A Cultural Tour

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After a detour at a nearby wet market, I went on to look for the Youth Park and the Botanical Garden set in the northwest part of the city. The wet market turned out to be quite an experience, from produces, meat, flowers, ready made food to livestocks. Anything you can think of, they have it there. While I was looking for the directions on the map, an old Chinese woman stopped and asked me in clear English where I was going. This was the first time on this trip someone take a minute out of their day to help me without me making any initiation. A simple gesture that went a long way. My attempt to find the park and the garden failed miserably. I couldn't find those places and the temperature was rising by the hour. The dense traffic made it a challenge to even just breath. I turned around and went to look for a drink. I choose to take an early lunch in Heritage Hotel 1926. Later I found out, this was not the original Heritage Hotel, but that was beside the point. I relished in the cool air and an ice cold drink. I was able to pick out places I want to see in the city over lunch.
First stop, Pinang Oeranakan Mansion, a well decorated mansion. The extravagant style draw many visitors each year. The materials presented both inside and outside the mansion demonstrated the wealth and power this family used to posses in this area. From these various exhibits, one can assume that the occupants of the house were well acculturated, educated, and stylish even to the contemporary standard.
Similar grandeur was found in the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, which was my next stop. The one hour long guided tour opened my eyes to some truly magnificent design details. The attention to details was impressive. From the location, to the utilization of every space; from the exterior design to every piece of furniture, there was a reason behind each design decision. The tour not only highlighted the historical values and a sense of cultural pride. It showed the fruit of Chinese immigrants' hardwork and impact in the community. I walked past the Hakkein quarter before arrived at the mansion. The streets haven't changed much. It still have a very nostalgic feeling to it that no time can alter. As I took a moment to soak in what I've seen so far. The town has seen more glorious days. In a time when mansions were decorated with gold and the harbors were packed with trading boats.
Alas I check-in my hotel and took a shower and put on some clean clothes. I sat on the bed while the ceiling fan and AC did their jobs to cool down the room. I was wrap up in comfort that I did not want to move a muscle. At 8 p.m. I made up my mind to pick up some food from the night market. I simply want some comfort food and hit the sack. Travlling while being sleep deprive was not what I call a good time. I walked along side the ocean where one could see the city shimmered at night. I ordered some smoky chicken wings and prawn mee. Wash it all down with fresh carrot juice. It was a cheap and delicious meal. I walked a few blocks back to my hotel and watched some T.V before I fall asleep.

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