Lorre Weidlich -- Hyde Park Foreign Affairs Desk
This is the latest in an on-going series of reports by Hyde Park's well-traveled friend and neighbor, Lorre Weidlich.

Christmas in Penang

I spent Christmas Day on Penang Island, off the northwest coast of West Malaysia. I had three days there, but could have stayed forever. I spent hours wandering on foot through Little India and Chinatown, with its antique and souvenir shops, although I also couldn't resist a ride in a bicycle rickshaw when I needed to get somewhere faster than my feet could take me. It's for good reason that Penang is known as the Pearl of the Orient.

Christmas day parade

    The primary city, Georgetown, although full of Chinese culture, was founded by the British. Right on the water and close to my hotel was the colonial district and at its core are the remains of Ft. Cornwallis, with some cannons in place. Across an esplanade from the fort is the courthouse, and from the fort you can see the Victoria Memorial Clock Tower. If you walk a bit in the opposite direction, you get to the Protestant cemetery.
    On Christmas day I set out to explore Georgetown systematically. I started down Jalan (street) Kapitan Keling. My first stop was St. George's Church, another colonial building. Despite the day, nothing was happening there. Down the street, at the Kuan Yin Teng, things were jumping. It was full of people lighting joss sticks. A block or two farther, the Sri Mariamman temple was also deserted, as was the Kapitan Keling mosque. Four different houses of worship in five blocks -- very Malaysian! After that I wandered in search of other landmarks (itŐs easy to get lost in Georgetown) and, after a few souvenir shops, mosques, and mansions, eventually