Church Of The Assumption Diocese Museum

One of Penang's oldest churches now has a nice museum dedicated to its history. It's called the Diocese Museum and contains information on various parishes around Malaysia. And a handful of fun objects.

Why we're here, the main church interior.

Next door, details from the museum. Collection box and altar boy.

Nun uniform.

Old class-like photograph. Another nun outfit, looking a little high fashion.

Famous priest.

P. Ramlee Birthplace House In Penang

P. Ramlee is probably the most famous entertainer from Malaysia. While mostly known as a director and actor in silly, unique Malaysian movies from the 1950s to the 1970s, P. Ramlee was a bit of a renaissance man. Add musician, singer, songwriter, scriptwriter, composer, producer to his resume. Not to mention just good ol' fashioned showman. His charisma dominated swanky Malaysia for two decades.

Of course, P. Ramlee came from humble beginnings way out in the provinces. He was born in 1929 and lived in this traditional wooden kampong house as a child.

The home is now a little museum with re-created period rooms. Bedroom desk and kitchen.

Adjacent to the house is a small museum, filled mostly with biographical text and pics.

A few possessions have been preserved. Tools of a gunslinger entertainer - typewriter and suitcase.

Portrait of the man. A rakish legend, a well-deserved, enduring reputation.

Enjoying The Bling At Dharmikarama Burmese Temple

Why should the Buddhist temples in Malaysia only be Chinese or Thai? What you got, Burmese? Turns out, a lot.

On the temple grounds, a nice gold pagoda, OK.  Good start.

Giant Buddha with even bigger hands, turning up the gold heat. Oh, these mischievous guys know there's great stuff ahead.

Buddha, in all his calm, confident splendor.

More Buddha, green with envy. "Do you mind if I just pick my dainty nail, here?" Ms Buddha, all flashing lights behind her head. Ba-bling!

Ooof. Some sort of dancing waters, phantasmagora full 3D scene about Buddha. We're talking full on complete cyclorama set piece.

Close up section of the scene, one of the several Buddhist "Greek" choruses. All this splendor is starting to weigh on our man Buddha.

Recharge, man, get your bright orange robe on, tuck yourself into a beautiful natural grotto complete with bouquets of plastic flowers and just sit back and enjoy your flock. "Just lay off gold foiling my head, man."

The House Of Yeap Chor EE

George Town, Penang, has a handful of famous Chinese merchant homes, the most famous one being the Blue Mansion. Another house in town was owned by Yeap Chor Ee. Immigrant, barber, merchant, banker, Yeap lived the classic rags to riches story.

 Grand entry hall. The house is a classic Chinese shophouse, built in the late 1800s.

Portraits of lives lived.

The house is filled with Yeap's family history, mostly told through wall info.

The ponies seemed to be big in Yeap's life, garnering some victories.

A vintage get-down. Great duds!

Architecture In George Town, Penang

George Town, Penang is a UNESCO World Heritage site for good reason, mostly for its great collection of iconic Chinese shophouses. There are other architectural gems in town to see, plenty of heritage examples from other periods, styles.

British-built Town Hall, a Baroque cupcake, was built in the 1880s.

Immediately needing more room for municipal offices, City Hall was built next door in 1903. Those two government buildings have been restored, at least the exteriors. Many other old structures need some TLC.

There's a mansion row along the coast, peppered with beautiful Asian Deco houses. Kind of the Newport of Penang.

Sometimes vintage buildings haven't been fortunate of care. Left to ruin, just not torn down. Saying, "We want to preserve this building but who's going to pay for it and why?" A fine example of Art Deco in George Town, a former gas station.

The future of Penang? Only this massive sea infill parcel knows. Whatever it is, it's coming...

Old Protestant Cemetery In George Town

George Town has an amazing, classic colonial cemetery right in the middle of town. And why not? The Brits and Irish, etc...showed up and died there and had to be buried somewhere. One just doesn't expect to see a yee olde graveyard deep in Southeast Asia. Such are the remains of Imperialism. Literally.

The cemetery, just at home in the English countryside as in Penang.

Handy, an etched guide to the graveyard. Typical tomb marking with olde English diction. Poor Joanna, a "short but painful illness" struck her down. Did they have to go into it?

The layout is, well, what layout, just plop your tomb where you feel like it. Which is kind of cool.

Signs of decay, lovely.

Another grave, another over-share. Spinster! How about she had standards? Sheesh.

Figuring Out The Penang Tunnel Museum

There's a nice, curious museum in George Town that looks at Penang's history and also has a bunch of rooms for Instagram selfies. Something for everybody. The snap pic rooms are mostly forgettable while the history portion of the museum offers up some nice scenes come to life.

Imperialist ships are coming.

The British have arrived! Really, who's going to do the hard work? Indian coolies (the museum's description).

The upper Chinese merchant class? All about the opium.

The Chinese are getting restless, planning revolution. On the right, Dr. Sun Yat-sen is busy planning the China uprising, the Xinhai revolution, which overthrew the last imperial dynasty in that country in 1911. Dr. Sun lived in Penang at that time.

Trouble comes to Malaysia during WWII, when the Japanese occupy the country from the ruling British. The Brit brass are not pleased. Or clean shaven.

Upheaval and resignation. Local WWII refugees on the move and the Japanese signing the surrender.

Post WWII, back to shophouse business, just two merchants with product, a scale and haggling motions.