How I Almost Forgot

Night panorama of Taman Lip Sin and Bayan Baru from Taman Pekaka

I have almost forgotten how beautiful the night scenery is from my apartment in Penang until I came across this photo taken the last time Wuan and I were there. The warm glow of street lamps, the fairy lights of distant houses – there is a lump in my throat. So many memories, so many things I thought I could leave behind but could not. Oh Penang, how I miss thee.

Author: Peter Tan

Peter Gabriel Tan. Penangite residing in the Klang Valley. Blissfully married to Wuan. A LaSallian through and through. Slave to three cats. Wheelchair user since 1984. End-stage renal disease since 2017. Principal Facilitator at Peter Tan Training specialising in Disability Equality Training. Former columnist of Breaking Barriers with The Borneo Post. This blog chronicles my life, thoughts and opinions. Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

4 thoughts on “How I Almost Forgot”

  1. well since you already decided to go to KL so dont be sad lah at least you will have that picture. Alternatively you can choose to rent out the unit then whenever you shiok lu mah come back snap few pics at night loh… Home will always be home for ya no matter where you migrate to.

  2. I LOVE Penang very much too, Peter.

    Penang is a wonderful place. Unfortunely, will I have a chance to go to Penang again?

    Peter:
    Of cos you do!

  3. Heya again! ^^

    I’ve been to Penang many times as a young kid (thanks to my dad’s work). To be honest, I prefer Penang more than Kuala Lumpur because Penang is smaller and the food. I love the beaches too as you can (sit on the concrete barrier and) stare into the sea and ponder on things and lost memories.

    I know, I’m rambling. Anyway, given a chance, I’d like to stay in Penang for a couple of months. ^^

    Peter:
    Thank you for reminding me to go enjoy the seaside the next time I am back. I hope the beaches are still like how I remembered them.

  4. Penang is not what it used to be during my growing up years.Traffic was light then and most roads were 2 way flowing.Now, in order to get from one place to another in town, you need to go on a torturous long circuit when you can actually see your destination!.Road planning is ridiculous and wastes fuel.Living in Greenlane during the early sixties, we used to cross the main road with relative ease as it was just a dual carriageway road, extremely quiet at night. in fact it was thought that that area was too ulu to live, greenlane was a new housing estate in 1962!You’d have pig and vegetable farms where you can buy fresh produce from the farmers themselves.Now, traffic is horrendous and getting worse.Almost every household has more than 2 cars which can be on the roads until their wheels drop off!Theres hawker centres everywhere selling mundane quality food.Macalister road in the old days meant relatives and friends homes,St John Ambulance practice grounds on weekends and Seven Sorrows Church.Today, its a street littered with hawker centres.
    Sundays for me was 6am Mass ( no worry if it was unintelligible in Tamil or Mandarin sometimes!) followed by chicken porridge near Chowrasta market and waiting in the car in Campbell street whilst mum and dad did the marketing.
    Saint Xaviers (mental) Instituition was run by a rather stern Brother Michael who was very adept with a cane and one would occasionally witness boisterous kids fighting in LoveLane until Bro. Michael turns up, cutting a swathe thru the thicket of boys with his trusty cane!We would occasionally too get to watch a movie screened in the school hall ( with drapes full of holes like stars in the darkened hall!))and when, as usual, the boys let their hormones hold centrecourt when theres a kissing scene, the dreaded “tiger” would lunge thru the thick drapes swinging his cane wildly!I do hope they buried him with his cane- it was his good companion i think, God bless his soul ( and his cane).
    I always say,the only good thing that made schooling in SXI bearable was its proximity to Convent Light Street- God bless the girls…I mean the school.

    Peter:
    You should start a blog and tell stories of how Penang used to be. Interesting tales you have there. These should be chronicled for posterity. Sure brought back some beautiful memories for me although I am a decade younger than you. 😛

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