Border hopping lifestyle in George Town

Currently I am living in Phuket, a large island in the south of Thailand. Frankly, eating cheap, delicious food, driving a scooter everywhere with no real fear of committing a traffic violation and enjoying amazing weather ever day is great. As a UK passport holder I am forced to leave the country once a month in order to reset my visa. Paying for a flight every 30 days isn’t perfect but it does mean that I end up visiting places I didn’t intend on seeing. The cheapest most immediate flight available recently was to Penang, Malaysia. After arriving to a pod hotel late at night in George Town and getting a surprisingly restful nights sleep. It was time to look around the local area before hopping in a taxi to the airport to head back home.

Chinese style

George Town has an amazing old Chinese presence. The locals speak perfect English and are happy to explain the heritage and traditions that come with their ancestry. For example, the burning of fake money outside of your home or business is symbolic of wealth. Burning is intended to help bring good health and fortune. There were a few stalls where you could buy not just paper money. On offer was paper clothes, shoes, make-up and laptops amongst other extravagancies. I imagine them to be like a wish board that you incinerate.

There’s a brilliant modern/traditional clash in George town that is impossible to ignore. With hipster cafe’s and modified sports cars paired with old customs such as lighting incense and candles outside of your home.

For this set I focused on the colour red, because what’s more Chinese than the colour red? Well, except communism, the number 8, censorship and Winnie the Pooh.