When my friends came calling from Kuala Lumpur, I recommended them to have dinner at the China House. It was not because of the excellent taste of the food but it is of different variety. The preparation and the taste is quite unique in Penang. There were 6 person at the dinner and we ordered speggati, tiramitsu, bread, cakes and beef. I wanted to offer my friends a different experience. There was mixed feelings from my friends. Some love the taste and some don't. But, all of them loved this experience of eating the food in an old historical environment. Yes, it was unique.
I have another agenda of having dinner there as the environment and setting is good to tell ghost stories. Under the dimness of the light and the eerie decorations. But, the place was full with dinners. In the fine dining area, there were alot of Europeans and they kept moving behind us on the way to the toilets. I told my friends that they were like the flying ghost in Harry Porter flims. Where can they find European "ghost" in a old China house, floating in and out. Isn't it an experience?
During conversation, I told them about Penang during the Japanese occupation, when the Japanese army beheaded alot of the locals in a nearby area near the restuarant. Some of them die in a very cruel way, They were forcely feed with water until their stomach is full of water and they jump on it forcing the water to shot out from their mouth. It was a painful death. So, there could be a lot of restless spirits moving around. One of the reasons that Penang celebrated the " bungry ghost" in a big way. To pacify these restless spirits. There are many stage shows during the Chinese 7th month hungry ghost festival and some stage shows offerred sexy dressed singers. Maybe, some of the organizers think that the spirits would also like sexy performances.However, it often attracts more living immortals than spirit.
By this time, they were really scare and what more in such a " haunted " environment, the effect was perfect. Two of them are my girl friends from KL and they are staying overnight in a Penang Hotel. We kept talking about our experience and our encounter of the third kind and they get were getting more scare. I enquired where are they living and they told me that they are sharing a room in Traders Hotel. Well, I told them that it is a decent hotel and it should be okay. But, I told them that my friends and I have some personal experience staying in hotels around the region. Ow! they were real scare by now but both the girls said that they are staying together and they will chase away all the ghost that come calling. Anyway, I offered them to call me and if they need I could sleep between them. LOL.
Anyway, it was an experience telling stories under two small tress in an old China House with a long period of historical events and with my real friends and many other unseen "audience". Until now, it is already 6am and there have been no calls from them, my plan have failed and they manage to make friends with the ghost or they have successfully chased all the ghost away including me , a honey bee.
Have a good day and keep wondering and thinking and be hopeful.
Namaste.
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