Bon Odori Penang 2009

I am supposed to publish this last night but then I am just too tired and went straight to bed.

For those of you who was wondering what Bon Odori is, here’s a quick explanation from Wikipedia :

Bon Odori (盆踊り, meaning simply Bon dance) is an event held during Obon. It is celebrated as a reminder of the gratefulness one should feel toward one’s ancestors.

Originally a Nenbutsu folk dance to express the effusive welcome for the spirits of the dead, the style of celebration varies in many aspects from region to region. Each region has a respective local Bon dance, as well as different music accompanying the dance. The music can be songs specifically pertinent to the spiritual message of Obon, or local min’yo folk songs. Consequently, the Bon dance will look and sound different from region to region. Hokkaidō, or northern Japan, is known for a folk-song known as “Soran Bushi.” The song “Tokyo Ondo” takes its namesake from the capital of Japan. “Goshu Ondo” is a folk song from Shiga prefecture. Residents of the Kansai area will recognize the famous “Kawachi ondo.”Tokushima in Shikoku is very famous for its “Awa Odori,” or “fool’s dance,” and in the far south, one can hear the “Ohara Bushi” of Kagoshima.

And here’s the explanation about the celebration here in Malaysia.

In Malaysia, Bon Odori Festivals are also celebrated every year in Penang and at the Matsushita Corp Stadium in Shah Alam, Selangor. This celebration, which is a major attraction for the state of Selangor, is the brain child of the Japanese Expatriate & Immigrant’s Society in Malaysia. In comparison to the celebrations in Japan, the festival is celebrated on a much smaller scale in Penang and Selangor, and is less associated with Buddhism and more with Japanese culture. Held mainly to expose locals to a part of Japanese culture, the festival provides the experience of a variety of Japanese food & drinks, art and dance.

Reach the Esplanade with my sis at about 7pm. It is already packed and the food stalls stretch as far as the eyes can see.

And then suddenly, I heard some girls screaming from inside a tent! I thought this is a good chance for me to be a hero, so I transformed into the girl-saving-hero mode, went around the front…….

…….and found out that it was a haunted school. *Disappointed*

This is the main stage which is about to give me some problems later. >.<

The Town Hall

My sis and I went around checking out the area first before it gets dark. Met SuperMama here also. ^^,

Some Akatsuki members spotted! There are some other cosplayers present also. Though I can’t really remember from which series.

Some performance underway. Before each performance, a brief explanation would be given about its history and origin of the performance both in English and Japanese.

Its getting dark and the Town Hall is lighted.

The amount of people there! This picture is blurred because someone pushed me from behind when I stopped to take this picture. >.<

Food hunting

After we ate, I noticed that they have switched off the lights at the Town Hall. Dunno why though.

And this is the problem I mentioned earlier about the stage. The fixed spotlights on all 4 corners of the stage, so in this picture, you see the spotlight is blinding!

Changing position won’t help also. ToT This is the view from the VIP stage. ^^,

And this is a short 10 second video of how it looks like.

Changing the white balance and ISO here. Spotlight is still killing my eye.

Changed exposure level. Spotlight still killing me.

And finally I just give up. Spend the rest of the time chatting with my sis until 10pm. The time everyone is waiting for! Fireworks!

This picture below is quite scary. See how low the fireworks is. It is just slightly above the trees. >.<

Here’s a video of the fireworks my sis took. It is not the whole thing though >.< The whole fireworks lasted about 15 minutes.

This is the statue in front of the court. Took it while I am walking back to my car. ^^,

Thats all for the night. ^^, Till next time. Take care and cheers~!

11 Days In Penang – Day 5 to Day 11

Continuing from where I left off.

After the Cameron trip, I went for a fishing trip/Penang Hill/Movie on Monday with Nicki, Chicken Chop and Kiam Hu. No pictures of the trip because I did not bring my camera along with me. >.<

On Tuesday, I went to shop for my long awaited James Phelan’s book – The Blood Oil. Haven’t read it yet as I am currently reading Josh Grisham’s The Appeal. ^^, Can’t wait to read it though! ^^, I do recommend James Phelan’s books to fans of Clancy and Robert Ludlum.

After the book shopping, I went to watch X-Men Origins! It has been so long since I went into a cinema and it was great! ^^, The show is simply amazing!

And then on Wednesday, I spent the whole day with my Ah Mui to celebrate her birthday! ^^,

Happy Birthday~~!!

Somehow when I take pictures, my expression looked kinda funny. >.<

And then on Thursday, I went to Rasa Sayang hotel for a buffet dinner which cost RM96 bucks. Though it cost a kidney and a liver, the food tastes great! One of the best buffet I have ever had! Highly recommended. We went on Thursday, so its the International Buffet day. If you want to go for the Seafood buffet, go on Fridays and Saturdays.

Oh and I forgot to mention, the place is called Spice Market. I had a hard time finding it at first because Rasa Sayang is quite big and the displayed sign is pretty small. So I missed it when driving past looking for a parking. Asked the security guard twice and he wasn’t helpful at all. Ended up after a few trial and errors, I finally found it.

Thats me! Taken by Mandy. In fact, 90% of the following pictures are snapped by her.

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I always love this kind of shots. Dark silhouettes.

I know most of you must be thinking by now : “Show us the food already”. Patience is a virtue. ^^, We happen to arrive early so we walked around the hotel first.

I remember when I was in Sabah, there is also a seaside hotel(forgotten the name) where there is also huts similar to this but slightly bigger which offers massaging services while you enjoy the scenery with a cool drink. What a way to relax! ^^,

View of the setting sun. Amazing and captivating.

And here comes the food! Its an International buffet, therefore there is Indian, Italian, Chinese, Oriental and Japanese food. They also have seafood, but only cold seafood. ^^,

Veggies are good for you! ^^,

Some wine? Every table has a bottle.

We did not drank of course. It cost a bomb! Can’t remember how much exactly but around RM200 I think? >.< The red thing in the glass is strawberry jelly. It has a strawberry on top of it but I guess it went down into the stomach first. >.<

Desserts. There are so many types of desserts. I did not even manage to try them all. But I did try the chocolate fountain. ^^, My first chocolate fountain experience!! Hahaha.

Ice cream o ice cream

Group photo!

Entrance. Nice eh!

Spice spice spice~!

And then on Friday, upon my Ah Mui’s request, I took her around the island. Spotted this radio aid near the airport. I think this is a Doppler VOR. I have not seen a conventional VOR nor a Doppler VOR so close before. The only VOR I have seen is the Langkawi VOR but from 4100 feet, so it wasn’t so clear. But according to what I have studied, this does satisfy the description of a Doppler VOR. >.<

Just for those who are interested, Doppler VOR uses Doppler principle to reduce siting error (i.e error caused by its location) compared to a conventional VOR. For a pilot, it has no difference at all in the air. ^^, VOR = Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Radial and pilots use it for Air Navigation.

One of our stops, the Butterfly Farm. Recommended to everyone who comes to Penang. Imagine walking in a park full of butterflies flying around you. Just be careful not to step on any of them. I also recommend Tropical Fruit Farm. It offers a really great fruit buffet but it only opens on weekends, unless of course if you have at least 20 people in your group, then you can go on weekdays.

Yay! Peace! Plant more trees!

What did I get for myself? Sunburn! T.T it wasn’t so bad but it does hurt. ^^, Now my arms have double tints. LOL.

At my god-bro’s house. Camping for the night. LOL. God-bro and god-sis. Great people in my life! Definitely makes my life more colourful.

On Saturday night. One day before I go back to Langkawi. Family dinner at Korea Palace. ^^, Nice food. Ordered a assorted BBQ meal. Look at the amount of food that we have ate. Dad & Mom on the left of the picture. Although only did manage to capture my mom’s arm.

And then this is what Li Lene gave me in the morning. My University’s certificates

My fencing certificate. Committee for the UMS Open Fencing Championship. I also design the booklet for the competition which can be found here

And this is the certificate that I am the most proud of! ^^, Nothing much but I am really really happy. This is for my second semester. Wonder what happened to the one in the first semester. I will go visit Sabah again next year after I graduate from my flying school. Hopefully I have the time….and money. LOL

This is the medal I got many moons back. It was pinned to my Red Crescent uniform for a very long time before I recently decided to take it down and keep it properly. ^^, Those were good times.

At the airport on Sunday. 35 minutes to departure. ^^, I am missing my parents already. Coming to think of it, it has been some time since I spent time with them. Before my sent off, I was busy in the uni and now here I am, training and again busy. Hmmmm…

Anyway thats all there is. Now that I am in my CA2 phase already, I am one step closer to my dream of flying high up there in the blue skies!

11 Days In Penang – Day 1 to Day 4

I am back once again in Langkawi to begin my CA2 phase.

But lets just put CA2 aside and focus on my hometown – Penang, for the time being.

Going back to Penang really helped me a lot. After the gruelling 4 months of CA6, I finally get to relax a little and I took this opportunity to spend quality time with my family and friends and kind of forget about flying for a bit there. >.<

Touched down on Penang on 7th May and am very excited to be home!

Lots of activities have been planned and first on the list? Cameron Highland!

Am going with my parents and believe it or not, its my first time. >.<

Started out journey on the 9th around 0930.

Hohoho! High terrains in sight!

Going up! Not as steep compared to Genting Highlands though.

Huge farms in sight! Looks more like some top secret lab!

Oh there is this place called the Time Tunnel which is a must go for everyone. Its sort of a museum and it is very interesting. They have a lot of really cool collection inside like this 1941 World War II newspaper. And seriously the number of people killed…shocking…

Another newspaper. This time about Hitler!

My mom told me this is what they used to carry when they go grocery shopping. Enviromental friendly indeed!

This is one of my favourite. Very simple but very cool.

Some old road signs. Some of these signs can still be found on the road still I think. Remember seeing some of these road signs when I was driving around.

Ammunition box. Carries 3000 5.56mm rounds and weighs 38kg if I remember correctly.

This is my first time seeing a real old radio. Only seen in TV before this.

Some scales. ^^,

Another seen-only-in-TV table lamp. Would probably love to own one next time.

A student’s ‘Best Friend’ – The report card!

Old Colgate toothpaste’s packaging.

This is another of my favourite! A pocket calculator! I am amazed how people designed this. Nowadays everything is electronic but back in those days almost everything is mechanical and it is really cool to see how these things work.

Old telephone, projector and a bottle of Dewar’s. Nice~~~

Old water pump.

Ok I suddenly can’t remember what this is called. Somebody please fill in the blanks. >.< Some sort of repellent.

For all the soft drink fans out there!

Another soft drink shot. Some of them no longer exist. Can you spot them?

This is another favourite! Old school cash register! And surprisingly, it still works! Ka-ching.

More soft drinks. I wonder why they don’t produce glass bottled ones anymore. I thought glass is better than plastic? Maybe because of the heavy and fragile glass thats why plastic wins.

Spit spit spit and you are creating an epidemic!

Kopi anyone? The kopitiam feel.

Black and white TV and I have no idea what is the machine below it. Looks like a type-writer but it is not.

Some old money.

Another unknown machine. Something to do with money definitely but I don’t know how it works. Probably used to print price tags??

Forgot what this is called again.

Bread toaster! Yum yum! Hungry I am >.<

I believe this is called the Gramophones? Yes? No?

And I also believe this is called an aeroplane. LOL.

Old cameras. Spotted the SLR there. ^^,

I have no idea what is this. Maybe a TV?

Now Showing! We have the electronic version but this is how it looks like back then.

The mobile phone in the 80s. My dad says it cost more than 10k. Guess iPhone wasn’t so expensive after all. >.<

Hair dryer that shoots laser. LOL. Kidding.

Shopping reminder. Coconut – check. Maggi – Check. LOL.

After the Time Tunnel, its back to the hotel room for a break before going for dinner and then heading off to the Pasar Malam.

This is out room. Love the slanting roof. The room is at the top floor, so that explains why the roof is slanting. Kinda like living in an attic and I love it. The room cost RM203 for 3 person with breakfast and a dinner steamboat for 3. Quite reasonable to my mind.

Then its day 2 at Cameron!

We checked out and then we head off to visit the Tea Plantation. And this is another favourite.

Majestic! This is the Bharat Tea Farm

Don’t you wish that we were a ball and just rolls down the railing? ^^,

That’s my dad over there on the right of the picture.

I love clouds! Fluffy fluffy clouds.

After Bharat, it’s off to visit a Temple. Forgot what it is called.

Don’t know what flower is this. Anybody knows?

A very ‘fat’ toilet sign. >.<

Again I have no idea what is this. My mom told me what it was but I can’t remember. Only remember it was called Buddha’s something something.. =.=||

This I can remember. Its called the Silver Dust. I can remember because the name is very cool.

Can’t remember where this is but its probably a strawberry farm.

After that, we head north to another Tea Farm. This time its BOH’s tea farm. Classy indeed.

Love the corridor. Look very nice. Love all the wood.

An old rolling table used during tea manufacturing.

Lets have a cuppa tea shall we?

After BOH’s tea farm, we went to conquer the highest road in Malaysia. Situated 6,666ft amsl, it is the highest paved road in Malaysia. Though I do not recommend anyone going up because the road is extremely narrow and it is quite steep. Our car had a tire spin on the way up. Go at your own risk or go if you are driving a jaw-dropping 4WD. We went up with our Iswara. ^^,

The view is awesome but still nothing beats the view from the peak of Kota Kinabalu. ^^,

That conclude my Cameron Highland’s trip. Went back on the 10th and reached home at about 1900 hours. It was fun and what an experience! Definitely enjoyed it.

I guess I will continue my report again next time since this is already becoming a really really long post and I am just about half way through.

More pictures coming soon. ^^,

Earth Day

Sunset in Penang

Did you know that today, the 22nd April is the Earth Day?

Earth Day, celebrated April 22, is a day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s environment. It was founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in in 1970 and is celebrated in many countries every year. This date is Spring in the Northern Hemisphere and Autumn in the Southern Hemisphere.

Wiki

So let us all celebrate the day and let us all show our love to the Earth by reducing polution and waste. It is the responsibility of each one of us! ^^,

Back Again… In Langkawi…

Well I am back here again in Langkawi. One week of holiday in Penang is definitely not enough but then again I am glad, better something than nothing right.

One week is extremely short and I have waste no time at all! Been busy eating, buying stuff, meeting friends, collecting ang paus and etc etc, but mostly, its about eating >.< Food in Penang has this special effect on a human – when you set your eyes upon it, you cannot escape from it anymore! You have to work your mouth! Chew chew chew!

Anyway, from the midst of all the chaos, I still manage to take some pictures to share with you peeps. ^^,

First is this super huge present I received from my all time best friend – Samantha! Cookies for anyone who can guess what it is….

And another beautifully wrapped present received from my piggy god-sis >.< Cookies also for those who can guess what it is.

This is what my brother brought back. A 12 year old Black Label and a Imperial. ^^,

And this is my piggy god-sis and me. ^^,

My god-bro and me.

The three of us. ^^,

And the most precious of all! A family picture! It has been a long time since we took one! A very rare chance for me and my brother to be back together. ^^, Happiness!

^^, Tomorrow I will start my CA6, so today will be the last day I can relax. After today, its BATTLE!!! ^^,

But before I go, let me wish everyone A Happy Prosperous Chinese Ox New Year! Drive safe, eat more, laugh non-stop, enjoy the company of families, get/give more ang paus, don’t mess with firecrackers – burn them the way they are meant to be burnt and remember to buckle up at the rear seat! You don’t want to be giving “ang paus” to the police during Chinese New Year! ^^,

To All Xaverians

It has been sometime since I last read the newspaper because I couldn’t find a shop that sells it! Unbelievable right! Anyway I was reading through Star Online and I came across this.

Sunday October 26, 2008

St Xavier’s marks a new chapter after 156 years

GEORGE TOWN: Next year will mark the end of an era for the La Salle Brothers’ public school administration in Malaysia when the last Brother principal in the country retires.

St Xavier’s Institution (SXI) here will see a government servant lead the institution for the first time in over 150 years when Brother Paul Ho, its 29th religious head, steps down in June.

“SXI was the first school in the nation to be administered and fully owned by the Brothers and it can be called the epicentre of spreading the La Salle vision of educating the young,” said Brother Director of Malaysia Anthony Rogers.

Although Brother Paul’s retirement would mark the end of the line of Brother headmasters in the country, Brother Anthony says it will not be the end of the Lasallian legacy.

“A long time ago, when people thought of the schools, they would always think about the Brothers but over the years, we have grown beyond that.

“There is now a whole La Salle family made up of every boy and girl who has studied in our schools along with the teachers, parents, staff and collaborators who have had ties with the schools.

“We’re handing over the baton and it’s a new paradigm which is formed with the same message by a community that knows what it means to be a Lasallian,” he said.

“Brother Paul’s incident is not new. Over the years, all our other schools have also been taken over by lay people.

“There is no real cause for concern as strong boards of governors have been formed to safeguard the traditions and it has been a long-standing promise by the Govern-ment to give us consultation in the appointing of heads in our schools,” Brother Anthony added.

“Since 1852 to 1965, the Brothers built 46 schools in Peninsular Malaysia and were also given 10 more in Sabah and Sarawak by the Bishop to administer,” he said.

On the future of the La Salle Brothers, Brother Anthony said there were many more good things to come.

“The Brothers’ initial priority was to set up a basic education system in the country and the Government has successfully taken over that responsibility.

“There are currently about 10 Brothers aged 40 to 60 who are still active in Malaysia and there has been a lot of thought about branching out into the setting up of private colleges or even universities.

“There is also an increasing number of children suffering from autism and providing education for children with special needs is also part of our plans,” he said.

Brother Paul, too, is positive about his impending retirement, and says the La Salle Brothers have achieved what they had set out to do.

“It’s okay. It’s moving and we have left our legacy.

“We hope that in whatever we have done, we have given the people what was expected. That is our yardstick of what a school should be.

“After all, we only came here to give education to the people of Malaysia and at the end of the day, we have done our job,” he said.

Sunday October 26, 2008

End of the La Salle Brothers’ era

By ANDREA FILMER

GEORGE TOWN: With St Xavier’s Institution being the first school the La Salle Brothers established in the country, Brother Paul Ho’s retirement will be a double milestone as he represents the last Brother principal in Malaysia.

“I joined the brotherhood at the age of 20.

“It was just a feeling I had because all along I’d been taught by the Brothers in primary and secondary school in Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh.

“I just knew this was what I wanted to do,” says Brother Paul, 54.

Principal’s principle: Brother Paul teaching an English Literature class at St Xavier’s Institution and (below)….

He said when he attended St Joseph’s Novitiate in 1974 to receive his religious training, there were quite a number of men joining the Brotherhood, but the numbers have dwindled over the last 20 years.

After postings to schools in Klang and Malacca and two trips to England to obtain a Bachelor’s degree and Masters in English, Brother Paul was finally posted to SXI as headmaster in 1993.

“I suppose what makes the Brothers special is that we have no career ambitions.

“We are called to do our best for the kids and the teachers while following the principles of fairness and justice.

“Although everyone knows that SXI is a Christian school, there has been no such thing as evangelising the students. Race and religion are never brought up because this is a school,” he said.

“The legacy we have in SXI is one of pastoral care in which no child is left behind.

“We accept everyone, even those who cannot read or write. They all have a place here,” he adds.

In an effort to equip less academically gifted students, Brother Paul honed in on his personal skills and opened a bakery 10 years ago for Form 4 and 5 students who did poorly in the PMR examination.

“After the Ministry of Education changed its policy to make it compulsory for students to continue to Form 4 regardless of their results in PMR, many of our end classes started to come back,” said Brother Paul, himself a certified baker after enrolling in free Cordon Bleu courses while studying in Manchester.

Asked what he enjoyed about SXI, Brother Paul, known for his friendliness and brisk walk, said he would remember the noise of the students and the school’s working spirit.

…getting a student to dig right in and mix the dough at a bread-making session in the school’s bakery, extolling the ‘no child left behind’ principle.

For those who are used to seeing the presence of a figure in a white cassock walking the corridors, the end of the La Salle order in the school has been met with a sense of foreboding.

“I think there is always apprehension among Old Boys and parents because they are so used to the way it has been for the last 156 years,” Brother Paul said.

On his retirement, Brother Paul said he planned to live with his family in Australia and take up cross stitching.

“I am going to give myself a lot of time to think about what I’d like to do.

“I never knew I would be the last (of the Lasallian principals) and I think that reality will hit me next year,” he said.

Two articles about Bro. Paul. It really saddens me knowing that he is leaving next year and that he will be the last Brother. Seeing him in the articles’ picture reminded me a lot of all the great time I have had back then. Walking along the corridors of SXI won’t be the same ever again I guess….

What?! It’s Over?!

I am siting right here, in front of my com wondering what to do for the next 1 hour because after this hour, I would be preparing to go back to Langkawi. It always feels sad when I have to leave home. Darn!

I think the past 6 days here has served as a good relief valve for me – a great relaxation for me after 2 months of hectic-ness! Although there are still lots of stuff which I did not manage to do, I am still glad..

Lots of things changed since I last came back. How 2 months can change so many things, so fast, and every time I come back here, I learned something new. And I guess for this time, its the Times Square. Drive along Jalan Dato’ Keramat and you will be greeted by the huge Times Square!

And now I noticed I have another 40 minutes to go… I am just wondering what awaits me here the next time I come back. 4 more months to go before my next arrival back to Penang! Its a bloody long way!

me & my lovely ah MuIz

In Starbucks inside Borders! My favorite spot!

There are still lots of picture which I belum take yet, especially from Nicki! When you wanna give me the photos Nicki? LOL.

Oh and btw, remember I said something about learning when I am back?

Well I did learn something new about flying!

Well, its time for me to go get ready!

I am leaving~~~ on a prop plane~~ Dunno when I’ll be back again~~~ >.<

Yay! Georgetown – Cultural World Heritage Site!

Found this news on The Star from page! And I am really excited when I read this.

Joy as Malacca, George Town become cultural world heritage sites

MALACCA: Elation and relief were the reaction of people in the historic city and in George Town following the cities’ joint inscription as Malaysia’s first cultural World Heritage Site.

Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam, who is in Quebec, Canada for the 32nd World Heritage Committee session, described the success as “global recognition of the country’s ability to protect our unique heritage.”

“I wish to thank the people of Malacca and all who have worked hard to achieve this. The inscription today bears the fruit of 8 years of planning and preparations,” he said in his SMS reply when asked to comment on the decision.

Besides being better able to preserve the state’s rich heritage, he said UNESCO recognition would also bring in economic benefit for the people through the tourism and service industries following expected increase in tourist arrivals.

Malacca Historic City Mayor Yusof Jantan receiving World Heritage Site membership form from secretary general of the Organisation of World Heritage Cities Lee Minaidis in Quebec, Canada. Looking on is Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam and Malacca Tourism, Arts, Culture and Heritage Committee chairman Datuk Seet Har Cheow.

Besides the recognition of Malacca and George Town, the Kinabalu National Park in Sabah and the Mulu National Parkin Sarawak were also inscribed as natural sites in the World Heritage List.

Malacca City Mayor Yusof Jantan, who is also in Quebec, said that the recognition would bring benefit for the state in terms of funding for conservation and preservation work including gaining foreign expert assistance in joint exchange programs.

As the secretariat for the state’s World Heritage Site effort, he said a permanent conservation and preservation unit would be immediately set up by the city council to oversee the implementation of UNESCO’s guidelines.

Malacca Heritage Trusts president Debbie Lee said that the inscription marked the beginning of a new phase in conservation and preservation work.

“The authorities must now ensure that the city’s intrinsic cultural heritage and monuments are protected and preserved through implementation and enforcement of proper policies and guidelines,” she added.

The 17th Century Cheng Hoon Teng Temple trustee member Josephine Chua said the state must now take steps to create greater awareness amongst the public on the importance of preserving the city’s rich cultural heritage.

“The continued recognition as a World Heritage Site is also dependent on the recipients ability to implement and enforce regulations. The tile can also be taken away if we jeopardise our heritage,” she added.

In GEORGE TOWN, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said a state-level heritage committee would be formed to formulate an integrated heritage policy.

Lim, who would head the committee, said it would hold discussions on fulfilling and complying with the parameters of a living heritage and cultural site.

“Penang needs not only an integrated policy, but one that has concrete short, medium and long-term aims.

“The state government will work closely with non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the Federal Government and other stakeholders towards creating a plan that include mechanisms to implement the heritage policy and to focus on conservation efforts within the heritage zone,” he said.

He said the world heritage listing was often followed by an increase in heritage and historical tourism.

“Tourism is Penang’s second income earner. Therefore, we will oversee a coordinated effort to upgrade Penang’s heritage tourism products,” he said.

Lim said the state government recorded its appreciation to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) for listing George Town and Malacca as World Heritage Sites

Lim also expressed his gratitude to the previous Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister, NGOs, the previous state government and government officials from the state agencies who had helped George Town achieve the listing.

George Town, he said, has been recognised for its largest concentration of pre-World War II buildings in South East Asia and multi-ethnic living heritage.

“Malays, Indians, Chinese, Eurasians, Armenians, Japanese, British, Jewish, Filipinos and other small nationalities have contributed to the development of George Town,” he said.

State Local Government, Traffic Management and Environment Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow said the state government has great responsibility to protect and maintain the World Heritage Site status.

“Failing which, the Unesco will degrade us and strip us off the heritage city status,” he said.

Source : The Star Online

Yay! This will definitely bring more tourist to Penang! And will definitely see improvements to those sites in Penang.

I do not know bout you, but although much has been done to all these sites, I still feel something is missing. Lets hope the state government will further enhance these sites and lets hope more tourist will come to Penang! Yay!

Penang Hill – Conquered

Getting a lil adventurous lately. After my Adventure Penang trip, I decided to take things higher by going up Penang Hill. Actually the original plan was to take the tram up and then rent a bicycle and cycle around. But since we have cursed luck; the tram is closed for maintenance just the day before, we decided to go up on foot.

It was good exercise and also a good experience since the last time I climb was when I am 10 or 12 years old. Yup thats how long it has been.

We(Me, Cindy & Rachel) reach Botanical Garden at about 9.30a.m and saw many people there who happens to be MGSian. Apparently they are having their cross country run on that day. So we hang out there for awhile since Cindy and Rachel are ex-MGSian. We only begin our climb at about 9.30a.m from the Moon Gate.

Anyway here are some of the photos I (or anybody holding the camera took) while on our way up.

Encountered this food-deprived dog at the rest hut at level 34

Deprived of food but still a very intelligent and obedient dog!

Rest House no. 84. This is the rest hut for level 84. which is also the half-way mark!

A closer look

We decided to put the camera to action when we take breaks along the way

Moving along. Nice scenery!

Look at how hazy Penang is from above. I can barely see Seberang in the horizon

Kilometer 4.7!! About 400 meters more to the top!

What is that?!! We reached already!!??? Yay!!! This is one of the temple on the peak

The tired and beat-up look. Fuhhhhh…Finally….Reached liau. Rachel here is checking how long it took us to reach the top. The results – 3 full hours! LOL.

From the top!

Compared to my Adventure Penang. See the difference in height? ^^,

Stiched photo. Full top view! But look there are different shades T.T Due to my camera’s angle from the sun.

I actually kinda like this photo. Ignoring my funny smile(its due to the sun kay >.< ), it looks nice

I just love all the clouds and the endless horizon! Makes me feel that I am small

Penang!! Here I am as a cannon ball. Ready to fly down and then knock my head on a building >.< .Ouch!

The skies

^^,

Megaants!!! Encountered it on our way up too. But took this when we were coming down. Cause this is the only pic that is not blur.

The three of us siao kia.

Well that completes my trip report this time. It was a great trip and also a great experience. Though my other two comrade on this trip ended up walking like a penguin due to sore muscles, it was still great! And oh yeah what a better way to end our journey with a cold coconut! I forgot to take pic because was too obsessed with the coconut cause it was delicious and refreshing!! LOL.

Adventure Penang

It has been some time since I last workout, so I decided that its high time to do some workout to keep myself healthy. So I was quite happy when Jay Lin suggested this hiking trip about 3 weeks back (Yes, it has to be postponed because of various reasons, LOL). I thought to myself, this would be a good chance to get out of the house and stretch some muscles!

So I reached Youth Park at 1630hours, met up with Jay Lin and Shaun before we go for a short warm up while waiting for Teik Loon to come. But minutes passed and he is not here yet, so we decided to climb first and if he does call, we will meet up there.

So we started climbing at about 1700 hours and reach roughly at about 1730 hours. Short climb but it was challenging and tiring I would say since it has been about 1 month since I did any activities like this >.<

So lets gets back to topic. We reached Station 35 ( not sure but thats what that is written) at about 1730 and the view was great! So I wanted to get closer to the edge to get a closer view, but damn there are a few dogs there who barked and looks ready to ram me down if I get closer. So I decided to go to a bench nearby to catch some breath.

So we sat on the bench and talk for about 15 minutes before Teik Loon decided to finally call. And Shaun told him to come up and meet us here. So lets fast forward a lil, as the only thing we do is sit and chat. And I can promise you, you will not be interested about what we are talking about =.=||

So at about 1815 hours, we decided to go catch the view for a moment before making our descend. And as I said before it was great from above! Here’s some of the picture I took on my way down..

Yay!! Komtar!! And the rest of Penang town~! LOL

Trying to capture the view behind but damn, it look like crap. But anyway the sky is still nice!!!

This looks better! And I did not know the hill have such a nice plateau

This is just awesome. No matter how many times I look at Penang, Penang is still one great place!

It would have been a great picture, but no, Jay Lin decided to parade her hands >.< LOL

So I have to take again! Grrr.. Anyway I do not know why the contrast difference with the pic above. Must be the hand! Dark aura! Hmmm…Oh and btw, we came down from between those huge rocks. See the tiny passage just above those white granite(or whatever it is called)

Penang again. LOL. I am descending while taking pic but the trails lead us pass this view again, so oh well.

One false step and you get a one way ticket down! And the fastest too! The rolling-down-the-hill method!

Lovely! Beautiful clouds. Beautiful sea.

^^, Nature’s art. Oh and don’t mind the plastic wrapper there! Grrrr…

Another shot of the skies and sea

There is an easier way down but we decided to get adventurous and follow the way of the ropes instead!

This picture is corrupted and I am lazy to fix it because I have to transfer it from my laptop again. And the problem lies with my pendrive which is acting kinda weird and causes some files getting corrupted. It is ok when I view from my laptop, but when plugged into my desktop, its corruptedand vice versa. Guess its called old age. Anyway this is Jay Lin going down the rope

And this is taken by Teik Look looking from below. I am the guy in light green shirt although many seen it as white. Guess its the tress! They are too green! Grrrr.

Anyway thats all the pics. And oh yeah on our way to the car park, we saw a man wearing a shorts, but baggy pants style and you can imagine what we saw. Wanted to take a pic but my phone can’t turn off the shutter sound and we are actually quite close, so I dare not. Or I would or might ended up in the hospital.

After the hike we went to dinner at the coffee shop opposite Penang Chinese Girls’ High School. And I bought supper too. So its time to eat! Bye!