Seeking a Malaysian Home

White Houses

A new theme began for us in the Cameron Highlands. That of the White House.

The one in the picture at left is Hillview Inn in Tanah Rata - it's a wonderful place to stay. The home's Indian owners were kind and hospitable and had filled the place with furniture that made me feel as if I was eight years old and staying at my grandparents house. Which was a bit odd. Especially since the lady of the house continually put me in mind of my Aunty Betty! It was a wonderful place and at twenty-five Oz dollars a night for a room with two balconies, high ceilings and a bathroom with hot water it was bargain. Sheer luxury after the hut at Taman Negara...

Next stop: Ipoh. Our guide book (which has proved not that accurate for Malaysia) told us that decent budget accommodation was scarce in Ipoh and suggested a few mid-range hotels instead. We opted for The Station Hotel, mainly because it was within back-packing distance of the bus station. The owners of the place have renamed it the Majestic Station Hotel and it sure knocked our eyes out when we turned the corner. Check it out...

From faux-Tudor to Classic Raj for an extra four bucks a night!

This place was incredibly romantic with its expansive verandahs, columns and cupolas and awesome views across the old city. Directly opposite is another imposing (equally white) colonial edifice: Ipoh Town Hall.

In the garden in front of the hotel stands an empty stone plinth. I imagine it would once would have held aloft a bronze Englishman, cast with hand on hip, cocked knee and commanding visage. The memorial plinth's white marble plaque has been effaced by an acrylic sign which transforms memory of the Englishman to that of soldiers of Ipoh. The Englishman's statue had gone the way of those of Stalin I guess. Fair enough, but I felt the soldiers of Ipoh deserved a better deal!

In contrast to that block of bereft stone is the living memorial of the Ipoh Tree. Alone in the center of the garden, corralled in a circle of wrought-ironwork, it's last of its kind around here now. The tree that gave the town its name. A handsome evergreen carrying a concealed weapon: The toxin used to coat the tips of blowpipe darts. Now that's some heritage worth remembering! A new engraved stone tablet makes it known to hotel guests...

Although the Station Hotel is an impressively preserved and imposing historical monument, it proved a little too far from the center of town and the only food available didn't do justice to Ipoh's fame as a culinary hot spot. It's definitely worth a visit though - especially if you're into turn of the century colonial architecture. Be sure to check out the bar. It's a classic. Hasn't changed in over a hundred years. Pith helmets, riding tack and all.

The best thing about the Station Hotel? Its working Waygood-Otis elevator. That made me feel like I was out with my great-grandparents. An awesome first generation technology of manually operated twin sliding doors, bakelite buttons and caged shaft running up the centre of the hotels massive wooden staircase. Just fan-freaking-tastic!

If you read Amber's previous post, you'll know we were looking for a home in Ipoh. You'll also know how that turned out, but here's a bit more on how and why...

The following photos are of the best place we found. This is what 76,000 Oz dollars will buy you in Ipoh. The apartment is in a condo block called Skyhomes at the Dale, which features swimming pool, fully equipped gym and sauna, library and four levels of security. There's jogging tracks, jungle walk trails and cave temples in the fantastic limestone peaks that surround the place. Every unit has a balcony from both living area and master bedroom where you can sit and imbibe the vibe. When you're done sitting a twenty minute walk will take you to Jalan Tambun where you'll find the Giant shopping mall and an agglomeration of smaller shops and restaurants.

The pictures are of the show apartment and the price quoted doesn't include the furniture, aircon or light fittings. If you don't need the prime view out the front of the block you can buy the same apartment on the back of the tower for AUD60,000. Incredible!

They're white too! Well... they are on the inside...

OK. We've found the perfect place - now it's time to face facts. Although a great place to live can be found here at ridiculously cheap prices by Australian standards, I've no longer the confidence to commit to this course of action. I thought I was prepared to risk all to attain a life I've dreamed of for many years, but now find I'm not as brave as I thought. Hmmm... funny, that!

The stumbling block: I've sufficient resources to buy here, BUT after legal fees and furnishings we'd be left with living expenses for maybe six months. If our plans for generating an income don't result in our dreams and reality coinciding, we'd find ourselves the proud owners of some sweet Malaysian real estate we couldn't afford to live in and would have to return to Australia and start over.

Aaaargh! Pragmatism overload!

Sigh...

Dammit! I thought I was done with sacrificing ideals to pragmatism - at least as far as the big stuff goes...

Plan B: Go the income generation plan first, then reassess the situation. It'll be a little more difficult as we won't have a fixed base to work from, but we'll get to see a lot more of SE Asia and will retain the resources required to return home and try a different approach if it becomes necessary.

So it's on to Penang where we checked into another White House - the Cathay Hotel on Lebuh Leith.

The Cathay is a super-bargain at 23 bucks a night. It looks like a colonial bank from the outside, but the inside has lashings of Hakka Chinese Feng Shui attributes.

The building is over 100 years old and was apparently built as a guesthouse, but I haven't been able to find anyone who can tell me why the ten foot doors of the rooms have saloon-style swing half-doors mounted in front of them.

There's something about this style of architecture that intrigues me greatly. It's an amazing thing to stand in the middle of a building watching tropical rain pour into the internal courtyard, but that isn't all there is to it...

It amazes me also that the colonial white house theme continues.

Back at the Station Hotel in Ipoh I had a conversation with Mr Naidu. Mr Naidu is a policeman who served as a UN peacekeeper in Bosnia. He's retired now, but still keeps an office in the police headquarters over the road from the hotel and works in some mysterious capacity for a young upcoming Sikh lawyer who runs an office in one of the hotel's verandah rooms.

Mr Naidu told me of his shift of focus from life as a policeman to his inner or divine life. He rises before dawn each morning and spends at least two hours in meditation. He also participates in religious ceremonies similar to those depicted in this post, but his face shows no sign of the scarring you'd imagine would result. Our discussion ranged over karma and reincarnation and it was while talking of these that he fixed me with a percipient gaze and asked

"Why are you here, Doug? In Ipoh? Now? Why are we talking together? You need to know these things."

Mr Naidu impressed me greatly. I don't have an answer to his question yet, but these white buildings feel as if they're somehow part of the picture. I better work it out soon, 'cause I can't imagine we'll be staying in anything like these in Thailand...