CNY at 1st Ave.

All the Penang Malls this year seem to have been competing to house the biggest and best lantern.  Like a giant jelly fish hanging over your head!!

 We were there this day for the lion, tiger and I don't know what animal dance.

 After a lot of head shaking and generally intimidating the general public,

Mildred and friends decided to go up the escalator and create chaos on the first floor.

Seemed a good point in the proceedings to go have afternoon tea. Very nice kaya toast they do.

Penang Airport Refurbish.

All the turmoil of change was worth it.  A new wave has broken over the old airport halls.  Back to a Penang easy pace again.  Great, clever design.

E&O

 The new wing and car park for the E&O opened just before Christmas. Not as pretty as the old part,  so pictured that.

 Blue sky and green sea.

When the water front garden is fully open,  perhaps E&O can boast the longest of all sea front lawns, as it did in days gone by.

Genting Hill,...Again?

We keep going back.  This model is made completely from Carlsberg beer cans.  Even the rigging. the time it must have taken.

And the girls insisted on durians...........but at another table.  They whiff,  you know.

Francis's Garden house.

The place where Captain Light built his garden house, Suffolk House, on his pepper estate.  This is not the original house Francis built, some time between 1786 and his death in 1794, but a later residence which has been restored to it's 1818 glory.  It don't look much but it is such a gem I have archived images in The Gallery.  Follow link for more photographs and information on this treasure of a  house.

But we were there for afternoon tea, don't you know.

Guaranteed to make my soul mate happy!!!

Straits Quay.

Another new mall complex.

 Firs and palms.  Nice.

 These places are still very quiet, empty even.  So, come before they are discovered.  Really great to sit and sip your coffee in the quiet.

A bell in a belt.  Cute.

Penang hill - Year End 2011

 Bonding in the Botanics.  Or are they comfirming rank?

 No excuse.  I love PH.  Could move here and cut the cars cable.

David Brown's done out for Christmas.  Had the place to ourselves.  Another magic moment.

Towards Batik Pulau.

Another place needing a car for us to visit.  The road across the hill opposite our flat. Love these hills.

 Clear to see the new development.  BUT the old town centre is still there.  Long be it so.

Relau Met. Park

Who would have guessed that this lovingly cared for park was here?  Right next to the Relau Villa.  Part of the park is in the old Villa's grounds.  Doubly hope that the heritage effort reaches Relau.  What a place this would be with a restored Villa complete with swimming pool.

Has hill jogging for the fool hardy and a collection of all sorts of fruiting trees.  Magic.

Relau Villa

 We could have walked to this place. but we are softies.

 All the decaying wood work has been cleared and the remaining faced brick core of the building is in quite good condition.  Really hope the heritage guys and gals turn their attention to this little gem.  check out this LINK for more info on the Villa.

Shrine close at hand, complete with thieving monkey,  bless them.

Sam Poh Temple

We took advantage of Linden's visit as an excuse to hire a car and visit a couple more of the places where the buses don't go.

 

The main man.  Cheng Ho.  This guy's doings makes Christopher look like a novice and his ships dinghies

The work on the second Penang island/mainland bridge is well progressed.  Could be finished end 2013.  With 40% more cars recorded arriving on the island than leaving before Christmas,  not sure we should have a new bridge leading to an island car park.

Film - Sherlock Holmes, Game of Shadows.

Jude, Robert and Steven Fry. Interesting. Much more shoot'm-up in this film than the first,  but well done I think.  The film is peppered with visual clues that have you thinking, oh yes I remember that.  Bit more Sherlock Holmes in this one.  So 4 on the door.

Disappointment, then delight

Master Hawkers competition at Times Square, Penang.  This day was char koay teow day.  I was really looking forward to the tasting session......but so were loads of other people!!!  Queuing 10 deep and more at each stall.

So, I bottled it.  I will track down the winner and go sample for myself.  But the day was not all total loss.  Now have an official Malaysian driving licence.  How cool is that?

B & W progress.

 Julian Davison kindly sent me some period photos of B & W interiors.  Julian's book Black and White: The Singapore House 1898-1941 is the source of the plans for the model.

 Period house, period photographs.

This is turning into a long project.

Posh Kopi Shop

New premises for the kopi shop,

and new look.  Very B & W.

Waiting for lunch....Gek has a way with the lens!!!

Happiness is char kway teow and fresh apple juice.

Shelters.

 Things still surprise in Penang.  A typical ye olde bus stop.

But here comes a new creation,  complete with cart wheeled benches, leaning rail and recycle bins.  Is this the future look of our bottom parkers.  Wonder how many people have missed their bus whilst seated here?

Bukit Genting at dusk

 We returned to the hill...at dusk.

 Lights coming on all over the plain.

 

 As dark came the fishing fleet lights appeared on the horizon.

The garden takes on a very eerie quality in the dark!!!

Penang Philharmonic.

This is totally amateur group of classical music enthusiasts....and they are damned good!!!  We attended their recent concert at the E & O's ballroom (not in pic).

Edvard Grieg: Peer Gynt Suite No.1, 
Franz Joseph Haydn: Cello Concerto No.1 in C major
Antonin Dvorak: Symphony No.6 in D major.

Impressive yes?  Russian night at the end of December.  Tickets  bought already.  

http://www.penangphilharmonic.org/main/

Bukit Genting, Penang style.

 A new place to us.

 See Rock and Pat visited Penang this weekend and with a hired car we were able to visit this hill.

 Fab views and lovely Thai food for lunch,

 with some weird and wonderful models.

Viewing sunsets are feature of the hill with the park curios lit after dark.  Must return to see the show.

B & W.

 March 31st 2010.

November 2011.  See http://david-dollhouse.blogspot.com/ for more update photos.