Hin Bus Depot, Penang, Malaysia

There are certain places that I have been before which makes me always say that I will have to come back. Usually when I say that, it's either an expression of your love for the place or I would possibly come back maybe in 3 or 5 years time as there are many other wonderful places to visit in the world. I don't call myself a "serial traveler" but if I have the chance, I would always try to visit a new place.

In October of 2013, I had the chance to visit Penang (see previous posts here) and I was mesmerized with the history, culture and its sumptuous food. I was really surprised about the place and I enjoyed it because there were not many tourists and you get to meet fellow travelers and talk to them, give each other some tips and a place to find good food.

One year later, I decided to come back to this place and this time not as a solo traveler but with two other friends. I showed them the place, the street arts, the food and the simplicity of the town despite its recent accolade of becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site. But comparing it one year later gave me a bit of disappointment and these are:

1. The clan jetty area, which was a peaceful, less crowded and "walkable" area to hang out is now filled with souvenir shops and wandering Chinese tourists. It was not the same as last year. I think the government's campaign of promoting the town itself after being hailed as a UNESCO site made the place a terrible tourist-infested area. It does not have that feeling of solitary anymore when you go there. I would say I was a tourist there last year but this year the place has changed. Blame it on UNESCO for ruining the place.

2. Many shop houses, which were one of the core area of why UNESCO granted them the heritage list, were turning out to be a commercial area for selling souvenirs. There are few which are still worth-visiting especially if it is about the arts and culture but there are just some that is becoming an eye-sore. Personally, I think the whole town will suffer due to the emerging commercialization of the place.

3. This one is another personal note. Last year, I stayed at Ryokan Chic Hostel, which is located at Jalan Muntri. I liked it so much as the place was well-maintained, clean and quiet. But when I came back this year, it's like exactly how it looked when I left it last year. And now the toilets are broken, the "other" receptionist is not as nice as the other one and the hallway carpets have turned smelly (I think they never cleaned it since last year). Only the rooms have stayed the same and their free breakfast. I guess when I return there I would have to stay in another place.

But the highlight of my return to Penang is Hin Bus Depot. It's a new gallery dedicated to foreign and local artists who capitalize on the use of mixed media to show their crafts. I have been following them and I was so glad that they open the newest gallery featuring Urban Exchange on the day we arrived. I brought the girls there and they were in awe just as I am. Thanks to Ernest Zacharevic and RONE, my newly found favorite artist, and the other artists who helped put up this truly extraordinary works of art.

Hin Bus Depot

Urban Exchange, Hin Bus Depot

Rone, Hin Bus Depot

Ernest Zacharevic

I have visited Penang last year to specifically look at the street art. George Town in Penang is the most artsy place you can go in Malaysia and the most interesting street arts were done by Ernest Zacharevic. He is just such a genius with his works all over George Town. Luckily, I manage to buy the book and postcards showing his works. I myself is a sort of an artist and trying urban sketching and watercolor painting. So i tried on making one by using one of the most famous works of Ernest in George Town. 

George Town Street Art in Watercolor

This is just a beginners work for me and I hope I did a great job on urban sketching and watercolor painting.

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05.16.2014

Train Train Go Away

The Sawahlunto Train and Railway System

Growing up, I have always been fascinated with moving things like trains and airplanes. I was never a big fan of race cars or bikes but trains and airplanes have always been admiring things to me. Whenever I travel to the city from my hometown, there used to be a working passenger train that travels to the northern part of Bulacan which was operated by the Philippine National Railway but since the tracks and the trains were never really given much care, the trains eventually stopped plying that route. Now the only existing train route that I know of is the ones from Alabang to Bicol. I believe its a 12-hour journey from Alabang to Bicol Region using this electric or gas powered train. I never really knew what type of train there is because I do not really know much about the history of railways in the Philippines. I guess nobody really seemed to bother about trains anymore unlike in the olden days. And then trains in Manila evolved into Light Railway Transit, the elevated passenger railway system that travels from Monument to Baclaran (which now extends from Munoz Roosevelt to Baclaran). Eventually, it led to the construction of two more elevated railway system such as the MRT (from North Avenue to Taft Avenue) and the LRT2 which covers Recto to Marikina.

George Town Street Art

The existence of many artists nowadays show a challenge to them on how to be distinct and recognize among other pool of artist. I myself is a frustrated artist. Back in Primary school, I have two best friends who have really good hands in painting and drawing and I always join them in art competition. Much to my dismay, I always end up with crappy artworks. I even attended a Drafting Class in one of my elective during high school but my professor has never been attracted to any of my work. well I could not blame her, I guess even my mom would not like any of my work although I tried my best to really work on it. But before I ended that Drafting Class, I managed to pull off the best artwork I did which I considered still the best until now.

George Town, aside from being a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is also a town for artists and painters. I talked a shop lady and told me about this Lithuanian artist who lived in Penang for a while and did some street arts in and around Georgetown. Some local artists made their paintings as well filling the whole town with different arts painted on wall.

The Owl Museum at Penang Hill

Upon my quest to find places to visit in Penang for a short back packing trip, I found out that there, sitting on a heavenly place on top of a hill in the middle of that island, is a place I can definitely call Heaven. Well too much of my exaggeration, it is actually an Owl Museum. I have been fascinated with owls as always. I have a friend whom I share this fondness of collecting owl displays and crafts and I am just so glad that this museum existed in a place I was planning to visit unexpectedly.

The collection they have just made me envious as I only have about 20 owl figurines, art and crafts. I spent about almost 2 hours just to see the details of each of the displays that I terribly wish all belongs to me. Haha. But I am not that crazy so I managed to control myself. I am just so thankful taking pictures are allowed.

To get to the museum, one must travel to Ayer Itam vicinity, which is like in the middle of Penang Island and
take a funicular train (inclined train). it takes about 10 minutes to reach the top and upon reaching the main entrance, the Owl Museum is just about 5 minutes walk.

Review: The Daily Dose Cafe

I always make a list of places to go when I travel. Aside from the usual "tourist spots" that the place has to offer, I also make it a point to visit:

a. Local bookshops

b. Museums

c. Coffee Shop

In Georgetown, Penang, the town is thriving with restaurants and cafe especially those catering to local delicacy. But few really make it a point to find a good coffee shop. Penang is known for its Georgetown White Coffee although the coffee beans are not really cultivated in the town itself, the celebrate the process of making good white coffee. I have tasted and it is good but what I was looking for is a type of coffee shop that is hiding in one corner, brewing its own coffee concoctions and baking their own desserts. And so I found The Daily Dose Cafe. 

The Daily Dose Cafe

Bookstores in Town: George Town, Penang

Shu Children Bookstore

Penang, as most people who knows this place, would always be regarded as a food haven. The place is famous for its local food such as Char Kway Teow and Laksa. I enjoyed their Char Kway Teow. It’s not too oily but still very tasty. Aside from its very famous food, Penang is also known for its capital, Georgetown, as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The town itself is filled with shop houses dating back to early 1900s. I love old towns and Georgetown is indeed mesmerizing and filled with an old feeling that you can hardly see now. Georgetown is also famous for its street art scattered all over the cemented and brick walls all around. As most travellers would go to Penang and see all these spots in and around Georgetown, I myself tried to search for more, some parts of the town that are sort of less travelled. When I visit a place, I try to find bookshops. It can be any bookshops like a big one or those small one that sells second hand books or just any ordinary books. Lucky for me, I found a children’s bookshop just along Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling, Georgetown and the shop is called Shῡ. Shῡ is a Chinese word for Book. The shop is located in one of the traditional shop houses in Georgetown. The owner, Mr. Teo (if I heard and spelled it right), is a local and a retiree and converted this shop house into a small bookstore.