Category: Penang

• Penang Bon Odori 2014

  07.20.14 |Event, Penang, Travel| Permalink | Comments Off on Penang Bon Odori 2014

  This year I only look forward to the Fireworks. Here are some pictures for you to enjoy! If you haven?t visited this event, you should. Every year, Penang will hold the Bon Odori Festival in the month of July.

  

  

  

  

• Bon Odori 2013 – July 20th

  09.09.13 |Living, Penang| Permalink | Comments Off on Bon Odori 2013 – July 20th

  
  
  

  Every year I will go visit the Bon Odori festival with my family to hunt for food. My kids will go for the balloons. This year we didn’t stay for the fireworks. I found that this year the food was really expensive and more local food than anything. I was kind of disappointed there.

  Well most people go to hang out, enjoy the Bon Odori dance and watch the fireworks. However we didn’t do that but went home early.

  Next day, a friend told us that we won some lucky draw. I was really surprised! Yeah, I won some vouchers for Sushi King and Eastin Hotel Buffet! Hope next year the food will be better….

  
  
  

• Juice

  05.13.13 |Living, Penang| Permalink | Comments Off on Juice

  These few days have been really hot here. I am getting so heaty and I just needed this. Yes a big glass of honeydew Juice! Definitely cooling!!!! This big glass cost less that USD$2, dirt cheap too. Only in Penang.

  
  
  

• Best Mamak Mee Goreng in Penang

  01.20.13 |Food, Penang, Travel| Permalink | Comments Off on Best Mamak Mee Goreng in Penang

  
  
  

  I tasted the best Mamak Mee Goreng from Penang Bangkok Lane. Usually I do not like mee goreng (aka fried noodle in mamak style) because it is very spicy. I cannot taste anything but chili. However this one that I have eaten, it is so tasty and not spicy at all. The sotong (squid) is done just right and absolutely delicious.

  If you are at Bangkok Lane Penang, do order 1 yourself!

  Map Here:

  
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• Chinese Opera

  09.16.12 |Penang, Travel| Permalink | Comments Off on Chinese Opera

  Penang is having a Chinese festival and in most part of the streets you will find Chinese Opera Performance. Today I went passed one while visiting the night markets. I was surprised that a live performance even has subtitles. They display the subtitles in Chinese on a LED display. Isn’t that cool?

  
  
  

• Beef Noodles

  03.23.11 |Food, Malaysia, Penang| Permalink | Comments Off on Beef Noodles

  I love beef noodles. I missed Pho, Vietnamese beef noodles from San Jose. It is the best I tasted so far. I don’t know how they make the soup to be so tasty. It is best eaten on a cold day. The serving is humongous.

  Near to Penang, the local beef noodles also very delicious. I found one along Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah, next to Ayamas which is superb. You have to try it. I will ask them to add more vegetables and beef tripe. Now I feel like having a bowl of this. :P~~~

  
  
  

• Efficient Malaysia Immigration

  08.25.10 |Malaysia, Penang, Service, Travel| Permalink | Comments Off on Efficient Malaysia Immigration

  I must say the Malaysia Immigration for passport renewal has improved. Kudos to all the staff there in Penang!! First they sent me a reminder stating my passport is about to expire. I will travel soon so it really helps me to get it renewed. I don’t want to be at the immigration gate only to find out my passport is not valid.

  Secondly, I can download the renewal application form from their website. I remembered I used to queue for that form and also need to pay RM1 for it. It is also a waste of time because a number is given only after you filled up the form.

  It only took me 30 minutes to get everything done. However it still takes 2-3 hours before I can collect the passport on the same day. I collected the next day instead.

  Next is the US Visa application. The online form is driving me crazy. Imagine I filled up half of the form and it all vanished into thin air.

  You can download the form here.

• Addition To Penang Public Holidays

  06.19.10 |Penang| Permalink | Comments Off on Addition To Penang Public Holidays

  Today, in TheStar online papers, the state of Penang announced July 7 as a public holiday to to commemorate the anniversary of the inscription of George Town as a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2008.

  Penang state of Malaysia already has 17 days for public holiday, now it is 18 days. I believed it is the state with the most public holidays. Please correct me if I am wrong.

  Ooh, added another Malaysia Day on Sept 16, now it is 19 days.

  1. New Year – 1st Jan
  2. Chinese Lunar New Year – 2 days, depend on the Chinese Lunar Calendar
  3. Thaipusam
  4. Prophet Muhammad Birthday
  5. Labour Day – 1st May
  6. Wesak Day
  7. Malaysia King Birthday – 1st Sat of June
  8. Penang Governor Birthday – 11th July
  9. Malaysia National Day – 31st August
  10. Nuzul Al-Quran Day
  11. Hari Raya Puasa (*) – 2 days
  12. Malaysia Day – 16th Sept
  13. Deepavali (*)
  14. Hari Raya Haji (*)
  15. Awal Muharram (Maal Hijrah)
  16. Christmas – 25th December

  Of cause, some companies do not have all public holidays as off days, they limit it to a fixed number of off days. I wonder whether my company accept July 7 and Sept 16 as holidays. I hope there are good news for me

• Penang Arch Unsafe

  05.19.10 |Penang| Permalink | Comments Off on Penang Arch Unsafe

  
  
  

  Source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/5/18/nation/6277596&&sec=nation

  7 million to beautify Penang Botanic Garden, started with an Unsafe Arch. 7 million of hard earn tax payers money go down the drain. Thanks to the Federal Government.

  7 million can be spend on many things to benefit the people and what can an unstable arch do? With 7 million, they can build a huge bungalow to house homeless people on the street. 7 million, you can feed a village of people for the whole year. 7 million, you can help many poor children get a proper education or home.

  Another sad story.

• Hard Rock Hotel Penang

  03.16.10 |Hotel, Penang| Permalink | 1 Comment

  It was a pretty cool hotel. My family loved it. It was really crowded because of the school holidays. Rooms very fully book. Yeap, there were some walk in guests whom were really disappointed. During the evening, the car park was closed for outsiders.

  
  
  

  CheckIn & Check out

  Firstly I empathize with the staff working there, the front desk or lobby is non-air condition. Both the staff and the customers have to bear with the heat. It took a long time for check in because there were no rooms available. Funny, the guests’ latest check out time is 12:30pm. I went there at 2pm, still no room. I wonder how long it takes for the room to be clean. Maybe short staffed in the housekeeping area.

  Next, while I was checking out, one customer was smoking. No non-smoking sign around, really bad for us non-smokers who has to bear with unhealthy environment. It took long wait for me to check out.

  The Room

  
  

  
  

  It has a very spacious room and fun for every age group. I got a room with a good view of the beautiful sea. The room decoration was just ok, nothing to shout about. However the bathroom is a little small and no bath tub.

  The Pool

  The swimming pool is the highlight for children with 3 slides. For children below 4 feet, it is advisable to wear an arm float. There are rooms by the pool, just like a personal pool. Very convenient for some.

  There were dancing at the pool and water ball organize by the hotel. Something to rock their guests there.

  
  
  

  Teens Club

  There is a teen club room for teenagers or children to have fun with Xbox, play stations and computers. However there is no queuing system. Most children were hogging the stations and left others waiting. I even saw a dad hogging the computer. I saw many disappointed kids there.

  TV Program

  Lastly, I do wish the put Cartoon Network on. It is a MUST have, especially kids.

  Rates

  Will I go back there again? Yeah, if they reduce the hotel rate or provide more value for my money!

  
  

  
  

  Cleanliness:

  Service:

  Facilities:

  Overall: