Freedom of Expression

These photos were taken during the Hungry Ghost month in August 2010. Cantonese opera from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia was hired to perform.

Queen Victoria Memorial Clock Tower

A famous icon of George Town Penang, Queen Victoria Memorial Clock Tower is recognizable from afar as it stands at 60 feet tall at King Edward Place (Pesara King Edward) next to Penang Port Commission.

Built in 1897 by a Penang Chinese tycoon - Cheah Chen Eok to commemorate the diamond jubilee of Queen Victoria's reign, he spent 35,000 Straits dollars to complete this clock tower in 1902. Sadly, Queen Victoria passed on by 22 January 1901 before the completion of this remarkable tower.

On the base tier lining, it is stated 'This clock tower is presented to Penang by Cheah Chen Eok in commemoration of Her Majesty Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee 1837-1897'.

Intricate design of a beautiful window

Three tiers and cupola dome

A metal betel nut sculpture (called as 'buah pinang' in Malaysian Language) was erected right in the middle of the roundabout next the this iconic clock tower. Capturing a shot of both simply means 'The vintage meets The contemporary!'

Penang State Museum

Located on Farquhar Street near Fort Cornwallis, the colonial-era building Penang State Museum was formerly the Penang Free School which was built in two separate stages, stage one in 1896, and when funds were adequate, stage two in 1906.

Saving St George's Anglican Church

The St George's Anglican Church along Farquhar Street is one of the loveliest heritage buildings in George Town, Penang. The formation of the St George's Church was credited to Reverend Robert Sparke Hutchings, the same person who founded the Penang Free School, the oldest English school in Southeast Asia, and who gave his name to Hutchings School nearby.

The St George's Church was built in 1816 using convict labour, when Colonel J.A. Bannerman was the Governor of Penang. The cost of building it was 60,000 Spanish dollars. This was a princely sum, considering the British paid only 10,000 Spanish dollars per annum to Kedah for Penang, while they bought Singapore a few years later for also 60,000 Spanish dollars.

The church was designed by Captain Robert N. Smith of Madras Engineers. (Smith is also a gifted artist whose oil paintings of Penang landscape still grace the walls of the Penang State Museum nearby.) The church was designed in the Georgian Palladian style - that's a combination of the Georgian style, named after the reigns of King George I and IV, 1714-1830; and the Palladian style, named after the Grecian architecture of a Roman called Palladius. (Compare it to the St Andrew's Cathedral in Singapore). This calls for graceful Grecian columns along the front of the building. The original roof was flat. However, it was modified to its present gable shape in 1864, after the original flat roof was found to be unsuitable for the weather in Penang.

Experience Music Project

Experience Music Project (EMP) is dedicated to the exploration of creativity and innovation in popular music. By blending interpretative, interactive exhibitions without cutting-edge technology, EMP captures and reflects the essence of rock 'n' roll, its roots in jazz, soul, gospel, country and then the blues, as well as rock's influence on hip-hop, punk and other recent genres. Visitors can view rare artifacts and memorabilia and experience the creative process by listening to musicians tell their own stories.

Way Up In Space Needle

Walking up towards the high speed elevator

I was so excited! Finally I'm on top!

Photographing the photographers

Space Needle in Beautiful Seattle

The Space Needle is a tower in Seattle, Washington, and is a major landmark of the Pacific Northwest region of the United States and a symbol of Seattle. Located at the Seattle Center, Space Needle was built for the 1962 World's Fair during which time nearly 20,000 people a day used the elevator, with over 2.3 million visitors in all for the World Fair. The Space Needle is 605 feet (184 meter) high at its highest point and 138 feet (42 meter) wide at its widest point and weighs 9,550 tons. When the Space Needle was completed, it was the tallest structure west of the Mississippi River. The structure is built to withstand winds of up to 200 mph (320 km/h) and earthquakes of up to 9.1 magnitude, which would protect the structure against an earthquake as powerful as the 1700 Cascadia earthquake.

Seattle Asian Art Museum

In 1931, Dr. Richard Fuller commissioned architect Carl F. Gould to design the art deco building that is now the Seattle Asian Art Museum. It opened in Seattle's Volunteer Park in 1933. Seattle Asian Art Museum celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2008.

Beautiful Seattle

Seattle is a lovely place. It is the northernmost major city in the contiguous United State, and the largest city in the Pacific Northwest and in the state of Washington.

Joyous Moments In Langkawi