The following are some portraits of Penang locals (referred to by other Malaysians as ‘Penangites’) I took whilst wondering around George Town over the Christmas/New Year break. Hopefully it goes some way to conveying what it felt like to wonder the streets of this UNESCO world heritage listed city.
The man above was making deep fried pastries at Chowrasta market in central George Town. If you look carefully you will see the edge of a large wok used for cooking the pastries by his left arm.
This particular hawker was making pork dumplings just prior to the dinnertime rush. They will eventually be used in a popular noodle dish called ‘wan than mee’.
The image above is of a clerk at the Yeoh Kongsi. I was lucky enough to visit some of the back rooms in this clan house with its treasure trove of historical documents and artifacts. I like the timeless feel of this image as I think it is reflective of George Town as a whole.
A butcher at the Chowrasta market. Here you can buy anything from clothes and CD’s to meat and fish.
Hawker hosing down his trishaw after a days work. I found this scene whilst walking along Armenian Street, one of the old streets in George Town that has undergone something of a renaissance in recent years.
One of the few remaining traditional craftsmen left in George Town. Mr Lee still makes joss sticks by hand. He uses sandalwood powder in his joss sticks, which burns cleaner, longer and is more fragrant than the sawdust used in mass produced joss sticks.
Vendor at the Goddess of Mercy temple having a snooze in the stifling midday heat.
A hawker selling Apom Manis in Pulau Tikus. This is a sweet crepe-like pastry originally from India. It is popular in Penang for breakfast or just as a snack. Note the charcoal stoves used in lieu of the gas burners popular nowadays. The extra heat generated by the charcoal means it is possible to cook an apom in under a minute.