Penang island in Malaysia is a fascinating place because it’s one of those unique convergences of several civilizations.  Where those civilizational tectonic plates come together one of two things can happen.  Either they create a lot of friction & heat that leads to ethnic clashes, or people manage to find some way to get along, & everyone profits from the multi-faceted culture.

Malaysia is a place that has long succeeded at the latter. 

Since very ancient times the truly indigenous people have been here followed by the Malay—who now firmly hold the majority & enthusiastically embrace Islam. 

Then during colonial times the British encouraged mass immigration of Chinese.  When the Brits brought in Chinese laborers they brought in literal armada-loads of Chinese men for the first several decades, but no women.  So, the Chinese men started marrying Malay brides.  What resulted in these mixed marriages was a fusion culture called Peranakan or “mixed ancestry” or “Nyonya Baba” or “madam & sir”—used to refer to the ladies & the gentlemen in such unions.

As often happens, the children of mixed marriages result in especially handsome & beautiful children.  Peranakan culture also led to a whole new fusion food cuisine that’s now very trendy in SE Asia & beyond.  It also positively affected the arts & architecture.

In downtown Georgetown, Penang (UNESCO World Heritage Site) one can see what this culture was like in its formative years by entering the Peranakan Mansion—a colonial era Peranakan trader’s home filled with Peranakan arts, furnishings & antiques. 

A few months ago it was the perfect venue for a Peranakan model shoot arranged by Gavin Gough & Matt Brandon at their Thaipusam Photo Workshop.   Cindy Ong was perfect as the Pernakan model.  It’s no surprise that she got snatched up by Singapore Airlines as one of their famed flight attendants.  She wore a traditional Peranakan kain & kebaya at the Peranakan Mansion.

I love this next scene of a Peranakan grandma looking admiringly at Cindy—the connection between age & youth, old tradition getting new life breathed into it by a new generation.

Cindy Ong at Campbell House Heritage Boutique Hotel

The Brits didn’t only import lots of Chinese to Malaysia in the pre-independence days.  They also brought in lots of Indians—both Hindu—mainly Tamils, it seems—& Muslims known here as Mama’.

We had opportunity to shoot two Indian beautiful Hindu models—sisters Jayshri Mennon & Shri Chandran first at the Peranakan Mansion.  

Then we moved over to the Sri Maha Muthu Mariamman Devasthanam Temple—where Penang Thaipusam ace kavadi makers (see earlier blog here) hang out to capture sunset images of Shri & outside

& then Jayshri inside the temple.

Where else but Malaysia could you shoot such diverse people living in their homeland setting in one afternoon?  

As they say, "Penang has it all!"