Savouring the good ole days
The sights, smells, sounds, and especially tastes, of certain pockets of Penang will transport a visitor back to the Singapore of the '60s and '70s. By David Yip
Add BT as a preferred sourceFOR baby boomers, a visit to Penang is like finding the home we left years ago. While modernisation and gentrification has altered the townscape quite a lot, certain pockets of Penang still transport the visitor back powerfully to the Singapore of the '60s and '70s. Sights, smells, sounds, and especially tastes, still evoke what can only be described by the cliché, "the good ole days".
The younger visitor, meanwhile, will find a town on the upswing, thanks to its new status as a Unesco (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage site. Hip hostels and cafes line the historic lanes of Georgetown, and specially commissioned street art adorn weathered walls and peep out from unexpected corners. But the most telling impression both young and older visitors will take away is the stupendous street food which literally carpets Penang.
Penang and Singapore share similar flavours - unsurprising given some of our common origins in Malay, Hokkien, Hainanese and Indian food. However, differences exist, some more obvious than others, because of geographical and historical circumstances. As a case in point, look at Singapore's and Penang's idea of laksa.
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