Thursday, July 22, 2010

O'Neals in Penang: Pinang Peranakan Mansion Tour














July 21, 2010

We also took a tour of Pinang Peranakan Mansion where a beautiful "Nonya" gave us a tour. A Nonya is what Malays call a descendant of a Chinese merchant who married a Malay after they moved here in the 1800's. A whole sub-culture developed out of the Nonyas, with amazing food both spicy Malay and Chinese, combined.

We saw an old, restored mansion that had been owned by a Chinese merchant who married a Malay, leaving behind in China his unhappy mother (see photo above), skinny wife (since he didn't send her enough money), and his kids. Since he was a merchant, he had antiques in his home from all over the world -- Netherlands, Spain, and more.

See above that there is a bride who came to take photos for her wedding. And, there is a picture of a bat, among the many, on the ceiling. Bats symbolized wealth and luck. We all thought the bats peed a lot on the floor, symbolizing "Run! You're about to be peed on by a bat!"

2 comments:

  1. Aren't there some Freeman's in this family as well!!!

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  2. I love so many things about these latest photo....but especially the puckered mouth portrait AND the Loretta Lynn bridal gown!

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