"I love photography, freezing a moment and revealing how rich reality truly is." – Adrian Cheah
Adrian Cheah loves to capture the timeless images of life, of Penang and almost anything that is captivating with the trusted eye of his camera. Hundreds of his photographs have appeared in coffee table books, scientific journals, ad campaigns, book covers, websites, brochures, newspapers and magazines.
In a city, traces of history inevitably linger in the fabric of its society – some prominently in its architecture, some traceable in its cuisine, some in its language and even in the daily way of life of its society.
In an interview with 60 Minutes on CBS in 2009, the lead singer of Coldplay Chris Martin said, "We rely more on enthusiasm than actual skill. Whatever you do, do it with enthusiasm and people will like it more. I can't dance like Usher. I can't sing like Beyoncé and I can't write songs like Elton John. But we can do the best we can with what we got. That's what we do. We just go for it."
When Angkor was listed as a World Heritage Site in 1992, it was also added to the List of World Heritage in Danger. The following year, UNESCO launched a major campaign to restore and safeguard Angkor. Thanks to international cooperation, Angkor rebounded dramatically and in 2004, it was removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger.
The Khmers of Cambodia were unsurpassed builders, sculptors and decorators in stone, leaving us the majestic temples of Angkor, undeniably among humanity's greatest treasures.
At Khao Yai, we joined a guided tour at PB Valley Estate, the largest vineyard in the province. The guide explained that different grapes – Shiraz, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chenin Blanc and Colombard – are grown at the estate for their wine production.
When I think of sunflowers, the first thing that comes to my mind is Vincent van Gogh's globally recognisable sunflower series. Diego Rivera, Alfred Gockel and Paul Gauguin, master artists in their own right, had incorporated sunflowers in some of their paintings as well but none of them achieved the stellar recognition that van Gogh received from his iconic sunflower masterpieces.
When one chapter in our lives closes, another one begins. All that we can and should, is to fill them with magical moments the best way we know-how. So very often, it is with the assistance of family members and true friends that we are able to inscribe heart-felt occasions in each chapter.
Sadhguru (Jaggi Vasudev), an influential yogi cautioned that the more we identify with something – religion, gender, race, ideology, money, et cetera – the more we will defend it, some even with our lives. Having said that, most of us feel the need to identify with things we hold dear, be it our family, heritage or even our social media status.
Long names like Satchithananthan a/l Chelliah or Gunananthan a/l Nithyanantham have somehow stayed with me. I first met Satchi and Guna in Standard One (when we were seven years of age) at La Salle Primary School, Penang. We spent the first nine year of schooling together in the same class, from Mondays to Fridays and on weekends for extra-curricular activities. During school holidays, we went swimming, fishing, camping and hiking as well as playing games together. We had no internet, no cell phones, no computers or video games. We only had friends!
I visited Galle Fort twice, once in 2011 and another in 2015. Built in 1855 by the Dutch, the 130-acre fort is one of Sri Lanka's most prominent World Heritage Sites. Located at the bay of Galle on the southwestern coast of the island, it has retained its charm and beauty even after going through dramatic changes in history – invasions, battles, colonisations, terrorist attacks, plagues and even a tsunami.
A serendipitous encounter in October 2015 took me to Lourdes in France where I was immersed nude in the water of the spring that St. Bernadette discovered on 25 February 1858, the symbol of purification. Boarding a plane from Penang, I knew nothing about St. Bernadette nor the holy pilgrimage Lourdes offered.
A warm welcome to you. Come closer and take a seat. Are you comfortable? Good. Let me tell you a tale of two brothers. They came with an offering, a humble gift of petite cakes made of honey. The young man seated beneath the ancient tree accepted the sweet offerings with a gentle smile and in return, he plucked eight hairs from his head and offered them to the brothers. The latter felt that this silent exchange signified something momentous.
Fatherhood has to be one of the most adventurous journeys that I could ever imagine embarking on. There is no manual or compass to guide you and everyday unfolds a new chapter. My daughter Jean was six when I decided to take her up Mount Kinabalu.
Kinkaku-ji, also known as the Temple of the Golden Pavilion, has been through devastating fires in the past. Although it managed to survive the ravages of the Onin War (1467–1477), it was engulfed in the fire of 1565. Kinkaku-ji was then rebuilt in the 19th century and restored to its full splendour.
Published by Setia Sky Management Corporation
Cover photo by Adrian Cheah
Josephine Choo
Photography, design and layout by Adrian Cheah
"Never Forgetting Balik Pulau" is part memoir, part guide. The author, after spending her entire youth in the village, accumulated a bagful of tales. Exploratory trips back gave credence to past memories but gradually, a comprehensive guide with maps to the village evolved.
Maggie Territt and Barry Leddy
Design, layout and photographs by Adrian Cheah
They came, as long ago as the mid-nineteenth century from all parts of Ireland, the Emerald Isle, with exotic names like Clare, Laois, Cork, Mayo, Mallow, Antrim and Tipperary. They numbered among Penang’s first overseas settlers and during long voyages by sea, suffered untold hardships. Some came for fame and fortune, some simply for the adventure, but many did so, fired by their desire to help open up unknown parts of the “new world” and to impart both their knowledge and faith.
By Mark Thompson and Karl Steinberg with photographs by Adrian Cheah
Walk between two of George Town’s most famous landmarks with this illustrated guide. Discover the story of the Chinese in nineteenth-century Penang and explore some of the community’s fascinating characters, customs, architecture and events.
For as long as it has existed, George Town in Penang has attracted travellers and settlers from across the globe and is a true confluence of cultures. Today, this UNESCO World Heritage Site continues to enchant visitors with its traditional charm and its well-preserved historical townscape.