Penang Heritage City

Penang Food Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Nazlina) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 08:59:00 +0000

Finally I found time to write down my ideas about a food tour in Penang. In my cooking classes I got several requests if such a tour is possible, heck even exists. Until now, there wasn't a Penang Food Tour.
The food tour we are going to do is a mix of exploring the Penang Food and the Penang Heritage. Why combining them? Simple, you can't really distinguish one from the other. Food and heritage are so closely related that a mix of the two with an emphasize on food is logical. Thus, here I present the Penang Food Tour!
Penang Food Tour

George Town can do this!

noreply@blogger.com (Nazlina) — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 03:11:00 +0000

George Town can do this!

Cheong Fatt Sze

noreply@blogger.com (Nazlina) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:14:00 +0000

Cheong Fatt Sze or Cheong Fatt Tze was a remarkable story of rags to riches. From a humble teenager who had nothing other than the clothes on his back, he sailed from China to Nanyang (South East Asia) to seek his fortune. He succeeded, rising to become one of the most influential men in the East and West.

His most visible legacy in Penang was probably the Blue Mansion.

Read his story here.

Cheong Fatt Sze

Nyonya kuih

noreply@blogger.com (Nazlina) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:49:00 +0000

When visitors come to Penang, food always becomes the main topic for conversation.

One of those little gems are Nyonya kuihs, which are very similar to Kuih Melayu but in terms of colors and ingredients used.

These cakes are quite challenging to make, as new cooks can testify.

I am happy to announce that I am organizing another Nyonya cooking class but instead of kuih, we are going to make otak-otak and two types of laksa instead. All ingredients will be prepared from scratch. Get ready to get smelly and dirty hands, and having a full belly afterwards ;-)

Please book early to reserve your spot.

Nyonya kuih
Nyonya cooking class

Volunteer Workshop at Penang Heritage Trust

noreply@blogger.com (Nazlina) — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 09:54:00 +0000

Today, members of PHT had the honor of having Jenny Lo, who is a member of National Trust in Britain to enlighten us about the scope of being volunteers for charity causes.

One of the things that struck my mind was how heritage houses are categorized in the UK. Not all of them fall under Old Heritage, rather a vernacular sample of architecture for certain time period can also be listed as a heritage building.

Some examples of such buildings are the house where John Lennon grew up in Liverpool and also a modernist house built by Goldfinger, a famous architect. He also lived there until his demise. Both were fine specimens of houses built at their times.

(Picture above shows the house where Beatrix Potter used to live).

Next week, another intensive workshop will be held at the PHT's office. Please register early in order to get involved in this workshop.

Penang Heritage Trust

Sentuhan has a new web presence

noreply@blogger.com (Nazlina) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 02:38:00 +0000

As part of my business activities, I design and maintain web sites for individuals and organizations to promote their products or services. I have been tinkering with the package by Sitesell Inc. for the four years now.

My latest project is for Sentuhan. It is a shop at no. 90, Armenian Street, in the Heritage Enclave of George Town. Single mothers and challenged women put their efforts together to run it.

It is a good learning experience building their web site for me because this time, I learn to code using css.

Before, I was only using html and ready-made css coding by Sitesell.

Please have a look. Comments are most welcome. Thank you.

Sentuhan Website

Little Penang is now an official society

noreply@blogger.com (Nazlina) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 22:51:00 +0000

It is not too late to wish you guys a lot of happiness and prosperity for the New Year 2010! Happy New Year!

As you probably know, Little Penang Street Market has been in existence since 2006. Over three years later, this monthly event is going from strength to strength.

Many vendors, performers and also artists display their wares, services and talent here. It has become one of the highlights of things to do in Penang, every last Sunday of the month.

Yesterday, for the first time, people who are involved in this market got together to make it an official organization. Before, it is under the management of Penang Arts Council. Being a society meaning, it is now a registered organization. Little Penang Society will have its own bank account, its members, and a board of committee.

Attendees unanimously voted Khoo Salma as the President, as she was one of the first ten people who came up with the ideas of this street market. Eight other members were elected to make up the rest of the board.

As a registered society, Little Penang can move forward efficiently with a goal to make is as a one stop event to showcase Penang Heritage and also culture and arts to the max!

Little Penang Street Market

National Heritage Act

noreply@blogger.com (Nazlina) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 05:56:00 +0000

World Heritage Office took an initiative to organize a forum by inviting officials from Warisan HQ to come over and give explanations about what constitute a heritage and to explain about National Heritage Act and what kind of benefits of stakeholders get when their sites are listed.

We were invited to KOMTAR, on a Sunday morning to allow more people who were interested to come over and listen to this discussion.

I put up some of the main points here on this Akta Warisan Negara page.

YB Lim Guan Eng, our Chief Minister came over to give his thoughts too, and kept reminding us that Penang still had not got its RM20 million allocation fund as promised by the previous Prime Minister.

National Heritage Act

Art exhibition in Penang

noreply@blogger.com (Nazlina) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 11:40:00 +0000

With numerous private art galleries around George Town, new collections are being displayed from various artists, local or from abroad.

Jin Xiu art gallery currently plays host to a collection by Charles Chauderlot. The title is "Penang Memories in Ink".

It features twenty art work revolving around heritage buildings in Penang, as well as day-to-day activities around the city.

It is open till 11th December 09, the photo here does not do justice to other excellent pieces done by the artist. Go and see it live yourself.

Penang Memories in Ink

Nyonya Cooking Class

noreply@blogger.com (Nazlina) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:12:00 +0000

Now is the time for you to learn how to cook like a real Nyonya.
Nyonya Tan Bee Lee is coming especially for a cooking session at Tropical Spice Garden.
Don't miss out this opportunity. It will be held on 17th December 2009. Sign up early to book your seat!

Nyonya Cooking Class

Nyonya food in Penang

noreply@blogger.com (Nazlina) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 06:33:00 +0000

Penang as a food haven needs no introduction. One cuisine in particular is Nyonya food. Usage of local herbs and spices as above is abundant. Recipes are guarded jealously. The Nyonyas fight during family get-together who can make the best dish during a cook-out.

Whatever it is, this cuisine is really popular despite its dying culture. Read more here at my heritage site about Nyonya food. Also, you can learn how to make a Nyonya lunch with a real Penang Nyonya on 17th Dec 09. She will come as my guest cook at Tropical Spice Garden. Contact me for more details.

Melaka Bandar Bersejarah

noreply@blogger.com (Nazlina) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:18:00 +0000

Last week I was invited to join SEGI college tour guide students on an educational tour to Melaka. We also went to Kuala Kangsar, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.

These students were prepped so that they could practice talking in a tourist bus. They also needed to know hard facts and fun stories related to the places they visit.

I had fun in Melaka. Three hours walking tour definitely was not enough.

This page illustrates some of the things I learned.

Malacca Heritage City

Tourism Day

noreply@blogger.com (Nazlina) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:35:00 +0000

7-8 November 09 were designated as Tourism Day by Tourism Malaysia. On these two days, the event was held at New World Park.. this place used to be vibrant in the 60's and 70's but now it has been given new life. New food court and event area were built. Also, Tune Hotel also made its mark by building its Penang branch next to this place.

Other organizations also participated by setting up their booths there. Most of them were from the tourism industry: hotels, places of attractions, services.

I am happy and proud to be invited as one of the guest chefs to this event. (I am not a chef, I don't wear tall hat), but it was a big honor.

My two sessions were 30 minutes each. In the first session, I mainly talked about Malay spices, its usage, methods of storage and grinding. I also mentioned quite a bit the usage of spices in traditional medicine, modern cosmetics and also ancient rituals. This was capped by a short demonstration how to process coconut to get fresh coconut milk.

Even the locals were surprised to see how much coconut milk could be squeezed manually using my technique.

On the second session, I talked about fresh local herbs, and showing each ingredient, I described their properties. I made a simple kerabu (Malay style salad) that was very delicious even though a tad spicy. Here is the some of the action captured on video:

If you would like more tips, visit my food web site or contact me to sign up for my cooking class at Tropical Spice Garden.

Cooking traditional food class

Heritage City of Vigan

noreply@blogger.com (Nazlina) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:15:00 +0000

Vigan City is a case study presented during the last heritage conference in George Town. Participants were given a thumb drive with all Power Point presentation files so we could all go home and study. I did my study and came up with this page.

Vigan City

World Heritage Sites in Asia Pacific

noreply@blogger.com (Nazlina) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 01:26:00 +0000

China and India lead in the number UNESCO of World Heritage Sites they have in their countries. There are 899 sites in total and the number is increasing. A lot of cities are submitting dossiers so that they can qualify. They have to fulfill at least 2 out of 4 criteria set aside by UNESCO. Especially OUV (Outstanding Universal Values).

Cities with heritage sites at their disposals can expect significant growth in revenue in terms of inflated real estate values, as well as becoming a major tourist attraction.

However,after obtaining the title, it is up to the people themselves to make or break this commodity. They have to upkeep their standards because UNESCO officials will come visit again after three years. The title can be taken away if the criteria is lost or not met at this time.

That is why the debate is still going on. How much development can we allow?

We discussed this and more at the recent heritage conference.

Read also part two, sustainable cultural practices.

My regret is that there should be more participants in this conference, a lot of educational organizations simply skipped this.

Clan Jetty

noreply@blogger.com (Nazlina) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 07:02:00 +0000

The clan jetties are part of Penang Heritage Trail even though they are not
being advertised that much. if you want to see how fishermen in urban area live in Penang, this is where you should go. The people make do with what resources they have.
This community thrive even though a lot of younger people are moving away from here.

Here is my observation.

Clan Jetty
Penang Heritage Trail

Heritage House Tour at Loke Mansion

noreply@blogger.com (Nazlina) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:17:00 +0000

Still post-conference topic even though in a less serious tone.. here it is, the tour at Loke Mansion. See also China Tiger, a handiwork of the current tenant of the mansion too.

Loke Mansion
China Tiger

Suffolk House gets a UNESCO Asia Pacific Award of Disctinction.

noreply@blogger.com (Nazlina) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 06:54:00 +0000

Suffolk House played host to the closure of the two day heritage conference. The event was nicely concluded with the award presentation by the representative of UNESCO to Penang Chief Minister.

Guests were treated to a dinner reception and for the first time had the opportunity to roam around the massive building.

Second day of the conference report
First day of the conference report

Penang International Conference

noreply@blogger.com (Nazlina) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 10:21:00 +0000

The two day conference entitled: The Economics of Heritage Revitalisation, organized in collaboration of the state government and several NGOs in Penang was a huge success. We got to learn a lot from other countries' case studies how their own World Heritage Sites were being managed and developed. The keynote speaker was Dr. Tim Curtis, the head of culture unit of UNESCO in Bangkok.

Besides the speeches and the talks, participants were treated to site visits as well as lavish dinner banquets at Pinang Peranakan Mansion and also the newly restored Suffolk House.

For me, it was a very educational experience and I will write an extensive report in due time.

The UNESCO award presentation to Suffolk House was the perfect ending to the conference. Everyone involved left with a sense of accomplishment and pride. I believe for the next conference, George Town should be able to present its success story but we need first to work very hard to come up with a way to measure our progress in a more systematic manner.

Penang International Conference Report (Part 1)
Penang International Conference Invitation Page

Iqra the garden of wisdom exhibition

noreply@blogger.com (Nazlina) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 10:53:00 +0000

I was asked by several people if I got paid for blogging or if I get monetary compensation for putting people together through my web sites. The answer is YES and NO.

For example, Equatorial Hotel Penang put up an Islamic Art exhibition last month in collaboration with USM's Tuanku Fauziah Museum and Gallery because their F&B Director, Mr. Abdul Rahman Ahmad, came across my report on Iqra' The Garden of Wisdom Exhibition held at Queensbay Mall last year.

I am very delighted today to find in my mailbox a very nice Thank You card from Mr Hasnol J. Saidon who is the Director of the Museum. Mr. Abdul Rahman, on the other hand, handed out a complimentary Ramadhan buffet for me and my children. We were also sent home by the hotel limo when I was expecting an ordinary taxi. THAT experience is beyond any monetary value, I suppose.

I find that the education level in this country is sadly lacking. Lecturers and teachers are more interested to make extra money elsewhere than concentrating on their teaching profession. As a result, students with money to burn with extra tuition classes are the ones who become tops of the class.

The museum, tries to fill the gap by holding free exhibitions at rural schools. This effort is very much to my liking.

Back to the question, by consistently writing this heritage web site also, people who are Who's Who, active in heritage issues are taking notice of my work. I am being appreciated by getting a complimentary seat to attend an international conference this week regarding sustainable tourism practices. Can that too, be measured in monetary value?

Guess not.

Iqra at Queensbay
Iqra at Equatorial Hotel
International Conference on Heritage

Pinang Peranakan Mansion

noreply@blogger.com (Nazlina) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 03:25:00 +0000

This was the last study tour of interpretation tools workshop organized by Penang Heritage Trust.

Sheer opulence, pure luxury of the grandest scale and very well maintained and curated too. That was my first impression.

Each corner of the mansion is adorned with intricate carvings and beautiful antiques.

However, we were brought later to the family temple by a senior guide, Mr. Yeap who gave an interesting story about the man who initially built this place: Kapitan China Chung Kweng Kwee.

Needless to say, I got excited to see the spacious kitchen! I will post more, now is the time for the beach ;-)

Balik Pulau's hidden treasure

noreply@blogger.com (Nazlina) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:45:00 +0000

When you think of swaying rice fields, the last place that would come to mind is Penang Island. Balik Pulau, however, still have those fields. Tourists or visitors hardly ever go there beyond Kongsi (its main small town).

Balik Pulau is surprisingly a large area. It has many small villages that span almost forever in a large plain. There are several well kept secret beaches that only the locals know of. A sprinkling of visitors come too, by accident or because a knowledgeable guide brought them there.

Kongsi, the small town which is the hub for economic activities is a one street town, typical of any other Malaysian town. Even though fairly quiet on a normal day, this little town sees a large number of out of town people coming here to get the local delicacies: laksa or pickled fruits, on major public holidays or weekends.

Balik Pulau is also famous for its fruit farms.. come durian season, the smell of durian is everywhere.

A small place? Maybe. A hidden gem? Absolutely.

Where to buy fruit pickles
Types of laksa

Hari Raya a major festival for the Muslims

noreply@blogger.com (Nazlina) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 11:35:00 +0000

Hari Raya just opened its door. The month of Syawal is going to be celebrated for the whole month. After a month of fasting in Ramadhan, it is the time to rejoice. The highlight is of course the first of Syawal.

Everybody had been busy shopping for the big day. Little India in Penang saw a hive of activities, especially those shops selling dates and spices.

The day itself is celebrated by visiting friends and relatives. This is the time for the ladies to show off their cooking skills. Homes where the best food are to be found would have a long list of guests coming and going.

Open Day is organized throughout the month. The children are the happiest, counting who has the most "duit raya". Green little packets which contains money.. similar to Ang Pow during the Chinese New Year.

This year, the celebration is a bit subdued.. it could be for a number of reasons.. However, from the news I got from friends and members of my family, it is a special day to get together and catch up with each other.

Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri. Maaf Zahir Batin.

Religious festivals in Penang.

Little India in Penang.

Merdeka celebration in Penang

noreply@blogger.com (Nazlina) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 23:47:00 +0000

2009 marks the 52nd anniversary of the birth of my country, Malaysia. Back then in 1957, it was known as the Federation of Malay States, together with Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore. Singapore withdrew from the Federation in 1963, and the current Malaysia was formed.

In Penang, the spirit of Merdeka is hardly seen, as far as I am concerned. Is it only a Malay thing? As I could see a few odd Malay cars draped in the National Flag, and some Milan buses too, uncharacteristically sported the flags all over their windows. Some Malay houses did have the flags as well.

However, I know a lot of Malaysians in Penang, whatever their races, celebrate Merdeka in their own ways. At Queensbay, there was a galore of cheap sales and to cap it, there was a nice firework that could be seen from my window last night. People also took the opportunity to travel in this three-day weekend which also marked the last of the school holidays.

A group of cyclists rode their bicycles around the city center to promote healthy living and a closer step towards a greener Penang. It may seem like a small effort and hardly make an impact but still... it was done in Merdeka Spirit.

At Little Penang Street Market yesterday, despite the threat of the rain, a big crowd gathered to enjoy the relaxing atmosphere and be entertained by performers. Some of them did sing some songs dedicated to Malaysia.

At Fort Cornwallis, there is an old flag pole overlooking the sea opposite the Esplanade. A navy sailor and his mate, 52 years ago, brought down the Union Jack from this flag pole when we achieved our independence. A big celebration was held at the Esplanade. People from all walks of life thronged there to see the event. Have you seen this photo before? Maybe not. So, here it is, for your viewing pleasure.

Selamat Menyambut Hari Kemerdekaan yang ke 52. Happy Birthday My Malaysia!

Little Penang Street Market
Last year's report on National Day Parade in Penang

Fund raising for Little Penang

noreply@blogger.com (Nazlina) — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 02:28:00 +0000

Little Penang Street Market gives a lot of exposure for local Penang craftsmen and artists to showcase their wares or talent at a very relaxed informal atmosphere outdoors.

Located at Upper Penang Road on every last Sunday of the month, every session is unique with various activities.

Little Penang just turned 3 years old in July 09. In order to keep the market going, a fund raising dinner and show is organized at g Hotel on 28th August 2009.

A fusion band AkashA will perform with their blend of music, combining East and West elements. There will also be auctions and raffles to add to the fun of the night.

Tables are sold at RM1200/table and the ticket for the raffle can also be purchased at RM10/ticket too.

Call 012-485 6908 or 012-482 8619 for more information.

More on Little Penang