What We Talk About When We Talk About Heritage
By Julia Tan
July 2019 FEATURE
It’s the word du jour, “heritage”. International organizations vote to acknowledge and list it (for protection purposes, among other reasons); government departments are established to manage it; festivals held to celebrate it. In Penang, it is a proud badge we wear – we talk about our legacy, our historical multiculturalism, our colonial-era manses, our food, our arts.Yet, what does heritage mean to you, or to me? Many speak of making it hip, more inclusive, less high-brow. In other words, more relatable to all, since we live in it. But does the hawker know...
Julia Tan
went to primary and secondary school at Convent Pulau Tikus before continuing sixth form at St. Xavier’s Institution; any other school was out of the question. She misses the fried rice at the school canteen, and laments the passing of the wan tan mee lady.
