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Penang Dragon Chinese New Year Miao Hui 2012

Penang Dragon Chinese New Year Miao Hui 2012 – Last year, I did not go to check out the Miao Hui in Penang because I was in Kuala Lumpur, studying. This year, I has a long holiday and I get a chance to visit this super happenings, crowded, fun cultural festival in George Town, Penang.

庙会, Miao Hui is a Chinese New Year cultural event and festival that happens in Penang yearly. This introduces the Chinese culture to everyone, Chinese, non-Chinese, tourist, anybody. It’s fun because that you can find good food, have many opportunity to try out your photography skill, learn some Chinese culture that you don’t know, play games, see performance, join the crowds and more. It’s like a big carnival, at the same time can explore the old city of George Town. Most of the Chinese clan houses are open for free during that day.

I have been there for a few years before during my high school time, but it still doesn’t feel bored to me. Hueisean, as a Penangite haven’t see the Miao Hui before, how can that be? So I brought her to check it out and she was excited.

The zodiac for this year is Dragon and so the Miao Hui were dragon themed all over the place. The crowds were huge, newspaper reported there’s more than 100,000 visitors to the Miao Hui. That’s really a lot! I armed myself with Lumix LX5, Canon 60D + Sigma 30mm f1.4 + Sigma 8-16mm and a tripod, then I started shooting around at there.

I went there at about 6.30pm, found a parking spot and started exploring around with Hueisean. Met some friends too. Although it’s almost the same every year, I felt it has become better, with more food, more games and better decorations too. We walked until about 9pm until our leg were tired, then we went back home. We didn’t really explore the whole Miao Hui as there’s too many activities and we were tired. There were a firework showcase at 12am too, but we missed it. Overall, that day was fun and tired. Good job to the organizer and Penang State Government.

Entrance to the central performance stage, a “red carpet” for VIP too. (Pitt Street / Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling)

Kids looking at Penang’s Chingay performance. Chingay is an activity that involve balancing a huge flag with hand, and head. (Pitt Street / Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling)

Chingay in action. (Pitt Street / Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling)

The entrance to the main stage with red carpet. (Pitt Street / Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling)

High school student dressed in traditional clothing leaded by VIP at the back to the main stage. (Pitt Street / Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling)

Look at the crowds! Hueisean and I were following the VIP on the red carpet. =D

Look at the amount of camera!

Tiger, the zodiac for 2010.

Hueisean biting on Taiwanese sausage.

Entrance of Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi.

Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi Clan House.

Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi Clan House.

“One for one dolar.”

Students dressed in traditional clothing, selling food like herbal eggs, my favourite!

Chinese-style alcohol container.

Chinese-style alcohol container. The word read as Jiu, which means alcohol.

With the Chinese traditional funny face clown.

Entrance to Cheah Kongsi.

There’s a stand-up comedy talk show by Penang’s stand-up comedian Kim Sir at Cheah Kongsi.

Girl checking out the “wishing-CD”. It’s just plain CD where you can write your wish, then stick on the dragon. It’s a way of decorating with recycle item. (Cheah Kongsi)

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng arrived and lousang.

Very funny. There’s a section which introduces you about Chinese festival. At the Cheng Beng section, there’s a Chinese grave, writing “someone’s grave”. Cheng Beng is a Chinese festival where people pay respect to their ancestor.

A gift shop at Armenian Street.

An antique bike shop on Armenian Street.

The uncle was playing on a Shanghai’s guitar which need to strum and press on the key.

Yummilicious deep fried street food. There’s my favourite fried siu mai.

Entrance of Tua Pek Kong Temple, Armenian Street.

Tua Pek Kong Temple, Armenian Street.

Exhibition of Baba Nyonya culture at Hock Teik Seah Tua Pek Kong temple.

Playing congkak, a traditional Malay/Baba Nyonya game.

Showcase on how a Baba Nyonya wedding is like.

If you haven’t check out the Miao Hui before, come back next year during Chinese New Year season, it’s something that must not be missed in Penang. =)

February 29, 2012
Explicit Anti-Lynas Video – Good Day To Die By Namewee

Explicit Anti-Lynas Video – Good Day To Die By Namewee – Namewee, the person who makes Youtube video in Malaysia, famous for criticizing the government, also is my idol, has finally stand up to make a video for Anti-Lynas. Explicit content ahead, with lots of vulgar word.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLn3BLWw9B8&w=640&h=480]

What do you think about the Lynas issue?

February 29, 2012
Set Lunch At Salsas Restaurant, Penang Road

Set Lunch At Salsas Restaurant, Penang Road – I’ve so many food to blog about and now I’ve the time to write them up all on my blog. Some are dated back to last year. Haha. Forget about the date, forget about time, let’s indulge with some food pr0n, shall we?

In the finally weeks of December 2011, I went to meet up a good friend, Yiphing, together with other buddies for lunch at Salsas Restaurant, Penang Road. It’d been some times that we did not come out, sit down and eat. Everyone has their own business now.

Yiphing suggested Salsas Restaurant for our meet up lunch as she’s working as an intern at that area. I guess this was my second time eating out at Salsas Restaurant as the first time was long ago when Salsas was still at Kelawai Road.

Salsas Restaurant serves western food and they have a variety of set meal to pick for lunch. The price of set lunch starts from RM13.90+. Well, I picked a set meal that costs RM15.50+ and that’s a Baked Penne Pasta as a main course.

Each set meal comes with a starter of soup or salad, a main course, a desserts and a drinks.

This is Yiphing.

Starter – Mushroom Soup with Toasted Bun.

Starter 2 – Healthy Salad.

Main Course – Baked Penne Pasta in cream sauce with shredded chicken ham, mushroom and cheese.

Main course 2 – Grilled chicken breast with mushroom cream, served with fresh vegetables and potatoes.

Desserts – Vanilla ice cream and a piece of cake.

Overall, I find the food at there is not bad and kinda affordable. The place is crowded with office workers around that area during lunch. The desserts was just normal in my opinion.

Salsas Restaurant is located in Continental Hotel.

No 5, Penang Road, 10000 Penang, Malaysia.

Telephone: +604-2633923

Business Hours: 11.30am-2.30pm / 6.30pm-11.00pm

[googlemaps https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=215278323465761497274.000469feb8850ec72b675&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=5.422171,100.33453&spn=0.005127,0.006866&z=17&iwloc=0004b9ebd04f29e7d2111&output=embed&w=640&h=480]

February 29, 2012
Monday Macallum Street Pasar Malam (Night Market) 五条路夜市

Monday Macallum Street Night Market (Pasar Malam) 五条路夜市 – Macallum Street, also known as 5th Road, or Gor Tiao Lor 五条路 has pasar malam on Monday night at the basketball area. As usual, it’s not a fix night market and the vendors are on mobile, moving from place to place, like Tuesday to Tanjung Bungah, Wednesday to Farlim, Friday to Jelutong and Sunday to Paya Terubong.

It’s no surprise that you can see the same vendors at different night market location on different night. On Monday night, I went to check out the Macallum Street night market, it’s my first time visiting the night market there. Macallum Street is a high-density housing area with lots of low-cost flats in town, and I usually go there to eat tomyam noodle at Ruyi’s.

I parked my car by the roadside and then went to explore the night market with Hueisean. It was not a great night as the weather was like going to rain. Flashing can be seen in the sky, but there’s no rain. Maybe because of this, some vendors decided not to open business that night.

Same as other night market, you can find food, clothing, and some home accessories there. I did see many food, but not many clothing. So far, the night market with the most clothing is Farlim’s, and food wise can check out Jelutong’s. Overall, the best in Penang is still Farlim’s.

Bought some street snacks to bite on like chicken pop corn and deep fried siu mai, they are so delicious, and unhealthy. =D

Hueisean on the road.

Mobile vendors parked their vehicle and stalls by the roadside.

Low-cost flat at Macallum Street.

Chicken Dramping is actually the wrong spelling, it means Fried Chicken Siu Mai. Yums

[googlemaps https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=215278323465761497274.0004b80a852f7e1d51867&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=5.405776,100.333307&spn=0.005127,0.006866&z=17&iwloc=0004ba07ff0ab5597155d&output=embed&w=640&h=480]

February 28, 2012
Pai Ti Gong / Hokkien New Year At Chew Jetty 拜天公

Pai Ti Gong / Hokkien New Year At Chew Jetty 拜天公 – Pai Ti Kong literally means “pray sky god” is a very happenings festival during Chinese New Year in Malaysia, especially in Penang. It is also known as the Hokkien’s Chinese New Year where this day is celebrated by most Hokkien Chinese. It falls on the 8th day of Chinese New Year during the night throughout the midnight, where you can hear the sound of firecrackers and fireworks all over Penang, and place where people celebrate it.

On this night, Hokkien Chinese set up a table full of food which are to serve to the “Sky God”. Although fireworks and firecrackers are prohibited in Malaysia, but then people still playing with them because it’s one of the Chinese culture.

Penang is has the most people celebrated this day and it’s the most happenings place for Pai Ti Kong in Malaysia, especially at Chew Jetty.

I am a Cantonese Chinese, so I don’t really celebrate the day, but then I do go to Chew Jetty every year to see people celebrating it and also to pray too. Last year, I didn’t get a chance but this year I have it. Chew Jetty was even more crowded this year. About 1km stretch of road were close for the Pai Ti Kong festival. As usual, a long table is set up on the road where people put food on the table which to be served to the god. Rich people will buy roasted pig to be dedicated to the god, of course, they will take back the roasted pig and eat with their family and friends after the praying ceremony at midnight.

Chew Jetty was so happenings and crowded. Something different then last time is there’s a stage set up with performance and some performers hail all the way from China. Mini stalls selling gift and collectible product are set up in Chew Jetty too.

The number of people that went into Chew Jetty was really a lot, a lot until that RELA had to restrict the number of people to go in as afraid that too many people will make the place collapse. Luckily, everything went nice, as they arrange people to go in batch by batch. Well, this is another must see in Penang, it’s something very different, very special, during Chinese New Year.

Traffic jam at Weld Quay.

Chinese lantern.

Miku bread for the god.

A girl putting food on the long table.

Roasted pork!

Big dragon joss stick.

Interview by RTM Malaysia TV station.

Performance stage.

Tarrot card fortune telling.

RELA member arranging people to go in Chew Jetty batch by batch. Good job.

Have you been there before? Check out my post about Pai Ti Kong in 2010, 2009, 2008.

February 28, 2012
Cycling & Explore Balik Pulau, The Other Side Of Penang

Cycling At Balik Pulau, The Other Side Of Penang – Last Monday, I went to the other side of Penang Island, a more rural part of Penang, a more nature part, somewhere more relax, more greens and a totally different side of the urban developed George Town – Balik Pulau. Balik Pulau also means back of Island in Malay.

It’s a small town at the back of the island, with the presence of villages, padi field and many fruit and vegetable farms. I’ve read online that there’s bicycle rental service in Balik Pulau that allows you to rent a bike to explore Balik Pulau at the same time exercise some reflexes of the feet through cycling.

I called up the person in-charged Eddie who operates the bicycle rental service and meet him up in Balik Pulau. He brought 3 bikes, one for himself, and two for me and Arron. Besides renting the bike, Eddie himself was our guide around Balik Pulau that day. I didn’t think we would have a guide, I though we would be given a map and follow the trail. But then having a guide is better than following a map, Eddie was very friendly to guide us along the way, and introduced some cool places in Balik Pulau.

Our biking trail was designed by Eddie himself and the whole trip took about 2.5 hours through 20km of journey. We started about 5pm and ended at 7.30pm. Normally it’s 15km only but he told us that we were fast and he brought us to explore more.

Being in Balik Pulau doesn’t felt like being in Penang anymore because of the rural village and the beauty of nature. Our biking trail went through Malay village, Chinese Kampung Baru, river streams, padi fields, fruit farms, vegetable farms, fishing village, Malay’s cemetery and a little beach, as well as some major road in Balik Pulau.

It’s fun, it’s a good exercise, but sitting too long on the bicycle makes my ass hurts. After all, Arron and I enjoyed the cycling trip, only that we missed out the Hokkien Mee and Laksa alongside Kuala Jalan Baru which only available during the weekend.

Arron and Eddie in front. Cycling on a less-car road.

Arron Lim.

Well, the Bike Trail signage are actually set up by the government, though Eddie doesn’t recommend following the signage as the trail is long and doesn’t has much thing to see.

Eddie introducing a Chinese temple at Kampung Jalan Bharu.

He said that if you sees a Chinese temple presence, it means that the whole area is a Chinese populated village. Normally temple is set up at the entry point of the village as well the end point, which the Chinese god will protect the people.

A dirty stream

Typical Chinese village house.

A rice paddy field at Balik Pulau, unfortunately, those paddy has been harvested and resulted a not-pretty paddy field scene.

It’s me.

Luckily the weather was pretty nice that afternoon. Google Weather did actually reported that 70% chance of storm, but there’s no rain.

Cycling through the paddy field.

Arron.

Yes, this is Penang Island, doesn’t look like Penang right? It’s the other side of Penang, the more nature side.

A hut storing stuff.

Awas = Beware.

Cow.

Our rides.

At the river mouth of Sungai Burong, where here you can get a great shot of Sunset. Unfortunately, we were still early at that time.

Looking at far, it’s Pulau Betong, a fishing village and at there you can find Pasir Panjang beach.

An abandoned house that looks creepy.

Locals playing sepak takraw.

Along the main road.

I’ve heard that Nibong Tebal has bicycle for rental for cycling trip too, guess it’ll my next destination. Cycling is fun and healthy way to explore places like this.

If you plan to go cycle at Balik Pulau, do give Eddie a call to book your bike and make appointment. He told me that there will be a Explore Balik Pulau Visitor Centre opening somewhere around May 2012 at Air Putih.

Explore Balik Pulau (by Avent Leisure Sdn Bhd)

Telephone: +6016-4522100 (Eddie)

Email: aventleisure@gmail.com

Opening Hours: Monday – Friday 2pm – 6.30pm / Sat, Sun, Holiday 12pm -6.30pm

Rental: RM30/day with guided tour.

February 25, 2012
Cibai Vagina Warriors & Stop LYNAS

Cibai Vagina Warriors & Stop LYNAS – Are you feeling funny with the title of this post? I also feel very funny when I read it but Vagina Warriors is real. It’s actually a stage play by a performing arts society call Neigbourhood in Penang. I just went to see the 90 minutes drama at the Penang PAC (Performing Arts Centre of Penang) at Straits Quay just now and it’s awesome, funny and it’s a good show after all.

How I came across this was reading on the newspaper where the title Vagina Warriors caught my attention. Its description asked why a exit of life will turn into a vulgar word by the people – Cibai? It sounded interesting and since I’ve been wanting to go catch a show at Penang PAC, finally I’ve got a chance. Ticket was RM18/student when group purchase of 5 and normal tics at RM30, normal student ticket at RM23.

The Vagina Warriors is a show that talks about vagina, the genital of woman. It introduces and explains more about it which focus on topic like menstruation, the clitoris, facts about rape, giving birth and more. It’s like a documentary drama with jokes. Well, it’s something embarrass to talk about, but after watching the show, I understand more about it. One funny part is when the actress asked the spectators to shout “CIBAI”, super duper funny.

After all, it’s educational and it’s a good show. Nothing dirty about it.

The hall is so much smaller than KLPAC, but it’s cool!

One thing that we spotted at Penang PAC is that the Neighborhood Performance Group set up a little corner of “Says No To LYNAS”. Well, I also want to say no to LYNAS because it’s bad for human health in the east coast of Malaysia. A little bit information about LYNAS that it’s a factory that will be set up at Pahang, which this factory will dispose toxic and high radio activity waste substances that are harmful to human health. There will be an Anti-LYNAS rally (Himpunan Hijau 2.0) in Kuantan this Sunday, please support and together, anti-LYNAS.

Learn more about LYNAS through the video below:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSPyVm2Zj5I]

February 25, 2012
A Visit To Snake Temple, Bayan Lepas

A Visit To Snake Temple, Bayan Lepas – Snake Temple is a famous Taoist temple in Penang that has the presence of snake in it. This visit to the temple is my first time and no one has actually brought me there but myself, not long ago. The temple is located at Bayan Lepas, about 2km away from the Penang International Airport.

It’s a spontaneous trip as I was near to that area, so I pay a visit to the temple with Hueisean. It’s not really up to my expectation because I expect the temple to be more gross because of many snakes. Though the snakes were not many at the temple, 10-20 maybe? Some at the altar table, a few at the tree. I’ve heard my teacher in high school telling me that during the 70s, before the built of Free Trade Zone, the temple did indeed filled with many snakes.

Those snakes are actually poisonous with venom. But with the smoke of joss stick, it calms the snake down and they lie there like a boss all day long waiting for chicken meat. The best of all, entrance is free. Did some praying and off we go.

Entrance of snake temple.

Lanterns at the snake temple.

Snakes and chicken eggs.

More snakes.

Pit viper snakes!

Hidden in the tree, camouflage.

The ornamented roof.

Lazy dog doing sun bathing early in the morning.

Exterior of the snake temple.

Actually, I’m kinda afraid of snakes, but then I like to see snakes show on National Geographic & Animal Planet channel. Hahaha.

February 24, 2012
Bangkok: Night Market Outside Central World

Click here for more posts about my Bangkok Trip.

Bangkok Trip: Night Market Outside Central World (Day 4) – Well, it almost comes to the last post and last day of my Bangkok trip. I still have one more post to share about. So after going to a day of Bangkok sightseeing trip to Wat Pho, Wat Arun and Grand Palace, I went back to hotel to take a rest to recharge my power. Later at night, it’s pretty free and no place of interest to go already.

Mom randomly suggested walking around the Central World shopping mall area as there’s a small night market right in front of the mall. We walked from our hotel and it took us about 20 minutes to reach there. It’s nice to walk at night because the weather get cooler and is away from the sunny sun.

At the night market outside Central World, you can find typical Thai’s night market stuff like clothing, beauty accessories, footwear, lots of street food, gift and more. Didn’t really buy anything there except a bottle of beverage and went to bought a notebook in Central World instead. Hehe, thanks dear Huei for getting me the notebook.

Since there’s nothing much to see at there, we went back to hotel for the last night. And so, my Bangkok trip has put a full-stop here. The last day, day 5 is just another going-to-airport-and-back day.

Shrine is everywhere!

Fried food look so yummy, but super duper unhealthy!

[googlemaps https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=215278323465761497274.0004b80a852f7e1d51867&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=13.748118,100.539322&spn=0.005002,0.006866&z=17&iwloc=0004b80a8cf4ff4d41c44&output=embed&w=640&h=480]

Click here for more posts about my Bangkok Trip.

February 23, 2012
Black & White At Shing Kheang Aun

Black & White At Shing Kheang Aun – Went to lunch just now at the Hainanese restaurant Shing Kheang Aun in George Town. It was very hot, and sunny. I have my camera with me, mounted with Sigma 30mm f1.4, when I saw down by the table, I got bored, and then I started snapping away. Switching mode from colour to monochrome black & white.

Happy Wednesday people! =)

February 22, 2012

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