Swell places....

Penang Museum...

Many people often asked me what is my fascination with museums that I would make it a point to visit museums no matter where I was. I guess, being in historical city of Melaka all my life, I have always been fascinated with old things, stories of the past, swash-buckling stories,  old buccaneers days and even old relics. I am also into heritage, culture and all things from the past. The old Melaka river days where I used to spent cycling to or even to stop by in the afternoon or even laze looking at people and at the sights, was such a buzzing place then and still is.  Maybe, just maybe, the fact that I grew up enveloping the taste, sights and sounds of the yester years that I have developed that liking for anything old , rusty and memorable. It linked nicely to my childhood days or even my growing up day. 

Peranakan Room with family....

Clowning around with my friends near the river or even sitting around at the historical sights seemed so wonderful. My one old secret actually was that my friends and I had befriended a very well mannered old Malay uncle who was the guard of the Melaka museum. This Malay man had always taken the trouble to show us around the museum and we would asked him to tell us the stories of the relics and he would obliged us. I am indebted to him for painstakingly taking the trouble to entertain us eventhough we knew sometimes his stories were far fetched but we knew his good heartedness in entertaining us. But, I was fascinated by it all and I would also sit by this old Indian uncle shop who was selling second hand books, maps and other stuff , just to read the books on history and "Movie News" then. That's how it got me started on my love for museums.

The "hisap candu" bed...those days la.....

So, coming back to present time, I had the opportunity to visit Penang Museum and Gopeng Museum. I must say that though it was hot, humid and dastardly blistering heat, it was worth it. Penang Museum is indeed a wonder indeed. It is basically to showcase the lifestyles of the three major races rich culture and heritage but I felt the Peranakans culture & lifestyle was prominently portrayed here. To all the Peranakans anywhere in Malaysia, go to the Penang Museum. ( It is closed on Friday! Don't really understand why the museum is closed on Fridays! ) There is a beautiful and wonderful hall of Peranakan memorabilia and lifestyle on display and it is fabulously nice. I just love it very much. So much to learn and so much to take in. It is just a two storey spacious building but the things on the inside is so lovely. I really wish that there were more things to be put in or more things contributed by the various communities to ensure the museums stay alive. 

At the front.....

The one museum that surprised us all was the Gopeng Museum. Nestled at the Gopeng town roundabout, this museum is only opened on Saturdays and Sundays. The rest of the days, it is closed. Rather weird for a museum until I realised that it is actually a privately owned mansion by some rich fella who just wanted to showcase some of historical stuff and things during the early days era. It is a Chinese mansion house and entrance is totally free. The stuff inside were truly marvelous and a joy to me, actually. The ground floor is divided into the living hall at the front, mid-section space which housed a barber area and a small koi pool, kitchen area and the back section which house a coffee shop. Beautifully kept and lacquered olden tables and chairs plus old things from the past were hung and adorned walls beautifully. What a sight! 

The front section....

The top floor housed the rooms, an open aired recreation space and attic reading room. It was nice to see the maintenance of a rich culture in those places. The paintings, the portraits, the items on display and the atmosphere as a whole was good. Though it can be hot and humid due to the weather, you just have to love the very idea of how one would be able to live in such place a long long time ago. I love the wooden staircase which was beautifully built and sturdy. The place is clean and no musky nor dirty smell as a team of committee members, as they are called , are entrusted to ensure the cleanliness and the beauty of this place. Like I said, there is no entrance fees but a donation box is available at the front and we contributed whatever we could as this is certainly one place so worthwhile to maintain. 

The coffeeshop...back section

I often wonder if these places would still be standing at this place as the older generations moved on to upper grounds. It is kinda sad when you think of the younger generation who would rather spend their time on the Net or their iPad or even their handphones rather than seeing the actual thing themselves. It is a sad reality that malls , shopping and more modern buildings have replaced the historical buildings and places. 

I write these articles on the places I go or the things I have experiences simply to give these places a glimmer of hope before they vanished to make way for so-called "development". Many a times, places just get "overtaken" all in the name of development. Every time I see a place of interest , my heart jumps with joy knowing that a piece of history is restored though more often than not, the historical facts had been altered or even severely distorted to suit one hundred and one people. 

SLing & SYuen at the staircase....

I want to remember these places as they were and have the satisfaction that I drew a lot of joy from it even when I am no more around. I want to pass on this experience to my children for them to pass on to their children's children. I want them to bring their children and tell them, " Yunno, my Dad used to drag us all half way to Thailand to this so and so place, museum....etc etc ...so that we can enjoy whatever little culture and heritage that was available in this country....Boy, I can remember those days!". That would have made a great conversational pieces, wouldn't you think so? 

Hey, people....make that time for your children. Take them to these interesting places and take them away from the passive internet tools. Nothing beat seeing the real thing,man. Remember climbing the jambu tree or the rambutan tree and falling off it? Remember catching ikan betuk or sepat siam in the paddy fields? Remember playing guli and throwing slippers to catch a deck of cards in the middle of the road or back lane?  Remember throwing fire crackers into the bucket system lavatory and causing the entire neighbourhood cursing under their breath at your "ingenius" activity? Remember taking away your friends clothes as they swim in the river and they had to use daun keladi to cover their privy? Or even hearing the moms shouting their lungs out asking the children to come home after the sun had set ? 

I remember those days and I DO miss them! Do you? Have a cup of coffee and go ahead, have a memory of your own ......on ME! CHEERS!