"The Pearl of the Orient"

I'm in Penang, the so-called "Pearl of the Orient", formerly under the management of the East India Company and the British Empire. Indeed, there still remains more than a few reminders of the Raj, mainly in the form of Victorian and early twentieth century architecture. Most of this is strung out along the foreshore, from Fort Cornwallis (or what little remains of it) to the E & O hotel. The jewel in the crown is probably the Victoria Memorial Clock tower, at left. ( stubbornly refuses all efforts to rotate)

. Otherwise, there are more than a few large imposing Brit buildings to gawk at. Rather reminded me of Dalhousie Square in Calcutta. but on a much smaller scale.

The majority of the city of Georgetown is, however distinctly and unapologetically Chinese. Arcaded rows of shop-houses stand shoulder to shoulder with restaurants and hotels. Streets and streets of these constitute the vast Chinatown.
This must be what Singapore was like before progress swallowed up most of the architectural history of the Straits Chinese there.

I'm staying at the Eastern and Oriental Hotel (where else?), which enjoys pride of place on the waterfront at the end of Penang street. Built by two Armenians, the Sarkie brothers, in 1884, it has history. These guys went on to open the Raffles hotel in Singapore, but although they had great taste in hotels, they apparently didn't know much about how to turn a buck in the pub business, cause they went broke and the hotel was eventually closed down in the 1930's. The late 1990's saw its restoration to its former glory (almost), although the unkind might say that some elements are just a wee bit cheesy; the pith helmetted doormen, bookcases containing nothing but Kipling and Maugham, imperial band music playing flat out in the restaurant etc., but generally speaking, it's still a venerable old pile. It has it's own character, and its a treat to stay in it. And hey - at less than 1/3 the tarrif of Raffles how bad can it be?

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Nasi Goreng. with a Malaysian twist: Shrimp and chicken fried rice, topped with egg and served with shrimp crackers, pandanus wrapped lemongrass chicken, satay chicken skewers on marinated tofu skins, and chilli shrimp sambal.