Penang Museum

It's a great fantastic place to be. There is so much rich history in Penang to marvel at in the huge old building that is like a portal to a past dimension. I could spend the whole day there reading and studying all the collections ...

One thing that boggles the mind is why the museum has to close on Fridays! Is Penang so special with its Fridays? Can't the "patriotic" staff consider the many visitors who are keen on Penang history? Why can't the authorities get hardworking staff to keep the museum opened just like many other Malaysian museums on Fridays? Even half a day would do, Thank you. How many visitors like me have been fooled and disappointed not to be allowed into the museum on a Friday? I spent a lot of time in pouring rain to dash to the museum and to my utter disbelief, found a small notice somewhere--I can't recall where -- stating simply "Close on Friday". No apology and yes, if any of you museum folks are reading this, I mumbled to myself "Lazy bastards!" I don't think I was the only one who swore that day: there were a Korean/Japanese couple with a small girl in a trolley, three Asian-looking elderly women and a Caucasian man with his Asian female companion. No one was happy ... and the increasingly heavy rain wasn't pleasant on that 3:00 PM afternoon, too!

So I say, my idea of patriotism is going the extra mile to do what one can ... and in a museum setting, show the richness in Penang and Malaysian history, educate the world and this is dedication and patriotic to do so. Be selfish and close the museum and how many weary travelers out to learn the more about the state become disgusted with the laissez-faire approach of the relevant authorities.

Fortunately for me, I managed to drop by the place on a Saturday for a brief two hours before catching my flight back home to Sarawak.

So Penang, thumbs up for the many historical places, cuisine, transportation, friendly people and cheap shopping but thumbs (& toes) down to the museum for not having thoughtful, considerate, caring hard-working staff!

Just Stories...

SINGAPORE! I've been to that squeaky clean island paradise about five times, the last visit in 1988 while on a transit flight flying Singapore International Airlines (SIA) to Canada.

I really love the progressive state and its friendly citizens. Maybe it's because I'm not fond of chaotic situations, having spent so much of my life either wearing a badge or heading an association or club.

Above is a really old pic of a Singapore National Day parade taken in 1974 while I was en route by sea to Johore for the International Scout Jamboree.

I haven't the foggiest idea what type of amour carriers Singapore now has ... whatever type it is, I'm sure it's more advanced than what is shown here!

By the way, if anyone in Singapore happens to know a certain pleasant nice guy, Laurence Tan, an alumnus of Singapore's St. Andrew's School and having the address 2-B, Block 91, Lorong 3, Toa Payoh, please let me know how to get in touch with him or ask him to contact me. We became good buddies after attending the 10th Interact District 330 Conference in Penang 's Science University. We corresponded with each other for over 5 years before losing contact.

I did get to stay in the home of relatives of a member of my former school's Interact Club contingent to the Interact Conference in Penang and one thing I can say about Singapore for sure is that it's a nation that would frown on such poor unneighborly action or sculpture as that which is exposed here... the story is both neighbors didn't get along so one decided to make a dramatic provocative bushy sculpture ... Yeah, as they say, a simple picture-or act- tells a thousand stories...