Hello again and continuing with my discovery of Penang, I am at the Upside Down Museum. This is a fairly new attraction. I am not sure when it started. The reason we are here is because we have some discount vouchers from the leaflets that we took when we were in Chew Jetty. It gave a discount of 10%, if I remember correctly. So here we are, at the entrance that looks so busy. The museum is located on Kimberly Street in one of the pre-war shop houses. The ticketing area is a bit small, and the queue to the entry is long. So I stand at the queue while my sister go and buy the tickets. Since we are Malaysians, we get a good discount, much better than the 10% voucher. However I did not take my MyKad along so I try to convince the staff that I am Malaysian, except that they doubt me. So after much explanation and persuasion, I finally got the discount. I t is 40% off! So if you are a Malaysian, do take along your MyKad when you visit places of interest in Malaysia, not only Penang but the whole of the country. Many places of interest and touristy areas offer discount to Malaysians. Some foreigners view this as discrimination. I would like to think that it is positive affirmation!! You see, some of the entry tickets are expensive to the locals compared to a tourist say, from US or UK. RM27 is nothing to them, but it is a lot for us Malaysians. So I hope you understand.
At the waiting area, I already have a feel of what is to come. There is an upside down letter box, clock and upside down cupboard to store your shoes. You enter the museum bare-footed, and you store your shoes in the shoe cubicles with upside down numbers!
The queue is slow and the Middle Eastern couple behind us is getting inpatient and keeps asking the staff at the entrance to hurry up. The man at the entrance explains to me that there are many people inside and time is required for the visitors to enjoy the scenes and to take proper photos and he apologizes for the delay. So me being me, I in turn explain that to the couple. So the couple is not grumpy.
It is our turn now, we take off your shoes and place it in the locker. We then enter the first room. The furniture are placed in such a way that you are upside down.
The staff is friendly and knowledgeable. I want to take my own photos but the staff inform me that they will do it as visitors do not know how to pose to take the photos properly, ie, as to how to pose to get the right effect. Each time after taking the photos, the staff will show us the results. Sometimes they take 2-3 photos for each pose to ensure that they got it right.
I find all the staff obliging, friendly and try to do things right. I noticed that the staff are actually very young and upon enquiry, they are part-time staff. They are mainly students taking time off their busy studies to earn some extra money. Hey, and it gives them work experience. I am so pleased that they are working compared to just loitering around doing nothing. This is good for the economy. We enjoy ourselves very much. Of course, me being me, I add in a lot of ‘sound effects like screaming and having fearful expressions, and generally making a fool of myself, much to the amusement of the Middle East couple. To be honest I seldom have the chance to do it, so why not.
There are actually 2 floors to this place. You have the opportunity to do a short video as well. I will not dwell too much on the details of this museum as then it will spoil your fun if I tell too much. So do visit this place.
These are some of the new attractions in Penang, and I believe they are the work of young entrepreneurs making waves in the tourism industry. I find this type of interactive attractions more enjoyable as one gets to participate instead of just looking (at exhibits, eg, visiting heritage sites).
Verdict:
This is a good place to visit. You can bring children in too. So it is a good day out. you can spend about an hour or more in this place. I highly recommend this place. Good for older people trying out their second childhood.
Until then, please like my post and share with your families and friends. and if you are still here, do click on some of the adverts and I might get a portion of a cent of revenue!! LOL!! This blog is a labour of love.
Cheers,
Penang Lassie
