Tag Archives: George Town

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 …

Festivals, George Town, Music, Shop, Stays, Style, Travel

9 Years of Arts and Culture Continue …

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For the ninth year, the George Town Festival returns and is ready to welcome visitors to the island and continue to give more entertainment, cultural and artsy-fartsy value to Penang residents.

Mark your calendars, book your flight/bus/train tickets, plan your road trips and hotel/home stays, and join us proud Penang Lang in a month (read: August till early September) filled with performing arts shows, from dance to theatre, as well as photography and art exhibitions, workshops, music, creative talks and arts and crafts markets.

On a personal note, a warm welcome back to the anggams-supporters-of-the-fest, Steven, Glen and Meenaka from across the seas and Causeway!

Here are some highlights of the long-awaited list of happenings brought to you and lovingly curated by the tireless festival director Joe Sidek and his equally dedicated and work-around-the-clock team …

• KELANTAN: A Living Heritage (Malaysia)

The show celebrates Kelantan, known as the ‘Cradle of Malay Culture’ and its unique tapestry woven through its traditional and captivating art forms.

• Between Tiny Cities (Cambodia & Australia)

Dancers from Australia and Cambodia use the rituals and movement styles of b-boy dance to reveal the dramatically different worlds that surround them.

• We Cannot Talk About It (Iran)

A dark and gripping performance with intense expressions of suppressed life. From Iranian group The Hole in the Wall from the award-winning creators of Slow Sound of Snow (GTF 2015).

• Yaron Kohlberg feat. Ciaran McAuley & Penang Philharmonic Orchestra

Yaron Kohlberg, the “pianist with the golden hands”, performs a classical music suite with the Penang Philharmonic Orchestra, with esteemed Conductor Ciaran McAuley.

• 2062 (Spain & Germany)

An experimental show about a dystopian world, where the “present” is deemed as the authentic protagonist, highlighting borders, walls, new migrations, current affairs, and economic changes.

• Isle of Dreams (Taiwan)

Making its first premier in Southeast Asia, Isle of Dreams is a mythological musical theatre piece featuring Nanguan and Beiguan music integrating with poetry, puppetry and ritual dance in the performance.

• Second Body (Taiwan)

A dance production generating an out-of-body experience. A dark stage, dancer with abstract light projected on her skin, and the study of movement itself.

• BLIND (Brazil)

A social experiment and an interactive art showcase which has travelled the world, soon will be taking the streets of George Town in Penang for the very first time.

• SeaShorts (Southeast Asian Short Film Festival) (Malaysia)

An annual short film festival with over 200 entries. Attending the festival will be notable film makers such as Rithy Pahn, Mira Lesmana, Liew Seng Tat, Pimpaka Towira and Philip Cheah.

ConneXion – Passion Made Possible (Singapore)
A collaboration with the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), ConneXion- Passion Made Possible will thrill festival goers as part of the GTF closing weekend.  The best of Singapore will be featured through fashion, music, art, dance, theatre, film, talks and food hosted in various venues in George Town. More details to be announced.

• Te.ma.sya BUDAYA KITA (Malaysia)

A National Department for Culture and Arts (JKKN) special showcase of traditional arts and performing arts. More details to be announced.

Most shows hosted at Dewan Sri Pinang and Loft 29 will have its tickets sale via Redtix.

Others are mainly-free-to-attend shows, talks and workshops are available through registration on PopTickets.

This year GTF also focuses on its collaborations with various local creative collectives such as The National Department For Culture And Arts (JKKN), National Academy of Arts Culture and Heritage (ASWARA), SeaShorts, Sisters in Islam, Obscura, Penang House of Music, Penang Philharmonic Orchestra, Penang Foodie and the return of Konsert Kopitiam V.3.

Additionally, there are also alliances through special projects with other countries such as the recently launched “Isle to Isle” project with Taiwan Economic Cultural Office in Malaysia (TECO), “Passion Made Possible” with Singapore Tourism Board (STB) as well as a collaboration with the Arts, Education and Law Group at Griffith University.

GTF also works together in partnership with Penang Global Tourism and hotels such as E&O Hotel, Penaga Hotel along with other hotels, media and venue partners. GTF is currently looking for sponsorship and partnership.

For the newbies, the George Town Festival is an annual, month-long celebration of culture, heritage, art, and community.

Inaugurated in 2010 in honour of George Town’s designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the festival transforms the city into a global stage, showcasing world-class performances, installations, and collaborations from international and local artists alike.

With over one hundred unique events each year, the festival seeks to create new and vibrant connections between the traditional and the contemporary, the past and the future.

For more information on full list of GTF 2018 programmes and ticketing please visit www.georgetownfestival.com

(images courtesy of Joe Sidek and George Town Festival)

#georgetownfestival #gtf2018 #gtf

Eats, George Town, Halal, Shop, Style, Travel

Athene the Spice Girl

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I met this purveyor of artisan spices two years ago at her “spice laboratory” in Relau on the island.

The warmth and bubbly personality matched her colourful and aromatic spices as did her passion for cooking and sharing food and recipes.

Faten Rafie (or Athene to family and close friends) is the force behind the ‘Athene Spices’ brand of artisan spice blends and rubs, which are designed and created for home cooks to make easy, yet exciting dishes.

They are all natural, free of artificial colours, flavours, preservatives and MSG-free.

Just staring at the colourful contents of her bottled spices is enough to inspire the foodie in all of us and here’s why:

Her recipes are so easy to follow and end up looking like one has slaved for hours in the kitchen!

Befitting its premium tag, Athene Spices products are targeted at those with greater purchasing power and exposed to international cuisines, and also the health conscious, who do not want oil or sodium in the food they prepare and consume.

For this Ramadhan season, Faten has kindly shared some recipes below which include her famous spices which have found their way into Malaysian kitchens and restaurants at home and abroad.

Together with her businessman husband Azizi Hassan, Faten sources her spices like nutmeg pepper locally, and mix them into their distinct products with labels like Hot Chick Spicy Salt, Lemon Lime Pepper Salt, Mandy Spice Mix, Lebanese Za’atar, Moroccan Ras el Hanout and Hyderabad Biryani… to name a few, for retail and wholesale.

Check out her online spice shop at http://www.athenespices.com

If you are in Penang, her spices at stocked at both the Tropical Spice Garden’s gift shop at Teluk Bahang or The Tropical Spice Garden In the City store in George Town.

They make great gifts for Hari Raya open houses or to pop into a festive hamper.

(Images courtesy of Faten Rafie and NST)

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Art, Eats, Festivals, George Town, Heritage, Media, Music, Shop, Style, Travel

It’s baaaaaaaack!!!

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The annual George Town Festival (GTF) returns for its 9th consecutive round with an international and local slew of events from 4 Aug till until 2 Sept this year.

“George Town will be a hub of entertainment and excitement with both free and ticketed shows available to audiences,” a press statement issued today said.

As in previous editions of the annual fest, the Penang Government has appointed Joe Sidek Productions Sdn. Bhd. to oversee the curation and management of GTF.

The appointed contractor today also expressed its thanks to the state authorities, Perbadanan Bekalan Air Pulau Pinang, the Penang Development Corporation, Majlis Bandaraya Pulau Pinang, Penang Global Tourism, and George Town World Heritage Incorporated for their continued support.

A ‘Call for Proposals’ for the fest which was initiated last October, has seen some 200 proposals both from Malaysia and abroad come in.

“We expect more will be forthcoming during this last week,” said festival director, Joe Sidek.

“In addition to online submissions, we have also been conducting ‘Proposal Clinics’ to encourage local creative individuals or groups to meet with us to help fine-tune their artistic ideas and to help them submit a proposal for the festival,” he added.

George Town, Heritage, Travel

Celebrating Catholic culture and heritage

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The Church of the Assumption in George Town which reopened its doors recently after a restoration exercise, has now a museum on its grounds.

The northern region’s first Roman Catholic Diocese Museum stands tall as yet another historic attraction to those visiting the island’s UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A walk through the museum, is a stroll tinged with nostalgia, pride and all things Catholic. It celebrates many stories of how the church was built together by the religious and the laity, the historical artefacts which have been a part of the Eucharistic celebration through the ages, and more.

And please don’t think you have walked into the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Pulau Tikus by mistake when you step into the museum.

I sure was proud to see my parish “immortalised” on its walls today!

Christmas, George Town, Heritage, Music, Travel

A glorious icon (almost) restored

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Let this place resound with Joy – Edmund Khoo, project architect

The Church of the Assumption along Lebuh Farquhar in George Town, is on the last stretch of its restoration project and set to open her doors officially, come 1 January 2018.

Her ancient bells are ringing again to welcome the birth of Christ and a fresh new year!

Resident pipe organist Leonard Selva Gurunathan shares the spirit of the season with the carol ‘A Thousand Candles.’

The pipe organ which was packed away during the restoration works was unveiled yesterday to continue its good work in giving praise to God.

Congratulations Edmund Khoo for making the Catholics proud and for going that extra mile to preserve the heritage integrity of this architectural gem!

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(Some Images and video of the bells courtesy of Edmund Khoo and video of Leonard playing courtesy of Michelle Richards)

George Town

Celebrating Penang music and musicians

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When my parents acquired the little black and white bungalow on Kelawai (or Kelawei) Road in the early 1980s, I doubt they realized the significance of buying into a little slice of Penang and Eurasian heritage.

House number 111 in Pulau Tikus, used to be the home of the Eurasian community’s and Malaysia’s outstanding composer and jazz pianist, Jimmy Boyle.

Our dear family friend the late Uncle Edwin (of The Edwin Rajamoney and the Island Rhythimics fame) was one person who spent plenty of time with jazzman Boyle. When we moved into 111 Kelawai Road, he showed us where Boyle had positioned his piano (next to the window) and composed and arranged scores of beautiful and patriotic melodies about Malaysia and her people.

Among Boyle’s notable works were “Putera Puteri”, “Ingat Ingat”, “Chendering”, “Melody of Love” and the first Malaysian Jamboree song “Kemegahan Negara Ku” which was reportedly played at midnight on the birth of Malaysia in 1963.

Jimmy Boyle died in 1971 but his music lives on via many platforms and media.

The house along Kelawai Road today has morphed into a business premise, as have many other residences on what used to be a leafy and peaceful thoroughfare.

Boyle’s story, his music and the legacy of many of Penang’s musical sons and daughters have been beautifully and respectfully preserved and showcased today at the Penang House of Music (PHoM) located in George Town.

This gallery which is dedicated to music and the musicians of Penang can spell nostalgia to those who grew up listening to P.Ramlee, Ooi Eow Jin, Boyle, Ahmad Nawab, Larry Rodrigues (and his evergreen daughter Kathleen), Rudy Baum, Joe Rozells, James Rozells, Ruby Rozells, the Rajamoney brothers (Edwin, Austin, Sydney and Wilson), Nancy and Albert Yeoh, Sweet September, Ahmad Daud, Raja Fauziah and her singing partner Nita to name a few.

Younger visitors will be taken in by the varied influences which have made their mark on Penang music.

The gallery’s resource centre houses a rich collection of audio, print and recorded documents, while a cinema room lends a blast-from-the-past experience which black and white movies and old tunes offered.

A really clever and interactive offering is the gallery’s Radio Room which allows a visitor the opportunity to present a song “live” and later download the recording.

Other cute corners found are a replica “kopi tiam” (coffee shop) which has proven to be the perfect backdrop for photo opportunities on social media.

My biggest takeaway from the visit was the place of pride created to honour the people, their stories, and the rich cultural diversity linked to Penang’s musical heritage.

An afternoon or morning at this gallery definitely beats sitting in a classroom listening to the evolution of the state’s music scene.

Small wonder that PHoM has received rave reviews on TripAdvisor and ranked #31 of 139 things to do in George Town. Congratulations Paul Augustin and thank you for a spectacular tour and your infinite patience with young ones, Kevin Theseira!

Thank you Mazeta Hassan, for sharing this precious photo of her mother Raja Fauziah singing Jimmy Boyle’s “Putera Puteri” for the first time with Ahmad Daud.

http://www.penanghouseofmusic.com

(Don’t be put off by the absence of more prominent signages leading to this music gem which is located at L4-02, Level 4, Kompleks Tun Abdul Razak (KOMTAR), Jalan Penang, 1000 Penang. Simply call 04-3706675 if you are lost in the maze of Komtar!)

UPDATE

Eats, George Town, Heritage, Travel

Tok Tok Mee and the isle of foodies

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An 18-month gastronomic discovery of Penang’s great eats served with a spot of nostalgia and love for romantic island living, has morphed into a coffee-table book ‘Tok Tok Mee: A Portrait of Penang Street Food’  which will be unveiled this weekend.

Penang-born TV producer and food writer Gerald Tan unveils childhood stories and historical anecdotes about dishes which have made their mark around the world. Tan, together with Sydney-based award-winning cinematographer and photographer Benjamin Emery, have dished up charcoal-kissed char koay teow and sar hor fun to the briny broths of Hokkien mee and asam laksa in 192 pages of the hard cover book.

Watch this space for more details from Trishaw Press, the book’s publisher. The Penang-based boutique publishing house promotes local content via collaborations with authors and artists working on heritage matters on the island

https://www.facebook.com/trishawpress/
Update:

Tok Tok Mee is now available for purchase online!

(Images courtesy of Trishaw Press)