was very very hot that day, I could sweat without moving, luckily I had my portable hand held fan) next to the swimming pool. Right under the sun. I was going to the beach, when I came back an hour later she was still in the same position. I, having lived in Malaysia all my life under blazing hot sun were relaxing below a coconut tree, the sun didn't shine directly on me BUT I could feel the heat, so much so I had to leave after an hour because I was burning up (which explains why I was sick upon my return). Whilst the cold breeze was all too much. It was like burning but very breezy.
I spent most of my times playing ping pong with my nephew, sleeping under the coconut tree on the beach, jacuzzi, steam bath, and I can't remember what's that terms similar to steam bath but of the dry type .. just can't remember. And I complain a lot about the heat and watch loads of TV. For the first time stuck with no Wah Lai Toi, I watched local channels and realised I was really too bored so again went out for YESSSS SAUNA!! SUANA! How can I forget that word. But it was embarrassing though, having to wear swimsuit and walk everywhere.
Then there's shopping, which was a very expensive activity. FRankly nothing much to buy. After you buy something, next thing you found another store and that same thing is much much cheaper.
Visit Interesting Places
I hate Butterfly Farm because I hate Butterflies. There's no Crocodile Farm, no marine parks, no nothing but temples. I visited the Burmese Temple and I found the entire place cooling and very peaceful. I always liked places of religion, very nice surroundings.
But I visited this time 2 very interesting places which I hope any tourist wishing to visit Penang might consider going.
The Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion
Situated at the heart of George Town, it opens daily and you have to pay RM10-00. Expensive but definitely worth it all. If you just go there and look around, it is not aw insipiring. You have to take the tour, daily 11 am or 3pm, presented by I believe the curator of the place, a lady who is as passionate about the house as the restorers and the man who had it built. It is actually a chinse style mansion, built somewhere in the late 1800. You can visit the website to know more. It is indigo blue in colour because it was the most popular colour back then. This was during an era where European style of houses were the in thing but the man Cheong Fatt Tze, probably one of the most celebrated Kapitans, one of China's last Mandarins and 1st capitalists wanted something old. But he also adopted new stuff, that made it look Chinese but with European influences. You can even find Joseph and Mary on a donkey in one of the cut and paste art. But this man wasn't a Christian for sure. The house is nothing much, it looked small on the outside but inside, it had 38 rooms, 5 courtyards, 7 staircases and 220 windows. What was interesting was the history of the house.
The lady explained that this house was feng shui perfection and it was this aspect that I was most in awe with. Let her explain and you will know why. Sad thing is even with all the feng shu, wealth did not last long.
Another interesting thing is the man himself.
Cheong Fatt Tze was from Guandong, had little education and was very poor. He left China at the age of 16, arrived here and worked his way up. His philosophy in life and in business was; "Anything the people want, I will provide" and he made his money from various businesses, I was told it ranges from winery to transport. The lady explained a story, when he was in his late 70s. He was on his way to negotiate some important business conferences (armed with $3 million of personal wealth, this man was very very rich) and he asked a friend to book 3 first class tickets on some luxury liner. The man only got to buy one first class for the German individual whilst Cheong and his friend I think was in 3rd or 2nd class. Cheong was furious and demanded for a first class, but was rejected. So he asked his assistant to check in Europe what's the price of buying the same luxury liner, when he failed, he printed a whole newspaper ad in all major papers and wrote he intended to open his own luxury liner for Chinese only with tickets at half the price. I think it was for Chinese only. Anyway the next thing the same luxury liner quickly gave first class free tickets to Cheong but Cheong will only accept if the company open up the first class tickets to everybody. He eventually went on the ship so I assume the company accepted his condition!
But the most interesting is his personal life. He had officially 8 wives, the 7th who was 50 years his junior was his favourite, which was why he spent a lot of time in Penang because wife 3, 5 and especially 7 were there. He made his first riches when he married his employer's daughter (the 1st wife) and her father gave him $200-00 to start his own business. Anyway, he died unexpectedly whilst on his way to that important business convention at the afe of I think 75 or 76, where the Dutch and British ordered flags be flown at hald mast throughout their colonies in 1916. He had many houses, all similiar in Indonesia, China and of course his most elaborate was this mansion in Penang. When he died he left a will, a very interesting one where he wanted to keep the riches of his family within his family.
He deliberately built a Chinese styled mansion so that his children will not be able to sell it as no market. He wrote that no one was allowed to divide between his assets until the youngest child, a son dies. Guess how old was the son when he died? The son was barely 2! And he died some 70 years later! By then the house was in poor condition because a man of such vision failed to take into account inflation so the I thnk yearly or monthly $200-00 for upkeeping of the house was not enough. His daugther in law rented out the rooms and nobody cared to take care of the house, which in effect preserved some of the gold stains in the wall. I don't what you call them. The family sold anything they can sell as the Cheong's 2nd generation lived mainly in poverty I was informed. Anyway the house as acquired by some local residences, one of whom an architect who didn't want to see this house demolished. It was in such a bad state, and it took several years to rebuild some sections, replace a whole load of stuff. Now it is a museum cum B&B. The conservation effort won the UNESCO Conservation Award 2000 and National Architecture Award for Conservation 1995.
Frankly I do think the house is still under renovation and recontruction. You will see some old cheong sams (the women were really tiny then but such luxury!), old photos and many old styled stuff. One interesting story. In front of the main gate there used to be two lions, those you see in those TVB series. One of the sons or grandsons took them back to Australia and he mysteriously died not long after. People, never ever take or place a lion in front of you house unless you have the power to subdue it, like Cheong Fatt Tze had.
Anyway, very interesting tour. Nothing much to see actually, just the tiny tiny details and that woman's enthusiasm was really the cherry on the top. I learned so much Feng Shui. Do go and see it. I never knew Malaysia has such a beautiful architecture rich in history. I certainly never heard about this man in my text book. In fact not even on Yap Ah Loy!
This mansion was certainly very comfortable. It reminded me of my old grandpa's house, smaller of course but same idea.
Enquiries : 14 Leith Street, 10200 Penang, Malaysia
Email : cftm@tm.net.my
Wesbite : www.cheongfatttzemansion.com
The Museum
It should be renamed as The Cultural Museum because it is actually more on the people who made and lived in Penang than what's in Penang. RM1-00 per person, it is a great great deal. It is small, some sections still under constructions but it was so beautifully and carefully arranged, the curator must be someone who love his job very much. It has several sections, all on the people of Penang. From Chinese, to Nyonyas, to Malays, to Indians, to Japanese, Armenians, the judges and of course Francis Light, the founder of Penang, it was a learning experience. I enjoyed the most about the cultural stuff where you can use the computer and watch puppet shows, listen to local poems, and more but that section was still under construction. The place is also very clean.
Unlike our KL Museum which showcases durian in one of the sections and not very organised for such a big place, this Penang museum reminded me of my visit to Taiping Zoo; I was expecting the least of things and ended up leaving with so much knowledge. I love the fact that the museum is a tribute to the people of Penang, no race issues whatsoever. Kudos to the staff!! In fact we had an impromptu guided tour by the security guard who was explaining to us the difference between a god cart and a horse cart as well as a beca!
It is within walking distance of Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion and definitely a must visit.
Conclusion
I left Penang a very sick woman actually but I enjoyed my stay at Mutiara Beach Resort (beautiful room, but the pillows not very comfortable, amazing bathroom, but the hair dryer was so old style I doubt I can style my hair in an hour, maybe in 3 hours) and visited two very fascinating places. Do give these two places a try. Penang isn't all about food, temples and beaches.
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3 COMMENTS
I can't help but to find the irony of this extremely funny. :p
Hope you'd recovered from your fever.
And my English sucks.
So so sorry!