Quit our jobs, sold our home and everything in it, gone riding... | Page 100 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Quit our jobs, sold our home and everything in it, gone riding...

So here I am, back where I came from, with a renewed interest in the history of this place.

The Chinese in Malaysia date back several hundred years, the "first wave" settling in the south of the country back in the 1500s. Today, they make up the largest of the "ethnic" population, 30% of Malaysians are of Chinese descent, 10% are of Indian descent, while the largest group, 50% are native Malays.

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Teoh Kongsi clanhouse
 
We're exploring Georgetown, which is the capital of the state of Penang. There are more Chinese in this state, percentage-wise, than anywhere else in Malaysia. These were the original settlers, they were sea-traders and came through the ports in Penang and Malacca. Everywhere you walk, there are signs in Chinese, and red lanterns hanging above.

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Teh Tarik is the national drink of Malaysia. Tarik means "pull": Pulled Tea.

I introduce Neda to teh tarik, and we are both immediately addicted to the copious amounts of sugar they put into this drink. You can order it hot, but we prefer it served in ice. When you drink teh tarik, you can feel your teeth start to rot from all the sugar. So goooood.....!

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Shopping for more sweets

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Georgetown, like most cities, is pretty modern. But we like walking around the old city to see all the historical buildings.
 
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One of the most extravagant Chinese buildings is the temple of the Khoo Kongsi (the Khoo Clanhouse)

Clans play a very important part of the Chinese culture. Ancestor worship is part of the religion, and the family village or temple is a much venerated site. The Khoo clan (not related to the Klux) was the largest in the country and their ancestral home was here in Georgetown.

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The Chinese are pretty much the Targaryens of Asia

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...that one time when the whole clan went to see the Ozzy Osbourne concert...
 
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Lots of beautiful details in the temple

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Hundreds of gold placards with names of deceased family members decorate the inside

All of this is merely academic, though. These weren't my ancestors. In fact, the tour of these clanhouses was researched and organized by Neda. She's the one who told me most of the above! :)

My family didn't come to Malaysia until much later, they settled in different parts of the country. I was looking forward to meeting up with my elder relatives to find out more about our own history.
 
After sightseeing, we went out to grab a late lunch. Penang is well-known for its cuisine. We searched online for "best restaurant in Penang" and found one that looked good. I was looking forward to try all of my favorites from childhood.

We were seated and given menus. I scanned the items, looking for something familiar. Nothing.

I called the waitress and asked them, "Any Char Kway Teow?" She frowned and shook her head. "Laksa? Mee Goreng? Satay?"

The waitress looked equal parts confused and irate. She told me off: "That is hawker food. We are a restaurant, we don't serve that here. If you want to eat that kind of food, you have to go to the hawker centre". She pointed down the street.

I gave Neda an apologetic look. The waitress still had her arm outstretched and finger pointing out. She was no longer telling us the direction of the food stalls, she was pointing at us to get out... :(

We slinked out of the restaurant. I was deflated. I was going to show my bride all the fine Malaysian cuisine from my youth and I was just told that all of it was street food. It was like going to a Michelin-starred restaurant and trying to order a hot dog and a bag of peanuts. I felt so embarrassed...

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So we go to the hawker centre... and you know what? We had a *GREAT* meal! And it was cheap! So screw you, fancy restaurants of Penang!

Laksa is one of my mom's favorite foods. It's a spicy noodle soup, but in Penang, they serve it with tamarind and fish, so it's a bit more sour than regular laksa. We also ordered some popiah which is like Malaysian spring rolls, it's wrapped in crepes instead of flaky egg pastry. While mawing down on all this delicious food, I had absolutely no regrets about leaving the pricey restaurant. Give me my hot dogs and peanuts any day, all day!

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Walking around the old town is a popular tourist activity

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But if you don't feel in the mood to sweat it out on the pavement, plenty of rickshaws available to ferry you about

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Some of the rickshaws are done up quite fancy. If you still don't want to sweat in the heat, you can take a "teksi" :)
 
Lightcycle said:
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The fancy part of the old town

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Walking around the newly renovated parts of Nagore Square, lots of restaurants and swanky cafes here
Click to expand...
That looks like a great place for terrorists to target. Just sayin', don't get blown up.
 
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/301.html

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Aside from the food, the old town in Georgetown is also known for its murals, some of which are interactive. The most famous are the ones done in 2012 by Lithuanian artist Edward Zacharevic, who now resides in Penang.

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A popular activity for tourists is to walk around the town to find all the murals. Or you can take a rickshaw...
This one is titled, "Love Me Like Your Fortune Cat" by ASA

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The locations of all the murals are documented on the Internet, but we preferred just asking around. More interactive that way...
 
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Not all of the murals are done by Zacharevic. This one is. Titled, "Kids on Bicycle"

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"I want Pau" by WK Setor.

Pau is a steamed bun made with white, sweet dough that is stuffed with savoury meats or sweet fillings. My favorite is Pau Kaya, the kaya filling is made with coconut, eggs and pandan leaves and is also used as a spread for toast in the mornings. I got some for Neda and now she's hooked too. It's so good, no wonder these kids are reaching out for some as Neda rides away with her kaya-filled buns!

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"Feed the Stray" by Kenji Chai
 
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Neda liked it a lot, so...

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"The Real Bruce Lee Would Never Do This" by ASA (Artists for Stray Animals)

I think they should have named it, "Fists of Furry!". The organization Artists for Stray Animals painted a series of murals called 101 Lost Kittens, and this one above is one of them. They did it to raise awareness for sheltering stray animals. Even though I find the messaging a bit confusing, it seems to be a purrmanent fixture.

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Some other artwork found around town

There are also lots of examples of steel rod sculptures (upper right in the collage) bent into a 2D picture, as well as minion-themed murals. Also, more from the 101 Lost Kittens art project.
 
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"Little Boy with Pet Dinosaur" by Ernest Zacharevic

This mural is right beside the boy on the old motorcycle painting. I read that someone graffitied the dinosaur behind Zacharevic's motorcycle to make it look like the boy was fleeing the monster by bike. And then Zacharevic thought it would be funny to add the leash and the boy holding onto it as payback!

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More Minion murals. Too much!

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I thought the ladies inside added a nice touch to the photo
 
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One evening, try and have a "Tiger" on the front porch of the Kashmir restaurant. Great people watching place.
The food is good too.
Are you heading up to Batu Ferringhi? Eat at "Tropical Spice Garden".
 
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/302.html

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"Ipoh. I like the way that word sounds. Ipoh. It just feels good rolling off the tongue."

If you think that's something I would say, you're right. But I didn't say that. Neda was reading off the road signs as we were riding away from Penang and she made this proclamation over the communicator. That's weird. Normally I'm the one that's captivated by foreign words... but Ipoh is not foreign to me. It's where my uncle lives and we're dropping in for a visit this afternoon!

It's a short roadway drive from Penang to the neighbouring state, Ipoh. Even though we leave ourselves plenty of time in the morning to beat the traffic and the heat, we are instantly one hour late for meeting up with my uncle. Malaysia is in a different timezone than Thailand! We spent two days in Georgetown without even realizing that.

A frantic couple of hours later and we are only 45 minutes late as we pull up to the address my uncle sent me. It's a huge house with an even bigger carport. I peer in through the gates at the covered forms of several obviously antique cars. Are we in the right place?

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Yes! My uncle saved us a spot in amongst his stable of antique and classic cars

The last time I saw my uncle was when Neda and I got married, 12 years ago. Back then I was a big car nut, so I think he remembers me from that time. We had a great time catching up, talking cars and I was eager to see what was under the covers in the garage.

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This is his pride and joy, a 1954 MG TF, in British Racing Green

He belongs to an antique car club and every month, they all go out for a ride in the roads around Ipoh. He offered to take me around the corner to pick up some food for the day.
 
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My uncle is 83 years old and still sharp as tack and very active

Although I last saw him 12 years ago, it really has been over 35 years since I saw him regularly when I lived here. Since all that time has passed, he is now almost the same age as my grandfather (his father) from when I remembered him in my childhood. Although he doesn't look exactly like him, so many things about my uncle remind me of him.

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When you're in an antique British racing car, you get a lot of attention!

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My grandfather was very good with people and knew everyone. His eldest son is exactly the same!
 
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Grabbing some food from the local market

When we got back, he had another surprise for me. Quite a few of his cars were already uncovered, so I identified a mid 80s Jaguar XJ6 Series III, as well as an early 70s Ford Capri MK1. But in the corner was yet another covered mystery waiting to be unveiled...

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1955 Sunbeam Alpine MK III Convertible - same kind of car Grace Kelly drove in "To Catch A Thief"

I'm pretty sure no else is allowed to drive this car, but for some reason my uncle offered me the driver's seat. Coool! I felt so honoured!

In my head, I was singing the Rush song, "Red Barchetta":

"Down in his barn, my uncle preserved for me an old machine, for 50 odd years.
To keep it as new has been his dearest dream"
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I fired up the willing engine, responding with a roar. Tires not spitting gravel, because I was going to baby my uncle's prized possession. Neda clambered onto the passenger seat beside me and we drove slowly out of the driveway, both of us grinning like little kids. I was looking forward to wind in our hair, mechanical music... that adrenaline surge!
 
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