Pennie Murray

My memories of Penang are still strong and vivid even after all these years. The heat that hit me when we first arrived in Penang felt like a blanket being wrapped around me. I think this had a lasting effect on my life because I still crave a warmer climate.

We lived in a huge house at 1G Jalan Bungah Hinai with highly polished red floors - very practical! The Amahs, although wonderful, were hard to get used to having around at first - as was the powdered milk we had to drink!

I can remember our first trip out to a restaurant called "The Eden". It was dark and cool inside and you were made to feel like visiting royalty. Of course being only 9 I couldn't really appreciate the shark fin soup on the menu - I think I ate my fair share of hot chips over those 3 years!

Being small and blonde I was also in easy reach of the beggars on the street who just wanted to touch my hair for good luck, which was quite frightening at the time.
I remember nights at the swimming club where we would swim while the sun went down - and when brave enough, tackle the high board on the diving block!

It was always amusing when you would be out shopping and the owner of the shop would have an errand boy run off to get you a soft drink - these came complete with the lids already off them - and you had to accept such generosity without really thinking about where they had come from.

I remember that the school seemed huge to me, as we had arrived there from a very small school in NSW. I soon settled in though and enjoyed the best three years of my school life.

My dad, Ivan Murray, taught woodwork and tech drawing in the high school section of the school. I am so thankful that he took the posting and we had the rare opportunity to become part of the "RAAF School Family".

We had some fantastic excursions over the years to temples and rubber plantations. But my best experience was when I travelled with the girl guides to Bankok for a week - can't believe mum let me out of her sight!

I loved seeing the east coast once on a family holiday. And the big thrill of seeing turtles on the beach by torch light laying their eggs in the sand.

Who remembers the beautiful Cameron Highlands? What a magical spot that was!
We left Penang in December 1975 and returned to Taree in NSW where I finished my schooling. I met my future husband in 1984 and after marrying in 1985 we lived in Sydney for a short while. We now live on the beautiful far south coast of NSW and have two teenage children. I work as a teacher's aide for disabled children and kids who are intellectually challenged (a good job for a blonde!)...

I have been very lucky to find Alison and Karen Dean through this web site and we have enjoyed reliving our time in Malaysia and getting to know each other again. I would still like to catch up with some of my other friends and would appreciate hearing from anyone who knows these people: Sharon Wiseman, Megan Dickson, Ann Gordon, Julie Mann, Greta Walsh, Stefan Gratton.

Pennie Strachan (Murray)
17 May 2003