THE SIGHTS, SMELLS, SCENT & SOUNDS OF PULAU TIKUS, PENANG

Bangkok Lane off Burmah Road in the vicinity of the Thai & Burmese Buddhist temples is flanked by two rows of elegant link houses built in 1928 by Penang businessman Cheah Leong Kah for his family. The architect is Chew Eng Eam one of the earliest Western-trained Penang local. The houses owned by the Cheah family trust are carefully maintained according to a uniform colour scheme. No modifications to either the external or internal design are allowed although some of the houses are rented out to tenants for commercial businesses with signboards placed discreetly but judiciously regulated by the trustees. The rest are occupied by descendants of Mr Cheah.

The Church of Immaculate Conception is a church & parish located in Pulau Tikus, Burmah Road. It was founded in 1811 & is the second oldest church in Penang diocese after the Church of Assumption in the city of Georgetown. It was founded by Father John Baptist Pasqual who came from Phuket, Thailand in 1811.

Under this shrine within the church is the statue of Father Jacques-Honore Chastan (1803-1839) who served as the fourth parish priest of the Church of Immaculate Conception from 1830 to 1833. He left in 1833 to do missionary work in Korea. In 1839 he surrendered himself to the Korean authorities to protect the faith & was beheaded with another priest. He was the only parish priest in Malaysia to be declared as a saint. This was canonised on May 6 1984 by Pope John Paul II.
Another old landmark is the Convent primary & secondary school which was for many years a mission school run by the Catholic nuns. The two convents are set close to one another with the primary school on Lorong Leandros (Leandros Lane) & the secondary on Maktab (College) Lane (Lorong).

The Penang Adventist Hospital opposite Midlands Park Mall-cum-Berjaya Penang Hotel & Office Tower lies towards the end of Burmah Road close to its intersection with Bagan Jermal Road. This hospital is 79 years old & was founded by the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. It is popular with Indonesians not only from nearby Medan but also from faraway Jakarta which is connected by daily direct flights thanks to budget airline Air Asia which touts itself as a "low cost carrier".

This is a new row of commercial buildings known as Bellisa Row. Its most famous landmark is Bella Italia Pizza Restaurant which serves good Italian cuisine. There is also a Coffee Bean outlet as well as a Haagen-Dasz ice-cream parlour in addition to the CIMB Bank & AmBank with offices on the higher levels.

This is Ung Cheng Guan. He is not only a familiar figure in Pulau Tikus but also a popular character as he has a large following for his apong a Chinese-style sweet foldover pan-cake made from flour & eggs. He has been plying his trade from a tricycle cart for many years in the vicinity of Burmah Road.

This is another itinerant street hawker who sells roti canai which is Indian pancake made from flour & eggs. The gravy known as dhall is made from beans, lentils, onions & potatoes. He is also another familiar sight in Pulau Tikus.

This is New Cathay Coffee Shop. Not to be missed are their fish meat beehoon (rice vermicelli) wok-fried or in soup from the front stall & wanton noodles with sambal belacan (prawn paste chilli). The strong aroma of freshly fried banana pan-cake assaulted my nostrils as I was crossing Burmah Road from Bellisa Row deftly holding dearly onto my precious cup of Haagen Dazs ice-cream with much undivided concentration.

The photo shows Restoran (Restaurant) Bee Hooi. You must try their fried oyster (oi chien in Hokkien/Fujian), their popiah (turnip roll),loh mee or kway teow theng (soup). They are heavenly. A whiff of chilli paste from the char (fried) kway teow stall mixed with the smell of charcoal smoke invaded the atmosphere

Further north still along Burmah Road in the vicinity of banks are three coffee shops which have a variety of food stalls. The picture depicts Hup Kee Restaurant. Many in Penang swear by it that Hup Kee's curry mee & fried kway teow are the best on the Island.

Close to the two Buddhist temples & along Burmah Road opposite the Pulau Tikus police station are two coffee shops which offer a variety of hawker food. The photo depicts Swee Kong Coffee Shop whose assam laksa noodles & roast pork (char siew) rice are popular with patrons.

Next to Swee Kong Coffee Shop but separated by Solok Moulmein Lane is Kedai Kopi (Coffee Shop) Kwai Lock. The stalls which draw many customers are those offering herbal duck soup & duck mee sua (fine rice noodle) as well as chee cheong fun (rice noodle roll)
The Reclining Thai Buddhist Temple is located along Burma Lane, off Burmah Road. Opposite this temple is the Burmese Buddhist Temple. The reclining Buddha is reported to be the 14th largest reclining Buddha in the world. Lord Buddha looks so serene & unperturbed as he lies on his right with his head resting on his right palm. Outside the hall the sandalwood scent from the joss sticks tantalise both the supplicants & tourists alike.
There is inside the Burmese Buddhist temple a giant- standing Buddha in a beautifully carved wooden hall with different images of Buddha from different Asian countries. Sitting along the breezy windowless corridor is so peaceful as the sound of silence is pervasive & unobtrusive despite the occasional pealing of prayer bells.