Thankfully the Aldous Adventurers were in tip top shape as we headed to Penang, a small island off the coast of Malaysia. After realizing we crammed too much into our Phuket trip, we stretched this adventure by one day, and decided it was okay to chill out (for the most part) and do what our kids like best – playing in the pool!  We stayed at the uber kid friendly, albeit incredibly loud and stimulating, Hard Rock Cafe. The children were in heaven – rock n roll and water slides!

 

 

Mama, not knowing if she’d ever return to this part of the world, managed to get her history/cultural literacy lesson in. We hired a driver for a half day excursion to Georgetown, a historical hot spot. We visited the Pinang Peranakan Mansion, the clan jetties (century old Chinese settlements)and both the Dhammikarama Burmese Temple (Standing Buddha) and the Wat Chayamangkalaram (Reclining Buddha Temple).  We sampled some fried char kway teow (local favorite) and checked out Penang’s Little India.

Here some highlights of the museum: The children trying their hand at a Chinese-Malay game “cherki.” A gorgeous sarong and kebaya. Enormous (multiple hutches full to the brim) glass collection. Original sink. Mama’s a sucker for a chunky, hand carved mirror. Outside pathway to mansion’s temple. Sitting room. Mama and children with Nnonya (Perankan women are known as Nnonya’s and men as Baba’s). Elaborate entrance to temple. Bats! (The tour guide said, “watch out. they shit. they shit.” Maggie Lou’s face was priceless.) Soldier statue outside. Opium bed.

  

 

 

The following are pictures of the Clan Chew Jetty. Maggie Lou found some durians. Georgetown is famous for street art — this was the only one I captured on film. Mama and babes at end of jetty. One hundred year old houses on the water. Fish traps.

 

Fried Char Kway Teow with Mystery meat platter … we identified tofu, crispy chicken, century eggs (eggs that have been preserved for months in clay), Chinese sausage and what mama thinks were fried intestines. We enjoyed coconuts to drink with our lunch. Jack opted for a the half eaten bag of gummy bears that were floating around in the bottom of Mama’s purse.

Little India:

  

Reclining Buddha & Standing Buddha:

           

               

               

Random Other pics from Penang:

 On the way back to the airport on Sunday we stopped at Snake Temple. Legend has it that the man it was built for was kind and generous to all creatures and that during construction local snakes took refuge inside. It’s now home to free ranging vipers – they are hiding throughout the temple. According to the internet they have been devenomed  (cruel, right?).  It was eerily and unnerving to see these beautiful, but once deadly, snakes snoozing about, even for Mama, the snake lover!

               

The rest of the week has been full of school play preparations, playing with friends and beginning the countdown to New Hampshire.  The children (with Mama’s help) created a paper chain with 60 links. On each link they’ve written something they’ve missed about NH. Each day we take one down and add to it something they’ll miss about Singapore. So far … (keep in mind, they are 4 and 6;))

Miss from NH: Jackson’s Landing Playground, Piano Lessons with Ruth, Margarita’s Restaurant, Ms. Prisby from Church Choir.

Will miss from Singapore: Supa Strikas (soccer cartoon), View of Indonesia from their bedroom,  Maggie Lou’s tennis lessons, our friend, Ryder.

Mama will continue to post these as they truly are from the mouths of babes!