My Penang by Lim Bee Chin

Penang is also known as the Pearl of the Orient. It is a place that is popular even among Malaysians. It has a long history of tradition and ties with England. It is allegedly the land of the Hokkien plus the nyonyas and babas. The food is great, their prices are below average. The sea, sun and beaches are beautiful. You have to experience it to know what I am telling you right now.



The Inside Guide To Where To Go And What To Eat

SOMETIMES things take place fortuitously, like this book dropping on my
lap just days before I embarked on a journey to that Pearl of the Orient.
It had been about three years since I last stepped foot on the island.
Yes, it has been much too long. This little book of 168 pages has all
the information that a visitor to the island would need. It has just
enough historical data to form the right impressions and the right amount
of geographical information to create the correct visual imagery of a
beautiful island in the sun.
The writer, even though she grew up in Sungai Petani, Kedah, has spent
enough years on the island to give an authoritative account of
present-day Penang. I believe Lim also has a large number of relatives
who are still residing on the island to educate her on the little known
facts about the island.
This is probably the first time I have ever picked up a book and
embarked on a journey to verify its facts. My five-day sojourn in Penang
was an eye-opener of sorts even though I had been a resident of the
island for a better part of eight years.
A foreigner who has not experienced Penang would certainly be intrigued
by the writer's personal knowledge of a place she loves and impressed by
the passion she feels for an island that has a long history with England.
The many colourful pictures of major landmarks are well displayed
throughout the book. The excellent write-up on the major races that form
Penang's population lends character and shine to the persona of the
"Pearl". Even though the dominant race is Chinese, other races like the
Malays and Indians have had strong influences on the culture and
traditions of Penang over the centuries.
Lim has correctly pointed out that Penang Malays have Bugis, Acehnese,
Javanese and Arabic origins. The Indians consist of two groups - Tamil
Hindus and Indian Muslims. The other minor Indian groups are Indian
Buddhists and Malayalees.
From this rich mix of races, coupled with their special dishes
originally from their homelands, sprung the now popular nasi kandar, from
which Penang has earned a fine reputation on a nationwide basis.
My journey to Penang was by road but there are other modes of
transportation to reach the island. The bridge has long overtaken the
ferries as the main route to the island. Those who work in certain parts
of the island and mainland still use the ferry as a matter of choice and
convenience. There are now fewer ferries plying the route compared with
the past.
Trishaws, as mentioned in the book, are still around. However, the
trishaw pedlars who are located mainly on Penang Road are frail and
mostly on the wrong side of middle-age. There had been occasions when I
have seen young foreign visitors riding the trishaws with the trishawmen
as passengers. This was mostly done on a lark - something to tell the
folks back home.
The information on the What To See chapter is accurate. All the major
attractions still exist in their heritage best but George Town is fast
losing its sparkle, according to local residents.
After 6pm, the shutters begin coming down. A shop owner said this
phenomenon started when the population started to expand on the outskirts
of the city, in places like Bayan Baru, Thean Teik estate, Gelugor and on
the mainland.
Twenty or 30 years ago, George Town was very much alive, even at 9pm.
These days, only specific areas come alive or are still awake at 10pm.
One of these places is the junction of Penang Road where the Continental
Hotel and Hotel Malaysia are located.
The row of brightly lit teh tarik stalls selling a variety of roti
canai draws the crowds and the foreign visitors.
The chapter on Where To Shop is a nugget of information for first-time
visitors.
Haggling is almost compulsory at most roadside stalls except for
shopping complexes. At present, one of the more popular spots for night
shopping is along Jalan Batu Ferringhi where the pasar malam or night
market seems to have become the "happening place".
One reason is because of the large number of foreigners staying at the
beach hotels along that stretch.
Personally, the crishme de la crishme in this book is the Where To Eat
chapter. Lim, like most true Penangnites, knows her food.
She has detailed all the places one can think of or has been to. I
believe she has covered most food places of repute.
It was because of this special chapter on food that I decided to check
out the various places that I know of and other places that I have
learned from this book.
It was a wonderful experience, filled with laughter and gluttony of
tolerable levels.
It is suspected that Malaysians who couldn't resist buying this book
will read the chapter on food first. It is safe to say that almost all
the stalls mentioned in the book are still around, whether or not they
have "changed hands" is another matter.
Readers should also take note of the treasure trove of details of where
to stay - from five-star hotels to budget accommodation.
Penang still has its fair share of backpackers. A number of these
people were seen venturing into the nooks and crannies of the island
during my stay there.
Penang will not be Penang without its various celebrations and
festivals. Writer Lim has again scored big on this aspect.
She has given thumb-nail accounts of 14 festivals that have become very
much part of the Penang mystique.
Lim Bee Chin should be complimented on her splendid effort with this
book. It is therefore not a surprise that the Penang Government and
Penang Tourist Guides Association have congratulated her on her literary
contribution.
There are other books on Penang but this one in particular deserves a
place on our bookshelves.