Penang

We were disappointed we couldn’t get a booking for lunch today at the Mansion’s Indigo restaurant to precede our Romeo and Juliet show. However it worked out well because we spent some time walking again in Georgetown.

Brekky was noodle soup with chilli sambal and then a piece of white toast with vegemite and pineapple jam (not together). Cakes and coffee of course. Brekky always comes after the coffee my Mick makes me in the room and the cheese dippy biscuit things. We decided to pick up another shirt for Mick from the gift shop as decent batik we aren’t finding, although Samways has suggested the Malay Islamic-type shops which I’ll keep my eye out for now. Plus I just had to buy some of their gorgeous hand wash and body wash – a KL based company so not sure if I could buy it online.

So off we go again, this time to Fort Cornwallis. Thinking we’d do a sweaty, desultory walk around the walls and see a couple of scabby canons and a mouldy statue of an Englishman, we were approached by a guide at the entrance. 20 ringgits to get in and the tour was free. Well, what a surprise! A very passionate local who knew everything about the English coming to Georgetown and the society and politics spanning 150 or so years. We were with him for maybe 1.50 hours and he was a very nice, pleasant and knowledgable man. Like, he knew about the treaty with the sultans, the excavations and restoration works, how the canons worked and were made, the WW2 Japanese use of the fort, the legends and stories of the place. It was so good! And he didn’t even ask for a tip! Included in our ticket was a fresh fruit juice. Mick and I had apple which was delish, especially as it was past midday and as usual we were melting.

So then the trek into Little India to try and find my elusive dupattas. Kathleen from the giftshop gave me the names of a couple of places which we went into. Unfortunately they do magnigicent saris at a reasonable cost but no dupattas. They suggested cutting the sari up but I'm not at home to that so I can get better textiles online from India and at a decent price too. But the spanglies and colours are mesmeric and magnetic for me. So much colour noise and life in the place. I love it!

Lunch was at an Indian restaurant – of course – where thank the lord we could get a beer. A massive spread for 4: vegetable samosas studded with kalonji and fennel; a soul warming turmeric red lentil dahl; potatoes and fenugreek (OMG); a thick earthy mutton curry; chicken tikka makanhi slightly sweet; rice and bread. With beer it was MYR 140 so AUD12 per head and that was including beer! (Ian had to lend us some money because we had an issue trying to withdraw cash from a Standard and Chartered ATM. It went through the throes and we didn’t get our money. However it looks OK nothing has appeared on our statement).

Hot stroll back with a stop at the beautiful Hainanese temple.

A swim and soon getting ready to see Romeo and Juliet here at the mansion. Happy days.

So we saw Romeo and Juliet - what a wonderful experience. I blubbed a few times 1) at the beginning - two houses ...etc 2) the line: When he shall die, Take him and cut him out in little stars, And he will make the face of heaven so fine That all the world will be in love with night And pay no worship to the garish sun. and 3) when they bloody died! Although a comedic interpretaion you Can't. Change. The. End :)

We had great seats, I think thanks to the bottle of wine we ordered as part of our ticket so we had a high table with an uninterruted view to the stage. The 2 hours went very quickly and I was enthralled.

So far it's been history and culture today, and tonite when we went next door to the hawker stalls it was music - because they were having a competition of singers! Well, kinda singing.Read more