East Eats West

Solar-powered plane first time in Zurich!

Picture: The Solar Impulse prototype plane landing at Zurich airport.

In 2003 Bertrand Piccard, a Swiss adventurist, had the idea to fly around the world in a plane powered by the sun. Seven years later his prototype plane landed at Zurich airport. The authorities closed the airport down for about 20 minutes so that the plane could land safely without interferences from other planes. The plane, which weighs as much as  a car and has four 10 horsepower electrical engines, landed without making any sound, which was in stark contrast to the noisy jet-planes starting before. Seeing the plane land with about 50km/h right in front of my eyes was a highlight of 2010!  
 
 

 

Re-emerging crafts at Armenian street, George Town

Picture: A silver lotus leaf from Jonathan Yun on Armenian Street, Penang.

George Town on Penang Island remains one of my favorite destinations in South-East Asia. With its old shop-houses, narrow alleys and street-hawkers George Town feels like the old Asia. More and more foreigners nowadays buy run-down shop-houses and refurbish them into jewels. Armenian street with The Straits Collection, a collection of houses/apartments for rent and shops, is a good example for such re-modeling with a Western touch. Armenian street also hosts several galleries that sell art from local painters, photographers and Malaysian handicrafts. I was intrigued by the silver jewelry from Jonathan Yun. He shares a shop at 88 Armenian Street, 10200 Penang, just around the corner from the Straits Collection (http://www.straitscollection.com.my/). 

  

Disappearing suitcases

 Picture: Go and find your box! Arrival at Trivandrum airport. 
Airports in Asia always baffle me with the size of luggage people haul around. I happened to chance upon travellers dragging several suitcases and families lugging cardboard boxes around. But what baffled me the most was the quantity of food everyone would carry from one place to another on a plane and I discovered the reason for it: Eating is essential in Asia and normally takes up a lot of time. So food means home, particularly home-made food. So whenever someone embarks on a journey all the aunties and mommies pack some home-made food in order to make sure one will not stave. With the many budget airlines not serving food, this is a real risk! And anyhow, who knows if the same quality food is available at the destination. The result of this are suitcases and boxes full of spices, rice, vegetables and sweets. The food will remind the departee of their origins.  

When napkins become tissues

We humans believe in common sense, in decent behavior and mutual respect. But culture can get in the way. As a guest in an Indian household one typically gets served by the host who does not eat until the guest has finished, quite in contrast to Switzerland where everyone eats together. In India one also eats with the right hand and napkins are unheard of as there is a sink in every dining room (for washing the hands). As an European I tend to miss the napkins, particularly when eating curries! To an Indian host it comes naturally that the guest stays with him. It is also understood that as a guest one gets driven around and entertained without being asked. In Switzerland as a good host one asks the guest what he wants first before making plans. And as in many other countries, the Swiss with our sense of punctuality are often surprised by the generous time-keeping of Asians and Latin Americans. In Switzerland it is also common to plan for dinners weeks ahead whereas in India as well as Malaysia showing up on any day is a pleasant surprise and planning ahead would be insulting. 

Colonial times in Penang

Picture: Living room of one of the E&O suites. 

Truly outstanding hotels make you jump with joy upon entering, as the new Park Hyatt Hotel in Shanghai does. Another such hotel is the legendary Eastern & Oriental Hotel in George Town, Penang. It was founded in 1885 and gently renovated so that it has the same vintage feel like the Raffles Hotel in Singapore. The rooms are all lofty with high ceilings, wooden floors, classic furnitures and a massive bathroom. Should you like to wake up to a wonderful sunrise and a gentle seabreeze, I suggest you choose a room facing the sea. But mind you, the E&O is a good hotel but lacks the perfectionism and contemporary feel of a Park Hyatt or a Four Seasons. But exactly there remains the charm of this grand old lady of the East! Hotel website: www.e-o-hotel.com