CATWOMAN: WHERE WAS KUCHING?

While it is always a pleasure to see Joanna Lumley, Catwoman which she recently presented on ITV was flawed. In the sense of significant omissions.

Joanna played with the ubiquitous cats in Cairo`s Khan el-Kalili Bazaar, but little real emphasis was placed on their status in Pharaonic society when on death, they were afforded the same mummification as humans. In 1888, an Egyptian farmer, near the town of Bani Hasan in Upper Egypt, uncovered a tomb containing around 80,000 cat mummies, from 1000-2000 BC

But the most surprising place left out of her tour of the feline world, was Kuching, capital of the east Malaysian state of Sarawak, home to the world`s only museum entirely devoted to Felis catus among whose 2000 exhibits is a mummified cat from Bani Hassan, on loan from the British Museum.

Cat-lovers have presented most of the 2000 museum artefacts on display out of pure love. There are cat clocks, umbrellas, mugs, brooches, plates, cups, key-rings, teapots, door knockers, aprons earrings and t-shirts. All either shaped like a cat, or depicting a picture of one. From a moggie to a Maine Coon.

A gallery of cat-people includes Charles Dickens, whose cat Wilhemia used to sit on his desk and paw at his snuff; Florence Nightingale who owned some 60 cats, and is said to have never travelled without one, and Queen Victoria, who kept a cat named White Heather at Buckingham Palace.

Anne Frank`s attic ordeal is claimed to have been made more endurable by the presence of her two beloved cats who evidently survived on mice. While Colette, the bi-sexual French novelist, maintained `our perfect companion would never have fewer than four feet.` ie. her dainty little golden-eyed Chartreux named Saha, immortalized in her novella The Cat.

c.Christine Osborne

Image: Cat statue in Kuching Sarawak

Image: Cat in Muttrah souq Oman

Source: www.copix.co.uk

WHEN WILL IT STOP?

We have the trial coming up in September of the Sudanese woman journalist who committed the so-called crime of wearing trousers in a restaurant in Khartoum. Penalty, if convicted, 40 lashes.

And now, the equally conservative government of Malaysia, is to cane a young model because she drank two beers. (Not to mention the unfortunate African-Canadian woman imprisoned by Kenyan authorities, because her lips did not match her passport photo).

Curious how I`ve seen so many Muslims enjoying a drink on my travels, yet one never hears of a man being whipped.

By contrast to these rabid decisions, I see where the forward thinking government of Sultan Qaboos, is to relax restrictions on hotels serving alcohol to non-Muslims, during the holy month of Ramadan.

Oman is not a wealthy country by Gulf states standards and with tourism becoming a significant contributor to the GDP, the move is to be applauded.

c.Christine Osborne

Image: Scene in a cafe in Cairo

Source: www.copix.co.uk

SPOTLIGHT ON MALACCA

Malacca is an engaging old town whose architectural gems include Portuguese, Dutch and British buildings, Chinese temples and Nonya (Straits Chinese) houses. Easily seen on foot.

Best Sights : Dutch town hall and clock tower on Red Square, Cheng Hoon Teng, oldest Chinese temple in Malaysia (1646) Baba Nonya Heritage Museum, a unique insight into the Nonya`s opulent lifestyle in Malaysia, at the turn of the century.

Must Do: take a trip down the Malacca river. Look out for the old Chinese clan buildings and unique Malaccan-style wooden houses with long verandahs and tiled steps.

Local Food: Malay and delicious Nonya cooking, especially Laksa lemak soup.

Best Shopping: antique furniture and clocks on Jalan Hang Jebat.

Location: 90 miles east of Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur. Express bus services.

c.Christine Osborne author - Essential Malaysia-AA.

Image: Nonya house, Malacca, Malaysia

Source: www.copix.co.uk