Tan Jetty Penang
June 2nd 2011 15:20
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Penang's Chinese Waterfron Heritage
Yesterday while runnning a few errands with a couple of friends, in the Georgetown area of Penang, I visited a part of the city I have never been to. We decided to eat lunch in the area and one of my friends sugggested the waterfront area of Georgetown. Since I had never been there I was eager to agree. We drove along the waterfront passing numerous jettys named after various Chinese clans of Penang. I noticed one Jetty that was named "Mixed Surname Jetty". That must have been the "Heinz 57" Jetty. We were trying to find a Thai restaurant at the Tan Jetty. After passing several jettys we found the Tan Jetty and turned down the dirt road looking for the restaurant.
It seemed as though we were going to end up in the ocean, as we drove quite a distance. It was interesting to see the types of houses populating the jetty. It was reminiscent of the houses along the rivers in Vietnam and Thailand. I was brought down to earth by the stark reality of the waterfront lifestyle, which seemed a world away from the luxurious supercondos and mansions I usually see.
We ordered a light lunch of Pad Thai and Thai Laksa. One of my local friends, uncharacteristically does not like spicey food, so we couldn't really sample all of the food on the menu. Food was not the purpose of our visit though. We came to soak in the atmosphere and see a little of the rich heritage of Penang. From our table we could see a fisherman checking for crabs in his traps, strewn along a rickety dock. Only a few small crabs were taken today. Directly in front of us was a beautiful view of the Penang Bridge, to the Butterworth section of Penang on the mainland. A few fishing boats and a cruise ship gleamed in the afternoon sun. In the distance one could see the towering condominium buildings comprising the skyline of Penang.
What infatuated me were the houses lining the docks. I couldn't figure out if they had plumbing in the bathrooms of these homes or if the waste went directly into the sea. I did see a few people throw garbage out of the windows into the water instead of throwing it into a trash can. It was a shame to see plastic bags and bottles floating in the water along side the houses. Even though Penang is making a lot of effort to clean up the environment, it will take a long time to change the mentality of the poor people living from hand to mouth in such waterfront communities. This short little visit helped me appreciate what I have and it also helped me appreciate the heritage of my new home. If you ever visit Penag I suggest you visit the jettys on Penang's waterfront.
It seemed as though we were going to end up in the ocean, as we drove quite a distance. It was interesting to see the types of houses populating the jetty. It was reminiscent of the houses along the rivers in Vietnam and Thailand. I was brought down to earth by the stark reality of the waterfront lifestyle, which seemed a world away from the luxurious supercondos and mansions I usually see.
We ordered a light lunch of Pad Thai and Thai Laksa. One of my local friends, uncharacteristically does not like spicey food, so we couldn't really sample all of the food on the menu. Food was not the purpose of our visit though. We came to soak in the atmosphere and see a little of the rich heritage of Penang. From our table we could see a fisherman checking for crabs in his traps, strewn along a rickety dock. Only a few small crabs were taken today. Directly in front of us was a beautiful view of the Penang Bridge, to the Butterworth section of Penang on the mainland. A few fishing boats and a cruise ship gleamed in the afternoon sun. In the distance one could see the towering condominium buildings comprising the skyline of Penang.
What infatuated me were the houses lining the docks. I couldn't figure out if they had plumbing in the bathrooms of these homes or if the waste went directly into the sea. I did see a few people throw garbage out of the windows into the water instead of throwing it into a trash can. It was a shame to see plastic bags and bottles floating in the water along side the houses. Even though Penang is making a lot of effort to clean up the environment, it will take a long time to change the mentality of the poor people living from hand to mouth in such waterfront communities. This short little visit helped me appreciate what I have and it also helped me appreciate the heritage of my new home. If you ever visit Penag I suggest you visit the jettys on Penang's waterfront.
Tan Jetty, Penang
Thai Restaurant at Tan Jetty
Tan Jetty
Thai Restaurant at the Tan Jetty
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