East Eats West

Beatiful George Town

Spot the Swiss flag! 

For more pictures of Penang and George Town, click here.  

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple Singapore

 Picture: One of the hundreds of buddhas at the Tooth Relic Temple in Singapore.

Asia has abundant with temples that are impressive. Newer temples are often just cheap copies of older designs. One notable exception is the 2007 inaugurated Buddha Tooth Relic Temple in Singapore. The temple is built with traditional and modern methods beautifully combined (it has two lifts). The main hall features the biggest silk brocade (wall carpet) in the world with a massive and shiny dragon in the centre. The temple is founded by volunteers and most of it is handmade by expert craftsmen from Myanmar, China, Japan, among others. The design is mainly of the Tang dynasty era and over 300kg of gold was used for all the ornaments inside. The Buddha's tooth in the temple comes from Myanmar. The temple is very tastefully done and displays hundreds of colorful Buddha statues that look classy and not gaudy, as many contemporary statues do. It is clearly worth visiting.

PS: Do not forget to pay a visit to the Lotus Heart Tea House on the 2nd floor and savour their vegetarian the spring rolls.

 

Fish spa and ten minutes hair-cut

When I was a kid I used to be intrigued by the display of leeches in the window of a pharmacy in Zurich. Upon inquiring I learnt that the leeches were used as a health treatment: the leeches sucked blood and this was apparently healthy. Today in Kuala Lumpur the big hit is the fish spa. You sit on a bench while your feet dangle into an aquarium full of little fish. The fish then nibble away on the feet and eat the dead skin. Yikes! Too wacky? Then be bold and try the "quick" hair-cut...

PS: No, you cannot eat the fish after the treatment!

Indian clothes shopping

The next best thing to going to India for Indian clothes is shopping for them in Singapore. I have become a loyal customer of the local Sheetal brand and I bought a few kurtas for myself and friends. The Sheetal shop is opposite the Serangoon Temple in Little India.

PS: Before you think that Indian clothes are cheap, better think again and top up your credit card.

 

Laksa feasting

Picture: According to locals this is the best Laksa noodle shop in Penang (I agree).

I am a big fan of noodle soups and the best place to eat it is in a street stall. A famous local Penang variety is called Laksa and gets its special flavour from the unique shrimp paste that makes the soup rich and tangy. For less than one USD it is also a bargain. Enjoy!

The last Chinese lantern maker in Georgetown

 

Picture: The last Chinese lantern maker in Georgetown.

Chinese New Year would be unthinkable without red Chinese lanterns. Most of them are nowadays imported from China. But strolling through old Georgetown I occassionally found some bigger, white and handmade lanterns. I asked a local tour guide who told me that only one old Chinese man still makes them in Georgetown. After asking several locals an Indian trishaw rider finally found the shop and the last Chinese lantern maker. The lanterns take 3-4 months to make and are all done by him by hand. The frame is bamboo and the skin rough silk. The lantern then gets hand-painted by the wife. I ordered two lanterns and I now have to wait until April for delivery.

Picture: The lantern-maker's wife painting the Chinese letters by hand in a dark and dingy shed.

   

Back in Georgetown

  Picture: Yuup, it is pink art deco in Georgetown, Malaysia.

If you asked me for my favourite spots in Asia, Georgetown in Penang definitely makes the top of the list (with Luang Prabang in Laos and Hoi An in Vietnam). I already visited twice before and I always have to stay in the historic Chinese Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion. This time I was so lucky to stay in the "Old Kitchen". In 2008 Georgetown in Penang, Malaysia, was awarded the UNESCO heritage status, rightfully I believe. Besides Luang Prabang in Laos, Siem Reap in Cambodia and Malacca also in Malaysia, Georgetown has kept most of its historic charms. Particularly the narrow but long shop-houses and the Chinese temple tell of a rich history. Here are a few impressions from Georgetown. For more pictures click here: http://easteatswest.typepad.com/photos/penang_malaysia_2006/page/3/

 

Picture: The "old kitchen" suite at the Cheong Fatt Tze Hotel in Georgetown. You can see the old chimney in the back.

Rolex at a premium?!

Normally the best prices for Swiss watches can be had in Asia, Malaysia in particular. So I got very excited when I read in a Swiss newspaper article that luxury Swiss watches were selling at a heavy discount in Asia due to the financial crisis. I was surprised to learn that the new Rolex GMT-Master II is selling with a 1000$ premium according to a Rolex shop assistant in Malaysia

and I realized that the foreigner 'bonus' also applies to Swiss watches.

Dolder Hotel won Wallpaper best hotel award

The Dolder Grand Hotel in Zurich, redesigned by Sir Norman Forster, won the prestigious Wallpaper magazin Hotel of the Year Award. Rumours have it that it is still almost empty and this might be a reason that they lowered the day spa rates somewhat to 250 CHF a day. Not exactly a bargain but manageable!

http://www.thedoldergrand.com/en/day-spa-specials/

A boutique hotel of colonial times in Kuala Lumpur

Picture: A perfect English breakfast with scones and earl grey tea starts here!

Asia is a hot spot for boutique hotels with the exception of Kuala Lumpur (KL). KL boasts a few international business hotels. However, a traveller looking for something more personal will be disappointed: there is only one boutique hotel by the name of Carcosa Seri Negara. However. It is an all-suite hotel comes with rich history and rooms from the British colonial past. The hotel consists of two houses on a lush green hill near KL Sentral. It once belonged to the British governor and even Queen Elizabeth stayed in the grand suite. Every suite has a different layout and feel and comes with a dedicated butler. Anyone looking for privacy and a rich history should visit this hotel if only for its traditional and very authentic English afternoon tea.

PS: The highlight of our stay was having breakfast on the terrace at 7am while the sun was rising and the birds in the trees were singing. Very colonial! For more info visit: www.ghmhotels.com.

Picture: The Queen of England slept in this bed.