Pulau Pinang

Welcome to Penang, Pearl of the Orient in South-east Asia. The 13.5km Penang brige leading our way into the island from the mainland already hinting some great experience awaits us. For me this is the land of the Hokkien, as almost everyone on the island speak that chinese dialect. Pretty much my place, language do help one feels home!


Tonight, we will stay in a guest house off Jalan Brown, owned by the local council. All thanks to our SCI members in Penang, we get to experience life by living in a mansion! The old colonial building itself is huge, by any standard, let alone in Penang island where every inches of land is gold. The compund itself is even bigger, you can actually have a football match on the field outside and indoor futsol game inside!


And the big rain tree, staff quarters, tall pinang trees, other ornamental plants...And why the hell you need such a huge window??? Bigger than that door in my apartment...But hey, cool! I guess this is the best place for our gathering, together with some friends from spastic home.

We met Dr. Anwar again. This time he shared some of his visions on peace, that peace itself must came from ourself, among the people and with the mother earth. We are nothing more than the organic part of the system, which consist of air, sun, water (as in our body!), food...and back to the soil. It's been a really meaningful night for all of us.

Now, back to the best part. I think everyone who is traveling up north will have one common target : Food. Eat as much as you can, just do it. Diet(die?) another day, but today, keep it together, loosen your belt, release you senses.

Even if we couldn't drop by Ipoh for steamed chicken rice, Kuala Kangsar for it's special asam laksa, nor we can stay long enough in Taiping to taste it's famous popiah. But threat not, Penang island itself is a food heaven!


I'm pretty sure i follow the right car when Jon, Ros and myself wander off the huge mansion to do a little bit of shopping. We end up in a shopping mall at Pulau Tikus, where we had some Thai food. Never in my mind that i will try any Thai food in this island, but since they are having some sort of promotion, any food is fine with us. For me, I particularly favour the herbal eggs! It taste so good after the spicy Thai noodles.

I woke up the next morning having curry chicken with bread. It's a bless to have some good cook in your organization, really. We had some discussion after the breakfast and Jon and Ros is about to start their usual routine everytime they are in Penang. Kim and i had no idea i could took us so long before we could leave the island. So long, and full!


First stop, Jalan Selamat. Safe road??? Famous for it's Char Kaoy Teow (fried flat rice noodles with egg and shell-fish), ais kacang, prawn mee... well, what can i say, everything here taste so good! Anyway we tried almost everything except CKT, just look at the long queue! We just can't wait that long! I hope Jon is right about the fact that it's not so good afterall, nothing special, to say the least! But i'll be back, sometime, to proof that :)


Back in Penang Road, we found ourself moving around the KOMTAR building, hunting for second-hand books, souveniers, and of course, more local delicacies!


Here, in Chowrasta bazaar cum wet market, you can get stuff like bags, clothes, books, dried fruit, etc. and my favourite Tambun biscuits in one go! Supposingly Kim and i have no intention to shop or buy anything. But i up with whole bulk of books, while Kim decided to get some Tambun biscuit as souveniers!



Just before we leave, we stop by at Lebuh Keng Kwee for our cendol dessert. One of the best in town, if not the best! I don't see why these hawkers can't drive a big car, really! As for my last shot for the trip, maybe best moment captured, is this...


He actually "hold" for few seconds to let us and some other passerby to walk past his "way". Hence, this photo!