Packed Full of Penang Memories

I'm back!!!

Penang was wonderful. It was an eye-opening journey, one filled with interesting mini trips, throwbacks into the 70's, the sound of the crashing waves during dawn, generous sunshine, friendly & helpful Penangites, and last but not least, gourmet street food devoured by the gluttony twosome.

I think I better blog before I get lazy again, like after the Turi retreat (' ',). After the early Mother's Day dinner at Merchant Court, we headed for JB Larkin terminal to board our coach to Butterworth.
Table of 7


Day One
We arrived in Butterworth at 8am on Sunday morning. Butterworth is the site of the Malayan Railway station for Penang, and is linked to the island by the Penang Ferry Service and by the 13.5 km Penang Bridge. The ferry's main purpose is to shutter the Penangites to and from Penang island for work and school. We took the ferry so to arrive direct in Georgetown, Penang's capital, instead of taking the coach down to Nibong. It costs a mere 1.20MYR each and has a departure frequency of 7 mins.



Upon alighting, there is a bus terminal. After some head-scratching looking at the mostly unmarked buses, we took the simplest way out; we asked around for the bus to Jalan Penang (we were absolutely starving, and had googled that the food there is great). A Malay Abang (malay for "brother"), who turned out to be a bus driver, promptly pointed us the bus to board.
Most bus trips around the island costs ard 1 to 2MYR. Just ask the bus-driver and his 'assistant' (who sits besides him in a plastic chair) for the fare to your destination. Giving the exact fare is preferred, but they do offer change in return if you don't. The driver will even inform you to alight when your destination point is reached.

We alighted opposite the Police HQ along Jalan Penang. There are many food lanes that you can explore along the stretch. Most of them open only either in the day, or at night. We stumbled upon this lane where many Penangites were doing their marketing and stopping for bites along the way. Going further in, we found a more sheltered coffeeshop that sells dumpling noodles




and a hawker with a diminishing skill of popiah skin making.



Dear bought some local produce of nutmeg oil and preserved nutmegs for his granny and mum. The elderly auntie, whose shop "New Hock Lai" is behind the bus-stop which we alighted, was such a darling. Her colourful hair and cheerfulness really brought smiles to our faces in the growing heat. She also adviced us where to find good food, and helped us to take note of the bus that would bring us to our hotel.

We reached Naza Hotel in Tanjung Tokong in less than half an hour. We booked the hotel online, taking a chance even though there were few, if not none, reviews about the hotel. From the exterior, the hotel did not look very promising. We were just very grateful to escape from the now glaring sun. However, we were pleasantly surprised by this cozy little hotel. Our deluxe room was very spacious, and it had a front view of the sea. The room was immaculately clean, quiet, and the caress of the cool cool air was simply marvellous.

comfy king bed
all the space u need

the sound of waves from our balcony
view of the pool along the beach
corridor

reception area

waiting area


Next we headed to Jenni's Homemade Cakes at Jalan Cantonment, off Jalan Burma, to get dear's chocolate fudge birthday cake. This shop is a favorite amongst locals due to its rich chocolate cakes and wide variety.

Jenni's

oOoo-la-la cakes


After exploring the array of shops and mini-malls along Jalan Burma, we chanced upon a yet another food street and settled an early dinner of lor-bah(similar to SG's ngor hiong), super spicy mee goreng and Penang-style hokkien mee(which is in soup form, not the fried ones like we have here).

We then boarded the cab of a chatty retired-policeman-turned-cabdriver-named-Thomas to return to the hotel in fear that the heat might melt the choc fudge lol. He peppered the short journey with tales of the dwindling malay villages in Penang, which are bought over and cleared to make room for the modern multi-millon-ringgit condominiums, especially those near the sea. Maybe in a few years' time when we return to Penang, Georgetown would have a totally new facade. It would be rather a pity, if that's the case, of only preserving and restoring the colonial buildings and history, while stripping away Penang's existing heritage.

After watching some shows on StarMovies in the room, we went to check out the hawker centre across from our hotel. We tried some super delicious supper snacks, washed down by a few drinks of beer. Sat back to gleefully watch Chelsea draw Arsenal, and thus lose the premiership title to Man Utd. A handful of locals had gathered there as well, and as far as I can tell, with all the hi-fives and the sniggers at every failed Chelsea goal-attempt, all of them were estatic about Man Utd's crowning.

poor Chelsea.. Not~!

Char Koay Teow (local spelling)

Chee Cheong Fun (best we've had)


It was after midnight when we went back upstairs to our room. Dear is one year older!! =))))))

Happy Birthday, Darling!!!





a perfect end to a beautiful day

Day Two
Woke up to a cool breezy morning. Stepping out onto the balcony, the tides were already in, and the sound of the waves was very soothing. Tried valiantly to wake Dear up for breakfast, afterwhich we planned for the day's activities.

the "DND me" sleepyhead


Went to Prangin Mall, and spent most of the day shopping there. Prangin Mall is, arguably, the biggest mall in Penang. Located on Jalan Dr Lim Chwee Fong, adjacent to Komtar(tallest building in the city), it houses some international/asian brands like MNG, Seoul Garden, Vincci, Cathay cineplex etc. Most of the shops are local boutiques, gifts, and accessories shops. Dear bought a top & some clay-modeling tools, while I bought some accessories.
Initially, we intended to make our way down to Sungei Nibong bus terminal(lower SE side of Penang) to purchase our return coach tickets. However, as we were exploring the shops, we chanced upon a row of agencies that sell the tickets in Prangin. We chose to return by Konsortium coach, and they even provided the transfer to Sungei Nibong for us to board the coach.

After saving the hassle of travelling to Nibong just to buy tixs, we had more time to roam around and snap pics =)))

Komtar

Jalan Penang

super crispy sio bak at Bee Hooi Garden coffeeshop

some 'abandoned' buildings

Moorish-style Clock Tower, junction of Lebuh Light & Lebuh Pantai

Church Street Pier

a malay mosque

a gas pump, taken on an unscheduled pit stop during a bus trip =)


We decided to have Dear's birthday dinner at The Ship restaurant for the second time (1st was in KL last year). It is located on the north-western part of Penang, and within the Batu Ferringhi Night Market.
The bus journey up to Batu Ferringhi was a long one, partly due to us travelling there during knock-off hour. After we bypassed our hotel and headed uphill, the temperature started dropping as the tides brought in the seabreeze. There are many hotels along the stretch of Batu Ferringhi, catering to mostly caucasian tourists, as well as some locals staying in huts or tin-roof houses.

The Ship restaurant at Batu Ferringhi is located in an old refurbished ship. The decoration and ambience inside is familiar and similar to the other outlets under its establishment. The night market is filled with knick knacks, souvenirs, ornaments, clothes & accessories, and even some imitation designer bags.

The Ship





literally hundreds of night market stalls


Last Day
Check out day!

Our coach back to SG was at night. We intended to go on a walkatour of the heritage buildings in Penang, but were unwilling to lug our bags along until at night. Therefore after checking out of Naza at noon, we checked ourselves into a retro Oriental Hotel right smack in the middle of Georgetown, and 5 mins away from Prangin Mall where we will board our transfer to Nibong.

Oriental hotel is a budget hotel located at the junction of Jalan Penang and Lebuh Leith. But from its looks and the staff service, one can tell that the hotel had much better times back in its hayday a few decades ago. They had a porter who brought our bags to our room, and also helped us find a dish that I've been wanting to try since we arrived - curry noodles with pork blood! cubes! (eeew all u want, but pork blood has been banned in SG for the longest time already).

basic room amenities

dear figuring out the interlocking mass of Jalans and Lebuhs

70's hot water flask and tray

'imposing' looking room key


We followed his directions and arrived in Lebuh Muntri about 8 mins later by foot. The street-stall owner asked us to take a breather in the coffeeshop opposite her while she prepared our orders.

yet another retro coffeeshop

Lebuh Muntri curry mee stall

yummy curry mee!


The weather had become scorching hot, and as we explored the trails of historical and religious buildings, sweat was literally pouring down our faces.

Some of the interesting buildings Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion on Lebuh Leith


we were too late for the tour.. grrr...

Hainan temple "Thean Ho Keong" on Lebuh Muntri




Goddess of Mercy Temple on Jalan Masjid Kepitan Keling



Town Hall on Jalan Padang Kota Lama

19th century fountain next to Town Hall

Cathedral of Assumption on Lebuh Farquhar

a chinese clan/association of some sort


Dear bought some prayer bracelets made of crystal beads from a shop next to the Goddess of Mercy temple. After which the exhausted pair headed for some dinner & bites, before returning to Oriental hotel to shower and rest our feet.

a taste that has to be acquired, of salted fish toufu and salted meat


After checking out of Oriental, we headed to Konsortium to board the transfer van to Sungei Nibong bus terminal. During the 25 mins journey, I felt abit sad that our Penang adventure has come to an end. There are still many places that we have not explored. We plan to come back with Dear's mum sometime soon, as she could not make it for this trip on such short notice (we planned it only days b4 departure).

Afterthoughts
Penang was indeed an interesting getaway of a different sort. What struck me most was how friendly the Penangites are. Of the 15 or more people that we spoke to to ask for directions or suggestions, all of them were extremely helpful and warm.
The weather, on the other hand, was too scorchingly 'warm' for comfort. My advice is to disregard weather forecasts of any possible 'thunderstorms', which most probably would not occur (esp. during these months). Any rain of any kind would just be drizzles that disappear b4 u noticed them, and the glorious sunshine would be back within minutes.
Visit Penang with an open mind, light clothing, and comfortable walking shoes. Do not bother watching your weight though. The food is utterly satisfying, and the hawkers don't bother counting calories anyway.
I do treasure Singapore more after this trip. I did not know how important our horticultural planning is! Also, with an efficient and widespread public transport system, it makes all we wanna do, everywhere we wanna go, effortless.
Nevertheless, I still love what I've seen and experienced on this Penang trip. Of course, the company of my trip partner made a world of difference too. Thanks for taking care of me, dear. And for carrying my bag when I was tired, making sure I drank enough water, being the one with the sense of direction etc *giggles*

I seriously think I've blogged enough, don't you? = P

Glowingly,
S

Shuttering to Penang

Leaving for Penang with Dear tomorrow. We are spending his birthday over there & coming back next Wed. Too bad can't go further for a longer proper holiday. Sigh........

We'll be staying at a beach hotel that is quite decent and yet, is pretty close to the main food & shopping area of Penang. What attracts us there is the rumoured wonderful food, the rich heritage, and the beach. Apparently, the weather forecast for the next few days in Penang is a wet one. Hopefully the weatherman is wrong again :P

As we are bringing 2 cameras this time, Dear challenged me to a goal of taking 1200 pics... So I'll pretty much be shutter crazy for the journey =)))

Oh. We'll be having an early Mother's Day dinner with his family at Merchant Court Hotel just before leaving for Penang.

To all mothers out there, Happy Mother's Day in advance!

I'll see ya when I get back.

Node a good thing

Man.

Been sick for almost the whole of the past week. It felt like simple ear and neck-ache initially. After a few days, the pain became excruciating. Been diagnosed with 'inflammation of the lymph nodes'.

Now my face looks like an overstuffed duck. And I have to take antibiotics like candy. Somebody please tell Metallica not to make a comeback in my head.

I need to go lie down. Darn.

Coil, Foil, and Moi

Delays, laziness, and procrasination aside, I've finally done up the armature (skeleton) of the figurine! Whew!

To make the figurine more grounded and stable, the 'internal' of the figurine is made up of wires, and coiled roughly according to the shape of the the character. In my case; forming the head, body, arms, and boots.


Aluminium foil is then used to cover the wires, bulking up any areas that would require a solid surface. It is important to pack and compress the foil while doing so, to have a non-malleable area for claying later on. Foil will not burn under normal baking conditions, and it helps prevent any possible rusting of the coiled wires from coming into contact with the cured figurine.

yeah i know it looks very weird
Do not worry about the coil and foil not being the exact shape you want your figurine to be. That's what the clay is for! To mold and to fill in the areas of the armature. The armature itself is only a support structure.

Next up would be the fun, and yet most difficult part. Claying the figurine requires more patience and precision. I will be continuing with it as soon as I can.

Btw, thanks to my dear for helping out with some of the wire coiling :)))
Do visit his page for more updates on his Granado Espada figurine-sculpting progress.

Fired Up for Craft!

I have a new hobby! Or i'm going to, anyway. Clay figurine modeling!

My darling is really really good at craft. He's made me wax anime figurines, clay photoframes, and the works. I've always felt guilty as my gifts to him are always not as personalised. But.. I suck big time at crafts! My art is horrible, and I have absolutely zilch creativity.

To make up for some of that, I've done 'extensive research' on clay modeling, particularly facial dimensions & sculpting, the numerous types of clay available, grounding the figurine, how to make sure the clay is bonded etc etc.

I've decided to make a clay humanoid of my dear in his firefighter suit, complete with the signature axe, hose, and fire hydrant. It helps that I have pictures of my dear in those gear, and he promised to pose for me in them if need be. My hero! heheheheh....

Us after shopping for supplies at Vive Creations & Art Friends.

Some of the supplies & tools that I will be using.

So... Good luck to myself! I'll keep the blog updated on my step-by-step progress..!
.

My Man Utd. My Pride. My Joy

1st Leg: AS Roma 2 : Man Utd 1
2nd Leg: Man Utd 7 : AS Roma 1

Oh, sweet sWeEeT revenge!!

For those of you who watched in horror as Man Utd fans were brutally attacked, beatened, stabbed, and horribly bashed up by the Italian police last week during the 1st leg of the match between AS Roma and Man Utd, today's revenge never tasted so glorious, victory never felt so heavenly.

Images from Last Week's Match
The Italian police were seen relentlessly pummelling Man Utd fans as they lay injured. Any Man Utd supporter who tried to drag the injured away from the police's batons were mercilessly beatened as well. My heart ached as I watched the fans attempting to shield their heads from the rain of bashings. I was horrified. "Stop it! Enough!", my mind screamed. I felt such rage, such major R-A-G-E. Blood. There was blood everywhere.

Yes, it was determined there and then that, the 2nd leg of the match, at Old Trafford, will be the match of the decade. It would be a blood match. In our way. On our turf. On our terms.

Man Utd showed the Italians what soccer is, what it means, and how much their fans mean to them. It was a pure display of speed, skills, teamwork, tactics, and most of all, CLASS.

We dun aim to win free kicks from false attempts at fouls. We dun roll on the ground in the hope that the referee will grant the ball in our favour. We DON'T peel your flesh and aim to injure your spirit.

We brought our hearts and souls to the pitch and our brillance made you eat your heart out and go home with your tail between your legs.

Glory, Glory, Man Utd!

Check out ESPN's coverage of the match details.

I'm bursting with pride.

| Bites |
Totti vs Ferguson
Fergie's a happy man
Wonderful Carrick

Bowled Out

I've decided to pull out of the Young NTUC Bowling team. It's been a painful decision, and as my other half has pointed out, I'll regret it. But due to some personal reasons, I really can't commit right now.

The selection for the May 1st tournament will be done tomoro. All the best to the other team members.

*heartbreak*

Chew On These

"We are not human beings having a spiritual experience.
We are spiritual beings having a human experience."
I'm still pondering over these words and trying to understand/ absorb/ dissect the full meaning.

Even so, these 2 lines already give me an unusual sense of calmness, of hope, and some part of me heals each time I read them.

Yeah.
All hail, Oprah!


Btw, here's a pic of my 1st cupcake attempt. They are from Betty Crocker's Devil's Food cake mix, topped with self-made royal icing and coloured according to preference.

There is apparently some major craze over home-made-icing-covered cupcakes recently. As you can see, my piping skill is yet to be desired. Luckily my love absolutely adores anything with icing on them = )))

Scrumptiously,
S

Visit to the Past

Received a call the other day from my class monitor of my Sec 4 days. It's the annual call during CNY that we get from him to visit our then Form Teacher. As some of my former classmates used to say amongst us, Zhonghui is our eternal class monitor hahahaha...

Though there's a group of classmates that regularly gather(annually, that is) for the visit to Mdm Wong's place (bless their hearts!), it was only 2 years ago that the class of Sec 4G 1994 had a formal gathering. It was kinda weird, not seeing them for so long, and yet, many of them haven't changed much. I bet we can still picture one another in that awful white school uniform hehehe.

Life takes you and whisk you away so fast. It has been 12 years since we were classmates. Some of them are married, some with kids, some living the high life, and some(me included) still fumbling our way ahead.

I remember dreading school, wishing I could fast forward myself and be a financially-independent adult. How I wish I could have that 12 years back! I wanna not worry about what to wear, finances, and the only major difficulty is to pass the exams.

It'll be great if the class could arrange another meet-up again this year. Don't wanna wait for another 10 years... Fingers crossed *wink*.

Wistfully,
S

Caved In to the Universal Flu

Just watched the movie "Click" while sniffing away on tissue paper.

I want a Universal Remote too. Delete Colds and Flu from my Main Menu.

Surreally yours,
Sniffy

Chingay 2007

Braving the throngs of bottleneck traffic, extreme humidity, blinding spotlights, and deafening music, I am proud to present you the highlights of Chingay 2007.

Have a happy and prosperous new year everyone. Gong Xi Fa Cai!

My Valentine

Humongous lovely huggies with this North American Bear (www.nabear.com) from my valentine..............

New Year New Hope?

Went Chinatown's bazaar yesterday. It was festive and propelled me into the CNY mood suddenly. Hmm... Then shopping today.. Managed to get 2 additional wonderful tops for the coming Chinese New Year. Even won something in a scratch 'n' win lucky dip. A virgin contest winner ahahahahahahaa.... Is my luck gonna change for the better? *fingers crossed*



Gonna be a busy weekend. Revitalising the art of CNY-goodies making. Involve countless pineapples, peanuts, a ton of dough, lotsa kneading, rolling, ovendoor-slamming, and frying. Yeah, it's gonna be fun... really.

Fluffily yours,
S

I wish... I wish... I am Hiro.

Been at the edge, of my seat this time, due to a somewhat frivolous pursuit.

"Heroes" has been causing quite a sensation since the series launched. I don't care what other fans or critics are saying. I have to-date, only watched 5 gripping episodes of it and, personally, i am quite fascinated. Not by the sci-fi part of it, not by Nathan's ability to fly like Superman, not by Suresh's dad's algorithms and theories, and surprisingly, ha!, not by the cheerleader's ability to self-heal each time her body got smashed to pulp.

It is not really any one of the characters. The closest it would get, would be Hiro, the geeko Japo, who could stop and reverse time, and teleport himself into the future, to another city etc etc. Imagine what we could and would do with this ability. Hohoho!

As lovable and comical as Hiro is in "Heroes" (I'm sure the pun is intentional), I am not interested in saving the world as he is. Hell, I can't even save my own skin! That is me, petite, utterly humanly mortal me speaking. If I were Hiro / a hero, maybe I would be so slightly more patriotic and righteous... keke...

If I have the powers to see into the future, to go back in time to change things, would I?

I would. In a heartbeat.

I would study much harder, party less, work harder, make proper plans instead of stumbling along, manage money better, recognise evil and that it has no reason, be more loving, be more patient, shut up before I say something I regret, eat healthier, and never started smoking.

I could still do many of these things without rebooting my life. But some things will just never be the same as if I had the sensibility of the repercussions.

Then again, I wouldn't have the same feelings or knowledge, be it good or bad, as I do now, if I had changed anything. Would it still be me? Am I wishing for a better me? Or am I wishing that I am not me, not what I have become, at all?

I'm rambling. Need to get some sleep. Blur the edges of reality a little.

Yours Supernaturally,
S

What is, why, and how.

Came across the following. Makes sense. We just often do not practice it. Worth reminding ourselves again: -

1. The Power Of Thought
Love begins with our thoughts. We become what we think about. Loving thoughts create loving experiences and loving relationships. Affirmations can change our beliefs and thoughts about others and ourselves. If we want to love someone, we need to consider their needs and desires. Thinking about your ideal partner will help you recognize her when you meet her.

2. Power Of Respect
You cannot love anyone or anything unless you first respect them. The first person you need to respect is yourself. To begin to gain self- respect asks yourself, "What do I respect about myself?" To gain respect for others, even those you may dislike, ask yourself "What do I respect about them?"

3. The Power Of Giving
If you want to receive love, all you have to do is give it! The more love you give, the more you will receive. To love is to give of yourself freely and unconditionally. Practice random acts of kindness. Before committing to a relationship ask not what the other person will be able to give to you, but rather what will you be able to give them. The secret formula of a happy, lifelong, loving relationship is to always focus on what you can give instead of what you can take.

4. The Power Of Friendship
To find a true love, you must first find a true friend. Love does not consist of gazing into each other's eyes, but rather looking outward together in the same direction. To love someone completely you must love them for who they are, not what they look like. Friendship is the soil through which love's seeds grow. If you want to bring love into a relationship, you must first bring friendship.

5. The Power Of Touch
Touch is one of the most powerful expressions of love, breaking down barriers and bonding relationships. Touch changes our physical and emotional states and makes us more receptive to love.

6. The Power Of Letting Go
If you love something, let it free. If it comes back to you it's yours, if it doesn't, it never was. Even in a loving relationship, people need their own space. If we want to learn to love, we must first learn to forgive and let go of past hurts and grievances. Love means letting go of our fears, prejudices, egos and conditions. "Today I let go of all my fears, the past has no power over me - today is the beginning of a new life."

7. The Power Of Communication
When we learn to communicate openly and honestly, life changes. To love someone is to communicate with them. Let the people you love know that you love them and appreciate them. Never be afraid to say those three magic words: "I Love you." Never let an opportunity pass to praise someone. Always leave someone you love with a loving word - it could be the last time you see them. If you were about to die but could make telephone calls to the people you loved, who would you call, what would you say and..why are you waiting?

8. The Power Of Commitment
If you want to have love in abundance, you must be committed to it, and that commitment will be reflected in your thoughts and actions. Commitment is the true test of love. If you want to have loving relationships, you must be committed to loving relationships. When you are committed to someone or something, quitting is never an option. Commitment distinguishes a fragile relationship from a strong one.

9. The Power Of Passion
Passion ignites love and keeps it alive. Lasting passion does not come through physical attraction alone; it comes from deep commitment, enthusiasm, interest and excitement. Passion can be recreated by recreating past experiences when you felt passionate. Spontaneity and surprises produce passion. The essence of love and happiness are the same; all we need to do is to live each day with passion.

10. The Power Of Trust
Trust is essential in all loving relationships. Without it one person becomes suspicious, anxious and fearful and the other person feels wrapped and emotionally suffocated. You cannot love someone completely unless you trust them completely. Act as if your relationship with the person you love will never end. One of the ways you can tell whether a person is right for you is to ask yourself, "Do I trust them completely and unreservedly?" If the answer is "no", think carefully before making a commitment.