Wandering around in a space from old times, Georgetown

After almost 2 months working here with the hazzle dazzle of visa issues, I managed myself on my non-immigrant visa to work. I was expecting my boss my send me back to Jakarta and stay there for a couple of days for it. But he has his own plan: he sent me to Penang, Malaysia to work on my visa there. I promised myself not to step my feet on Malay land for the sake of my personal political view. But oh well, it's Penang and it has attracted me before since I planned to see it. Let's just say it's a traveling for free concealed with the "business trip" mask.

I planned to stay in Georgetown, an old heritage city protected by UNESCO. Have a little knowledge about this island and its historical sites, then I think, "I will love this place".
And this city is not even overrated. Everything is so preserved. I love it. I took a long walk to the city center in the night and it's stunning. I have a huge thing on historical places so you can feel my excitement here. Wandered around the streets in the night, looking at the lines of the house-store, old buildings. It's splendid.

What I like the most about this town is: it is well-preserved and the government there make the area look like what it should be. They make the town as it used to be. It is a hot spot for tourist, but it's not so eager to please. The people here live just like us, they do their stuff. They are not eager to please nor begging them for a cent, like many other touristic places.

I presumed the buildings were built in the 18th-19th century. The architecture style knocked me off my feet. I kinda feel the building and its atmosphere were kinda different than Kota Tua Jakarta and District 1 Ho Chi Minh City, though the "old" atmosphere is pretty much same. Unlike Jakarta whose most of the building are Dutch colonial art deco style, Georgetown is fulfilled with the Sino-Portuguese style, especially the house-store. It reminds me of Phuket Town. And the buildings are more like Brittish kinda style?? I am not sure cause I don't know much about architecture and now I sound sound douchy.

Wandering around Georgetown brings me to feel the pace of old time romance. Every streets has its own stories. The Love Lane, is know as the street where the rich Chinese men keeping their mistress away from their wives. And the famous Penang street, it lies a long and winding stories about the city and the people who are and were living in. There are Indians, Chinese, Malays, Javanese, Achenese, Minangs, Armenians, Jewish, Arabs, and Europeans were living together centuries ago. Looking at the complexity of the people, multiracial society living in a town and bring their culture into a unique fusion.The peranakan, also known as Baba-Nyonya, are the most perfect example of the culture fusion that Penang has. It is so damn unique, even for people who live in multicultural society like me.

Visiting Penang makes me wonder about Malaysian urban history and their culture. It contributes me how to appreciate this country, apart from the stereotype and personal-political views towards this nation.