Category Archives: Heritage

George Town, Heritage, Luxe, Stays, Style, Travel

Heritage and the Grande Dame of Hospitality

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Before Penang’s grande dame hotel – the Eastern & Oriental (E&O) – closed the doors of her Heritage Wing for a facelift earlier this year, works were already in place by her design professionals on doing all they can to honour the spirit of the Sarkies Brothers who opened the hotel in 1884.

Datin Tham Oi Wah is no stranger to the hotel, and neither is her work within the group, Eastern & Oriental Berhad.

Years ago when taken on a tour of E&O’s Seri Tanjung Pinang development on Penang island, I asked who the designer was behind the show units. “Oi Wah” was the response and I was amazed by her exquisite taste in the choice of soft furnishings as these and the designs were definitely different from other property show units in Penang.

Prior to the refurbishment of the Heritage Wing this year, Tham and her team had worked on E&O Hotel’s adjoining Victory Annexe building. She has also had a hand with the group’s projects in the Klang Valley.

“The historical structure and location of the Heritage Wing are the most ideal inspiration for our work, and it has helped me in coming up with the perfect concept and design for its new look,” says Tham.

“We strive to evoke the elegant charm of the early period of the hotel when prominent figures like Somerset Maugham and Rudyard Kipling passed through the doors of the Grande Dame.

“It is quite challenging as we have to maintain the historic integrity of the 19th century structure while upgrading its amenities to the 21st century,” Tham notes.

With the Heritage Wing recognised as a historical building, Tham emphasised that they had to be very careful and strictly adhere to the guidelines set by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation on the dos and don’ts.

“Structural challenges might also arise throughout the refurbishment which our team of architects, contractors and designers must solve with a high degree of flexibility and capability,” she added.

On managing the public’s expectation from the revamped Heritage Wing, Tham said guests strolling along the walkway would feel themselves being transported back to the olden days.

“It’s just like revisiting an old friend where they can reminisce the past while discovering the delights of its refreshed outlook.

“I also believe that the cherry on top would be the familiar faces of the E&O staff, whose friendly service are sure to complete the legendary experience, greeting the guests with their unmistakable brand of warm hospitality,” she said.

The E&O Group hopes that when the doors of the Grand Dame reopen in December with fully refreshed suites and new dining concepts, it would represent a new level of hospitality that would make the Sarkies Brothers proud.

Meanwhile, the hotel’s custodian and general manager Alison Fraser promises the time-honoured tradition of the signature English Afternoon Tea at the hotel as one feature which will stay put, and served at its new Palm Court outlet, where a collection of Asian favourites will also be introduced in its all-day dining menu.

“Other new outlets will include ‘Java Tree’ where classic heritage flavours will feature,” says Fraser.

“The name ‘Farqhuar’s Bar’ has been maintained, but the concept is modelled on more of a vintage cocktail bar.”

Can’t wait to try whistling again under the main dome of this heritage jewel and to check out the magic Tham and Fraser and their teams have woven!

(images courtesy of E&O Hotel)

George Town, Heritage, Luxe, Shop, Stays, Style, Travel

Telling Penang’s story then and now … The Edison George Town

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When Sharon told me several years ago that a new boutique hotel was opening in George Town and it was poised to be Penang’s first Small Luxury Hotel of the World, I simply HAD to write the story.

Thanks to her introduction to Eugene Tan the owner, I got to find out more about the passion and commitment which were put in by him and his father Eddie (better known to many of us as the former general manager of the Penang Mutiara Beach Resort) into the project.

The plans shared by Eugene before the hotel even opened its doors have taken form, and this luxury hotel situated smack in the heart of the Unesco World Heritage zone seems the perfect place for a visitor to call home.

“Many countries have a good variety of old buildings, places of interest, monuments and parks,” said Eugene.

“Steeped in history they mean a great deal to their collective community. George Town just happens to be endowed with a unique heritage based on a rich blend of historical and cultural elements.

“We are proud to be part of that heritage. With this architecturally rich building on Lebuh Leith, we embarked on the opportunity to develop a Lifestyle hotel, the first for the brand – The Edison Hotels.

“Our aspiration of rekindling the romantic moments of staying in a hotel is guided by our brand pillars of Alluring Heritage, Timeless Design, Diverse Culture and Indulging Luxury. Simply put, there was no other building like it in George Town, and we were sold on being a part of something extraordinary when we stepped through her doors for the very first time.”

While I was unable to accept Eugene and his wife Rina’s invitation to the book launch on Friday, the event and product (which is a book titled Penang Then and Now, A Century of Change in Pictures by Marcus Langdon and Keith Hockton) deserve special mention here.

According to a media release issued by the hotel, the book showcases 115 iconic Penang locations.

“They are not necessarily the most beautiful sites, although quite a lot of the old buildings are absolutely stunning, but all 115 sites in the book are historically significant to Penangites and visitors alike.

“When planning what images to use, it became clear that despite the many hundreds of old images owned by the authors, finding suitable current locations to feature would prove daunting. Not because the current location would be unknown, but because today so many changes have taken place that the exact photographic spot or angle was simply no longer possible.”

It was also said that the authors wanted the now image taken from the exact spot that the photograph had been taken originally, and the exercise proved to be quite the challenge as many of the vantage points were gone or inaccessible, or trees were in the way, or in the case of the Penang Botanic Gardens, large trees had died.

Some concessions had to be made, especially when substituting drone images as the wide-angle lens of the drone distorts the perspective when compared to the old hand-held shots from high locations.

The authors had their work cut and patience was indeed a virtue because in some instances, months went by waiting for renovation hoardings to be removed from buildings and in others, old images had to be used because said renovations were taking longer than expected.

The end result is described as a stunning book, and a joyful collaboration with The Edison George Town, Penang, Nam Loong Fine Jewellery and Think City, that took three years to produce. “Penang, Then and Now, A Century of Change in Pictures”, offers readers a snapshot of Penang over a century ago, and a snapshot of where she is today.

(Copies of Penang Then and Now, A Century of Change in Pictures are on sale at the hotel and other established book stores. Purchase requests can also be made by dropping an email to:wecare-GT@theedisonhotels.com or calling the hotel at +6042622990)

Images courtesy of The Edison George Town, Penang

Exhibition, George Town, Heritage, Media, Photography, Style, Travel

Over Penang and more …

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For those of us blessed to receive his morning greetings with images of Penang or any place David ST Loh travels to, the world takes on an amazing and refreshing view.

That’s because when this photojournalist takes you along on his journeys, he shows you completely different angles of places you may even be living next to, but never quite appreciated before.

And so it was last year with his ‘Over Penang Photography Exhibition’ during the George Town Festival, where those who visited, were given a visual treat of Penang via drone photography.

A natural progression to the exhibition is about to be unveiled next week.

A coffee table book “Over Penang” will be available from July 1 and here’s a blurb from the book penned by my dear friend Bettina Chua Abdullah …

“Here is a singularly new perspective of a vibrant, historical and fascinating Penang: captured by an eye in the sky that whirred over lands where hundreds of years ago scattered souls formed communities and built lives. Here is what an island of enterprise and toil, of majesty and enchantment looks like, from way up where the air currents flow. Each image is accompanied by a long-form text that brings intimacy to the scale and lends depth to the subject. Skimming clay-baked rooftops and cacophonous processions, each page of Over Penang is photojournalist David ST Loh’s unique view on his much-loved island home.”

The pages from the new publication found in this blog post, have been generously supplied by David as a curtain-raiser to the book, which will serve as yet another great souvenir of Penang one can treasure and/or gift to Penangites at heart.

Congratulations and thank you David Loh, for raising the bar (yet again) in taking the promotion of Penang to a whole new level!

(Over Penang will be available at all reputable bookstores in Malaysia and Singapore from 7 July, 2019. Please check back with this post on how you can place your online orders after 31 July 2019. If you are visiting Penang or blessed enough to live on this island, pop over to Hikayat at 226, Lebuh Pantai, George Town and grab a copy or more!)

Heritage, Music

All glory, laud and honour

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“The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul”
(Johann Sebastian Bach)

Southeast Asia’s oldest Anglican church – St George’s Church in Penang – has received a bicentennial blessing this year in the form of a pipe organ, the most majestic of all instruments.

The 1,050-pipe Mander organ joins the ranks of its “neighbour” – the Church of Assumption along George Town’s Lebuh Farquhar, in hosting its very own pipe organ.

With the consecration of the beautiful new instrument at St George’s this morning by the Anglican Bishop of West Malaysia and Archbishop of the Anglican Church of the Province of South East Asia, the Most Reverand Datuk Ng Moon Hing, Penang island now has the distinction of being home to two glorious pipe organs found in two heritage churches on the same street in the Unesco heritage core zone!

“The character of Anglican worship revolves around congregational singing of hymns,” said St George’s Church’s Bishop Charles Samuel, “and an organ is the basic necessity for nearly all of this music. There is no other instrument that matches its ability to lead the singing of a several hundred-strong congregation.”

Bishop Samuel has stressed that the new pipe organ is “dedicated to the glory of God” and will also serve the good of the community through special organ recitals and other associated events which will be open to the public.

An inaugural public recital is scheduled to be held in the church on Aug 19 at 4pm and should lend an acoustically-rich addition to George Town Festival 2017, which will be underway by then.

The new pipe organ at St George’s took a year to build in England and has been gifted to the parish by the family of the late Datuk Tan Kim Yeow.

The organ has 17 stops (19 ranks) comprising the 1,050 metal pipes (containing tin and lead) in total. There are no electrical components in the organ other than the fan blower and tremulant.

It also boasts pipe shades which carry carvings of foliage and the distinct ‘Pinang’ tree in its design.

St. George’s church had a few organs over the centuries, including a two-manual 16-stop (17-rank) pipe organ built in 1899 by Forster & Andrews in memory of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee.

Mander Organs Limited is a pipe organ maker and refurbisher based in London. The company has built and installed numerous celebrated organs such as the 68-stop four manual and pedal organ found in the Church of St Ignatius Loyola, New York. It has also rebuilt the Willis organ at St Paul’s Cathedral in London and refurbished the Royal Albert Hall’s grand organ.

Present in Penang to ensure that the organ is handed over to the church and left in very in good hands is Dr William McVicker, an organ auditor for the organ maker.

Dr McVicker is also organ curator at London’s Royal Festival Hall, director of music at St Barnabas Church Dulwich and a visiting professor at the Royal Academy of Music.

An experienced musician with a keen ear for organ tone, he is said to offer advice on matters technical and musical, specialising in acoustics, liturgy and architecture, among others.

And who could be more thrilled to welcome the new organ to Penang, than the neighbouring Church of Assumption’s resident organist, Leonard Gurunathan.

Leonard is currently lending a hand in training a group of young musicians at St George’s Church to master pipe organ playing and lead the congregation in Sunday worship.

It was so gratifying to be surrounded by a group of enthusiastic youths including the musically-inclined Matthew, Miriam, Audrey and Jason last week. They took turns in pulling out all the stops and putting their best feet forward on the new organ as they learn to produce the best sacred music possible.

Oh, and did you know that there are specially-made shoes which organists (especially those handling pipe organs) should wear?

Dr McVicker brought out his pair of organ shoes which looked like they were crafted from the softest of leather and looked narrower than normal dress shoes.

I would imagine that the leather ensured minimal friction between shoe and pedal and enabled the organist to glide their feet across the shiny pedals and actually feel them through the thin sole.

Thank you Chu Hor, Leonard and Dr McVicker for a lovely afternoon of music in the midst of the organ pipes, which have added a measure of beauty to a sacred space, in the manner which stained-glass windows often do.

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Thank you Leonard, for generously sharing these shots

George Town, Heritage, Music, Travel

To God be the Glory

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My blog post on the arrival of the majestic Mander pipe organ at St George’s Church in Penang has miraculously surfaced! Thank you VAL for the gentle nudge.

The visit to Southeast Asia’s oldest Anglican church last night to enjoy some divine sacred music was timely, in re-telling the tale of the “king of instruments” which has made its home in the 200 year old church now for almost two years.

While security in the heritage church has been heightened and visitors are temporarily not allowed into the church when services or special events are not held, the welcome accorded us by the congregation remained as warm as ever.

The videos say it all and here’s to more evenings of melodious music from the beautiful organ in its equally precious “home.”

Art, Festivals, George Town, Heritage, Homes, Media, Photography, Travel

Stories of Sa Pek

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Some stories require minimal words, because the photos say it all, and do so in a compelling and articulate manner.

Welcome to George Town where the month of July seems to have taken off with features of photographers who are standing out as fascinating storytellers of a city and island steeped in colour, culture, nature, heritage and endless charm.

Visual artist, photographer and graphic designer Goh Hun Meng and three generations before him lived in the clan houses of the Khoo Kongsi (Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi) at Cannon Square, a George Town World Heritage site.

Pivotal to a photography exhibition he is presenting during the upcoming George Town Festival, is his 82 year old uncle and godfather, Goh Kong Chuan.

“Sa Pek” or Third Uncle as the elder Goh is referred to in the family, was an avid photographer and showered his nieces and nephews with much kindness when they were growing up.

He also served in the Reserve Army and gave ballroom dancing lessons.

He also used to capture milestones in his family’s lives and the laughter and tears punctuated in between, with his trusty camera.

“My late grandmother (born between 1910 and 1912) was a Khoo who had lived in the clanhouse since she was five, “ Hun Meng said.

“When we were growing up, Sa Pek used to give pocket money to my cousins and I and took many precious family photos.

“Today he is 82, suffers from dementia and lives in Pulau Tikus with his wife Lim Poh Geok. His memory is not as good as before.

“The exhibition showcasing his precious collection of photos is my tribute to a man who has always cared for his family.”

Hun Meng is also looking to raise funds for his aging uncle by selling the photographs on display and donating all the proceeds to Goh Senior.

The exhibition which runs from 9 Aug to 3 September, 2018 (from 11am-6pm daily) opens on Aug 11 at 10.30am @Jetty 35 located on the ground floor of 35, Pengkalan Weld, George Town, 10300 Penang.

(All images courtesy of Goh Hun Meng)

(Note: the 16 clan houses which flank the alleyway from the main entrance to the central Clan Temple and courtyard of the Khoo Kongsi where Hun Meng and family lived, have morphed in recent times, into a 43 guest roomed boutique hotel called Clans Kongsi George Town. The story is found in an earlier posting ‘Amazing Slices of History @ClansKongsiGeorgeTown’ in this same blog https://postcodegeorgetown.wordpress.com/2018/06/21/amazing-slices-of-history-clanskongsigeorgetown

#postcodegeorgetown #georgetownfestival2018 #photographyexhibition #photoessay #unescoworldheritage #gohhunmeng #khookongsi

Festivals, George Town, Heritage, Media, Photography, Style, Travel

Celebrating David Loh’s Homecoming

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Journalist David ST Loh left Penang three decades ago to work for news organisations like Reuters, The Star and more recently, The Malaysian Insight.

The internationally-published Loh has spent 26 years in the media industry, of which 21 of them were as a photojournalist. He later moved on to became an editor at the award-winning photographic department of the Reuters Ltd news agency.

He left Reuters in 2016 as Editor-in-Charge (EIC) for the agency’s Global Pictures Desk and today works for The Malaysian Insight.

Previously based in cities like Kuala Lumpur, London and Singapore, Loh’s images have graced many global newspapers, including the New York Times, Washington Post, Financial Times, UK Times and others. He was also part of a judging panel for the ChinaInternational Press Photo Contest 2016.

He has now come full circle and returned to Penang last year and calls this island home (again).

Since then, Loh has been exploring his home state with a revived passion, discovering new and interesting things to see and photograph, on land or from above.

(A 35m table laden with offerings during the Jade Emperor’s birthday celebration at the clan jetties in George Town, Penang)

Using a drone, he scours places that might hold interesting terrain, landmarks and features and he has not been disappointed with every deployment of the drone.

His aerial images will form a part of a curated collection of his work for an upcoming photography exhibition.

(A cruise ship at the Penang Port Cruise Terminal at dusk)

The ‘Over Penang Photography Exhibition’ is part of the George Town Festival 2018, will be held at the Eastern & Oriental (E&O) Hotel, Victory Annexe, 10 Lebuh Farquhar, George Town, Penang.

The exhibition runs from August 4 till Sept 2, 2018.

The homecoming exhibition is aimed at imparting a sense and fresh feel of how the city has changed, in tandem with the island maintaining its essence of combining heritage and progress .

Loh has been painstakingly and continuously documenting Penang Island as the island state tries to find a happy balance between progress and preservation.

(Mercurial lakes at Frog Hill, Tasek Gelugor, Seberang Prai, Penang)

“Penang,” Loh notes, “is such an amazing place where there seems to be non-stop events, activities, things to do, and places to go.

“If you are prepared to go out and look, you will never be bored in Penang.”

Welcome home, David Loh and keep “clicking” and continuing to share with us your amazing work of the Penang we all love!

(All images courtesy of David ST Loh)

George Town, Heritage, Media, Photography, Style, Travel

Beauty Through Karyn’s Lenses

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“Nama Saya: Karyn Leong, dari Melbourne, Australia. Boleh saya ambil foto anda?” (My name is Karyn Leong and I am from Melbourne, Australia. May I please take your photograph?)

This is the opening line that Karyn Coxall-Leong, the gentle visual artist, wife, mother, nurse, photographer and story teller uses when she pounds the streets of George Town and the rest of Malaysia snapping stunning and soul-stirring photographs.

“My life experience and understanding of people has given me an ability to view my subjects compassionately, which adds a unique and intimate dimension to my photography,” says the mother of two who is married to a Malaysian.

“With Malaysian friends and family, I have been most fortunate over many years to travel extensively throughout Malaysia, practicing my craft.

“I always make the time to visit Georgetown and Penang. I have a great affinity for the beauty of this island and its wonderful, generous people.

“From very humble beginnings in rural Australia, I have literally, come a long way,” says Karyn, whose compassionate demeanour is detected the minute she greets you with a warm hello.

And the compassion in her voice and support for women and all they do, tells me that you couldn’t end up with a more gifted intensive care unit nurse cum photographer!

When she is not at work at the hospital, Karyn spends her time in Melbourne capturing special moments in the lives of others ranging from weddings, birthdays, portraits, expecting parents, and baby photos.

Karyn is back in Penang and will showcase her work via ‘A Photographic Celebration of Mature Women in Penang’ @ 147 Lorong Kelawai, Penang.

Entry is via donation to the Women’s Centre for Change.

The exhibition opens on 29 July 2018 from 4pm-6pm.

From 30 July-5 August, viewing hours of the exhibition are from 11am-2pm.

(Karyn Coxall-Leong Portfolio 2018 Penang Life through the Lens Moor Art Space, Moorabool Library / 2017 Salvation Army Orphanage Portraits: Singapore / Portraits of Penang: Georgetown Festival / Artist In Residence Hotel Penaga, Penang Malaysia / Collaboration, Rise Up Exhibition, BMAC / 2016 Women of a Certain Age: Bacchus Marsh)

Her photography can be viewed at:

Pixoto: Karyn Leong

Instagram/Facebook: Karyn Leong Photography

(Images courtesy of Karyn Coxall-Leong)

Eats, George Town, Heritage, Shop, Travel

Breakfast @PulauTikusMarket

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This market is one which is known for its slightly higher prices since it supposedly caters to the affluent community of Pulau Tikus.

The goods available never fail to thrill and amaze, ranging from the usual wet market offerings to even stalls selling organic products. Factory over run (branded) clothing items can be picked up for a song and over festive seasons, one can even find Spode and Royal Doulton (more factory overruns) tableware.

Meenaka had to come all the way from Singapore to introduce me to the soya sauce shop found in the market and I am now a regular shopper.

Here are some on-the-go breakfast options found on a weekday …

Eats, Festivals, George Town, Heritage, Shop, Travel

On the fringes of the rainforest

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Mr Crazy and Creative, Joe Sidek, returns to Borneo for the second edition of the Rainforest Fringe (RFF) in Kuching from 6 to 15 July this year.

“After a successful inaugural festival in 2017, this year’s RFF will showcase a wide range of cultural, contemporary, and traditional events representative of Sarawak’s exciting, complex and many-layered identity,” said Sidek, who has been synonymous with the George Town Festival for close to a decade.

The 10-day festival is set feature both local and international artists,performers, designers, photographers, and speakers.

“Sarawak has so much to offer. Apart from ecotourism, it is also renowned for its diverse cultural identities and traditions. The Rainforest Fringe Festival is all about Sarawak and is for everyone.

“It will be an exciting time for all to come together and be immersed in art, nature, history, tradition, culture and fun,” promises Sidek.

“This year’s RFF will be an all-inclusive and a complete sensorial experience,” he adds, saying that the programme includes:

• SARAWAK: The Indigenous Showcase – Opening the festival, Sarawak’s own creation presents a tapestry of Sarawak’s indigenous groups through dance, songs,

sounds and chants. The performance layers the traditional with the contemporary, featuring New York-based dancer and choreographer Raziman Sarbini.

Also performing will be the celebrated Kuching-born soprano Dewi Liana Seriestha, the first Malaysian to win the Miss World Talent title in 2014, and recently selected as icon and keynote speaker for International Dayak Culture Day in Indonesia.

• A performance of the Paiwan Tribe from Taiwan will add an international element to the evening. The Paiwan Tribe performance, one of Taiwan’s most interesting indigenous showcases, stars Hao-Hsiang Hsu, internationally famous actor (Life of Pi) and theatre director, and Paiwan ancient singer Seredaw Tariyaljan, who performed at the Pre-Grammy Party at the 55thGrammy Awards.

This performance combines cocoon, percussion instruments and aboriginal folk songs to present a pure aboriginal musical performance celebrating the beauty of the aboriginal culture of Taiwan.

• FIRST PEOPLE Party – Introducing the term orang asal, the “first people”; RFF celebrates indigenous Sarawakians with a party hosted at the Black Box, Borneo744. The night is a performance from the electrifying soul band Electric Fields, fresh from WOMADelaide and the Australian Performing Arts Market, alongside Sarawak’s own At Adau and Pete Kallang.

• BAMBOO THAT BINDS & WOOD – This interactive series of programmes, curated by Sarawakian Wendy Teo, aims to encourage innovative use of bamboo and wood:

• The “INSTRUMENT” – A Bamboo Musical Installation. A public interactive installation of bamboo in the shape of the angklung, with musical performances.

Wendy Teo will be working with Indonesian musicians Karinding Attack to create this site-specific music sphere.

• The CREATIVE FORUM welcomes international speakers: Filipino designer to the stars, Kenneth Cobonpue; Malaysian furniture designer Shahril Faisal, whose designs “evoke emotions, provoke thoughts and stimulate the senses”; Taiwanese artist Cheng-Tsung Feng, a designer who explores the contemporary potential in traditional utensils and materials; Indian bamboo textile designer Madhu Jain, a craft revivalist recently honoured by the President of India for her services in design; and Australian architect Jed Long, co-founder of Cave Urban, a collective formed to investigate vernacular lightweight structures and their relevance to contemporary design.

* The WORKSHOP – Redesigning Bornean Crafts. 20 days, six designers/craftsmen, three countries. Bringing together three designers from Thailand, three designers from Taiwan and local craftsmen to showcase what happens when international design embraces local craftsmanship. The design teams will combine their skills to create innovative new items over a three-week workshop in June and July, after which they will display their pieces at the festival.

• The MARKET – Borneo 744 plays host to the best of Sarawakian artisanal products: wood and bamboo designs and crafts, antiques, exotic plants, books, fashion, food, and more. For the first time, Big Bad Wolf comes to East Malaysia with their enormously popular book fair at the Market.

• The RAINFOREST STORIES – A set of screenings of films and documentaries that pay homage to Sarawakian culture. A highlight is the intriguing Lost Films series, films that have been lost into the archives, featuring Cinta Gadis Rhimba (director Datuk L. Krishnan), and introducing the Search for the Long House – a project to locate and screen The Long House (directed by Phani Majumdar).

“Making RFF a true sensorial experience, food will feature in our programme, and we look forward to announcing partnerships with local food establishments and putting indigenous and contemporary Sarawakian cuisine on an international stage,” said Sidek.

The Rainforest Fringe Festival (RFF) began in 2017 and is an annual 10-day celebration of the spirit and energy of Sarawak. Hosted in the heart of Kuching, the festival honours Sarawak’s eclectic culture and vibrancy of the land and the people through music, art, craft, film, photography, and design.

#rff #rainforestfringe #kuching #2018

(all but one image courtesy of RFF)