Rocking our Kopitiams
4 min read
Low plastic tables spill onto the five-foot way, while inside, patrons chat, slurp their noodles and sip their drinks.It is a fond, familiar scene. “The...
Nazi Goreng– A hard-hitting and entertaining story of a racialised Malaysia
7 min read
Marco Ferrarese is an animated fellow. The author of the controversially titled but highly entertaining and painfully truthful Nazi Goreng exudes high-octane en...
Penang’s Punk Rock Haven
5 min read
Underground music is alive and well in George Town at a place called Soundmaker Studio. Contrary to being the Satanic boogeyman it is perceived to be, punk rock fosters ethnic relations and subculture in ways that only music can.
Unveiling Iran Thumb By Thumb
7 min read
Hitchhiking gets a traveler into the heart of a country more easily than anything else. In the process, deep misconceptions are dispersed.
Chowrasta Market Undergoes Change
7 min read
The Penang state government is upgrading the iconic Chowrasta Market in George Town’s heritage zone into a beautified indoor affair. Opinions among stallholders diverge greatly. Some welcome the transformation while others are apprehensive.
Keeping Silambam Spinning
5 min read
On Penang Island, a small group of dedicated Tamils fights the odds to ensure that an ancient martial art stays alive.
NonserviaM lifts heavy metal higher
5 min read
Non Serviam is the title of Greek black metal stalwarts Rotting Christ’s popular 1994 album, but there is no musical analogy between them and Penang&rsq...
Working for ghosts
6 min read
Ornate paper effigy of the King of Hell.The best part of the Hungry Ghost Festival comes at the end of the seventh lunar month, when a melee of Chinese li...
From China with Love
6 min read
If you spend a few hours in any of KL’s shopping malls (and increasingly, Penang and other major Malaysian cities), you might perchance notice a number of...
A brewery of cultures
5 min read
Antarabangsa, one of Penang’s most popular bars, hasn’t got a pretty face. But don’t judge a book by its cover—this place is the crossroads where locals and foreign visitors come together in peace, and tipsiness.
Christine Das: Stroking animals to life
6 min read
They say that, like the proverbial spinning wheel, nobody can reinvent art. I believe it’s true because, today, very few works of art manage to surprise me. More often than not, artists look back at previous trends to find their inspiration.
The Renewal of Butterworth Continues
6 min read
Art Festival Urban Xchange brings a motley cast of local and international artists back into town. The goal? Promote awareness through art, and present Seberang Perai with the gift of a giant LED star.