Air Itam: So Busy. So Beguiling.
9 min read
Like clockwork, it begins.As the first rays of sunlight hit the roof of Air Itam Market, a steady rumble of activity builds up in the town centre. Old, foldable...
The Word and the World (Part Two)
15 min read
Penang emerged as a significant print centre during the nineteenth century. In turn, this helped spur the development of a market for all kinds of published mat...
The Budget Speech Is NOT the Budget (Part One)
7 min read
Parliament must appear very strange for the uninitiated. After all, the Westminster system that Malaysia models itself after is an old and quaint one. There a...
Still Promoting Art After All These Years
7 min read
Syaiful Rachman from Redsea Gallery (Singapore).It isn’t easy to start something and keep it going for 10 years, maintaining more than a modicum of...
Making People Talk Business is Penang’s Business
6 min read
At the Ninth China MICE Industry Golden Chair Awards ceremony held in Beijing in April 2016, Malaysia was voted among the top 10 best international destinations...
Kampung Melayu – Preserving Tradition amid Change
4 min read
Sheikh Omar Basheer Al-Khalidy's house.Deep within Air Itam is a community rich with historic and religious significance – Kampung Melayu. The villa...
Healing and Housing Needy Children
5 min read
The children were shown how to make scrumptious egg mayo sandwiches and potato salad by G Hotel’s executive sous-chef, Chef Ketut Gede Dodi....
Chung Ling: Tolling to Inspire the Young
9 min read
Chung Ling logo.When on the topic of secondary level education in Penang, one school’s name crops up without fail: Chung Ling High School. Hailed as...
Air Itam Takes its Famous Street Food Seriously
6 min read
Disco-ing Up SupperThe cow's milk is purchased all the way from Butterworth.Unassumingly parked just opposite Air Itam market, Disco’s Café...
Air Itam in Numbers
3 min read
Air Itam, or Ayer Hitam, owes its name to the murky waters of a river that flowed through the township. Once dubbed the entertainment hub of Penang, Air Itam...
Adapting Art to Tell Stories of Sabah
4 min read
Modern drawstring bags made out of traditional Rungus fabric, old-fashioned beads paired with lava rocks to become a sassy bracelet, or perhaps, tattoo motifs e...
A Wrong Turn to Adventure!
5 min read
The easiest circular hike from Air Itam Dam is the obvious one: a circuit of the reservoir service road. It is a mainly shady and flat path about 3km long, taki...