She promised us Dec 1, 2019 as the date the E&O Hotel would open the doors to her newly-upgraded Heritage Wing, and Alison Fraser kept to her word.
The custodian and general manager of Penang’s Grand Dame of Hospitality – the Eastern & Oriental Hotel – greeted members of the media and bloggers to the hotel ahead of its annual Christmas tree-lighting ceremony and played the gracious hostess.
The walkabout around the newly spiffed wing was a treat and left us all happy that the 134 year-old ‘Grand Lady’ is now refreshed and ready to “welcome home” travellers and Penang residents to her beautifully and luxuriously-appointed suites and to savour fabulously-developed food and beverage offerings.
The WiFi connection has been boosted, delicious beddings spread out, Panpuri Spa amenities placed in all the rooms, and other luxuries both big and small await the guests.
Dear and familiar faces like Jimmy Lee, Jesvinder Singh, JJ and the khaki-uniformed doormen will be on hand to welcome the paying public when doors officially open for business on Dec 20.
The now-famous front desk which featured in the opening scene of the Hollywood blockbuster ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ will no doubt be a talking point for those hanging out in the lobby or checking in.
And who among us is not looking forward to a spot of the hotel’s famous afternoon tea in newly-created spaces around the property?
I know some of my friends who have checked out the Farquhar’s Bar and are looking forward to spending many happy evenings there after Dec 20!
Kudos and special mention to Faisol ‘Davo’ Abdullah for the spanking new and sharp uniforms designed.
Congratulations again Alison for all the hard work put in and showing us yet another female GM who stays at the top of her game!!!
The view from the parking lot at sunset is a warm enough welcome to Penang’s latest accommodation-by-the-sea, Hompton By The Beach.
Dottie and Steph are very blessed to be taking in such beauty when they step into work each day was my first impression when taking in this sunset.
The hotel and its staff are unpretentious , judging from the warm hospitality, genuine smiles and good food served earlier.
The fresh salmon and tuna won me over and were such a welcome from the usual frozen variety found in other establishments.
The festive-themed buffet dinner was all about freshness and good taste and it did not have the taste of the usually mass-produced food found in hotel buffet lines.
Even the Christmas desserts – like the fruit cake and panna cotta – had a home-made touch and taste to it.
The Seafood Galore Buffet Dinner on Saturdays and Sundays from 7pm-10pm is priced at RM108 nett for adults with free flow of beer and red and white wines (senior citizens are charged RM88 nett). The buffet only option costs RM78 nett per person (senior citizens aged 55 and above pay RM58 nett) Kids aged 12 and below dine for free. And the best part is that it is served in the hotel’s sea-fronting Spice Garden outlet on Level 11.
A special promotion currently has buy 3, pay for 2, buy 5 pay for 3 and buy 7 pay for 4 deals respectively.
Call 04-3733233 to book your tasty dinner with an awesome view!
Dear Bibliophiles and those visiting Penang this weekend,
The George Town Literary Festival and it’s related events are set to keep us all on our toes as we have fun being introduced to new book titles and their authors and have a great start to Christmas shopping!
How about taking some time out and going on a photographic exploration of love, caring relationships, social and filial ties?
It is being presented by Karyn Coxall-Leong from Friday 22/11/2019 till 29/11/2019 at Viva Victoria’s Upstairs Gallery at 169, Lebuh Victoria.
The exhibition opens at 6pm this Friday and runs from 12 noon till 11.30pm on other days.
“In a time and place where technology, convenience, consumerism lead, it is so very easy to get caught up in the everyday goings-on, ” says Karyn.
“No matter your circumstances or where you come from, we must all make an effort to remember family and community as the true lynchpins of life.”
Malaysia’s first anthology of food writing is poised to make its debut in Penang next week during the George Town Literary Festival.
Telltale Food – Writings from the Fay Khoo Award 2017-2019 is made up of 30 stories of sustenance, soul and culinary journeys.
It showcases the work of the following authors …
Aileen Lim
Aizuddin Anuar
Betty Lee
Cheah Soon Seng
Chrisse Kueh
Damyanti Biswas
Denise Chin
Dipika Mukherjee
Emilia Fuller
Golinia Michelle Gody
Harrison Cowan
Hezreen Abdul Rashid
Hsu-Lyn Yap
Kathlyn D’Souza
Lee Say Lor
Ling Tan
Loh Yi Jun
Marc de Faoite
Meena Amavasai
Paula Tan
Petrina Fernandez
Raidah Shah Idil
Raja Ummi Nadrah
Renie Leng
Sammi Roxy Lim
Sandra Khoo
Serena Lee
Shahriar Khan
Suzanne Kamata
Award-winning CNBC Asia anchor Bettina Chua Abdullah has edited this book as a further tribute to the late Fay Khoo, who inspired many through her writing and great love of food.
Bettina founded the Fay Khoo Award for Food + Drink Writing three years ago.
The award provides a platform to encourage writers from the ASEAN region to craft original work that is thoughtful, reflective and engaging.
Shortlisted entrants will attend the awards event at George Town Literary Festival in Penang next week.
The book will be launched on Friday, November 22, 2019 at Hikayat, 226 Lebuh Pantai, George Town at 5.30pm, in the presence of some of these illustrious writers whose works are featured.
“This wonderful anthology will open up a new world of storytelling, both for those who love reading and those who aspire to write themselves.” – John Brunton, The Guardian
An exhibition dealing generally with women, their bodies, and sexuality- attitudes in Malaysia and what we perceive in the Malaysian media, opens in Penang today.
Pop over at China House (153 Lebuh Pantai in George Town) from 5.30pm.
‘Forbidden Fruit’ Works on Paper comprises 100 pieces of hard work by Penang and Italy-based artist Rebecca Duckett-Wilkinson.
She focussed on all her new works on paper between June and October this year. The exhibition also features fruit and our perception of specific fruit and general knowledge and folklore of them, which have lead the ‘narrative’ for these paintings.
Rebecca said she has been turning this idea around in a head for a long while but decided to focus and start the work at the end of May.
“Carl Linnaeus, the Father of Taxonomy, who came up with a sexual system for flowering plants and their identification has also inspired this connection between sex and botany.
“There is a synonymous connection between sex and botany and my thoughts on how men in particular perceive women and girls, censorship, folklore, and the parallels between how women and girls, and the environment, are treated not only in a Malaysian context, but also in that of the wider world. They also refer to the language used in reference to women and environment.”
Of concern to Rebecca particularly, are issues around child marriage, how we value our girls and our environment, sexual harassment, the standard of sex education, the behaviour of local politicians and their attitudes to women, as well as how body trends have been promoting cosmetic surgery to alter female genitalia. The divide that still exists between men and women is also something that continues to worry her.
Her personal thoughts on ageing and menopause are also discussed in her work.
Rebecca also continues to be inspired by her jungle sprites, her interest in shamanism and jungle spirits. She is also showing for the first time, 4 pieces of work made over 35 years ago while she was an art student at Parsons School of Design in New York, when much of her work was inspired by her interest in anthropology, indigenous peoples and their art and folklore. It was from here that her fantastic jungle spirits sprang into her work and has continued until today.
The exhibition is a collection of visuals accompanied by lines of poetry & words.
“Girls are seeds
Nurture & nourish.
They grow into mighty trees.”
(This series of black gouache brush unframed drawings with a paper weight of 220g/m2 A4 size 22X33cm are available for sale at the exhibition at @chinahousepenang. They are priced at RM250 each with RM100 from each sale being donated to @wccpenang)
“Very glad to be supporting in a small way, the hard work done by Women’s Centre for Change. They support survivors of domestic violence, child rape, victims of sexual abuse and constantly try to make women and girls more aware of their rights to safety,” says the artist.
(all images courtesy of Rebecca Duckett-Wilkinson)
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!
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)
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!)
“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
Broadway actor Bruce Kuhn is coming to town! This will not be his first trip to Malaysia (he has performed in the Klang Valley and East Malaysia previously) but definitely his maiden visit to Penang.
Kuhn’s list of acting performances in the United States include playing Javert (the Police Inspector) and Thenardier (Master of the House) in “Les Miserables” on Broadway. He also starred in the national tour of Harry Chapin’s one-man Off-Broadway hit, “The Cotton Patch Gospel,” and performed in the national tour of “Chess,” directed by Trevor Nunn.
His one-man shows on his worldwide tours have included “The Gospel of Luke” and “Acts of the Apostles” which are told as stories in a compelling manner.
Kuhn’s gift in storytelling is one which he shares with others, via ‘Word by Heart’, an international training school (which he is a co-founder). Students around the world (from Vancouver in Canada to Oxford in the UK) have been taught via his courses, to present a gospel to an audience.
His Penang dates are from Friday (21/6/2019) to Saturday (22/6/2019) where he will be sharing his God-given talents via two monologue theatre performances and a workshop.
The Church of the Immaculate Conception at Pulau Tikus in George Town will host Bruce Kuhn and his performances.
With a donation of RM25, you get to attend all three sessions. Tickets are available during weekend masses at the church and at the parish office.
His Penang programme is as follows:
8 pm on Friday 21 June, 2019
Monologue on the Gospel of Luke
10 am on Saturday 22 June, 2019
Workshop on Memorizing & Story Telling
8 pm on Saturday 22 June , 2019
Monologue on the Acts of the Apostles
(Church of the Immaculate Conception, 1 Lorong Maktab, 10250 Penang)
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