My first impression of Penang was that I had somehow stepped back in time into the Singapore of the late 1980s, perhaps around 1988. A lot of its old buildings and shophouses from the 1950s and 1960s were still around, and it was quite refreshing to see that the skyline was not completely dominated by skyscrapers and shiny new buildings like in many other cities. Some of the old shophouses looked a bit tired, with faded walls and peeling paint, but that was also part of the charm. You could still quite easily imagine how life might have looked decades ago. Walking around George Town, especially among the rows of old shophouses and street peddlers, really gave me that feeling of having gone back in time. I even remember seeing security guards sitting outside some jewellery shops with old-looking shotguns in their hands. Coming from Singapore, that was quite a sight and somehow made the whole place feel even more like something from another era.

If you want to make the experience even more nostalgic, rent one of those retro bicycles, preferably the type with the basket in front. One tip though: if possible, cycle on Sunday when some of the roads are closed to traffic. I did mine on a Friday, which was a normal working day, so I basically had to squeeze my way through motorbikes, trucks and cars. Being a Singaporean who is quite used to orderly traffic and following traffic lights, I must admit I was a bit frazzled at first, especially when trying to cross or cycle across some of the roads. But I digress.

Actually, Penang and Singapore are quite similar in many ways. Both are islands, both have very mixed populations, and both became important economic centres despite being relatively small. Historically, Penang, Singapore and Malacca were also administered together by the British under the Straits Settlements. You can still see some of that shared history in the architecture. Parts of George Town reminded me of the older parts of Singapore, especially Chinatown and Katong, with the colonial buildings and rows of shophouses. Both places also have strong Peranakan roots and, of course, a very strong hawker-food culture. Even laksa is a favourite in both places, although ours is spicy and coconut-based while Penang’s is sour and tangy. Still, despite all the similarities, Penang somehow felt like it had kept more of the old Singapore that I remembered.

And that brings me to what I really liked about Penang — the Penangites. Perhaps it is because many of them still live and work in these older neighbourhoods, but I felt that they had retained a kind of kampung spirit that is getting harder to find in Singapore. In Singapore, many of us live in high-rise HDB flats and once we get home, we shut the door and that is pretty much it. In Penang, people somehow seemed more willing to talk. Interestingly, I used to have a close JC classmate who was a Penangite. We were quite close during our school days but lost contact later because of some misunderstandings. Strangely enough, during my interactions with some of the locals in Penang, I sometimes got a certain vibe that reminded me of her. I cannot really explain what it was. Maybe the way they spoke, their mannerisms, or just the friendliness. But somehow it felt familiar.

Most of the local cab drivers I met were extremely chatty and helpful. At that time, many of the taxis did not run on the meter. Being a Singaporean, naturally I was curious about this, so I asked one of the cab uncles why. He explained that Penang was small and it was difficult for them to earn much if they followed the meter strictly. To be fair, I did not feel that any of the drivers tried to overcharge me. As a rough gauge, I paid around MYR10 to travel around George Town and about MYR40 to 50 from George Town to Batu Ferringhi. If you have four people sharing the cab, I think the price is quite reasonable. Anyway, I have digressed again. Back to the cab drivers. My favourite topic with them was, naturally, food. I always liked asking cab drivers where they would recommend eating. Most of them were very helpful, and one driver even pointed out various food places along the way while driving me to my destination. But they were also very diplomatic. Whenever I asked which place was the best, they would usually say that everyone has different tastes and what they liked might not be what I liked. So instead of naming one “number one” place, they would normally give me a few suggestions and ask me to try them myself. Fair enough.

The local hawkers were also very friendly, provided you caught them when they were not too busy. There was one auntie selling drinks at a food court along Victoria Street. It was already nearly 2pm and I was still walking around trying to decide what to eat. Since it was a short trip, I felt that every meal had to count. I did not want to waste any calories on bad food. So I was recce-ing this food court, walking around rather aimlessly. It was a very local-looking place, non-air-conditioned and all. Some of the stalls also did not display very clearly what they were selling, so I spent quite a bit of time trying to figure everything out. The drinks auntie noticed me walking around and started giving me suggestions. She recommended the curry mee and told me that it was different because it was a “white” curry. I was already starving, so I decided to give it a try. It turned out to be one of the best dishes I had in Penang. Cheap too.

While I was eating, the auntie started chatting with me and recommending things to do in Penang, like cycling around to see the street art and visiting the clan jetties. Then she told me something quite amusing. Apparently, Singapore’s Mediacorp had used that very food court to film Mata Mata 2. She also pointed out a few nearby places where Chinese movies and TV shows had been filmed. The funny part was that even though I am Singaporean, I hardly watch local TV, and even if I had time to watch TV, I would probably choose a Korean drama instead. So you can imagine how embarrassing it was when I could not recognise some of the Singaporean shows she was talking about. I then asked her how she knew so much about Singapore TV. I even wondered whether Penang could receive Singapore television signals. Her answer surprised me. She said she actually bought DVDs of some of the more famous Singaporean TV shows to watch. I was genuinely amazed. These shows were free for us to watch in Singapore, yet many of us hardly bothered, while someone in Penang was willing to pay money for the DVDs.

That small conversation actually stayed with me. Looking back, what I liked most about Penang was not just the food or the old buildings, but the people. The random conversations with cab drivers, hawkers and strangers made the place feel warm and familiar. Penang and Singapore share a lot of history and culture, but Penang somehow reminded me of a Singapore that has slowly disappeared. Maybe that was why I felt strangely at home there.