Short Trip Back To Malaysia

Finally I left Palembang (the place that I used to call home for the past 3 years) and headed back to Malaysia for a short trip before leaving for Brisbane.

My wife was a bit upset when she got to know that I had my "holiday" in Malaysia while she had to manage my active toddler son at home. Anyway, I got to meet up with many childhood friends (up to 25 years of friendship) and former colleagues.

I spent most of the time with my dad as I stayed with him. We had almost every meal at Penang's famous hawker food stalls nearby my place. I managed to slot in afternoon tea and supper with friends while major meal sessions were "reserved" for my dad and my relatives.

"Brisbane" will be the beginning of my new chapter in life where I shall become a dad for the 2nd time and go back to school to further my studies. I am still anxious to be unemployed and had to stay with my in-laws (not that I've never done it before but this time is for a longer period of time). Will I be able to turn on my "study brain" after so many years? Will I be able to cope with studying, take care of a toddler, take care of a newborn and manage a good family relationship at the same time? It looks as if I have too many balls to juggle at the same time.... Nevertheless, I am still positive about my new life in Brisbane and what lies ahead of 2010.

Top 10 things to do in Penang

By popular demand, here's the list:

1. Eat Char-Koay-Teow (fried flat noodles) - this special delicacy is so yummy because it is cooked with pork fat (lard) & eggs.
2. Eat O-Jien (fried oysters) - this is another egg cooked specialty dish.
3. Eat Roti Babi (pork bread) - this is a deep fried sandwich with minced pork.
4. Eat Curry Mee (noodles in coconut soup and curry) and Hokkien Mee (noodles in prawn based soup).
5. Eat Penang Chi-Cheong-Fun (rolled rice noodles with prawn paste).
   
6. Visit Kek-Lok-Si Temple - you can take the thousand step staircase from the base of the temple right up to the pagoda. Don't worry about the walk up as there are plenty to see. Along the steps are shops that sells ornaments, food and drinks, clothing etc. You will also pass a tortoise pond where you can feed vegetables to hundreds of tortoises.
7. Cross the Penang Bridge - It is a dual-carriageway toll bridge that connects Gelugor on the island of Penang and Seberang Prai on the mainland of Peninsular Malaysia. Opened to traffic on September 14, 1985, the total length of the bridge is 13.5 km. It is amongst the longest bridges in the world, the longest bridge in the country as well as a national landmark. I managed to complete the bridge run in high school within 3 hours and almost fainted after the event!
8. Visit Gurney Drive - this is something like a small Shanghai Bundt. Facing the sea front, you will get plenty of breeze walking along the Gurney Drive side walk. You can find all the aforementioned food at the hawker stall areas.
9. Take the walk in downtown Penang - This is the best way to capture Penang’s mixed heritage. Old houses have columns or multi-coloured Peranakan tiles. The smell of incense drifts in the air amidst gold settings of Burmese, Thai and Chinese temples. The Khoo Kongsi is a traditional form of Chinese art with its delicately carved wooden panels. Other long-time occupants include elderly Chinese shopkeepers, colourful Indian food stalls and trishaws. Guided heritage tours can be found at http://www.journeymalaysia.com/islandpenangheritagewalk.htm
10. Visit relatives and friends - I was born and raised in Penang island. Always so little time to meet so many people!!
    

Here's a night shot of Gurney Drive & one of the Penang Bridge.

Penang

2 weeks ago we went back to Malaysia to attend my wife's cousin's wedding held in Penang. We spent 3 nights there and managed to catch up with many of our relatives who live in Penang, and also those who turned up to attend the wedding.

Penang is an island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It was also called "The Garden of the Orient". The name "Penang" comes from the modern Malay name Pulau Pinang, which means island of the betel nut tree (Areca catechu).

Here are some interesting facts about Penang:

Top 10 of Penang's Firsts

1. Penang became the first British outpost in the then Malaya and South East Asia in 1786.
2. Penang Free School founded in 1816, is the first and oldest English School in South East Asia.
3. St George's Anglican Church on Farquhar Street, established in 1816, is the oldest Anglican Church in South East Asia and the only building from Penang that was declared one of the 50 National Treasures by the Malaysian Government.
4. The Sekolah Kebangsaan Gelugor in Penang founded in 1826 is the first Malay school to be established in Malaysia.
   
5. Convent Light Street or the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus, a girls' school established by a French Sisters' Mission in 1852, is the oldest girls' school in South East Asia.
6. Chung Hwa Confucian School founded by Cheong Fatt Tze in 1904, was one of the oldest formal Chinese Schools established in South-east Asia.
7. The Municipal Council of Penang Island (Majlis Perbandaran Pulau Pinang), is the successor of the Municipal Council of George Town, which was established in 1857 as Malaysia's first local authority.
8. The Penang Turf Club, established in 1864, is Malaysia's oldest horse racing and equestrian centre.
9. Standard Chartered Bank, the oldest bank in Malaysia, opened its doors in 1875.
10. Malaysia's oldest Chinese newspaper still in circulation today, Kwong Wah Yit Poh or Kwong Wah Daily (光华日报) was founded on 20 December 1910 by Dr. Sun Yat-Sen in Penang.
    

Top 10 Famous Penangites (People born in Penang):

1. Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Malaysia's fifth and current Prime Minister.
2. Alleycats, Popular Malaysian band formed in the 1960s.
3. Anwar Ibrahim, the ex-Deputy Prime Minister during Tun Dr Mahathir's administration. He is currently the Parti KeADILan Rakyat (PKR) adviser and its de-facto leader.
4. Chin Fung Kee, a well known authority in geotechnical engineering who designed the Penang Bridge.
5. Jimmy Choo, the famous shoe designer.
6. Eddy Choong, the four-time All England badminton champion.
7. Nicol David, the international women's squash champion. She is currently ranked No. 1 in the world (April 2007).
8. Lee Chong Wei, currently ranked No.2 badminton player in the world. (February 24, 2008)
9. Loh Boon Siew, a tycoon famous for his Boon Siew Honda.
10. Lillian Too, feng shui consultant and best-selling author of feng shui books.