They're Great, and That's No Lie-on!

   Another memorable day out at Straits Quay ("Penang's 1st Retail Marina").  I was there on business, actually, but just stumbled upon this fascinating Chinese Lion Dance competition.  There were about 14 different groups from all over Malaysia who came to compete.  I was told they were neighborhood groups, though some seemed to be from schools.  They were judged Olympic style, with four guys lifting up number flipcards with scores like 8.5 on them.  I don't see how they could possibly judge them, though.  They all were just great to me.

Chinese Lion -- Gaudy & Athletic

Japanese Lion (Shishimae)

     One thing about Chinese lions is they're NOT subtle or understated in any way.  How about this pink & purple one?  Now compare it to this very traditional Japanese one.  There's a world of difference.   They both serve different purposes, so it's not fair to compare them.  But the Chinese ones are sooo over-the-top, and far more athletic.  They have two strong fellows inside who do amazing tricks, at least in a competition like today's.  

Practicing the Upright Move

    Here were two young lads "practicing" for my benefit.  Once you see what's inside, you appreciate the actual performance so much more.  For example, here is the same pair doing their thing while balanced on a bunch of flowerpots.  Awesome, isn't it?   

Actually doing the Upright Move

And then they'd turn around and face the other way!!!

   When you consider that this is the same two fellows, the back one balancing on two flowerpots while bent over, you can begin to appreciate the strength and coordination, not to mention cooperation of these lads.  Then, when you see them carefully move around, reversing their position on the pots, moving in circles on them, all the while making the animal look realistic and full of personality. . . . well, it was a totally impressive sight.  

   


The shoes worn by these lion dancers are all fancy and covered with fake fur.  But they must have some kind of grip on the bottom to allow these guys to do what they do without falling.

Lion Dancers' Shoes Airing out in the Sun

And when I think that I could have missed it if I hadn't happened to go out there today.  Well, lesson learned -- never stay home on a weekend in Penang. 

                                                       You might miss something good!                      

Ev'rything's Coming Up Pewter

Ganesha, a Hindu God (in pewter)

    This evening I went to an "event."  Events are usually promotional opportunities where you get free food and drink in exchange for looking at whatever it is the company wants you to know about and / or buy.  This time it was the Royal Selangor outlet in the very upscale "retail marina" called Straits Quay.   And I (along with most other folks) did just what they wanted us to do, which is go along, drink lots of free-flow red wine, eat little nibbles, and then buy stuff.

     Royal Selangor is truly an iconic Malaysian brand.  I gather that the founder of this family-owned company was a tinsmith from China who came here and really did make his fortune.  He and his brothers started out making items for Chinese Buddhist altars -- things like incense burners, candlesticks, etc.  Then, when the British came along, they added "expat pleasers" like tankards, ashtrays and such. It used to be called simply "Selangor Pewter" and then they got the patronage of the Sultan of Selangor and decided to call the company "Royal Selangor."

       According to Wikipedia, pewter is "a malleable metal alloy, traditionally 85–99% tin, with the remainder consisting of copper, antimony, bismuth and (sometimes, and less commonly today) lead.  Silver is also sometimes used."  I like the look of it a lot,  It's less "blingy" and shiny than silver, which makes it more usable in everyday life.  However, it does seem to have to be polished and cared for in the same way that silver does.  Boo, hiss!

Buddhist Goddess of Mercy

    The company makes all kinds of things, from jewelry to picture frames, beverage items to religious objects.  (That's a very popular Hindu god, Ganesha, the Lord of Beginnings and Remover of Obstacles. )  They're non-denominational over there at Royal Selangor.  They also had a figure of the Goddess of Mercy and plenty of Christian crosses as well.  

Candelabra in shape of monkey cups

  








 But they do modern designs, too, and this was my absolute favorite.  It's so sleek and modern!  It's a candelabra inspired by a species of carnivorous plant that drowns its prey before digesting it.  I'd always called them "pitcher plants," but here they're called "monkey cups."  And there are a lot of varieties that grow in the jungles around here.  Up on Penang Hill they have a tourist attraction called "Monkey Cup Garden" with about 100 different types.  I have to admit that a candelabra as lovely as this has no place in my current lifestyle, but I think it's just so beautifully-designed and elegant.  (And Royal Selangor did NOT pay me to say that!  I just think it's true.)  It's right up my alley!

     To get us all drinking and then buying, the company  brought in a wine expert from K.L.  He showed us what a difference a wine aerator can make.  When I checked the Internet, it said an aerator "expands the surface area of a wine, creating a better bouquet, improved flavors and mouthfeel, and smoother finish by allowing air to mingle with it."  I'm not an oenophile, sorry to say, but I did know the concept.  This fellow had us try the red wine both ways, aerated and not.  And wow -- it really does make a difference!  Of course I had to buy one -- in the shape of a seahorse.  It'll be a Christmas gift, since at this point in my life, serving aerated wine out of proper decanters isn't something I do (or ever did, truth be told.)

    Another thing that impressed me was the lovely design of the shop counter itself.   That's not wood you're looking at; it's pewter.  And boy, is it classy! 

   If I had a thousand dollars, I'd spend a lot of it in this shop buying baubles that I don't really need and would have to polish. That's how beautiful it is!

Talk About Multiculturalism!

     On August 31, Malaysia celebrated its 55th anniversary of becominging a nation.  What a short little life that seems to be, even compared to a relatively young country like the USA.  Maybe that's why the Malaysians show such an abundance of national pride -- they're kind of new at it.  So, I went out on one of my weekend motorbike jaunts just to see what I could see.  I wandered into a very local department store called MyDin.  I didn't find much to buy myself, but this trio of young clerks warmed my heart.  (They dutifully asked permission from their supervisor before they agreed to be photographed.)


    
        Outside the local police headquarters were also festooned with the Malaysian flag.  In my country, black and white are the colors of police forces, mostly, but here it's blue and white.  In front of the HQ, a fellow was unfurling Chinese flags in preparation for some upcoming festival or event.

Raising Chinese festival flag in front of Police HQ

What local men wear to prayers

Burning of paper offerings for the "Hungry Ghosts"

      Closer to  home and within one square block, I saw the incredible diversity that makes Penang such a fascinating place to live. There's a nice little complex that has Starbucks and Subway, banks and a fitness center upstairs.  Out front there was a fully black-enshrouded woman holding her iPad to her ear, apparently calling her husband to come and pick her up.  She was standing in front of a local bank where all the employees had come out on their lunch hour to make food offerings and burn paper effigies to appease the "Hungry Ghosts."                     

       

A little Indian girl in her finery

 



There's an Indian temple right next to the

Starbucks complex. Their uncaged chickens occasionally wander over into the parking lot there.  On this day a little Indian gal all decked out in her holiday finery was heading there with her mother, presumably to eat at Kapitan, a pretty humble Indian restaurant with some of the finest-tasting food in all of Penang, if you ask me.  Cheap, too!

         
 Across the way, there's a new Muslim mosque.  It went up right next to the street.  This doesn't seem to trouble the Muslim men who pray there, but it surely does bother some of the expat residents of the high-rise apartment complexes nearby. They resent the calls to prayer that are broadcast via LOUD loudspeakers five times a day, every day.  The mosque went up amazingly quickly, a fact that seems to be attributed to the fact that Malaysia is a Muslim country, with all that that implies.  Out in front of the mosque a trio of men were discussing important world issues, no doubt.  I'm not positive, but they seem to be Indian and Muslim.  

   Then, between the mosque and the Immaculate Conception Church next to our condo, you can see the stupa of the Thai Reclining Buddha Temple, and there's a Burmese temple across the way. 

    Now that's what I call living and breathing multiculturalism!

Being Malaysian for a Night

       Well, it's over now -- Hari Raya (the celebratory period after the fasting month, almost like Christmas, but much longer).  

   The Muslims in Malaysia seem to spend a whole month fasting and then another whole month celebrating the fact that it's all over.   I come from a country where we often wonder whether or not the day after Christmas Day will be a holiday or not (and it usually isn't.)  The idea of visiting folks, eating home-cooked food and just being cheerful for a whole month. . . . well, it boggles the American mind.  But then, the French take a whole month off in August, I've heard, so there you are!  Maybe we Americans really are the workaholics they say we've become. 

The open-air Tari Cafe, where the party was held

     Anyway, we expats got to celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri along with a couple of Muslim friends recently.  Those gals organized a party at an open-air cafe that's hugely popular with local folks.  It's called Tari Cafe, and it's famous for delicious local food and their cheap, delicious Penang style hamburgers.  (Well, we foreigners think they'd dirt-cheap at one US dollar apiece, but the locals think that's a bit on the pricy side, truth be told.)

Dancer at Hari Raya Party

   

 The organizers brought in some dancers who entertained throughout the meal.  And then a local lady gave us a wonderful presentation about how the fasting month goes here in Malaysia.  

    The lady, a well-known figure in Penang, appeared in her signature-chic headscarf that’s always a bit different from what others wear. She explained how different people choose to do their fasting and how children are gradually introduced to the practice.  

    (Sorry, but I have misgivings about asking growing, active children to fast all day.  And I wonder how healthy it is to expect people living in hot climates to go without water all day long for a month.)  However, this speaker said that for her, after the first few days, fasting during the daylight hours becomes  almost easy and not as demanding and uncomfortable as one would expect.  She said she finds it very spiritually rewarding and explained that there are other times throughout the year that people may choose to fast and some do.
       
       And she answered a question I’d been wondering about: Why the dates everywhere?  It seems that dates are the optimal food for breaking the fast in the evening and three is the optimal number.  Evidently, the Prophet Muhammad is supposed to have said, "If any one of you is fasting, let me break his fast with dates.  In case he does not have them, then with water."  Medicinally speaking,  dates are the perfect food for breaking the fast, since they quickly supply the body with the energy it needs. Once the evening call to prayer is broadcast, around 7:35 or so, people dig into the plateful of food they've ordered or acquired from the buffet at the restaurant where they're breaking the fast.  Here's my plateful of food.  I wish I had that stuff in front of me right now!  

It would disappear fast!

Dunno quite what it all is, but it was delicious!