More Pennang Lah..... heritage disctrict continued

More Pennang Lah..... heritage disctrict continued 

Just to finish of the Pennang 2013 trip, some more random pics taken from around the heritage district. Th shrine above was on the verandah of an old shop house, still very much lived in, yet the shophouse must have been over 200 year old, and really looked like nothing had been done, including maintenance, painting, gardening for that time !

Trying out some special affects on the  Iphone camera, this is the picture of the house row, where the above shrine pic was taken.
This part of the heritage area is very much a living and breathing community , people live here, and more than once or twice we were caught peering in the front door to see a family of multi-generation

sitting and talking around a low table on the floor, or someone snoozing on a rattan mat. Once karen sneakily took a shot and the whirr of her camera lens alerted the resident to our covert photo taking!

This pic on the left shows you what happens when old meets new, many of the up-market delis' restaurants, bake houses, and even backpackers are old shop-houses that have been renovated to a high spec, and suddenly the tone of the area goes from heritage to yuppie. Urban regeneration happens all over the world, and if it's the only way to preserve the rich architectural heritage of a location, then so be it.

    




There were so many photo opportunities, and   as I have previously mentioned, Thank you GOD for digital photography . This was another old shop house just around the corner for Chulia street, that caught my eye. Its regeneration had just started, and the old tree that had been growing inside the building for several years was slated to be removed.

  

Again Love Lane, where this temple has stood since the mid 1800's. I don't think anything has changed except for the plastic chairs and car now sitting in the front yard.












   
Georgetown_(Malaysia) Is an interesting city in that it offers an insight into Chinese immigration, the Colonial indentured Indian labor migration, and of course the local Malay culture.
One thing that I have not mentioned is the Peranakan Culture distinctly Malay, and a subtle blend of Chinese, Malay and other influences that are distinctly of this region.

The British were not the only wealthy people living in Pennang, nor did they really control the political and social life of the majority of the population of this time. The one place I recommend that anyone visiting Pennang goes to is the Peranakan Museum
also known as the Babas and Nyonyas, was a prominent community of acculturated Chinese unique to this part of the world, especially in the Straits Settlements (Penang, Malacca and Singapore) hence its other name, the Straits Chinese. Adopting selected ways of the local Malays and later, the colonial British, the Peranakans had created a unique lifestyle and customs which had not only left behind a rich legacy of antiques but its cultural influences like cuisine and language are still evident in Penang today.

     The early Tile work can be still seen in pathways and pasages between the early shop houses, and on the floors of many of the old Chinese temples . I've taken the pic with a sepia tinge to add some age and character to the shot.  The tiles are usually a soft pastel shade, often incorporating pale pinks, greens and blues. 

The wealthy  Peranakan  lived a well to do lifestyle, often a cross between Chinese and western influences. Their homes contained all the latest accruements of modern living, gas Lamps, Early ice box refrigerators, Luxury cars, and fashions from Europe were the signs that they were well to do. In private however, many traditional Chinese customs were strictly adhered to, thus often leaving the younger generations confused about where they stood in these years in society.