Saturday, August 11, 2007

Row (This week's Photo Hunt theme)






This week's Photo Hunt entry boasts photographs from two different parts of Asia. Picture number one is of a row of picturesque and very well-maintained pre-Second World War row houses on Bangkok Lane over in the Pulau Tikus area of Penang, Malaysia -- the part of the world from where I originally hail.

Fittingly for a place where time seems to move slowly, Penang -- or, if one were to be specific, its capital city, George Town -- has the largest number of pre-Second World War buildings in Southeast Asia; with many of them dating back to the 19th, not just 20th, century. What this means visually is that when I think of rows of buildings with regards to Penang, it's of rows that are horizontal rather than vertical.

In contrast, Hong Kong -- where the second and third photographs were taken -- is a city of buildings that get you thinking more of vertical than horizontal rows. Alternatively put: High-rise buildings predominate here -- and also new structures to the extent that unlike in, say, Penang, mere 30 year-old-buildings are considered to be seriously old in this busy, bustling section of Southeast Asia!

At the same time though, as I hope to have shown with photograph number three (which also includes rows of palm trees in the foreground for good effect!), just because a building is a high-rise and new, it doesn't necessarily mean that its architecture style will lean towards the anonymous and colorless. Indeed, as a friend of mine observed, many a Hong Kong building's painters and/or owners seem to go for colors that are quite a bit brighter and more holiday-minded than one might expect of a land of veritable workaholics! ;b

23 comments:

CRIZ LAI said...

The first pix is in my housing area. Haha. Nice Mee Goreng there too. Nice shots for the theme. Happy Weekend! http://crizlai.blogspot.com/2007/08/photo-hunters-row.html

YTSL said...

Hi Criz --

You mean you're from the Pulau Tikus area? :)

Lynn said...

The second picture looks like they are miniature building or model buildings from this shot.

Anonymous said...

i had friends living in Bangkok Lane. I recognized it immediately. I still have frens living there, I think though I haven't kept in touch for some time :)

Chen said...

Bangkok Lane - I passed by that area today ;)

Harajuku PearL said...

Same here in this little red dot, many many flats and apartment. And of course the high and mighty rows of bungalows along Bukit Timah...
Have a good weekend!

Pearl

Anonymous said...

That middle picture is exactly how I imagine Hong Kong, apart from the greenery, which always takes me by surprise. I love modern architecture when it's as good as you show in the third.

A great and informative post again! Thank you!

YTSL said...

Hi Lynn --

Yeah, hard to imagine/realize sometimes that people live and work in those buildings, isn't it? ;b

Hi bengbeng --

Hey, maybe one -- or more -- of those houses in the Bangkok Lane picture are of your friend's house(s)! ;b

Hi Chen --

...ah, but/and did you stop to take some photos there? ;)

Hi Pato & Pearl --

Yeah, on the whole, would say that, these days, Singapore more resembles Hong Kong than Penang architecturally... :)

Hi a. --

Thanks for visiting once again. And yeah, Hong Kong does have a surprising large amount of greenery -- and this especially so if you go to the New Territories and the islands beyond Hong Kong Island itself. :)

Anonymous said...

The second one is such a great shot, it looks surreal! One of the reasons why I like Photo Hunters so much (apart from its tickling my creative nerve!), is that one gets to see places that one would never afford to travel to. You're sooo far away! ;)

Dragonheart, Merlin, Devi, and Chloe said...

Great photos to illustrate the theme this week. :) Thanks for providing some information about each of the photos as well.

lissa said...

I like those pre-war houses - they just look so much nicer them those skycapers.


I did a second photo hunt for Rows:
http://cloudbliss.blogspot.com/2007/08/photo-hunt-row-2.html

I think you'll like this.

I didn't intended to use the first photo hunt but I really like it so I did two.

YTSL said...

Hi Sabine --

Yeah, I like Photo Hunters for its international nature too! :)

Hi dragonheart --

Thanks for appreciating my comments and photos! :)

Hi Lissa --

Well, I like to think that it doesn't have to be either/or but, rather, that one can like both the prewar and the newer buildings... ;)

eastcoastlife said...

I love pre-war houses. there's so much history. I was in Penang last month but I didn't see these.

jmb said...

Great photos as usual, YTSL, you live in a very interesting place plus you get to other interesting places.
I would love to visit Hong Kong.

bounce said...

Great shots

TorAa said...

Wow - a great series with rows

Cats~Goats~Quotes said...

The Row houses are so pretty.
Amazing buildings in the second photo.
Nice Row shots!

Liz Hinds said...

The second one looks like a lunar landscape somehow! I like the first houses best though.

Great photos.

Liz Hinds said...

And I see you mention 84 Charing Cross Road - great book!

Andree said...

Your photos give me great views of the different parts of Hong Kong. Great work!

YTSL said...

Hi Eastcoastlife --

The pre-war houses in the photo aren't on a main road. That may be why you missed them. But if you ever go near the Thai Sleeping Buddha temple, you'll be near where they are. So go and have a look at them. :)

Hi jmb --

Thanks -- and yeah, I really do think that Hong Kong is a very interesting place. (More so, in fact, than a lot of people -- who just come to shop and/or party in Lan Kwai Fong -- realize.)

Hi bounce, torAa and Cats~Goats~Quotes --

Thanks! :)

Hi Liz --

I think I know what you mean: i.e., it might be the light bouncing off the white buildings that make it all look lunar! ;b

And hello fellow fan of "84, Charing Cross Road". (My favorite line/sentiment expressed in the book: "Not Keats -- he slobbers so!") :)

Hi meeyauw --

I'm glad my photos do what you think they do! :)

SabineM said...

very nice photos!

YTSL said...

Hi Sabine M --

Thanks for the compliments, and for visiting! :)