It is not that often that you get to meet an Ambassador. It is not that often you get to meet someone that inspires you to do more for the underprivileged in this world. It is not that often that you meet someone on a mission to improve the plight of the voiceless in our society. It is even less rare when you meet one person that encompasses all of the above virtues……Her name is May Bouquet-Brown.

She looks stunningly Eurasian, she sounds antipodean and yet she was born in Malaysia; raised in Australia, she has now returned to offer her services to assist in improving the Healthcare Services available in the public Hospitals as well as to the children of Penang.

May was born in Penang on the busy side steps of a cafe' shopfront in Kimberley Street, Penang home and work place of the Chow Family, Mrs Chow helped May's Mother deliver her into this world before May's young Mother died giving birth to the baby girl with eurasian eyes and golden hair. A passing lady who witnessed the birth along with the police took May into the Penang General Hospital.

Read more...

Louise and Tommes explore the hills and forests of Penang with an out-of-date trail book and a sense of adventure.

We had no idea when we set off whether the trail from Batu Ferringhi to Teluk Bahang still existed ' after all, there has been so much development in this part of the island since the Penang trail book was published in 1999.

Read more...

One Saturday last month we set out for a family day at the Penang Butterfly Farm.

We were advised by Joseph Goh to be there before lunch as the heat effects the butterflies and they are more active early on and therefore present a more spectacular display of colours to see. We heeded that advise and arrived at a little after 9.30am.

We were a motley crew of parents and children ranging in age from 2 years old up to 14 years old.

Now anywhere that can keep this wide a range of children occupied as well as their tested parents deserves an award, and the Penang Butterfly Farm certainly did that for more than 4 hours.

We were expertly guided around the enclosure by Gan Gim Chuah, one of their Nature Specialists.

With a well-balanced combination of entertainment and education, not only were we entertained but we actually learned a surprising amount about the life cycles and breeding habitats of these wonderful ‘Fairies of the Tropics’.

Whatever you have to do, make sure you get on one of their regular guided tours. You will not only enjoy the visit so much more as we did, but by being in the company of such knowledgable and devoted professionals, you will better appreciate their work to spread the message of what we can learn from observing nature at work.

Read more...

“Wine honours the soul, so honour it with yours”

Wine has few friends amongst its alcoholic peers. If I could equate it to a playground child, wine would be the slightly cooler, more mature classroom recluse standing calmly in the corner with Armagnac, Cognac and Sherry.

Meanwhile, Vodka, Whiskey, Scotch, Brandy, Lager, Draught, Stout would be zooming around playing, teasing and wreaking havoc with their abundantly fiery natures.

In Hollywood terms, it’s Bond vs. Balboa. Wine’s brooding, quietly confident, silky class definitely puts it in a league of its own.

Read more...

Frances Wilks looks at the many events in Penang specifically for women

Penang is a great place to be a woman, because there are so many activities and events that are specifically for women.

Many of these are centred around the IWA (International Women's Association), which was originally set up for the wives of American expats who came to the island with their husbands as 'trailing spouses'.

'Things are different now, we're much more international and have members from nearly 30 countries,' the current President of the IWA, Sandie Lenton, explained at a recent coffee morning attended by over 50 members of the association.

'Most of us are professional women, even if we can't or don't work here, and few of us sit at home with a maid and a driver. We want to learn new things, experience the culture and make interesting friends.

Read more...

It might be politically incorrect, even prejudiced to say this, but I must admit that I am guilty of believing in cultural stereotypes.

Need a reliable appliance? Buy German. Good coffee? Go Italian. Fancy a pint? Trust the British to know how to run a good pub.

My travels have also convinced me that Asia definitely wins hands down when it comes to the world of hospitality.

I believe all over the world there is a common tradition of hospitality. People love to show off the best of their countries and everyone has a story or history of their own.

Though I know it is unfair to group all of Asia into one basket, but I am sure many well traveled souls would have had some recollection or experience of the indelible Asian hospitality throughout the world.

Read more...

The idiom of 'chalk and cheese' implies the clash of two opposite things and their inability to embody one another. Why we don't say 'giraffe and gorilla' or 'pirate and maiden' instead, but this seemingly obvious saying certainly gets to the point.

But is there more to it? First published in John Gower's Confessio Amantis of 1393, the original use of the phrase was to describe a thrifty shopkeeper's new talent of 'chalk for cheese he changeth with ful littel cost,' relating to the similarity of some English cheeses to chalk and his cunning substitute of one for the other to save money.

So in fact, the saying chalk and cheese actually refers to the synergy of opposites and their unusual knack of complimenting each other quite well.

Read more...

The general feeling in the property market at the moment is bullish for at least the next few months. If the new projects on offer at iproperty.com's joint property fair with the Real Estate and Housing Developers' Association (Rehda) Penang held over the weekend of 23-25 March at Straits Quay Convention Centre was any indication then this statement certainly rang true with me.

There are some major new developments on offer from mega-projects such as E & O's Seri Tanjung Pinang project, Hunsa Property's Gurney Paragon and THE LIGHT Waterfront Penang by Jelutong Development Sdn Bhd - a subsidiary of IJM Properties Sdn Bhd.

Read more...

Chew Jetty has a huge number of children, who will, no doubt as they grow up, really appreciate how lucky they were to be brought up on the Jetty.

Everyone walks in and out of each other’s houses, children are kept an eye on by all, babies are passed around, gooed and fussed over by everyone. Grandfathers, fathers, Uncles, even Great Grandfathers, take an active part in looking after their young charges, often while the parents work.

Read more...

We always think about the hustle and bustle of the city, but Penang is not only surrounded by some awesome nature, it also has some very accessible nature right at the heart of the island. Well, for those not quite adventurous enough to trek Penang Hill, Penang’s beautiful botanical gardens offer a serenity and tranquility merely minutes from the heart of Georgetown.

Penang Botanical Gardens are usually simply called the Botanic Gardens by Penangites. Also known as the Waterfalls Gardens, the gardens are located in a quiet valley along Jalan Kebun Bunga.

Read more...