Photo Essay - Penang Monthly (Page 3)

Devotion to the Nine Emperors

5 min read

Every year, during the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar, devotees of the Nine Emperor Gods celebrate for nine days and nights, creating places of intense worship in parts of Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore.

by Cheryl J Hoffmann

Papua New Guinea: Where Colours and Cultures Clash in Peace

4 min read

In August and September each year, Papua New Guinea erupts in a dazzling flurry as crowds of men and women congregate in dance and music, draped in all the colours of the rainbow.

by Bertrand Linet

Just for Jazz

4 min read

Music is an avenue to express oneself, and the passionate heady sounds of jazz allow both performer and listener to become intimately enraptured.

by Ch’ng Shi P’ng

Glimpses of Butterworth

1 min read

In the early days of the British administration, this quiet town was developed as a transit point in the transport of tin ore. It eventually grew into a jumping...

by Jonathan Lim

Ways of Becoming

2 min read

The earth is dark. Gley soil mixed with alluvium, made heavy by the monsoon rains. Dusk is falling. Amid the quiet all is not quite still. A circling of birds....

by Gareth Richards

Talk about Market Forces!

5 min read

The freshest produce – so fresh, the chickens are still squawking in their cages – and the latest gossip await at the market.

by Dan Lee

Jalan-Jalan Cari Datuk: Encounters

3 min read

In Malaysia, specific forces of history and geography created our very own Datuk Kong. The concept of Datuk Kong is as wide-ranging as the imaginations of generations of Malaysians. In this exceptional cultural landscape, we begin our story at the confluence.

by Cheryl J Hoffmann

Kids from the 90’s Would Know

2 min read

We 90’s kids grew up just fine, didn’t we? A cavity here, a tip of the weighing scale there, the grins that light up our faces as we open that box of Ding Dang to peek at the surprise toy.

by Julia Tan & Ch’ng Shi P’ng

Record Covers From the PHoM Vault: A Visual Journey

4 min read

EARLY 79 RPM (revolutions per minute) records were packaged in brown paper or cardboard, occasionally with a circular cut out in the centre to display the label...

by Jocelyn Marcia Ng

The Hungry Ghost Festival – A Symbol of Community Solidarity

5 min read

The Hungry Ghost Festival, which takes place annually throughout the seventh month of the lunar calendar (which falls around August this year), is when many from the Chinese community would give offerings to wandering ghosts.

by Alexander Fernandez & Lim Sok Swan

Missing the Days of Lo-tech Advertising

2 min read

Years ago, a conversation with a friend speculated that in years to come, if it hasn’t already happened, children will likely associate an apple not with the fr...

by Regina Hoo

Radio Request Cards: A Blast from the Past

5 min read

ONE FEELS A sense of enveloping nostalgia, reading through the collection of old radio request cards; the words acting as a portal into the distant past when le...

by Paul Augustin