Penang day1 - June 9th
thats our new lime green luggage (after we got off at penang... scratches...)
arrival at the airport at 9+am. it was a little "rush" when we left but we made it. We were fine and we walked around the dfs but in the end we had to walk very fast to board plane cos SIL was buying a bag... i sat next to my SIL while gx sat nx to his parents. it was their 1st time flying. his 1st full family trip. I know it meant alot to him.
Landed we head straight to the hotel by hotel transfer. the driver very nice, he pointed some places for us to look out for.hate it when our rooms are always at the end... i dun like the long walk and at the corner... after unpacking and getting ready, FIL frens came on time and brought us out to have our 1st meal in Penang. So right, he brought us to a coffeeshop that was recommended for its loh bak and durian ice-cream kachang. lucky us! we had our 1st penang fried kuey teow and it was good! it was from a pushcart outside the coffeeshop. the popiah was fat and on only one thin layer of skin and they hav soup to go with it not gravy but soup. they soak it in or pour on it and eat it wet... felt weird to have it soggy but was not bad.
Uncle heng then brought us for an orientation walk at chinatown. he brought us to his fren shop that sell herbal drinks. we were all so full so we shared a cold cup of sugar cane kinda herbal drink and it was so nice and refreshing! it was good as it was clear and not with lots of residues. then we carried on the walk by ourselves. it was hot and then it started to rain and hot again... 
we headed to komtar but that place was so run down and we skipped it as it was like danger lurking everywhere. after the long walk we popped by the building opp komtar it was so much better! more lighted shops and more people. here is where i 1st bought my gold vincci shoes... lucky got buy... saw another 2 pairs but tot mayb spread it out would be better... sat at Mcdonalds for a cool drink and decide where next... so we headed to GheeHiang next. A very very far walk in this wet and hot weather... along we saw the streets with loads of coffeeshops the one that caught our eyes was sunway hotel area. this was an open-air loads of pushcarts food stalls... we ren as we were still full and too early for dinner. pass umno building, we were all getting very tired and hot. finally saw the shophouse building by itself. i bought all kinds, 2 each for both side of my family. except the sesame oil cos i was afraid it will leak although i know it mit be really nice aroma and taste. we ended up 4 bags, big bags! we sat in the shop to cool down and rest.
ghee hiang... kok hiang...
corny i know...
headed to the bak ku teh stall we passed that was near ghee hiang. one hot claypot and we were all hot after dinner. gerald was bathing in sweat! then we walked along some shophouse and arrived at the chinese clubhouse... some martial art house where my FIL did his liondance stunts before. something like that...
as for us we jus go round take fotos!we walked around to see the pictures on the wall, sat around and see some kids run pass us as they were warming up. then we walked all the way home when the rain stopped. it was a long walk! but it was ok as everyone was happy.
after shower, Uncle Heng came for us and his fren walked us to nearby down the road red gardens where its like our newton circles but less stall and stalls were all on the side. wanted to try the fried hokkien prawn noodles... never got it as FIL say no need as we are very full... it was our 1st time experience that in this eating place, there is a stage and 3 singers... blasting music and singing was off! as they are the oldies style of singing, singing mostly oldies but the singers here are prob only 35+++ they are the youngest we have seen.... new songs oso become oldie cos the way they sing... then got an uncle offer to get satay... so i said yes immediately... a least there is something for me and SIL to do... eat. ccos gx was drinking and occasionally talking to the uncle sitting next to him and FIL was talking to a group of his friends. MIL was talking to one of the uncles' wife. both of us were exhausted listening to the singing... then satay came but it was not nice... sad isit... as time drag past mn... after downing quite a few bottles ... finally can get bac to hotel but i couldn't sleep at all... jus close my eyes and dare not open them and jus hold on till wee morning... usually gx would wait for me to fall asleep 1st but he drank so he couldn't wait up for me...
then a long long drive to Kei Lok Si a temple up on a hill. I slept throughout cos i hardly slept thru the 1st nite! i nod of for a long time i tink! been here with my family before. it started raining while we climb the steep slope but it wasnt as bad as we climb there are shops along the slope. we stop to feed a pond filled with turtles? then carry on to climb up. 
but now they build a new temple for a HUGE guanyin statue on top of a higher hill! look a lift up a slope and they were still in the mids of building the pillars and then shelter. it rained as we walk around her. it was majestic! after which we climb down, stopped to buy some tidbits and head down to eat. FIL chose the less crowded coffeeshop cos it had space, no need to Q, had different food to choose from cos the other one is he famous thus long q and only have the penang laska. the food ok but the worse to happen is that we sat so near a counter with a tv and VCD player... didnt realise when we sat down... then he music came on ... the boss started his CONCERT! errrrr! food was really only ok in fact not as nice as the one we ate in penang loh! oredi ren then he have to sing cos we big group we are his audience. hate it! still can have speech and say thank you when we ignore him! left once finish the only nice thing ... the lime water. pass a shop that sells chinese pastry bot 4 xiu baos and i prefered that anytime to that LATE LUNCH! cos of the horrible loud music. too bad the muah chee nobody when i was there... then tghe auntie arrived but this time she had her niece in the car... she was so shy...at 1st. she loves durian and next day she was gog for an op so her aunt brought her along to join us. long drive to the end and high up of penang! along saw durian trees, nutmeg trees which penang is famous for their nutmeg! arrived at the chinese kampong...the stench was strong! walked into the forest to see durian trees, saw starfruit trees and rambutan trees. ALMOST had to eat in the forest which SIL got bitten by mosqi... when we took out repellent they realise we prefer not there
so we proceed to a coffeeshop... once the durian opened u have to be really fast! WHY? cos the flies will land on the durians! not one its the whole swamp K!!! one of the fly still stay on my hand long enough to let me take my camera with one hand and on it and shoot it! pic right at the bottom left! but the durian was good... eerrr not with the flies really gota be FAST!
then we headed down hill, stopped at the little "Ma Ju" temple that was where the water from the tsuinami stopped, the water splashed all the way through the swamp but stop at the temple, the water didnt flow into the village... 
then we continue and stop at a place for early dinner the fish soup noodle was nice. the noodles in penang all qq one this white noodle is like udon but thinner and nicer. 
the auntie was nice after dinner she drove is to a sunset viewing point it was beautiful sight... drove us bac to the hotel. the gal had her fun and i managed to get her to nap all the way till we got off. I hope her op went well. she is very pretty and i hope she will be fine. 
after resting for awhile we headed out by ourselves instead of waiting for the uncle who insist on coming to get us... that is not good news... cos its jus gog be drinking again. we sneaked out to sunway hotel to eat! we ordered alot of food! it was good! my favourite is the chee cheong fun in rojok sauce! really good! then when the uncle called he came looked for us then we went to the club again... but tink we looked exhausted and haha we ate so much we were all sleepy so they let us off early ... so bac to hotel, a quick plan for our F&E day and off i knock off! 
After breakfast we headed to the Blue Mansion - Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion. this historical momument was very near our hotel across the road. it was a guided tour @ RM12 per pax. the lady very fierce haha strict i would say not really fierce but she speaks fast and fury thou. interesting thou and like school children listening to her lecture! she guide us through the old mansion and share interesting facts and the feng shui of the house. I find it interesting and gerald like the info we learnt. As we tour the place she brought us into a guest room. They now operate as a hotel too. She showed us into this room that is handicap friendly as we walked through the room i had a dejavu. i have dreamt of walking into that room before. i always have dejavu esp when overseas. ever tell my mum that when i was up at mt. cook with sis and mum, then the scene really familiar, when she heard what i say : i have dreamt of this before have been here in my dreams...haha my mum exclaimed are you alrite wana see psychiatrist... plead with the lady to turn bac to the feng shui spot as i didnt get to try to feel the chi. she was nice enough to accomodate me haha cos we bought the book to read about the mansion. I did feel some magentic sort of feel running through my fingers! Lucky FIL, MIL and SIL find it ok! while gx explain to his dad about some facts after the tour, me and my SIL went to take fotos! Love the blue! they had the blue paint made from MANY MANY blue flowers. 
headed to newly opened in dec penang biggest mall... Queensbay Mall. reach at about 3.45pm only went into ONE shop to try the 2 tops never buy... world of feng shui, basket robbin, got 2 headbands for my little cousins, then walked a fast round to see the shops, never step in and i got xianz ... went bac by 5pm, shuttle was full so no choice took a cab, all squeeze in all the way to hotel. 
Got bac to hotel by 6pm i was super bored so i opened the curtains to see the view... can see penang bridge and the Blue mansion that we visited in the morning. then watch tv...while Gx napped, he say will bring me go see sunset later since his parents say not gog anywhere till dinner at 8pm... as we prepare to go out at 7pm... they changed our plans ... of cos a little upset... wanted some time with him but family trip so i go with the flow... funny thing is they wana go eat ... yah before the invited dinner they wanted to eat...on our own first. It was crazy but we went ahead.
GREEDY! we all felt that we had to go back to sunway hotel area for 2nd round! best part is we were invited to a "farewell" dinner by FIL frens. lucky thing is that where we will meet them, its nearby! we had 45mins to order all we want and stuff ourselves and haha we all enjoyed it but were all feeling bloated!this round we had 2 triangular block otak, beef soup, horfun, my favourite but another stall chee cheong fun, althou this is the one is the famous stall, i like the other one i had better. AND DA ZHANG ZHOU! i only eat the fried intestine which was so good, SIL say the fresh one taste quite raw... funny thing is they add charsiew. nice! i love fried intestine and is the only organ that i eat but only fried ones.
we were suppose to walk at least 10mins and had 10mins to digest before meeting them at the clubhouse... but they waited along the streets for us cos they knew we would pass that road and didnt want us to walk out again as the place they wanted to bring us is down the road only... so we met them... in less than 5mins... crossed the road to join them and walk another 3mins or even less and we reached the dinner place!!! 2nd round in 10mins. 
the place like a hawer centre jus that its styled up! they had stalls around. but a large area esp near the stage seats for drinkers to enjoy the LIVE singing STAGE and of cos drink. they even have reclining rattan chairs for drinkers. There are timed mist fans to cool us down, not as hot as the streets stalls. there are small few stalls on 2nd level and billard room.
it was more thai seafood fare in CHILLI. in the packets of squids, prawns, stingray, clams... they all come with long beans and lady fingers. we shared the rice and eat alittle each. well lucky we did had our wonderful spread earlier on! no regrets esp MIL was happy that we did go sunway! they all ate little as they save their stomach for BEER. drinking started right after the food. bottles after bottles... and the live singing. this is prob one of the better singers we have heard. the lao uncle hoh sound like a heavenly king leh! which one u guess? haha ... LAU DE WAH ...yes really the way he sound and sing ANDY LAU singing oldies man! happening! you will read about the drinking complaints below... esp the blog when i arrive back! moved to the club shophouse... part 2 drinking and smoking session. they were all high, looking at pics on the wall, had photograph session. giddy and went back to hotel and slept... end of day 3. 
basically day 4 - wake up cancel street walk so no fresh roti canai, teh tarik, whatever authentic penang malay food: verdict - never gota try. can't sleep since 7.30am... pack up stay on bed to watch tv. news to be exact. applied oil for hangover gerald and look after him. dam xianz so sulky throughout the rest of the day. i gave in and be nice after boarding plane. cos he had to work mn shift for that nite and next nite.
the type u drink martel hard liqour with... but many, many glasses drank...the people very RE QIN so its very paiseh to reject one... they really down average 10 bottles tink thats very little liao! yesterday was eat finish dinner start drinking after 10 bottles went on to clubhouse and continue. i was suffocating and headache cos i can't tahan even one smoker can you imagine all smoke then in a room no windows except the small doorway to the main hall??? we got our way and we went bac without FIL ... he came bac later. the food is great and the sightseeing was good the friends were nice except the singing and drinking culture was an eye-opener. my SIL and I were like passing eyes everytime the singing starts! she will always exclaimed "OH NO.. NOT AGAIN! haha. 
earlier blog was me feeling very frustrasted the whole morning. cos i really think is a waste of time and there were so much we can do with the time but wata do... poor gerald is on his way to work... tomolo morning he will be back then again work mn ... poorthing