Nick Chan Dot Net

Second Day of Tiger Chinese New Year at Pengkalan Hulu

Written by Nicholas Chan on March 3, 2010 – 1:50 am -

If you are a long follower of my blog, you must have already know that every second day for Chinese New Year, daddy will drive us down to Pengkalan Hulu, Perak, somewhere far inside, near to the Thailand border where my uncle’s house is located. It’s the same every year ever since I was small. Why there? It’s my grandma’s hometown.

My uncle’s house very boring one, there’s no Astro, no broadband, no shopping mall, no aircon, very hot at there. There’s only a TV with local TV station and my entertainment at there was watching local TV show and drove there around to see what’s around.

It’s very hot day, don’t know why so hot and there’s no air con. Dad drove us around the town and went as far as to the Thailand border. Too bad we didn’t bring passport, or else we would already get over it to check Thailand out.

Went to Klian Intan again, 10 minutes drive from Pengkalan Hulu town, it’s a kampung where my grandma’s real hometown. No idea why we went there, probably because we had no place to go already.

Very small little place, with population less than 400 I guess.

Back to the house again and watch TV. Still remember there’s Stephen Chow’s movie showing on that afternoon, it got rid a little bit of our boredom.

At 5pm, we had our meal ready, it’s a very early dinner for us. Usually I have dinner at later than 7pm, but at there, they eat at 5pm. Wow.

A very unfortunate thing occurred that night and that’s my mom’s handphone had accidentally dropped into the toilet bowl, luckily there’s no shit or pee. But still it feels yucky and dirty. Phone is dead and I dare not try to turn it on because it had been into the bowl before. A chance for mom to get herself a new phone. Hohoho. She always doesn’t want to change her phone to a better one and now there’s a chance for her already.

We went back to Penang at night and it’s late. Brother and I were hungry again and I brought him to Abu to eat Fried Maggi Mee. We were too hungry and we had double, in the end, full until cannot sleep that night. Shit.

Tags: Chinese New Year, cny 10, Far, forest, Kampung, Ulu
Posted in Around Malaysia, Cool Stuff, Lifelog | Comments

I Like Bukit Bintang and Pavilion Shopping Mall

Written by Nicholas Chan on December 29, 2009 – 10:39 pm -

I went to Pavilion shopping mall on the second day and also the last day of my very short and fast Kuala Lumpur trip 2 weeks ago. After checking out from the hotel, had enough of shopping at 1Utama, dad brought us to Bukit Bintang.

Look at the LED electronic road sign. LOL

It’s still the same, jamming everywhere in Kuala Lumpur, guess that’s the uniqueness. He dropped us then he went to visit an exhibition in KLCC.

The trip was not really planned, it’s a shopping trip but we only went to two shopping mall, 1Utama and Pavilion which were pretty enough for us to shop and buy stuff for new year. In Western countries, they do Christmas shopping, as for us, we do Chinese New Year shopping, 6 weeks before Chinese New Year. =D

Police inspecting or buying?

Bukit Bintang is a very fun place in Kuala Lumpur, with so many shopping malls at this area like Lot 10, Sungai Wang Plaza, Lowyat Plaza, Berjaya Times Square and Pavilion. Where in Penang can find place like this?

Malaysia rocks!

Fakes.

But somehow, I have to said that Bukit Bintang still can’t fight with Singapore’s Orchard Rd and never will because Orchard Road is so well-planned, everyone like to walk on Orchard Road and all the shopping malls are beautiful, not like here’s, bad maintain and selling fake imitation stuff by the road side of Bukit Bintang. That’s bad. I don’t like this.

Pavilion is the best shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur, beautifully design, many brands, many shops, spacious and bright. Although not as rocking as ION @ Orchard, still it’s nice. I like it.

Some Australian wearing like Scottish.

If Penang has such a mall, I pray for many people will go to it. The shopping demand in Penang is very low and people here tend to stay at home then go walking out on the street which made Penang not very happenings, there’s no street full of people, if it’s weekday, the shopping malls here are pretty quiet, it’s only get crowded on the weekends.

Bought a couple of shirts at there and walked around a lot. Love the people, love the shops.

Too many branded stuff, too expensive, I wish I am very rich, but if I am very rich, my demand will go higher already. So better stay what I am then earn a little bit of extra cash, so do support my sponsors on the right of the screen. Without sponsors, I wouldn’t be sharing so many already. =)

That night got stars from the movie of Bodyguard and Assassin, but I went home by evening, so didn’t get the chance to meet the star.

Do you like Pavilion? Where do you like to go for shopping in Kuala Lumpur?

Tags: Cool Stuff, fun, kl trip dec 09, kuala lumpur, Malaysia, Shopping, shopping mall, Travel, trip
Posted in Around Malaysia, Cool Stuff, Lifelog, Shopping | Comments

Temple Visits Before SPM Examination

Written by Nicholas Chan on November 10, 2009 – 12:20 am -

Now I can’t deny that we, a bunch of high school students are not superstitious. No offence to other religions, we are buddhist and we went to as many as 7 temples lately for prayers and blessing for the coming big, massive SPM exam which is O Level equivalent.

Organized by I don’t know who, but it’s all my classmate and skipped school together on a Wednesday and went for the temples trip around Penang. Since I was free and it’s something must-do to me, so I went to join them. There’s like, 11 of us.

First stop was Mahindarama Temple or more likely to known as Guleng Hood. It’s a famous place and everyone loves going there before exam for blessing. I had actually went there the week before this and so this was my second visit for this year. There’s no restriction on how many time you can pray.

They actually had a blessing ceremony for SPM students last Sunday but I find no reason why want to join the crowds and wake up early. I prefer going on some other time where there’s little people.

Go to Guleng Hood must bring a couple of milk and your exam time table. That’s the standard procedure, then look for the sifu monk in the house for blessing.

Spent like an hour at Guleng Hood and we were off to another place and that is the Penang Buddhist Association. This place is quite happenings during Wesak Day. It became so quiet on normal days.

Don’t want to talk so much about what happened there. Basically, it’s just prayers for good health, good result and good everything.

Next was the Siamese temple, Wat Buppharam on Perak Road. Tried the 50cents electronic fortune teller, but it didn’t work for me. Too bad. We actually visited another one, Malaysia Buddhist Association on Burma Rd, it’s just a very short visit.

Then off to Burma Lane (Lorong Burma) to visit the two temple. A Siamese temple (Wat Chaiyamangkalaram) and a Dhammikarama Burmese temple. Living in Penang for 17 years, this was my first time and we were just like tourist at there. Everyday past by the place, thinking that it’s just another temple and small, but everything I thought weren’t true.

The compound, the garden, the statue are big. Inside is very pretty and clean. It just doesn’t feel “Penang” to me, it’s more like being in Thailand.

There’s a rotating thing inside the Burmese temple where you can aim and throw coins into it. Each different bowl representing different thing which you pray/wish for, etc. Health, Prosperity, Education, Marriage, Good Lucks.

The Siamese Temple lies the reclining Buddha.

Last week was the Loy Krathong, a Thai festival where people release boat with candles and written wishes into the sea. We bought a boat and wrote our wishes on it and they were release into the sea at Gurney Drive.

After so many temples, finally we had came to our last stop. The Penang’s Kuan Yin Temple at Pitt Street. It’s not first or 15th of the Lunar calendar, so it’s not that crowded. Usually it’s full of devotees during those days.

Parents bring their children who are sitting for exam here too. Mom did bring me here 2 years ago when I was sitting for PMR and now, it’s friend who brought me there instead of my mom. To pray for good studies and education, we looked for the Confucious and Wen Chang Gong. =)

So, after that many prayers and temple visit, doesn’t mean that we need not to study already, it’s just a kind of believing. Good luck everyone!

Tags: blessing, buddha, Exam, Friends, Lifelog, Penang, prayer, School, Temple, Travel, trip, Visit
Posted in Around Malaysia, Friends, Gathering, Lifelog, Penang, Travel | Comments

Leo Forum 09:Hotness at Little India

Written by Nicholas Chan on June 13, 2009 – 1:56 am -

One of the program of the Leo Forum that I’ve attended recently was a Tour. It’s really A tour, we went to only one attraction. There’s like 25 buses full of people and each buses went to different places in downtown. As for my group, we went to Little India.

At first, we were to see Songkok making near Chulia Street there but then with some unexpected technical error which was it was Friday and that is the day Muslim goes to do their prayers and so, the Songkok making man were away to the mosque too. What a dissapointment and unsatisfaction with it.

Our tour guide who is not from Penang, a Sarawakian, Mr Slim brought us to Little India and asked us to roam around ourself. It’s a little bit crazy as the weather was so hot that time, very sunny. I’ve never been around Little India before and I didn’t really have that interest to look around because of the heat.

I am not sure about others, there’s like 5 from Leo Club of Chung Ling High School and the rest were the girls from Assunta High School, Klang Valley.

Tee Jin, President of Year 08/09 for Leo Club of Chung Ling High School.

Since the weather was so hot, we bought coconut at a a coconut stalls by the roadside. It will be perfect if the coconut is cold. I feel it’s not fresh enough but then it’s better than don’t have.

Alvin Yang and Tee Jin.

It was an uninteresting tour for me and us I guess. We then proceeded to Church Street Pier for our trishaw ride which takes a long time for our turn!

Tags: Friends, Heritage, Hot, Leo Club, little india, Penang, Travel
Posted in Around Malaysia, Leo Club, Lifelog, Penang, Travel | Comments

Leo Forum 09:Group Trishaw Ride from Church Street Pier to Explanade

Written by Nicholas Chan on June 13, 2009 – 1:27 am -

I had been on a trishaw ride before in Penang, it was 3 person in a trishaw, that was from KOMTAR to New World Park. Last week, I went on a trishaw ride again and it’s different, it’s travelling in group like there’s 10 trishaws moving together. How did I get onto this was this trishaw ride was part of program of the Leo Forum that I’ve attended recently. It’s to allow delegates from other states to experience the trishaw ride in Penang.

Imagine 1070 delegates waiting for trishaws, it’s so freaking long and imagine the temperature is like around 35 degree celcius, afternoon, hot sun, it’s not comfortable sitting on the trishaw. We were kinda late, when we were there at Church Street Pier, there’s already people waiting for rides and some were already on the trishaw. I don’t know why my group was among the last few.

The weather lately is so freaking hot. That day was hot too, it’s just not feeling comfy waiting. The sea breeze was blowing strong but it’s warm.

We waited, waited and waited because we were among the last few groups, so it’s long for us to get onto the trishaw. So we just sat there and wait. Some were taking photographs there and some were just exploring the place.

Because of us, Weld Quay which is the place where Church Street Pier is, was traffic jam with trishaws and buses transporting the thousands Leo Forum delegates.

After waiting for like an hour, we finally got a chance to get on the trishaw. I picked one with umbrella and the shade thingy. It’s was really very sunny in the afternoon and the heat was OMG.

Here we go then. The ride started from Church Street Pier to Fort Cornwallis at Explanade. One thing to say about it, I guess you all know what it is, HOT!

Besides that, there’s something bad about it was stopping behind a diesel vehicle like a bus was scary, the dirty, toxic gas coming out from the exhaust pipe.

It’s a one way ride. Buses were waiting for us at Fort Cornwaliis, we did not go into the fort, we just stopped outside and took some photograph. Then we got onto the bus and back to the hotel. Frankly speaking, that was my first time being at this part of Fort Cornwallis. Hehe, thanks to the trishaw man for cycling us. He must be tired cyling so many rounds.

Do you know that in China, trishaw is one of their public transport to use to travel from a place to another? In here is just a tourist attraction. It will be nice if there’s more trishaw for local use.

Tags: fun, Hot, Leo Club, Many People, Penang, ride, Travel, trishaw, Weld Quay
Posted in Around Malaysia, Gathering, Leo Club, Lifelog, Penang, Travel | Comments

Inside Pavilion Shopping Mall

Written by Nicholas Chan on June 7, 2009 – 10:00 am -

Pavilion shopping mall is nice to walk and shop, but then there’s a lot of high end brand which I can’t afford. Though, walking around such place without buying anything is still nice. It’s different from the previous visit when I went there last weekend because it had became more crowded, still the crowds and people can’t beat the people in Hong Kong or Singapore.

It’s our first shopping mall stop in Kuala Lumpur. It’s 5 minutes walk from the hotel Impiana KLCC. Then we spent like 3 hours there in the mall, only then we went on to Lot 10 and Sungai Wang for a while then at night to Suria KLCC.

Walking is a good exercise but it’s tiring too. When we were at Sungai Wang, we wanted to take a cab or something to go back to the hotel, it’s like 15-20 minutes walk away because at that time we were tired. In the end, we walked back, it’s traffic jam and moreover cab in Kuala Lumpur is always expensive and is not paid according to meter which sucks.

Pavilion, you like?

Tags: Brother, high end, kl, kuala lumpur, pavilion, Shopping, Travel, trip
Posted in Around Malaysia, Shopping, Travel | Comments