Chowrasta Market, in Penang Hokkien

Chowrasta Market, George Town, Penang (30 August, 2012)


This is a conversation between a visitor and a local at the Komtar Bus Terminal.

Lang3kheh3: Wah1 si33 Alor Setar lai2 eh2. Chnia1 mui3, ta1lok1 ti1 Penang uh3 beh33 lau33hau1phoay2?

Pun1tay3lang2: Lu1 e33 beh4 lau33hau1phoay2 ti1 Ke1ling3na1 ban33san1.

Lang3kheh3: Ke1ling3na1 ban33san1 hnui3 boh2? An1cnua1 khee3?

Pun1tay3lang2: Ke1ling3na1 ban33san1 boh3 hnui3. Lu4 tha1na1 ti1 Komtar-eh3 Tua3 Chia3cam3. Cit1-tiau3 lor33 si33 Jalan Ria. Knia2 Jalan Ria kau3 ka1 Jalan Dr Lim Chwee Leong, liau4 wan3 to1chiu4. Knia2 Jalan Dr Lim Chwee Leong kau3 ka1 lor33thau2 ti1 Jalan Penang liau4 wan3 cnia1chiu4. Knia2 Jalan Penang kau3 ka1 lu1 hien3 tiok1 "Pasar Chowrasta" ti1 cnia1chiu1 peng2. Pasar Chowrasta tok33 si33 Ke1ling3na1 ban33san1.

Lang3kheh3: Co1mik1su3 kio3 Ke1ling3na1 ban33san1?

Pun1tay3lang2: Eng3-goay33 kor1ca4-eh3 si2, cit1-leh1 ban33san1 Ke1ling3na4 khooi1 eh2.

Lang3kheh3: Kor1ca4 si33 jioh3 ku4 liau4?

Pun1tay3lang2: Kor1ca4 si33 kae3kiam4 cit3-pak1-gor33-cap3 ni2 liau4. Heh1-leh1 si2, cit1-leh1 ban33san1-eh3 sor1cai3 si33 cit3-leh3 Ke1ling3na4-eh3 kam3pong1. Ban33-ban33 Tng3lang2 pnua1 lai3 tua3. Tha1na1 ti1 Pasar Chowrasta chun1 Jalan Chowrasta ka Lebuh Tamil uh3 Ke1ling3na1 Lang2 tua3 nia3.

Lang3kheh3: Wah3! Lu4 cin3 cai1 Penang-eh3 lek3su4! Lu4 si33 mm33 si33 Penang-eh3 lek3su4-eh3 su3hu3?

Pun1tay3lang2: Mm33 tu1ho4 wah4 kah3 Penang-eh3 tau3iu2 Penang-eh3 lek3su4 eh2.

Lang3kheh3: Ti1 ta1lok1?

Pun1tay3lang2: Ti1 Penang Heritage Trust. A33si33 ai1 cai1 Penang-eh3 lek3su4, lai3 choay3 wah1lang2 lah4!

Lang3kheh3: E33sai4, kam1siah33 ce3-ce3!

English Translation

Visitor: I'm from Alor Setar. Can you tell me, where in Penang can I buy dried nutmeg?
Local: You can get it at Ke1ling3na1 ban33san1 (lit. "Indian Market")
Visitor: Is Ke1ling3na1 ban33san1 far away? How to go there?
Local: Ke1ling3na1 ban33san1 isn't far away. You're now at Komtar Bus Terminal. This road is Jalan Ria. Go along Jalan Ria until Jalan Dr Lim Chwee Leong, then turn left. Go along Jalan Dr Lim Chwee Leong until the junction to Penang Road and then turn right. Go along Penang Road until you see "Pasar Chowrasta" on your right. Pasar Chowrasta is Ke1ling3na1 ban33san1.
Visitor: Why is it called Ke1ling3na1 ban33san1?
Local: Beacuse a very long time ago, this market was established by the Indians.
Visitor: How long ago is that?
Local: Some one hundred and fifty years ago. At that time, the market area was an Indian village. Over time Chinese people moved in. Today at Pasar Chowrasta only Jalan Chowrasta and Lebuh Tamil have Indians living there.
Visitor: Wow, you know a lot about Penang's history. Are you a Penang history expert?
Local: Coincidentally I teach Penang tourist guides Penang history.
Visitor: Where?
Local: At the Penang Heritage Trust. If you like to know the history of Penang, come visit us!
Visitor: Sure, thanks a lot!

Vocabulary

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Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.