TRAVEL « beyond toxicity

Archive for the 'TRAVEL' Category

May

HAPPY BLOGGING

Looking back, the first 5 months of 2012 have been more exciting and fun filled for me & my blogging. To others, these things may be ordinary but of course to me, the following events that transpired mean the moon and the stars already!

Let’s have a trip down recent memory lane, once more!

February 2012 was about docgelo x Mickey Mouse! The family and I were invited to a 3D2N sponsored adventure in Hong Kong Disneyland. We’re thankful for the opportunity to revisit the wonderful island and theme park for free. It was glorious!

Two months after, I was almost blown away with the hits this blog generated in one day. Considering I am not a celebrity, neither I blog sensational stories, nor national-level events or global issues, an almost 7,000 hits in a single day was beyond surprising!

On the same month of April, I stumbled upon an info on twitter that THE Ministry of Tourism Malaysia is holding its very first Malaysia International Tourism Blog Conference and Awards. I took a chance to nominate my blog and eventually it won under the Best Expat Blog 2012 category. And meeting the gracious and honorable Minister of Tourism Malaysia on stage was really one for the books! Accepting an award because your blog was voted by the people and was approved and confirmed by professional judges was indeed surreal! And FYI, the trophy was literally solid-heavy!

The event was featured in some newspaper within Malaysia and God knows if it also got to foreign shores. Obviously, it felt like weird and unusual to be on paper and to make matters more amusing, I can’t read a character because I don’t know Mandarin! I had to source out to instant friendly translators from my facebook list – a friend in Hong Kong and a Penangite blogger translated that it’s all good so I need not worry. It still felt weird, nonetheless I take pride as the only one wearing Barong Tagalog on that stage. My nose that night became an inch taller! hehehe!

The award was too perfect to celebrate my FIVE YEARS OF BLOGGING; the date of the awards night, May 8, 2012 coincided with the exact anniversary of my blog. Sweet victory, is it not?

Then came last week when I got my blog a dotcom, finally!

A week after I got my own domain, my new blog header banner was delivered.

How could you not be happier?

Presenting, my newest blog header banner….taaaaadaaaah!

Do you like my new blog header?

Does it shout out what I blog about- family, food and fun?

Thank you to my sponsor for this blog header banner, no other than my lovely wife, Tina! *applause!*

Tina and I like it a lot. I love it to bits actually! I even appreciate how my receding hairline was immortalized in this digital masterpiece, hehehe! It’s unbelievable that I have collaborated with an amazing Malaysian artist who generously agreed to do it for my site! Her name is Ms. Emila Yusof, a mother, a wife, a seasoned traveler, an Illustrator, a Children’s Book Writer and an Award-Winning-Blogger! Her blog was named as 2012 Best Tourism Lifestyle Blog at the 2012 Malaysia International Tourism Blog Award. It was literally on stage where we casually and briefly met! And the rest as they say, is history or in our case, an online collaboration. I emailed Ms. Emila heavily about my design in mind and it looks like she effortlessly illustrated everything I want. All my request and suggestions, even my last-minute-revisions were granted and delivered professionally!

Terima Kasih, Ms. Emila! Thank you for being so kind and patient on all my request. It’s my pleasure to own a piece of your awesome talent!

Know more about Ms. Emila Yusof, her art works, books, worldwide exhibits and her portfolio via her award winning blog : http://emilayusof.com/

There are certainly a lot of things to celebrate and to be grateful for!

Thank You, Lord!

May

WHEN LOCATION & OTHER CONCERNS MATTER

By docgelo 6 Comments

I always have few things in mind when choosing a place to stay whenever my family and I engange on a trip. And on top of my list is location, next is location and third is location.

LOCATION

Everything seems accessible and readily available when you opt for the right site. My simple and no-brainer-rule-of-thumb includes the hotel should be near to the place and area that we’d like to visit; it’s definitely a big plus if it’s within a walking-distance-to-everything. I also prefer if it’s proximal to various establishments that offer basic necessities –it’s a personal requirement that I frequently equate to the presence of a 711 convenience store unless the hotel we’re staying provides it all.

When my family and I attended the 2012 Malaysia International Tourism Blog Awards in Kuala Lumpur last May 8, I did not have second thoughts in considering a hotel in Petaling Street or what’s considered to be the China Town in Malaysia’s capital city.

I booked Swiss Inn Kuala Lumpur, a decent-budget-hotel in China Town, a week before our trip. It’s near Pudu Sentral bus and train stations, taxi cabs and Rapid KL buses pass by frequently and it’s a ride-away from Petronas Twin Towers and the venue of the event we attended. It’s located in China Town so expectedly, food stalls and restaurants, shops and whatnot are within reach. Who doesn’t like China Town in any city anyway?

FAMILY FRIENDLINESS

Apparently, my choice should also be Tina and Gabby’s. I always ask their opinions and suggestions prior I use my credit card in doing online reservation. Tina’s concern will always be budget, of course while Gabby’s wants are never demanding. Like kids his age, he’s already happy if our room has cable TV showing his favorite cartoons. And to me, more than TV, I instantly give it a green light when wifi connection is fast and free. Availability of other amenities and facilities are just secondary.

ONLINE RESERVATION

It spells convenience when one can reserve accomodation online. However, I also call the concierge sometimes to confirm some concerns.

ACCOMODATION RATES

If location matters, so does money. Cost of accomodation will always be a consideration for a family like us. There’s nothing wrong indulging in luxurious room at a steeper cost but not when one would go out and leave his room the whole day.

For this trip, we only spent a night and 2 days in Swiss Inn Kuala Lumpur but since we arrived at around 6AM and the regular check-in is at 2PM, I availed via their counter, the additional early-check-in rate of RM70 (US $ 22.40) on top of the RM160+ (US $ 50+) rate of the family room I reserved.

LOCAL FLAVOR

It provides an extra appeal and charm to foreigners if and when the hotel offers bits and pieces of culture and arts its country has. It need not be a traditional show or anything grand, but little details can make a big difference.

CLEANLINESS

is always next to godliness. Room and toilet may be simple and old but it’s unacceptable if everything’s dirty. Glad we’re not disappointed with Swiss Inn.

FOOD, FOOD & MORE FOOD!

Another plus in hotel accomodation is the inclusion of breakfast (or other meals) in the package. Either buffet or set meal, it’s certainly hassle-free if the first meal of the day will be right there waiting.

At Swiss Inn Kuala Lumpur, we indeed enjoyed our breakfast. The spread may be less than usual but for its cost (when one’s not checked in and paying ala carte) is so affordable and more than reasonable than somewhere else. However, we noticed that for 2 consecutive days, menu looked like redundant. Good thing that we favor most of its dishes including their beverages of fruit juices, milk and free flowing coffee (but why fresh milk instead of creamer for the coffee?) and fresh tropical fruits!

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

Usually, I also browse and read online travel advisories and real-tourist-experiences and reviews from my trusted sites like tripadvisor, lonely planet and various travel blogs before I book any hotel online. It gives me ideas of what to expect somehow.

That being said, I think I made the right decision in choosing Swiss Inn Kuala Lumpur the last time we left Penang. Ask my son, Gabby about it; his jump shot says it all.

What do you consider in hotel accomodation?

May

PENANG SPICE TRAIL : ENTICING SENSORY EXPERIENCE

By docgelo 20 Comments

When I arrived in George Town, it took me about five minutes to figure out the location of the office of Ministry of Tourism Malaysia-Penang branch in Beach Street. I asked a traffic officer and a man guarding a building across the street about its location but I didn’t get a positive response. I found out later the office was newly transferred in the area. It came to mind that my adventure for that day had started early. Luckily, taking few more steps, a warm smile and a friendly welcome greeted me at the office’s lobby. I felt so home and was surprised that Ms. Jaime Yeoh knew my name and my recent win for blogging from their office’s Head Quarters in Kuala Lumpur. I randomly exchanged thoughts with her about being a traveler and being a tourist, and the so many possibilities that Penang can offer. Little did I know that I was already speaking casually to the Director of the Penang branch of the Ministry of Tourism Malaysia herself.

Exclusively invited participants arrived in the office few minutes past 8AM. I was introduced to a variety of people who are directly involved in the Tourism industry in this part of Malaysia. Our group of around 40 were composed of hotel managers, travel agency representatives, people from Tourist Guide Association of Penang (I hope I got their group’s name right), some journalists and photographers from the media and of course, a bunch of Penangite bloggers. We were all invited to be introduced and to experience the new tourists’ package called the “Hot and Spicy Penang – The Spice Trail”.

Here are my insights, suggestions and a few tips about the program…

As a tourist, I want to see, taste, smell, hear and feel the place that I am visiting. As a traveler, I want to discover, experience and immerse myself with the culture, traditions, history and lifestyle of the people and place I am exploring. The Penang Spice Trail offers all that with fascinating diversities from Malay, Indian and Peranakan or Straits Chinese all represented in the package.

From the brief orientation at the office’s AVR, we were immediately led to the streets of Penang on foot.

*Suggestions : It would be better if you include an audio-video presentation of somewhat like a synopsis-introduction of the Penang Spice Trail to the participants during the orientation. Also, weather forecast for the day of the tour should be noted.

*Tips : Bring umbrella and fans, wear your sunnies and sun visors and apply that much needed SPF lotion because the tour would involve some walking and strolling in and out of George Town other than riding the very comfy Bas Persiaran or tourist bus.

The tour was professionally guided by the amusing and spontaneous, Ms. Joann Khaw. She kept the participants engaged and well-informed with everything about spices, its history relating to the island and the rest of Asia and lots of pertinent facts. She was never boring and was so candid to burst into laughter and shared smiles with us. She really caught my attention when she mentioned that the Spice expedition to the Southeast Asia was halted when the Portugese, Ferdinand Magellan was killed in an island in The Philippines.

Our first pit stop : An old building with history that dates back to the Spice trade and industry in Penang. I so appreciate the fact that it’s preserved with its structure built with mixed concrete, steel and wood.

After brief discussion on the Spice trade and history in Penang, we strolled back to Jalan Pantai or Beach Street. What’s interesting with this tour package, it’s informative not only of spices and herbs but with almost everything in George Town. Case in point, I learned that when a building has inscription of a year, like that 1886 in the building shown on the next photo, the year indicates the year the building was completed.

From Beach Street, we went to Little India via this quaint alley called Lorong Che Em or Che Em Lane…

Et voila, Welcome to Little India…

Having been to Little India in George Town for a countless times, it still never fails to amaze me. The structures, the aroma of spices and herbs either being sold as raw ingredients or that distinct olfactory stimuli from Indian restaurants will surely draw and entice your noses to try and sample them. Not to forget the loud and lively Bollywood music that lords the parallels of Little India.

That day, I also developed my appreciation for wooden shutters! We were told that this building with gorgeous wooden shutters (on the next photo) is currently undergoing restoration.

It was only a few steps across the Indian restaurant we sampled for breakfast.

I have professed on this blog my family’s love affair with few Indian dishes, as well as this blog has documented some of our gastronomic adventures in Restoran Kapitan located at the junction of Pitt Street and Chulia Street in Little India. That morning, my taste buds were exposed to another Indian restaurant, the Sri Ananda Bahwan.

My Sunday breakfast : Teh tarik or Milk Tea, hot and Cheese Roti which I enjoyed with 3 Indian dips. Flavorful and made me crave for more

I was looking at a young family (who brought their grandparents with them) devouring an interesting Indian food. The Tourism officers noted my fascination and they ordered one for me. I told them I surely cannot finish one with its humongous serving but I really wanted to put my fingers on that Roti Tissue.

It was my first time to see such towering delight! I was like a kid silently jumping for joy! The moment could have been happier if I was with Tina and Gabby; I’m sure my little kiddo would also love this! Roti Tissue is a crunchy and crispy, hand-tossed larger and thinner version of the traditional, Roti Canai. It’s also called Roti Helikopter or Helicopter bread apparently because of its incredibly creative presentation. It can be eaten with jam, sugar, or ice cream or in our case, it was served with condensed milk. A perfect ending to a simple but flavorful breakfast! A must-try in Little India!

*Suggestions : It would be better if the Ministry of Tourism-Penang Office would constantly check or delegate another office to keep an eye on the hygiene and cleanliness of restaurants, not only in Little India but the rest of the island. Delicious foods would appeal more tasteful to travelers, tourists and even local and expats if dishes and beverages are prepared and served with utmost cleanliness. Some restaurants barely offer table napkins or at least tissue to diners.

From Sri Ananda Bahwan restaurant, we walked to another alley in Little India. There were more wooden shutters for me to appreciate, and more wonderful sights to see. I particularly liked this amazing tree whose leaves and branches are not common to me. Pretty, is it not?

One of the parallels of Little India is China Street (Okay, it sounded like we toured around Asia with just few steps. Unless you’re from other planet or somewhere in the outer space, you must have heard of MOTOUR’s tagline, Malaysia Truly Asia! It’s Truly Asia in this part of Southeast Asia!) In China Street, we found ourselves inside the V. Kaleespari Grinding Mill which they had it open only for the tour (read : remember, it was Sunday?).

For me, this is one of the highlights of the Penang Spice Trail. Tourists and travelers would definitely be interested in something they never see and experience on a daily basis. And of those things is being inside a Milling factory.

Spices, spices, and more spices!

I salute this man who was grinding chili on a Sunday morning. He could have enjoyed the day off with his family but he gladly reported to work just to accomodate us in the tour.

Chili grinder, baby!

We only stayed for few minutes inside the Milling factory, enough for us to practically see how some spices are processed. Then we walked along China Street again. There were more wooden shutters and century-old structures to love. The day was even lovelier because the sky was intensely blue and the sun was in its mightiest; at least we didn’t have downpour!

An inspiring day, is it not?

One more shot with those beautiful wooden shutters and that handsome tree…

At the heart of Little India, we were ushered to this store that sells, what else but spices!

*Tips : Take note tourists and travelers, we were told that this spice shop is the friendliest among the many spice stores in Little India. They allow you to ask queries about their commodity even without you buying. Photo-ops are also free!

After that Spice Milling factory and Spice store visits, we needed to go inside this art exhibit gallery while waiting for our tourist bus. It was an extra treat for us!

Inside this art gallery are tons of inspiring objects. I instantly found this corner with art and photography books, a guitar and piles of colored masterpieces very inspiring! Is it not too cozy?

While our tourist guide, Joann further explained things about spices, I found more fascinating things like this wooden staircase.

“PENANGism”

Here we were on this central spot of the art gallery having an engaging talk about spices, spices and spices…

Joann came so prepared like a girl scout and brought several samples… The most interesting spice to me at this point of discussion was the Betelnut which of course, can cause Nasopharyngeal cancer. It’s commonly chewed by Southeasian people including native Filipinos in the Northern Philippines.

On our way to our tourist bus, I saw this Kedai Kopi or Coffee Shop… Do they serve peace and joy with their drinks? I must sample!!!

A stone’s throw away and we reached the Goddess of Mercy Temple in Kapitan Keling Street. The shrine is located beside this pastel colored structure. It caught my attention because it blended well with the hues of the clouds and the sky!

The roof of Guan Yin Temple…

From George Town, our Bas Persiaran took us to Penang Botanical Garden…

It’s my second time in this place; the first time was with Gabby almost a year ago, while Tina was taking her “me-time” at a salon in the mall. I love how lush and textured the trees here.

Mr. Michael Langdon (center) spoke to us about the history of spice trade in Penang and how it evolved through the years. He also pointed out how several species of spices and herbs have grown and were kept in Penang Botanical Garden.

Other than the spices and herbs and century-old trees that may lure tourists, there are a lot more this flora-and-fauna-theme park has to offer…

I found this tree with uniquely charming bloom too interesting that I decided to make a separate blog entry about it soon. For now, enjoy this solitary shot…

Time flew so fast that I didn’t feel hungry until we were brought back to George Town in a restaurant called, D’ Dapur located in Union Street near Beach Street. They specialized in Malay cuisine.

*Suggestion : It would be better if the proximity of location in the itinerary will be well thought of, so traffic jam particularly during rush hour can be avoided, thus time could be stretched.

We had Indian food for breakfast, Malay for lunch!

This bright yellow wall was the view from where I sat. Eye-catching, isn’t it?

Here’s the table where I had my lunch with newly met fellows. Wait till you see the photo below when it was filled with Malay dishes…

A detail shot of the view of the corner from where I sat…It appears to me a father-and-son-bike. And you?

Now, these were the HOT & SPICY MALAY CUISINE we sampled…

Can anyone identify those dishes ?

My Filipino taste buds were intensely stimulated by these Malay dishes! I was sweating profusely on my nape as I taste everything on the table. To my surprise, one of the Chinese-Malaysian bloggers in our table commented to the manager of the restaurant that overall, she found the dishes not that hot but rather SWEET! It was a statement to reckon with; a comment to ponder!!! Kidding aside, I understood her point. For someone whose palates have been accustomed to HOT & SPICY dishes, any local Malaysian can easily tell which is authentic from which is not. The manager of D’ Dapur reasoned out that the dishes they serve were already tailored to the tastes of foreingers.

In all fairness, the set meal that was served per table had veggies, seafoods, rice of course, chicken, tofu, and teh tarik or milk tea to complete. The proportions were huge for sharing and spices and herbs made everything tasteful and… spicy!

God is alive because they followed the hot and spicy meal with a heavenly dessert. A truly Malaysian sweet treat, Cendol! This reminds me of Halo-Halo from the Philippines, although ours have more ingredients while Cendol, in my opinion is a simpler version. It was a glorious ending to a hot and spicy meal! A perfect one to sample even from hawker food stalls in Penang…

My personal serving of Cendol… Refreshingly sweet!

*Suggestions : It would have been better if the chef himself came out from the kitchen (D’ Dapur in English means “Inside the Kitchen” according to my Malaysian students) to explain every dishes and feature the spices he used in cooking. There was no set menu found on the table to introduce the name of the dish to a foreigner like me. The dishes were nicely presented and the facilities of this restaurant including the toilet and a peek into the kitchen proved that they give importance to cleanliness and hygiene.

I also suggest for the restaurant to prepare the set menu with names of dishes, description and include the ingredients highlighting the spices used in preparartion. That way, the diners particularly non-Malaysians would have better appreciation of the Penang Spice Trail.

After that spicy and hearty lunch, we hopped on the tourist bus again and few minutes after, I saw this by my bus window…

We were brought to the Tropical Spice Garden which is not to be missed if you’re into this Penang Spice Trail! It’s my second time there after I brought my family there last year.

*Tip : It’s better for visitors and tourists to go with the guided tour inside Tropical Spice Garden, this would maximize their visit.

I learned a lot from the tourist guide unlike when we had D.I.Y.-tour I had with Tina and Gabby last year. Do sample their in-house restaurant, Tree Monkey and if you have extra time, enroll in their cooking class which highlight herbs and spices of course.

*Suggestion : Remind tourists to wear something casual and easy, comfortable enough to cover the arms and legs and the feet so as to avoid the pesky mosquito bites. Although the free citronella oil spray at the entrace of this tropical paradise was offered, I still had another memorable mosquito bite at my antecubital fossa from Tropica Spice Garden.

I appreciated that almost all species in Tropical Spice Garden has its label complete with Scientific Name and common name, plus its use as a plant, as a herb or medicinal plant or just plain cooking spice and its sources.

It was only during that Penang Spice Trail that I learned about the Pinang Tree (the palm tree on the next photo). I know that Pulau Pinang or the island of Penang’s flag has a palm as a symbol but I had no idea what species of palm tree this state was named after until I joined this tour. Informative, I tell you!

Behold, a tropical beauty at its finest…

This tree that exfoliates spontaneously exposing its nearly scarlet bark is used as an ink to design Malaysian batik.

While that ordinary looking plant beside our knowledgeable and cool tourist guide is poisonous! I think most domestic houses, private and government offices have that as their indoor plant but it was only last Sunday that I learned that it has toxins and is very lethal. Do you such info? I was totally out of the loop!

*Suggestion : Be cautious to observe timetable. Some tourists and travelers want an on-the-dot-schedules. Others may also prefer to have the tour guiding in their native tongue. I remember touring California ages ago, from LA-San Francisco-Fresno-LA, our tour guide then spoke and explained everything in 4 languages – English, Italian, Spanish and French. He did that impressively! However it may add up to the cost of the tour.

The last part of this Penang Spice Trail was way beyond my expectations. We were all assigned to different spa in various hotels in the island. This part of the tour package aims to highlight the Peranakan-Inspired Spa treatment. To me, it completed the package because all the 3 large communities in Malaysia are well represented–We had breakfast and toured Little India. Lunch was at a Malay restaurant that featured Malay cuisine where spices were used and the day ended at a very relaxing note in a Peranakan-Inspired Spa (representing Chinese community).

I, together with 7 other fellows were brought to Rainbow Paradise Inn Beach Resort in Tajung Bungah to experience Samporna Spa…

*Suggestion : Remind tourists who would avail of this package to bring extra clothes.

The massage with aromathic oil followed by application of mud really put me to sleep for few minutes. It was indeed relaxing!

Samporna Spa also has jacuzzi…

A group of four to maximum of six can unwind in the jacuzzi and enjoy a sip of their favorite red or white wine… I only had the massage then hit the shower after an hour. It was so invigorating after all the walking and a whole day of tour in the island… Thank you, Saporna Spa! Thank you, Rainbow Paradise Inn Beach Resort! Thank you, Ministry of Tourism Malaysia-Penang Branch for the invite!

Penang has its unique charm with its rich culture, heritage and diversities in food, people and places. This Penang Spice Trail offers a variety of options on how to enjoy and maximize one’s stay in the island. Avail of the tour packages via your chosen hotel in Penang, ask your designated tourist guides or personally visit/email/call the office of Ministry of Tourism Malaysia-Penang branch for more details about these.

Are you enticed to take the Penang Spice Trail? You’ll definitely savor every step!

Visit their facebook website via https://www.facebook.com/MOTOURPenangOffice. Special thanks to Ms. Jaime Yeoh and her staff and to fellow blogger, Willy Wah for the invite.

*My blog post last year about Tropical Spice Garden via http://docgelo.com/2011/04/03/amidst-lush-greens-good-food-mosquito-bites/

May

DATARAN MERDEKA, KUALA LUMPUR

By docgelo 2 Comments

On our way to the hotel in Chinatown after we graced the 2012 Malaysia International Tourism Blog Awards in Saloma Theater and Restaurant, I asked my family if they want to go to Dataran Merdeka or Merdeka Square early the following morning and understandably, because of fatigue from our Penang-to-KL-trip, strolling around Bukit Bintang and lack of sleep, Tina and Gabby chose to curl up longer under the sheets in the hotel and passed up the plan. However, my mom gave me a nod and was ready to go with his son’s itchy feet.

I promised Tina that we’ll be back at the hotel in time for the breakfast buffet that’s included in the package we availed, so we could eat the first meal of the day altogether.

Just before clock hits 7AM, my mom and I took a taxi cab from Chinatown to Merdeka Square and reached the park roughly after 5 minutes. My mom and I strolled around Merdeka Square or literally, Independence Square for less than an hour, took those photos and headed back to our hotel in Petaling Street before 8AM.

If the Philippines has Rizal Park, formerly known as Luneta, Malaysia’s capital city has Dataran Merdeka. It’s a vast park, even more massive than you could imagine! I just wished we had more time exploring the vicinity of the park; there’s always a next time anyway.

Surrounding the square are many buildings of historical interest including the Royal Selangor Club Complex which is situated on one side of the square, the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, the National History Museum (formerly the Chartered Bank Building) and the Memorial Library, a building dating back to 1909, St. Mary’s Anglican Cathedral, a Gothic style building which is more than a hundred years old, the original Kuala Lumpur Railway Station (next to the Sultan Abdul Samad Building), the 102-year old Sanitary Board fountain and the impressive modern Dayabumi Complex.

A 95-meter flagpole, one of the tallest in the world, marks that spot with a flat, round black marble plaque. It is located at the southern end of the square.

The quasi-Tudor style timber structure was built in 1890 and remains a place to watch a game of cricket on a Sunday afternoon.

The Royal Selangor Club’s Tudor-style building, originally built in 1890 is in stark contrast to the Moghul-styled Sultan Abdul Samad Building across the square. -Sourced via Wiki

I also found out from a quick glance at Wiki that this Indepence Square was the starting line of The Amazing Race ASIA 1 back in 2006…Enjoy the photos!

May

BUKIT BINTANG, KUALA LUMPUR

By docgelo 10 Comments

If I have to narrow down my list of preferred places in Kuala Lumpur, other than the very iconic Petronas Twin Towers and KLCC-Suria Shopping Complex , I would definitely include Bukit Bintang in my personal must-visit-places-in KL-list. The first time we went there was during the Chinese New Year holiday this year and with so much fascination, my family and I promised to go back again. And every visit has been rewarding with tons of fun memories to cherish.

This upscale shopping and business district in Malaysia’s capital city is comparable to few favorites that I have been to. In so many ways, Bukit Bintang reminds me of Rodeo Drive in LA, Downtown Auckland in New Zealand, Shibuya and Ginza in Tokyo, Canton Road in Hong Kong, Orchard Road in Singapore and our very own Makati City back home. It may be on a smaller and simpler scale compared to those cosmopolitan places but overall, it’s such a vibrant and exciting venue to stroll, shop, dine around or simply while away time during a stay in Kuala Lumpur.

For someone who’s been living and working in a rather more laid back but utterly rich in heritage sites like Penang, a visit to Bukit Bintang in Kuala Lumpur is and will always be refreshing!

***Photos were taken in the streets of Bukit Bintang and Pepper Lunch in Pavilion Mall where we savored our lunch last May 8th before heading to the 2012 Malaysia International Tourism Blog Awards. We wolf down Beef Pepper Rice (for Tina, Gabby and me-a plate each!) and Salmon Pepper Rice for my mom. Obviously, it’s not only Tina and I who love Pepper Lunch but it’s one of Gabby’s favorites -not only here in Malaysia (Can someone bring PL to Penang, please! The Pavilion Mall branch in Bukit Bintang is the only one in Malaysia as of the moment) but in Hong Kong and Manila of course! While the small slice of sublime chocolate cake from Lavander (which we opted prior seeing a branch of Bread Talk) was my celebratory dessert I had as takeaway in the hotel to rejoice this blog’s 5th anniversary.

May

2012 MINISTRY OF TOURISM MALAYSIA BEST EXPAT BLOG

By docgelo 52 Comments

Categories: EVENTS, FAMILY : LOVE KO 'TO, ILOVEPHOTOS, MALAYSIA and TRAVEL
Tags: achievement, angelo nino m. santos, angelo nino santos, best expat blog, beyond toxicity, blog, blog awards, blogging, doc gelo, docgelo, dr. angelo nino santos, expat, expat life, expatriate, family, family love, filipino bloggers, filipino expat in penang, filipino expatriate, filipino expatriate in malaysia, fun, jalan ampang, kuala lumpur, kuala lumpur malaysia, lifestyle, malaysia blog awards, malaysia international tourism bloggers awards, minister dato dr. yen yen, ministry of tourism malaysia, overseas contract worker, overseas filipino worker, passion, penang malaysia, petronas twin towers, photography, saloma theater, saloma theater and restaurant kuala lumpur, success, tourism malaysia, tourist spots in malaysia, triumph, twin towers, victory

There are moments in our lives that can be described as

unforgettable,

priceless,

SURREAL!

In my 35 years of existence and in my five years of blogging,

this once-in-a-lifetime-event is one of those special moments.

I am very blessed to have experienced it with MY FAMILY.

It’s my honor, joy and pleasure to receive the 2012 Malaysia Tourism International Bloggers Awards -Best Expat Malaysia My Second Home Blog from the Ministry of Tourism Malaysia in the Gala Awards Night held at Saloma Theater in Kuala Lumpur, 8th May 2012.

I share this blissful moment with the people I live for –MY FAMILY,

with this blog’s readers and followers,

with my great friends

and all of my students in the Philippines and in Malaysia,

with the generous and selfless people who took time and efforts to vote for this humble site,

with my fellow Filipino bloggers who mostly remain an inspiration.

I am grateful to the Ministry of Tourism Malaysia for including an Expat blog category in this international event. I am also thankful to the esteemed panel of judges and to the honorable Minister of Tourism Malaysia herself, Dato’ Sri Dr. Ng Yen Yen (the beautiful Malaysian lady in light blue gown in the photos), for empowering social media particularly, blogs and bloggers with such event and recognition. My greetings and congratulations go out to the other 15 blogger-winners of this prestigious event. This achievement will serve as a motivation for me to continue what I have considered a passion and a part of my lifestyle.

To God be the glory!

Mabuhay!

May

ARMENIAN STREET, GEORGE TOWN, PENANG

By docgelo 24 Comments

The initial weekend plan was for my wife, Tina to relax and stay at home while our son, Gabby, my mom and I head to the island to run some errands. Then, they all decided to just enjoy the Saturday without leaving home so it ended that I went alone for a half day of buying some things we need for the coming week. There’s nothing to complain because it gave me the chance to go back to that unassuming but uniquely appealing street in George Town, Pulau Pinang en route to destination.

I already lost count on how many times I’ve walked through Armenian Street. It’s one of those frequently visited laterals of George Town, particularly by tourists who exactly know what to experience in a place inscribed as one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites. The most memorable ones were when I took a stroll with my camera during George Town Day, celebrated every July 7th, for the past 2 consecutive years and I think the latest was when Gabby and I sampled the quaint little hole-in-a-wall-restaurant, AMELIE CAFE December of 2011. Then there were those random visits last year on way to other places in the island.

The chance presented itself for me to personally devote several minutes of my lazy weekend to admire and capture the most recent mural cum street art installation fantastically done by the artist, Ernest Zacharevic (visit his website here –> http://www.zachas.com/artwork/walls/). I even waited for some tourists and passers by to complete their photo-ops before I savored mine. It’s such a joy to see this pleasant work of art!

Must have that detail shot

Doesn’t it look so alive yet whimsical?

Moving on… Armenian Street also houses one of the kongsis or clanhouses of migrant Chinese families who lived an opulent and illustrious era in this side of Malaysia. Just beside Amelie Cafe is Cheah Kongsi that I also got to visit last year. Will try to do a separate post about Cheah Kongsi soon.

Immediately after Cheah Kongsi is a garage-looking-area-turned into a very extraordinary souvenir bazaar called 14 LIVING STORY (their facebook account here –> https://www.facebook.com/14livingstory?ref=ts). I have dropped by their shop several times already and in every visit, I always hold on to my pocket and try my best to resist buying their beautiful paintings. The problem lies on the limited budget against a big temptation. I don’t think I’d be happy with just one frame, that’s why.

More murals along Armenian Street. These older ones were made of wrought iron creatively depicting Penangite tradition via caricatures and cartoons. The style and technique are so effective that even the young generations, such as, ehem, I am, could relate and be fascinated too.

At the junction where Armenian Street meets Kapitan Keling Street, there’s this yellow painted building with mural too.

I told you, tourists usually flock here for the same reasons I have.

Still on the same building, another wrought iron caricature that’s not only entertaining but informative too.

The stretch of Armenian street is still long but I had to walk through Kapitan Keling Street to wait for the bus to Komtar to go to Prangin and First Avenue Malls.

The walk from jetty in Weld Quay to half of Armenian Street wasn’t that tiring because of countless reasons to indulge your sense of vision into.

May

KHOO KONGSI

By docgelo 10 Comments

In this age when everything is almost digital and largely anything is possible with just a flick of a finger, it’s amazing fact that there are still people who are drawn to heritage sites beyond the lure of beach resorts, kiddie theme parks, shopping malls and cinemas. There are still a volume of seasoned travelers and adventurous backpackers who go out of their ways just to experience and appreciate history, culture and the arts. Admittedly, I am far from these type of people several years back, as my exposure was limited to a few educational field trips to museums and commercial tourist spots back home but thankfully, my immersion in one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites after I became an expatriate in this part of Malaysia, gradually enticed me to explore these unique and charming places. They’re mostly a bus, a ferry and a stroll away from where I live as of present. And after going to a few of them, I believe indulging in these heritage sites once in a while, greatly nurtures the mind, delights the eyes and fuels the spirit.

This was one of the beautiful structures adorning the ceilings of the temple that caught my eye in delight.

One of the not-to-be-missed-heritage sites in George Town, Penang is the so-called,

“The Heritage Jewel of Penang”

The Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi.

Khoo is this distinctive Chinese clan’s surname and Kongsi means clanhouses.

The ancestors of the Khoo clan who emigrated from Hokkien province in South China built this marvelous Chinese clanhouse with all creative artisan work that remains to be unparalleled anywhere in Malaysia. It was noted that the majestic temple was built surrounded by clanhouses in 19th century and was refurbished in 2001.

Despite nearly its closing time at 5PM during my visit one weekend, I was surprised to see a few volume of people, mostly Caucassians and some with chinky-eyes within the vicinity of one of the largest, if not the grandest compound of clanhouses in Penang, Malaysia. I felt a bit of excitement to humbly document the so called “The Heritage Jewel of Penang” with my lame photography skills. I have been to the compound of Khoo Kongsi more than a couple times in the recent past but I didn’t take the chance of savoring the interiors of the temple. The moment I stepped inside the temple, I was completely blown away with Khoo Kongsi’s grandeur!

There’s something about oriental lanterns that I find them so attractive, charming and poetic. My fascination was satisfied in a heart beat with what I saw at Khoo Kongsi.

The intricate details of almost everything inside the main shrine mesmerized me. For a moment, I felt I froze in gold! The interiors of this temple was simply awe-inspiring! I was lucky to take everything all in and had a quick but ample time to appreciate the opulent ambiance and the tranquil atmosphere.

And the facade’s equally impressive….

It’s impossible that the middle wooden structure would symbolize, “Rock On!” or “Rock and Roll!” With Chinese known to have various beliefs, its use must be to ward off evil spirits. Quite fascinating, eh?!

My gut’s telling me that there are a hundred and one interesting stories behind each concrete sculptures. There must be.

How could you not admire these details? In my eyes, these are stunning!

At the basement of the main hall, there’s a museum that further enlightens visitors with the history of Khoo Kongsi. There’s that genealogical tree showing respective names of the Khoo clan. I breezed through the museum and just captured whatever pleased my eyes.

The exteriors of Khoo Kongsi is equally magnificent. The temple is built facing a huge stage oftenly used as open-air-Opera theater; in between these structures is a spacious courtyard that can be rented for special events and dinners and banquets.

The traditional use of shards of broken colored porcelain made the Chinese roofs undeniably beautiful!

With Khoo Kongsi’s fantastic interiors and over-the-top architecture and detailed craftmanship, there’s so much more to see and absorb but unfortunately, I needed to leave at 5PM and so I didn’t get a chance to capture its grandiosity at dusk. However, I am ending this post with a photo I snapped inside the museum at the basement of the shrine. Enjoy!

Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi. 18 Cannon Square, 10200 Penang, Malaysia. Daily Opening Hours 9AM-5PM. Admission Rate : RM10 (PhP 140 or USD 3.28). Khoo Kongsi is accessible by car, or commute via Rapid Penang bus that passes by Lebuh Chulia, then stroll your way around from Pitt Street / Kapitan Keling Mosque to Cannon Street.

May

THANK YOU!

By docgelo 24 Comments

Categories: EVENTS, FAMILY : LOVE KO 'TO, HEADLINES, MALAYSIA and TRAVEL
Tags: best blog, beyond toxicity, doc gelo, docgelo, expat, expat blog, expat mm2h, malaysia international tourism bloggers awards, ministry of tourism malaysia blog awards, mitbca, mitbca 2012

This blog is celebrating its 5th birthday on May 8th, 2012. Yes, it has been 5 years of blogging about life’s simple plesaures -family, food and fun. I honestly think that it has gradually evolved from what it has been before to what it is now. My blog has been growing with my documentation of my family’s, particularly my son’s memorable activities. Since 2007, I have been considering blogging more than a part of my limited social life but one of my passions that makes me happy and whole. In as much as I wanted to throw another blog anniversary online contest which has been well-received annually, or support or conduct a charity work, or at least buy a delicious cupcake-with-candle-for this site; time, chance and finances restricted me in doing so. Nevertheless, there are so much reasons to rejoice and be grateful for.

A DOWNPOUR OF PRICELESS BLESSINGS

Back in December of 2011, this blog received an invitation to partake in an all-sponsored Hong Kong Disneyland tour after it was selected from hundreds of blog sites from the Philippines. And by the middle of February of this year, my family and I flew from Malaysia to HKDL and joined 5 other esteemed Filipino bloggers from various fields of interests with their friends and families for that incredibly fantastic 3D2N family-food-fun-adventure.

Then came last month, April, my blog received its highest pageview per day – it garnered 6,776 views all in ONE DAY! These figures to most people may not be impressive but I so appreciate this considering that I am not a celebrity, neither I post sensational stories. My overall stat may have not reached half a million yet, but I am always overwhelemd with support from friends, readers and blog followers.

Also last April, I chanced upon a tweet on twitter that Ministry of Tourism Malaysia will be holding its very first Malaysia International Tourism Bloggers Conference & Awards. I immediately clicked the link and found out that one of its 16 categories is to honor expatriates blogging about anything that has to do with tourism in Malaysia. I read the criteria, process and mechanics of joining, and nominated my blog (Oh yes, I nominated my own blog because I believe that recognition and appreciation should initially come from within) and began campaigning for it.

With guerrilla marketing strategy, I sent individual and bulk messages in facebook and twitter to my friends, relatives, present and former students and blog readers. “Judging criteria is based on 80% public voting and 20% on judges’ decision (10% site or blog content, 5% design and layout, 5% on ethics and effectiveness)”. With such mechanics, I believe the feat is so much sweeter not only because the trophy will be coming from the Ministry of Tourism Malaysia itself but the VOTES of THOSE GENEROUS & SELFLESS PEOPLE will all be counted.

I took a chance and professional judging and people’s votes made me win! I AM HUMBLED.

With 5 other blogs as finalists, Beyond Toxicity won the Best Expat Malaysia My Second Home Blog Category. And as I ran down the list of 376 blogs from the 16 categories, this blog ranked 6th in overall standing.

TO GOD BE THE GLORY!

So on the evening of May 8, Tuesday, my family and I will grace the MITBCA 2012 Awards Night in Saloma Theater in Kuala Lumpur.

And with utmost sincerity, I am thankful to the Ministry of Tourism Malaysia for empowering the international bloggers as part of social media and for recognizing the humble contribtions of expatriates in this side of Southeast Asia.

I am also forever grateful to those people who took few minutes of their valued time to entrust their votes to this blog.

Maraming Salamat po!

Terima Kasih!

Mabuhay ang Pilipinong bloggers!

Apr

MASJID KAPITAN KELING

By docgelo 14 Comments

I have mentioned it before and I would state it again, that for almost two years of living and working in Penang, I have been fortunate to experience diversities in race, tradition, religion and so much more this cultural melting pot in Southeast Asia has to offer. What I admire the most from the people of Penang, which must be true throughout Malaysia is their devotion to their faith. They may have been varied in being Buddhist, Taoist, Hindu, Christian, and predominantly Muslim but everyone’s expression of religion is beyond inspiring! Despite differences in religious beliefs which are almost always tantamount to their ethnicities, respect and harmony reign supreme which unfortunately, remain a luxury to other parts of the world, including to where I came from (read : Certain conflicts between Chistrians and Muslims still exist in isolated areas in the Philippines. It’s otherwise in Penang or at least I have not heard of. Thus, I have developed a deeper respect to Islamic faith). Being witnesses to an eclectic practices of Malaysian faithfuls is a beautiful opportunity for me and my family. I have considered the exposure of my 7-year-old son to these diversities at his early age a priceless blessing that I know, he’ll gradually take in and appreciate too, in the near future.

*Photos were taken randomly from the oldest mosque and probably the most visited by tourists in George Town, Penang. A stone’s throw away from Masjid Kapitan Keling is a myriad of shrines of worship, a tangible proof that there’s indeed harmony in the blend of various religions in this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Apr

BATU FERRINGHI

By docgelo 8 Comments

Located at the northern coast of Penang, Malaysia, Batu Ferringhi frequently charms tourists with its long stretch of beach resorts, premier hotels, street bazaars and serves as a quick escape from the hustle and bustle of a routinary life.

Admittedly, the first time I went to a public beach in Batu Ferringhi about a couple of years ago was a total disappointment; it’s either because the Filipino in me who came from a country with the best and the most pristine beaches in the world has a strong discriminating taste or the place was just a public beach and not a commercial resort itself. Either way, I know I still have to be thankful that there’s a nearby place like this, that offers respite amidst stress and worries that goes with living and working in a land foreign to me and my family.

No, I have not soaked my feet in the sand and shores of Batu Ferringhi beaches yet; I should bring along my family with me when I get a chance to do that again.

The photos were taken while I was waiting for Rapid Penang Bus #101 across Holiday Inn Resort in Batu Ferringhi. It took about 15 minutes of waiting which I barely noticed because while doing so, I chanced upon gazing up and saw a lush collection of various textured leaves and twigs and branches of must-be-century-old trees lining the main road. It’s a simple visual treat to me. The sight was simply refreshing.

P.S.

Did you spot two primates in one of the pictures?

Apr

SOME THINGS ABOUT KUALA LUMPUR

By docgelo 6 Comments

Categories: MALAYSIA and TRAVEL
Tags: batu caves, bukit bintang, doc gelo, docgelo, fun, harrods, kuala lumpur, must go places in kuala lumpur, must visit places in malaysia, pavilion mall kuala lumpur, petronas twin towers, tourism, tourism malaysia, tourist spots in kuala lumpur, travel guide, travel guide to kuala lumpur, travel guide to malaysia

I received the message above from a friend way back in Med school via facebook last week. I thought of publishing my lengthy reply here that I also sent to her email for somehow, it may serve as a RAW-guide to any first-time-tourist visiting Kuala Lumpur (particularly those coming from Manila or Clark). Any suggestions and corrections to the information below will be appreciated.

hello! as promised, here’s a list of you can do, places you can visit when in malaysia (these are just based to where we’ve been to, of course, i cannot recommend the ones we haven’t tried yet hehe!). i also included some info which i hope you may find useful.

if you’re (from Manila) coming from the airport -KL-LCCT (kuala lumpur low cost carrier terminal) via either cebu pacific that flies everyday but i recommend you take 10am flight from manila every tuesdays, thursdays and saturdays (the rest of the weekdays, cebu pac flies at 9pm so you’ll arrive 1am in KL -medyo hassle!), or via air asia from naia 3 or clark, you have to take a bus from LCCT to downtown KL called KL SENTRAL (a bus station).

the buses kiosks are located just before you exit, after the immigration officers in the KL-LCCT. the fares are either 8 ringgit (RM1 =roughly PhP 14) in AEROBUS buses, or RM9 in Skybus of air asia. the buses are parked after McDonald’s at the airport (left side). they leave every 15 or 30 minutes from the airport and will take you to KL SENTRAL at about an one hour.

when in KL Sentral, try to remember the spot where you will be dropped off by Aerobus. this will be the same place where you should take the same bus (leaves every 15 min to the airport) when leaving malaysia to airport again when you go home. Once you got off the bus, you take the stairs (makipot sya, hehe! walang escalator doon), then walk your way up to 1st floor (in malaysia, our 1st floor is their ground floor, so yung 1st floor nila ay 2nd floor na sa pinas!) and look for the TAXI COUNTER just before you exit KL SENTRAL.

taxis (or teksi in bahasa melayu, Pinoy-slang! hehehe) from KL SENTRAL are provided with tickets, so you have to purchase the fare/ticket at the counter. Tell the counter, chinatown kayo or petaling street (assuming na doon ang hotel nyo) and the counter-staff will give you a ticket around RM 12 to 15 siguro ang fare of taxi cab. Then, the stub/ticket shall be given to the teksi driver who will take you to your destinasi (destination, hehehe!).

yes, chinatown is a good choice –cheap and affordable hotels available (you can choose from agoda.com if you have not booked yet), then pagbaba mo, palengke agad, tyangge like recto and greenhills! dami restos, foods! malapit pa sya sa pudu raya or PUDU SENTRAL (a bus and train station that will take you else where).

kami nag stay sa chinatown boutique hotel the last time we’re in KL. medyo maliit pero malinis naman at gabi lang naman kami nagstay doon, maghapong lakwatsa (*it’s a bit small hotel but clean, just enough to spend the night; anyway, you’ll wander around during the day) check it out if you like . if not, we tried breakfast buffet at SWISS IN HOTEL also in Chinatown, KL. that’s also nice to stay, i guess.

since may kasama kayong 15 years old, she may like GENTING HIGHLANDS. it’s the theme park in KL but dont expect disneyland-like ha. ang ok doon, malamig kasi it’s on top of the mountains, you need 1 day at least or two, in Genting. May cable cars sa foot ng genting highlands where you can take after you ride bus from Pudu / KL Sentral to Genting. May indoor at outdoor theme parks doon, 5 atang hotels at madaming casinos and buffets. We took a bus direct from Penang to Genting when we went there 2 years ago kaya di kami nakapag cable car. here is the link to my post just in case you want to peek
http://docgelo.wordpress.com/2010/12/21/our-days-in-genting-part-one/

http://docgelo.wordpress.com/2010/12/28/our-days-in-genting-part-two/

i also suggest you go up the Skybridge of PETRONAS TWIN TOWERS. it’s a must-experience when in malaysia -or at least in my vocabulary, hehehe! We queued at 6AM, yes tickets sell like hotcakes at the basement of Petronas / Suria-KLCC Shopping complex, daming turista lagi, kaya go there before 6am then purchase your tickets, RM 50 per pax then you get to choose the time of your SKYBRIDGE VISIT –either morning, lunch time or gabi. We got the 9:15am visit; blog post and photos here http://docgelo.wordpress.com/2012/01/21/our-fun-homage-to-malaysias-magnificence/

After nyo ng SkyBridge Visit, you can go shopping in Suria KLCC (mall in between the foot of Petronas).

If you’re feeling like to indulge sa Suria, kain kayo sa Harrod’s kasi sa UK lang mayroon noon di ba? Pero 2 naman ang food courts sa Suria, dami choices, may mga restos din, Chilis etc.. here’s our merienda in Harrods’s http://docgelo.wordpress.com/2010/12/25/harrods-cafe-celebratory-indulgence-in-kuala-lumpur/ (photos were then taken using point and shoot kaya medyo blurry hehe!).

Pwede din kayo punta sa Aquaria pero Manila Oceanarium in my opinion is far better. Nasa ilalim or basement sya ng Suria-KLCC.

If you dig tourist spots and some Indian flares, you may want to go to Batu Caves too. I suggest you do that in the morning (before 9am para di pa mainit). You may take KTM Train from KL Sentral (so from chinatown, you may take a cab to KL Sentral), buy a ticket for 1 or 2 ringgit lang ata one way at KL Sentral to Batu Caves. Mga 40 minutes ang byahe. After Batu Caves, we went to Pavilion Mall and other malls in BUKIT BINTANG (it’s like the Ginza of Tokyo or Beverly Hills of Manhattan or Makati of Pinas). Bukit Bintang is accessible via cab from Chinatown or from anywhere. Ayos sa Pavilion Mall, malaki, but I still miss Greenbelt and Glorietta there, hehe! Here’s my blog post about Batu Caves and Pavilion Mall.

http://docgelo.wordpress.com/2012/01/27/caves-and-bears/

There’s also KL Bird Park, Orchidarium and other Nature Park in downtown KL which we passed up kasi lack of time the last time we went there.

I read from fellow bloggers that Malacca is so nice, when you like heritage/clan houses/old-world-appeal kind of thing. Never been there. It’s 3 hours from Kuala Lumpur or a 7-hour bus ride from Penang (Sungai Nibong).

Then there’s Langkawi which I heard is the Palawan/Boracay of Malaysia. It’s near Penang but we haven’t explored it yet too.

Let me know if you’re going to Penang and we shall talk. If you plan to go to George Town, I wish it’ll be on a weekend, para masamahan namin kayo umikot, kasi may work at weekend lang kami libre.

Hope this long suggested and info list helps.

Apr

METAMORPHOSIS : PENANG BUTTERFLY FARM

By docgelo 19 Comments

For almost two years of living and working in Malaysia, most of our weekends are spent either enjoying the comforts of the 11th-floor-seaview appartment that we’re renting in Butterworth, our so-called-second home or exploring what Pulau Pinang has to offer. We’ve been to a few heritage sites, clan houses, public beach, various shrines of worship, shopping malls and groceries of course, have dined in local restaurants, some hotels and street hawkers, have gone to some of those must-see-tourist-spots in this island; yet, there’s actually so much more places to visit that are reserved for our Saturdays and Sundays.

Last weekend was no exception. With my 7-year-old son in tow, we celebrated another Saturday the best way we know how (read : family bonding) and finally set foot in The Tropical World’s First Live Butterfly and Insect Sanctuary, Penang Butterfly Farm.

Because my wife, Tina had to attend to a weekend medical community service required at work and my mom wasn’t feeling well to leave home, last Saturday, 04/21/2012 was another day of father-and-son-bonding. Incidentally, it was a day prior to Earth Day 2012 so I thought it was so appropriate and timely for Gabby and I to visit a nature’s theme park and passed up killing time on a weekend inside the mall. We’re happy to learn some things about nature and inevitably, ourselves too.

UNEXPECTEDLY, ALMOST IN PANIC

Had I not brought Gabby to this butterfly sanctuary, I would not know that he’s not that comfortable with delicately winged creatures randomly landing on his body. It was unbelievable because Gabby was even more excited than I am to go there and he himself labeled the day as our “Adventure Day” so I was very surprised that he almost panic when butteflies flew over him. I asked him to calm down and assured him that we’re safe with the butterflies and that it cannot harm us. He told me remarkably that he’s more at ease to see reptiles (Me: “What?!!! I usually freak out with the mere sight of snakes!). A couple of hours after, he’s already at home with the butterflies. I thought he was just overwhelmed as it was his first time to experience such. Nonetheless, he learned to appreciate those colorful day-flying insects before we ended our visit.

It was almost 12 noon when Gabby and I arrived at the front office of the Penang Butterfly Farm located in Teluk Bahang, near the tail end of the famous Penang coastline-beaches, Batu Ferringhi.

FREEBIES, DISCOUNTS AND MORE BLESSINGS!

When I was about to pay the entrance fees for me and Gabby, the male Front Office staff at the window-counter inquired if I am a tourist or a Malaysian (because of different Admission rates), I told him that I am a Filipino expat working as a Medical Lecturer since 2010 in Penang. He then asked for some IDs but I didn’t bring my company ID nor my passport with me. While I was flipping my card holder….

Staff : “It’s OK, I saw you have Malaysian cards (referring to my credit cards and rewards-discount cards). Here you go… (He handed me two entrance tickets, 2 souvenir-notebooks, actually they’re DIY-Butterfly-garden-notebooks with a pair of tiny envelopes each containing something you put into the soil of flowering plants for it to bloom and attract butterflies, and 2 butterfly-shaped brochures).”

He only charged us 18 ringgit for me and 10 ringgit for Gabby instead of the usual rates (RM 27 per adult and RM 15 per kid).

Me : ” Wow, thank you for the discount and freebies! Sir, can i shoot some photos inside? I’ll post photos in my blog and feature our experience here.”
Staff : “Sure, no problem! Great! What’s your blog’s URL?” (he got a pen and a sheet of paper and was ready to write)
Me : “Go check out, docgelo.wordpress.com, Sir. Thank you!
Me : “And by the way, my blog is nominated in the Malaysia International Tourism Bloggers Awards. You may want to vote too, haha! What’s your name, Sir?”
Staff : “Edzil. Enjoy, pare! (*insert English translation of ‘pare’ here*)“
Me : “Alright, Thank you!”

After we stayed for 3 hours inside the butterfly sanctuary, Gabby and I headed to the food kiosks just before the exit and ordered Chicken and Cheese sandwich, a bottle of cold distilled water, 2 cups of Mango juice.

Edzil : “Doc, I’ve checked out your blog, you take good photos, man!”
Me : “Hahaha! Thank you for your viewing my blog! What’s your name again, Sir?”
Edzil : “Wait, I’ll get my business card.”

Sir Edzil happens to be Penang Butterfly Farm’s Front Office Assistant Manager.

Edzil : “Doc, your food is on us! Don’t bother to pay them.”
Me : “C’mmon?!!! Allow me to pay for this, please!”
Edzil : “No, it’s on the house, if he (referring to the staff at the food kiosk) asks you to pay, then you pay, but surely he won’t, haha!”
Me : “Wow, thank you so much!”

With few minutes of chit chat; I learned that he’s actually a Filipino but raised in Malaysia and according to him, there are a few more Pinoys working as tour guides (yes, Penang Butterfly Farm provides informative, amusing and educational tour guiding but I opted to wander around with only Gabby as I took photos). We’re very grateful for his generous gestures.

CHILDREN, COCCOON ISN’T PART OF THE BUTTERFLY’S LIFE CYCLE.

It’s always amazing to learn beyond books and outside the four corners of a classroom. It’s even more wonderful when one practically acquires knowledge hands on. You actually get that learning set-up in Penang Butterfly Farm. The actual Science that speaks about the life cycle of these flying insects happens right before your eyes!

So the life cycle only includes EGG (those tiny yellow ones in the next photo) –> CATERPILLAR –> PUPA (not coccoon but CHRYSTALIS / NYMPHA) –> ADULT BUTTERFLY (or IMAGO). The caterpillar normally thrives in fruity plants like passion fruit and the like, otherwise, it dies and would not metamorphose into pupa and imago.

But as soon as these chrystalis become adult butterflies,

some of its species ONLY LIVE FOR ONE WEEK.

It made me wonder, how would you spend your life meaningfully if you only have one whole week to live?

Back in the Philippines, I remember going to Orchidarium in Rizal Park in Luneta where a small Butterfly garden is tucked. They usually feed the butterflies back home with bananas, here in Penang, pineapples are their favorite lunch!

One of my favorite spots in Penang Butterfly Farm is this Oriental gazebo adorned with everything Chinese and an interesting concrete bridge.

Gabby talking on the phone with Tina who attended a medical community service required at work.

Would you not be fascinated if you see authentic porcelain sauce dish, cups, plates and even pitcher were embedded as decors in the bridge?

A couple of Mandarin ducks basking under the bridge

BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL

I must admit, the sun was scorchingly hot during our visit (at least we didn’t have a downpour) so the little airconditioned theater that incessantly shows short films about insects was really inviting; Gabby liked the movies we watched for few minutes.

After watching insect-inspired short films, we walked through the next hallway where Gabby enjoyed another interesting part of Penang Butterfly Farn called, Biodiversity. Here, kids get to stamp their notepads with the park’s mascot prints, play and learn with the interactive touch-screens that feature educational inputs about the environment as a whole. There’s also a part where reptiles and spiders are on display en route to exit towards the souvenir shops.

We went back to the garden where a myriad of butterflies await.

If you must know, I took up BS Biology prior to Medicine and one specimen in Botany that’s hard to forget is the Pitcher Plant. There’s a spot in Penang Butterfly Farm that’s devoted to Pitcher Plant. It’s quite unique for it can trap mosquitoes and other minute insects in its “mouth”, it has somewhat like a prey-trapping mechanism; interesting, is it not?

Then I guess I was lucky enough to be accompanied by two winged friends during our time in the garden. Lucky or stinky already *yikes!*, I do like how Gabby snapped this shot.

Spread your wings and soar!

Just before we had our “free snack” courtesy of Sir Edzil at the food kiosk near the exit gates, we savored Magnum bar (which we paid for, haha!).

never fails to ease up a hot summer day

Nature tripping at Penang Butterfly Farm + Family Bonding + Magnum ice cream bar = simply perfect to end the day. It was another day for family.food & fun!

Penang Butterfly Farm exceeded our expectations! We had a chance to commune with nature. It was where I forgot life’s hassles, worries and stress. Four hours spent there were indeed worthwhile; we had fun!

—————————–

Penang Butterfly Farm. No. 830 Jalan Teluk Bahang 11050 Penang, Malaysia. Tel # +604-885 1253. (It’s accessible by car, taxi cab or by Rapid Penang Bus # 101 from George Town, Penang).

Apr

BEYOND TOXICITY X OLD MANILA WALKS IN GEORGE TOWN, PENANG

By docgelo 11 Comments

What could be a perfect welcome to a revisiting tourist in George Town, Penang but a RAINBOW! Can you spot it?

My family and I wolf down plates of Restoran Kapitan's Chicken Cheese Kebab + Cheese Naan served with coleslaw, tamarind sauce infused with green mango+chili chutney. The fambam loved it! We usually order Chicken Tandoori and it's only my second time to savor this kebab dish and I personally liked the tenderness of the chicken specially when perfectly dipped in the tamarind sauce+spicy chutney; flavors just burst into mouth!

Roti Prata Telur or Egg Prata + Manggo Lassi.

Chicken Tandoori + Cheese Naan for Ivan

Beyond Toxicity X Old Manila Walks in the heart of George Town, Penang 04/17/2012

When I learned several weeks back that Manila’s tour-guide-extraordinaire, The Main Man from Old Manila Walks, IVAN MAN DY is revisiting George Town, Penang after he graciously informed me via facebook, Tina and I had to think where we should treat him even just over dinner.

Tina first thought of bringing Ivan to Nando’s that specializes in Portugese Peri-Peri Chicken in either Gurney Mall or Queensbay Mall however, both of these malls are located in the tail ends of the island-one in the north, the other southbound; it means travel-commuting would definitely kill our time. I considered something authentic to Penang –the hawkers of course! But we personally prefer hawkers outside Gurney Mall for a wide range of choices but then again, location doesn’t fit the schedule. Then we narrowed the list down to 3 other family favorites –Old Town Restaurant (Malaysian cuisine), Towne’s Steamboat (Chinese) and Restoran Kapitan (Indian). I told Tina that since Old Town Restaurant is a chain present in almost all parts of Malaysia, Ivan might have already tasted it in the airport or somewhere. While we also considered getting a table after 5PM would be close to impossible at the frequently-packed Towne’s Steamboat in Jalan Macalister, thus we agreed to take Ivan to our favorite Indian food place, Restoran Kapaitan in Little India. I think it was a good choice beacause it’s only a few meters away from the hotel where Ivan stayed.

Because his arrival fell on a weekday, we could only meet him after work hours. Too bad we failed to tour him around in some of the heritage sites in this side of Malaysia. Nonetheless, we enjoyed the limited time we spent with him. The moment was like we’re only talking, walking and commuting in the streets of Binondo, Manila, hahaha!

Ivan Man Dy of Old Manila Walks :

“Conceptualized, manufactured, bred and educated in the city of Manila, Ivan is the feet behind Old Manila Walks. Before he finally took to the streets, he was an active museum guide as well as a staunch heritage preservation activist. Now, he has found his calling being seasoned urbanite, a self-designated life-long citizen and ambassador of Manila. Since 2005, he has led the thousands of happy walking hordes down his city’s most historic quarters. Four years on and countless calluses later, he is still loving every step of the way.” -Sourced via OldManilaWalks.com

If you’re a Filipino-balikbayan or foreigner who would like to explore Manila in a nutshell, joining his walking tours back home is always informative, engaging, entertaining and educational. It’s history and gastronomic treats beyond books. We have joined 2 of his amazing walking tours around Manila -

Malacanang Palace, San Miguel Manila : Power, Palace and a Shot of Beer
Malacanang Palace – Legarda Mansion / La Cocina de Tita Moning
Big Binondo Food Wok
and my first few meetings with Ivan Man Dy were at Foodies’ Walk at BGC (Bonifacio Global City) and at where else but Binondo / Manila Chinatown

*For more of his walking tours and its details, check out their website at OldManilaWalks.com

After our simple dinner at Restoran Kapitan, we hopped on the bus to accompanied Ivan to one of the malls in George Town where he treated Gabby who didn’t say no, to a delightful scoop of Baskin n Robbins chocholate chip ice cream! Thanks, Ivan! And here’s wishing you enjoyed your days in Malaysia!

Apr

RANDOM VIEWS FROM THE BALCONY, THE TOWER & THE FERRY

By docgelo 17 Comments

*Edited : This blog post was published midnight of April 11, 2012, several hours before my family and I felt the 8.9 magnitude earthquake here in Penang, Malaysia with Aceh, Indonesia as its epicenter. We needed to evacuate our 10th floor seaside appartment temporarily after 2 strong quakes felt in the late afternoon and a tsunami alert that was also lifted 9PM, same day. Swing back for the story soon.

__________________

One of the little things that my family and I enjoy whenever we’re at home is cloud watching…

Amazing how they form puffy cotton-candy-like formations against the gorgeous blue sky…

Last Easter Sunday, I woke up early as usual and was greeted by this almost cloudless view overlooking George Town, Penang from our 10th floor rented appartment’s tiny humble porch…

If you'll look closely at this photo you'll see that cylindrical and tallest building in George Town, Penang, captured in the middle of those "yellow industrial giraffes". That iconic building in this side of Malaysia is called KOMTAR.

Later that day…

A quick glance at Wiki: “Komtar Tower, or Menara Komtar Complex is Penang’s tallest building and the sixth tallest building in Malaysia located in the heart of George Town, dominating the island’s skyline. KOMTAR is a portmanteau of Kompleks Tun Abdul Razak.

Komtar is a multipurpose complex consisting of retail outlets, transportation hub and administrative offices for the Penang State Government. An acronym for Kompleks Tun Abdul Razak, KOMTAR was named after Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, the second prime minister of Malaysia.

The 65-storey tower is a 232 m (761 ft) 12-sided geometric block atop a 4-storey podium. The complex comprises office and retail commercial space as well as public and recreational facilities.” ~Sourced fromWIKI.

2 days back : As Catholics, we’re allowed by our office to observe Good Friday by sending us home after a half day at work; while Gabby’s Principal, being a Baptist-Christian herself, made a self-declaration of school holiday before the weekend. So around half hour past 2PM, Tina, Gabby, my mom and I got a chance to troop to George Town once more. And since we were too early for the scheduled Station of the Cross and Holy Mass at 6PM in St. Francis Church in Penang Road, we decided to drop by Komtar first and went up its viewing deck on its 60th floor (which is only open for public on weekdays). With 5 rinngit per pax entrance fee (RM5 = PhP 70 or USD 1.62), we’re ushered to the lift and off we went—up!

My clueless self was expecting that the Komtar’s viewing deck would have an open-air-area or something with grills at least but I just scratched my head when I saw a full-glass-60th floor. Oh well, pardon the glass-glare on my photos.

However, wherever, whenever, the view from the top is always marvelous…

And if you’ve been following this blog for quite sometime now, you probably know that for almost 2 years, we’re living in Butterworth which is a bus-ferry-bus-away from George Town when commuting. Thus, taking the 12-minute-ferry ride (not to forget the waiting time of about 15-30 minutes for the ferry on jetty) has also been a part of our weekend (and holiday) trips to and from this Malaysian state. The ferry looks something like a version of RORO-ships back home (roll on/roll off). At times, Tina doesn’t enjoy the ferry rides because of her vertigo. On the contrary, I consider it relaxing (unless so crowded, of course) and somewhat symbolic because each time I set foot on that Butterworth-George Town ferries, I take another adventure.

En route to George Town while we’re on board the ferry, I took some photos of various vessels passing by…

The ferries that transport passengers and private vehicles from Butterworth and George Town and vice versa are either painted multicolored or monochromatic. From my 7-year-old son’s keen observation, ferries that only have one color (such as the yellow one shown above), accomodate both people and cars, but mostly if the ferries appear to have 2 colors or more, they’re exclusively for those with wheels who opted to board their cars and motorcycles on the ferry than drive along the Penang Bridge. Roundtrip rates of ferry is only one ringgit and twenty sen for adults (RM 1.20 =PhP 16.8 or USD 0.38) and half of the rate for kids. Coins are to be dropped directly on the turnstiles before the waiting area. Senior citizens, pregnant women and children are always given priority.

Dale Carnegie quoted, “One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon-instead of enjoying the roses blooming outside our windows today.”

I say, we don’t have blooming roses yet in our windows but despite we all miss the Philippines so much, literally, we have fantastic views of the Malaysian horizon that we see when we ride the ferry, go up tall building and ascend to high place (PENANG HILL!!!) or something that we simply enjoy in the comforts of our present abode. We’re savoring and seizing it while it lasts!

Apr

DAYBREAK AT PENANG HILL

By docgelo 40 Comments

Categories: FAMILY : LOVE KO 'TO, ILOVEPHOTOS, MALAYSIA and TRAVEL
Tags: arts, bellevue hotel penang hill, beyond toxicity, breathtaking, bukit bendera, churches, colors, crafts, david brown's restaurant in penang hill, directions how to get to penang hill, doc gelo, doc gelo blog, docgelo, dr. gelo, family, family bonding, flowers, foliage, funicular train, funicular train in penang hill, Life, life of an expat, malaysia, museum, must see in penang, must visit in penang, nikon D7000, penang hill, penang malaysia, penang state museum, photography, photos taken using nikon D7000, rates of train ride penang hill, round trip funicular train fares penang hill, the owl museum, the owl museum in penang hill, train in penang hill, TRAVEL, traveling, travelling, view at penang hill, visit penang, weekend, weekend getaway

Years ago, my only concept of Penang Hill was one of those restaurants that my family and our good old friends sampled at the 5th level of Shangri La Plaza Mall back home. I was completely clueless of Penang back then, more so about the entire Malaysia. I never thought I could bring myself and my family on top of the real Penang Hill one day. It wasn’t really a big deal climbing the Penang Hill via its 73 Million Ringgit newly renovated funicular train however, that Saturday morning when we went up there was one of our best in Penang! We were overwhelmed.

Penang Hill at 6:45AM, Saturday, 31 March 2012.

The longest bridge in Malaysia at 13.5km, Penang Bridge connects Pulau Pinang or Penang Island with the Seberang Perai or Penang main land; it's more stunning at 833 meters above sea level!

Can you spot Komtar, the tallest and cylindrical building in George Town, Penang? With its 232 meter-height, this 65-storey tower remains to be iconic in the island.

A little while later…

Cloudy, according to the online weather forecast that day and it was accurate. At least, it didn't rain. God was great!

still hazy and cloudy at a few minutes past 7AM.

The memories of our little family trips to Antipolo, Tagaytay and Baguio Cities in the Philippines during my wonder years resurfaced as I was stunned at the breathtaking view 833 meters above sea level. Penang Hill has an absolutely cooler climate than its lowlands in this tropical Malaysian State. With its 16 to 21 degree Celsius weather, it’s enough for any tourists, locals and expats to be enticed to go up once in a while.

I arrived in Penang, Malaysia some 20 months ago and have been working as a medical lecturer since then. I immediately learned that Penang Hill was closed for much needed renovation of its system and track and replacement of its 87-year-old coaches. The wait for it to be fully operational again took almost a year but Tina, Gabby and I didn’t try to experience the ride and the hill itself last April 2011. Tina felt and still believed that 30 ringgit per pax round trip fare on the train up to Penang Hill wasn’t cheap (current rates for Non-Malaysians and Malaysian tourists are noted at the end of this post). I constantly tell her, family bonding is always memorable and priceless.

“Gelo, Huwag kayong aalis ng Penang nang hindi nagpupunta sa Penang Hill, ang ganda!” (“Gelo, Don’t leave Penang unless you have gone to Penang Hill, it’s beautiful!”) …These were the words directly told to me by one of the colleagues who already resigned from our work last year and went back home to the Philippines with his entire family. He was definitely right. Penang Hill is really something. It’s one of the must-visit sites when traveling to Penang, Malaysia.

The game plan: I initially thought of reserving an overnight accomodation in a 3-bed-family-room at Bellevue Hotel (which has a rate of RM242 nett or USD 79.45 inclusive of breakfast), the hotel located exactly in Bukit Bendera or Penang Hill boasts of its simple aviary and garden, that offers great views of breathtaking sunset and sunrise. The suggestion was vetoed by my ever loving and practical wife. I easily accepted, supported and succumbed to her decision, despite the fact that I already communicated with the hotel staff via emails, because I felt her excitement and her want to experience Penang Hill too with our family. That was enough for me.

The second best option I had in mind which I brought up to Tina and my mom was to go up to Penang Hill on the first trip of funicular train at exactly 6:30 in the morning, so we could reach the summit at still dusk and witness the daybreak after. I was silently jumping for joy when they both agreed to prepare, wake up and be at the ticketing area prior to the first trip!

I laid her all the possibilities and means on how we could get there at few minutes before 6:30AM. We all thought taking a pre-arranged cab from our place in Butterworth, Penang at 5:30AM and head directly to Bukit Bendera was the finest choice over taking the bus-ferry-bus-route. And we’re grateful that we’re not wrong.

Our roundtrip tickets to Penang Hill, punched with holes just before our descent at lunch time, Saturday, 31March2012.

We left our place in Butterworth before 5:30AM and arrived in Bukit Bendera when the gates were still closed. We waited for several minutes until it officially opened at around 6:15AM. Have I told you that punctuality freely flows in our bloodstream? haha!

After purchasing our round trip tickets for the 6:30AM first funicular trip for the day, we finally saw that blue-air conditioned Swiss made coach! She was so gorgeous!

And the fingers in two hands are more than the volume of passengers on that trip, there were only 2 passengers and 2 train staff plus the four of us. We occupied the first cabin next to the train captain to get the greatest view of the ascent, I think it’s a must if one gets a chance (The train can be filled with 80 passengers when some would ride it standing). The smooth inclined ride via the 2,220 meter track length was definitely exciting!

There’s no way but to go up!

After more or less 5 minutes (there were no stops during our ride that morning), we arrived at the summit.

The passage through the white tunnel is a sign that passengers need to alight few seconds after.

It was still darkness when we arrived in Penang Hill. We strolled and I tried to find a best spot to capture the stillness of the dawn. My mom first saw a concrete stairs guarded by an opened wooden gate; we didn’t read its signage that it’s the David Brown’s English Restaurant and Tea House at the Strawberry Hill (yes, the signage reads Strawberry Hill!). No one was there yet, so we went in. Tina and Gabby followed.

My wife began taking photos and videos using her ipod and mobile phone. I further went up the concrete stairs until I reached the restaurant and garden proper of David Brown’s.

I didn’t expect we would experience how colorful Penang Hill is.

These are the viewing telescopes located in front of the huge signage of Bukit Bendera at the foot of David Brown’s Restaurant.

Take a closer peek at George Town for 1 ringgit (USD 0.32 or PhP 14).

The flora and foliage of Penang Hill that we found in David Brown’s English Garden and Restaurant

At this point, I wished I have a lens and skills for macro photography.

If you must know, the five petaled brilliant red Hibiscus Rosa Sinensis or to us Filipinos, gumamela, is the National flower of Malaysia.

This is David Brown’s Restaurant and English Garden at Penang Hill. I just wished we were not tresspassing as there were no people when we went here. We didn’t touch anything but only took photos however, tons of it.

L = LOVE!

My beautiful mom at almost 60! ...Strike a pose, mother! hehe!

Gabby : “Daddy, piktyuran mo ako!” (“Daddy, take my pictures!”)

Me : “OK!”

Then the kid ran a few meters away from us then ran forward and took a jump on air. He attempted for a “jump shot” several times and his mom and his grandmother and I we’re all giggling because Gabby’s too chubby to float higher on air.

levitation? haha!

It was almost 8:30AM and the sun was already up so we left that part of Penang Hill and went on to explore the others. We needed to take a bladder break and we’re glad to see a few steps down the David Brown’s Restaurant a simple tandas or toilet that’s well kept and clean with tissues and liquid soap.

After another stroll, we found a swing.

The swing is located at the facade of the newly opened, The Owl Museum at Penang Hill. It’s an owl-swing actually! hehe!

Lola Tessie and Gabby bonding!

Before we headed to to the museum, we needed to chow down first. Good thing that the newly built museum has multi-leveled eateries, drink, desserts and souvenir stations where one gets to fill his/her tummy with the best view in Penang.

fresh air, spacious clean dining areas, fantastic ambience, great tasting and affordable Malaysian foods, drinks and desserts, what more can you ask for?

To me, one has never been to Malaysia when he/she has not yet tasted the country’s National dish or staple food…

Tina and I once again, sampled NASI LEMAK for our breakfast in Penang Hill! Sarap! We liked the dilis so much that it made us crave for more (so the following day, I went to market to buy more dilis!) Good thing was, the sambal (spicy red sauce) wasn't mixed with the dish so we somehow tapered to taste.

One of the best tasting Fried Rice we've tasted! The smokey flavor makes it so delicious!

After our simple breakfast, we trooped down the stairs and went to the very first museum in Southeast Asia that pays tribute to and promotes awareness about that nocturnal bird, THE OWL MUSEUM in PENANG HILL. To our surprise, we were greeted by two staff at its entrace who informed us with a smile, that the fees were waived for the reason that they just opened few days back. How lucky can we get? Indeed, best things in life are free!

What to see in The Owl Museum? Over a thousand Owl-inspired arts and crafts as masterpieces of creative artists from different parts of the globe.

I liked this paper-cut-out-chandelier; it made me think if it’s owl-inspired too. Perhaps, patterned after the eyes of the owl? Is it? It must be.

The museum is made of a thousand and counting collection of owl in various materials-metals, wood, paper, plastic, porcelain, semi-precious stones and a lot more that came from different countries, however, Tina found out from one of the staff that they’ve yet to acquire something made from the Philippines. There are also paintings and other art works that are owl-inspired. Here are some of those that caught my eyes…

For coffee lovers like Tina and me…

I like this for obvious reasons…

I perceived this owl-metallic art as a knight in shining feather, hehe!

I saw this at the souvenir shop. I was almost tempted to buy as it winked at me, haha! but I held on to my very thin budget and it was a success! I just captured him on photo (what a better and more practical option!).

Even the tiniest of the stuffs are oh-so-charming…

Their colors are vivid and bright, the details are eye-candy!

United Colors of Benetton, Owl edition?

One display window has these owls from London, England with title, “Nature’s Gift”. These figurines are made of feathers, straws, twigs, bark and seeds.

Pardon my shadow, these were “flown” from Paris, France…

Owls made of metallic materials and crystals are very interesting too…

Even the flower pot is owl-inspired. This museum is really “owl-some!”

Owl-kites…

Ladies would be delighted with these owl-themed accessories. I asked Tina to mimic how fashion-celebrity-bloggers whom we’ve met in our HKDL trip recently do it on their sites, hehe!

Modelo na ang asawa ko ng mga kwago! *She'll kill me for this!*

More Owl-accessories…

I could have bought a few if these were fridge magnets but they are rings for the girls who are edgy.

Now, children, meet The Royal Owl…

I swear, it’s really called The Royal Owl! It does look regal!

There’s this corner so called The Artist’s Station where one can sit for photo-op like what Gabby did…

He's working on his materpiece to be on display soon in The Owl Museum in Penang Hill, hehe!

But this one’s for real : When Gabby saw a chalk and board (he even asked his grandmother to request for an extra chalk from the staff), his world stopped for several minutes as nothing else mattered but finishing his own masterpiece!

Et voila…

Will he become a chef, a hotelier, a restaurateur or an artist? Que sera, sera!

Then our seemingly like never-ending photo-ops continued! We’re picture-addicts apparently!

We had fun inside The Owl Museum. Moving on, we walked our way to the other attractions in Penang Hill.

OK, now, kids, say “Taman Kanak-Kanak!”

Taman Kanak-Kanak

Taman Kanak-kanak in Bahasa Melayu (Malaysian language) simply means Children’s Playground (apparently on the photo, right? hehe!). Most communities in Penang (I don’t know in other Malaysian states) have this colorful playground even at 833 meters above sea level! Penang Hill even have its own POS or Postal Office at the hill itself. Impressive, isn’t it?

What’s even more amazing is the presence of PEACE among the diversities here. Imagine this : Masjid Bukit Bendera (Penang Hill Mosque) lies a stone throw away from the Murugan Temple (Hindu Temple); they’re almost located side-by-side and the only structure in between these two different religious shrines is this Taman Kanak-kanak. There’s no obvious tension, neither conflicts between them.

One of the Deity-altars outside the Murugan Temple in Penang Hill.

Ladies and gentlemen, this was one of the 87-year-old coaches that used to run up the hills of Bukit Bendera..

I already rode such wooden tram in San Francisco ages ago but it's not inclined as Penang's. Now with the very STEEP train track in Bukit Bendera / Penang Hill, I would think a thousand times first before hopping in if the funicular train remained the same as this in photo and wasn't renovated. Thank God for technology and innovation!

And then the time came for us to bid goodbye to Penang Hill. It was a memorable weekend morning!

Another funicular train just arrived in Penang Hill. It's the same train we rode downhill.

Tina recorded a video of our descent using her Samsung mobile…CLICK THIS!

Time when we hopped off the funicular. Bye, bye Penang Hill! Till our next visit!

I believe the best time to go up to this tourist spot is either daybreak like what we did or a few hours just before sunset. It becomes too crowded on a weekend, particularly hours past 8AM. Whether Penang Hill is a great tourist spot in this side of Malaysia or not, I know perception of beauty is so subjective but in my humble opinion, anything that’s breakthtaking is beautiful!

After that morning in Penang Hill, I think my family and I look at Penang in more different light. And I have to take back my statement mentioned earlier, it is a big deal to go to Penang Hill. It’s a must-visit place when you’re in this side of Malaysia! :D

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Directions to get to Penang Hill -One can take his car directly to Bukit Bendera or preferrably take a 45-minute bus ride from George Town, Penang via Rapid Penang Bus # 204 and hop off the gates of Penang Hill funicular station or take a taxi cab from any areas in George Town which will be more costly of course. One may also take a 3-hour trek from the foot of the hill at Penang Botanical Garden or drive/ride a 4×4.

Round trip funicular fare for Non-Malaysian tourists : 30 ringgit or RM30 (USD 9.78 or PhP 421) and RM15 for children aged seven to 12. For Malaysians, the fare for a round trip ticket is RM8 per adult and RM4 per child aged between three and 12. Senior citizens and students will enjoy cheaper fares at RM4 per person. Train Schedule : 6:30AM to 9PM daily unless notified.

The Owl Museum, Open Daily 9AM-6PM. Admission Rates : RM10 per entry, RM 5 for Senior Citizen, FREE Entry for Children below 12 years old (as mentioned, we had no entrance fees because according to the staff at its gate, they just opened few days prior to our visit).

Mar

WELCOME TO CHEW JETTY

By docgelo 23 Comments

With my 20-month-stay in Penang, Malaysia on working visa, I still consider myself a tourist. There are more to explore in George Town, Penang than meets the eye. That is, if you’re like me whose interests go beyond malls, shopping and dining. Penang is more than a gastronomic haven in Malaysia. The island was not listed as one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites for nothing.

Out of curiosity why a certain modest place is part of the list, I strolled my way to one of the laterals of a busy thoroughfare, Weld Quay. A few meter-walk from Rapid Bus Station, I saw two other jetties; these are the Ong Jetty and the Lim Jetty. Then the third one is situated just across Armenian Road, this is the famous, Chew Jetty; so popular among backpackers, travelers and tourists, and that after online surfing, it caught my attention too.

Believe me, I have been passing this main road a countless times during weekends and public holidays but I have not noticed Chew Jetty neither I have thought that a Heritage treasure is tucked in this unassuming area.

A common sight of groups of old Penangite men spending lazy hours of the afternoon in hawker food stalls greeted me as I entered the vicinity. Then few steps more, I turned my back to capture the facade of a small Taoist temple right in front of the entrance to Chew Jetty. This effortlessly confirmed that this waterfront community has been flocked by a Chinese-Malaysian families.

Established in the Mid 19th century, this UNESCO’s World Heritage Site that is considered to be the biggest of the waterfront settlements in Penang had Ancestors’ origin from Xinglinshe Village, Tong An District, Quanzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province, China. Chew Jetty is divided into 2 parts (Part 1 and Part 2); each has length of 182 meters and 122 meters respectively. And there are a total of 75 houses within this preserved and protected Heritage Site (Note : These facts are posted at the entrance of Chew Jetty).

I enjoyed my late afternoon walk inside and snapped photos of things I perceived as fascinating. I had FUN!

Who would find ART in various lines of those century-old wooden planks but ME, MYSELF & I? haha!

In case of and Emergency, this Chew clan community is ever ready!

Thou shall not underestimate this community built over the years by the Chew clan; they know how to decorate their houses on stilts.

HOMESTAY in some parts of Malaysia is common. They offer much affordable and competitive rates compared to commerical hotels. The greatest advantage, I think is you get a chance to be up close and personal with people of the town or city where you stand as a tourist. And Chew Jetty’s homes offer Homestay too! One can even get an online reservation from agoda.com or other travel-hotel websites. Another big plus when you opt for a Homestay in Chew Jetty is you’ll have an opportunity to wake up in a place where according to many, has an excellent view of Malaysian sunrise. However, you need to have no apprehensions and must have an adventurous mind when sleeping in houses on stilts. To each his own.

Nonetheless, the security is way better than you could expect. Nikilado ang mga pintuan dito, mga stainless pa ‘ata, gaya ng pagkaraniwang pinto ng mga bahay sa Penang (Doors of houses here are nickel-plated, perhaps stainless steel were used, similar to common doors of most houses in Penang).

One of the corners in Chew Jetty’s a stand out.

Not because it has Astro Cable TV, haha! No, definitely…

I found this small alley so quaint because of its colorful wooden walkway…

Proof that Chew Jetty's a topnotch tourist spot (Well, at least for me and them who also did what I enjoyed at Chew Jetty!)

Imagine, you can step on a rainbow…

and view a Sunshine with LOVE…

Here are some more little things that made me smile…

and reminded me that simple things can definitely make you happy!

But of all the features that this UNESCO’s World Heritage Site has to offer, I definitely love the boats! (Read : I have a thing for boats) It would not be a jetty without them, right? toinks!

I love boats and I love planks.

Send them greeting cards, love letters, not emails and SMS. Don't you miss those days when emails and texts are not yet in existence?

Deities’ flags at the end of Chew Jetty

One of the best spots to adore the sunrise in Penang…

I saw various groups of tourists and a team who took photos of a bride-and-groom-to-be. Oh yes, Chew Jetty also serves as one of the favorite backdrops for those prenuptial pics.

Admittedly, I envy people who live in Chew Jetty. Although I and my family have been savoring glorious sunsets from our tiny porch at our 10th floor appartment, Chew families enjoy waking up with the best view of the sunrise in Penang and they get to rest and relax the way they want to.

She's living the life I want to live. Worry-free, that is!

It’s a wonderful stroll in this wooden pier without an entrance fee; it’s where I experienced a living heritage and an inspiring treasure.

Mar

MY 2ND VISIT TO PINANG PERANAKAN MANSION

By docgelo 15 Comments

I have no other word in mind to express the reason why I paid another visit but compulsion. The decision came instantly one lazy Sunday afternoon. Without concrete and serious logic, I spent an hour trip via buses and ferry from our current place in Butterworth, Penang and strolled my way from Penang Street in George Town to Church Street under the heat of scorching summer sun.

The cliche, “One is enough, two is too much” doesn’t apply to my unexplainable attraction to what I personally call, The Green Mansion. My very first visit to Pinang Peranakan Mansion several months back was followed by a sudden impulse to go back. Perhaps, because I knew I have not seen enough and there are a lot more details yet to be appreciated. Or maybe, I was just looking for subjects where my lame photography skills would be put to practice. Either way, to say that I enjoyed my visit again was an understatement. People may look at the experience as something like watching a great movie over and over again. However, the visit to Pinang Peranakan Mansion for me, was actually so much better!

Res ipsa loquitor -”Evidence speaks for itself.” Those antique metal pillars in the central courtyard of the mansion were imported from Glasgow, a proof that the mansion was built on wealth.

Hey gold jewelries, we meet again…

There are more to appreciate beyond the thousands of collections of the by-gone-era. Call me a fool but I am drowned in fascination of the tiniest details this mansion has. Nothing was overlooked. Everything was done in grandeur.

Out of the massive volume of picture-worthy things inside the Pinang Peranakan Mansion, one may miss to admire these door handles in blue, orange and green crystals. If my memory serves me right, there’s also red crystal door handle in one of the rooms in the ground floor which I failed to capture. I didn’t notice them myself on my first visit! Educate me please, is this kind of door handles common in your places? Pardon my innocence, but I have not seen such, thus my amazement. I like the contrast of the colored crystals with the metal and the wood; they make a very intersting visual feast, at least for me.

Scottish iron-works, Chinese carved-wood panels, English floor tiles were put together in this century-old stately mansion that previously served as the residence and office of Kapitan Cina Chung Keng Kwee.

Wooden screens gilded in gold.

“The Peranakans, also known as Babas and Nyonyas, are a community of acculturated Chinese unique to this part of the world. They are also known as the Straits Chinese, having settled along the British Straits Settlements of Penang, Malacca and Singapore. The Peranakans adopted local Malay ways and the British colonial lifestyle. These influenced its rich culture, customs, cuisine, language and lifestyle that are still evident in Penang today.” -via PPM Visitors’ Guide.

It must be my exposure to similar Filipino furnitures that I have an eye to these ultimately beautiful fine set of mother-of-pearls flawlessly embedded in those intricately carved wooden furnitures. It’s all in the details, I tell you.

To me, these seats look like thrones.

Allow me to digress. I grew up with both of my parents working; my mom worked more than expected of her in the office back home and my dad was a Saudi-boy for almost 2 decades. Needless to say, I and my siblings were oftenly left not with a nanny but with our late maternal grandmother. Isa akong laki sa Lola, ‘ika nga. But it was my mom who personally inculcated discipline to us. I remember my Lola as someone who’s strict at everything, almost perfectionist but lived her life with simple past times. Among them were gardening, playing sungka (or as Malaysians call it, congkak) and sewing our pillow cases and curtains all by herself. She owned a Singer sewing machine before, so my memories of her resurfaced in a blink when I saw this Green Mansion’s collections… I love you, Mama Idang! We miss you and Lolo Ama!

On a lighter note, in this age of LED, LCD TV and whatnot, this for me still looks hot! haha! Seriously, I cannot imagine the cost of this antique in shops; it must be a fortune!

The Pinang Peranakan Mansion is gorgeous in monochrome, even stunning in colors!

If someone will ask me about the must-visit sites in George Town Penang, indubitably, the Pinang Peranakan Mansion tops my list. I HAD FUN! I wish to go back whenever I get the compulsion again.

View more photos from my first visit here : Pinang Peranakan Mansion

Pinang Peranakan Mansion. 29 Church Street 10200 Penang, Malaysia. Admission at the time of this posting: Adult RM10 (USD 3.24 or PhP 140), Child : RM5 (Child below 6 years -free). Open Daily from 9:30AM to 5PM even Public Holidays unless specified.

Mar

IN TUNG CHUNG

By docgelo 23 Comments

Categories: FAMILY : LOVE KO 'TO, FOOD & MORE FOOD!, HONG KONG, ILOVEPHOTOS and TRAVEL
Tags: amusement parks, city gate, city gate hong kong, city gate outlets hong kong, city gates outlets, commuter train, cut steak and hamburger combo, darth vader, doc gelo, docgelo, double beef pepper rice, expat life, family, family blog, family bonding, family fun, family life, family outing, food blog, food court, foodcourt, foodie, for the love of food, hong kong, how to go to city gate from disneyland, how to go to city gate hong kong, Japanese food, korean food, lego, lego collections, lego darth vader, lego light buzzyear, lego pirates of the caribbean, lego star wars, lego toy story, lego watch, Legoland, Legoland Johor Bahru, Legoland Malaysia, Legoland Malaysia opens end of 2012, Life, life on a train, lunch, milo, mrt hong kong, ovaltine, Pepper Lunch, pepper lunch food, pepper lunch in greenbelt, pepper lunch in hong kong, pepper lunch in kuala lumpur, pepper lunch in malaysia, pepper lunch in powerplant mall rockwell center, pepper lunch in shangri la, star wars, star wars collection, steaks, theme parks, train, TRAVEL, traveling, trip to hong kong, tung chung, tung chung train station, vacation, what to do in hong kong

Parang Nasa MRT / LRT lang sa Pinas (less the stampede and the bomb threats! *no pun intended*)

Closed. Sarado. Tutup.

Siklistas are mall rats, train riders and bargain hunters too!

To the Left. To the Left

Finally, we reached the CityGate Outlets located at the terminal end of Tung Chung Station via what else but Hong Kong’s very efficient MTR lines (Mass Transit Railway). Although it’s just a ride away from Sunny Bay Station where we hopped off from that awesome Disneyland Resort Train Line, you know what a new place can do for some first-timers-unseasoned-travelers like us. Luckily, our feet didn’t get lost.

CityGate Outlets is one those must-visit spots in Hong Kong particularly when you only have limited time to kill or you’re on a hunt for some branded merchandise on a super bargain price (read : 50 – 70% off, which to us wasn’t a surprise because in malls in Penang, discounts also go as low as those during sale season). As for us, our game plan for this short trip to CityGate was simply to see the place and while away time as we wait for our 5:45PM flight back to Malaysia. Oh, and to fill our tummies too!

KIDDIE TEMPTATIONS AHEAD!

Amongst the many branded stores of rubber shoes, bags, clothes offering huge sale, nothing seemed so enticing (to someone whose wallet was well guarded because the budget is uber limited!) to us than this kiosk…

LEGO. Eye Candy to Gabby and Me. And you? Do you dig Lego too?

Gabby's eyes popped upon the sight of this kiosk filled with Lego goodies. While he was asking Tina and I to buy him at least a piece (read : he still has a new large box of Lego which he got as a gift from my father in law last holiday and he just received an exactly similar Lego-Light Buzzyear watch from one of our fellows in our HKDL trip) I held on to my wallet tight and kept my will power. Success! haha! And although those keychains are cute, I passed the chance of buying for I am not much into keychains.

The Star Wars Lego gift that Gabby got from his maternal Lolo last Christmas was as big as this. He has yet to explore and build it soon!

If you must know, I frequently rise up early and always beat my alarm clock- even weekends and holidays, mind you. I believe I don't need a large one as that in my old mobile still does the job perfectly. But these Lego-movie-themed alarm clocks were such an enormous temptations that greater will power to held on to the budget was a must! I know I only wanted them but don't need actually (why do we buy things often times we don't need anyway?) . But then again, they're so cute, aren't they? haha!

FOOD REPUBLIC,

CITYGATE OUTLETS,

TUNG CHUNG, LANTAU ISLAND, HONG KONG.

Yes, Food Republic is the CityGate Outlets’ food court! And I apologize for thinking that we might smell like the food they offer after eating inside; I was so wrong! It must be a great food place for it’s almost packed when we arrived.

Thou shall not judge people by their hairstyles. There are 5 types in this shot, can you count them all? *snickers*

hip and edgy... i like the hoody more than the hair

It's a must when in Hong Kong

Ate, ano ginagawa nyo sa dim sum?

Bibili na sana ako Kuya, pero parang galit ka. Why?

HCR = Hainanese Chicken Rice is happiness. But we passed up because hawkers offer this in Penang anyway or perhaps, we're craving for something else.

Korea House : Tina's choice

Milo or Ovaltine? Guess.

Tina's Korean Lunch : A Bowl of Beef & Veggies. It was OK according to her.

I almost ordered a Korean Bento Box from that Korea House where Tina bought her lunch set but I decided to hop from one food stall to another and tried to feel what my gastric mucosa’s craving was.

Food Republic’s made of various Asian cuisines -Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean and my palate opted for a Japanese fastfood favorite!

Impeccable Teamwork : While a lady-crew tends the cashier, these two create our very own favorite that was sorely missed (read: it has been more than 2 years!) Japanese fastfood sizzling yummies in a few sec. However, because queues and orders pile up, customers and hungry diners like Gabby and I need to wait despite the two's perfectly coordinated moves in the kitchen.

They're making Gabby's lunch!

I know.

When in Hong Kong, one should savor Chinese dishes –dim sum, noodles, and anything cooked Cantonese or Sichuan.

But it has been years since we last enjoyed cooking our own food in a sizzling plate with lotsa butter and pepper on the rice meal.

We love Pepper Lunch! We miss their Shangri La Plaza and Powerplant Mall branches back home (We have not tried Greenbelt branch yet). We even won in one of PL’s promo contests years ago (CLICK THIS!). I know now that PL has a branch in Malaysia, but it’s in Pavilion Mall in Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur! That’s 5 hour-away via bus ride from Penang. So when opportunity presented itself, Gabby and I didn’t think twice, we had PL Rice for our last lunch in Hong Kong!

Gabby's Pepper Lunch favorite : Beef Pepper Rice (I can still hear my boy saying, "Daddy ang sarap! Favorite ko ito!")

My Pepper Lunch Meal : Cut Steak and Hamburger Combo. With butter beneath and over the meat, plus that favorite HONEY BROWN SAUCE, a cup of Japanese rice seemed not enough! ANG SARAP!!! Miss na miss!

We loved those moments in Tung Chung!

Before 3PM, we went back to Disney's Hollywood Hotel, collected our luggage and bags and rode a cab to the HKIA. Bye bye, Tung Chung! Bye bye Hong Kong. Thanks for the memories! They're one of our coolest! See you again in the near future!

*PS : LEGOLAND MALAYSIA in Johor Bahru (near Singapore) opens end of 2012 (view HERE!)

Mar

OUR HONG KONG DISNEYLAND TRIP 2012 : LAST DAY HIGH

By docgelo 24 Comments

Categories: FAMILY : LOVE KO 'TO, FOOD & MORE FOOD!, HEADLINES, HONG KONG, ILOVEPHOTOS and TRAVEL
Tags: amusement parks, angelo nino santos, beyond toxicity, black and white photography, blooms, breakfast, broadway shows, cadillac, chef mickey's, dining, dining with family, disney train lines, disney's hollywood hotel, disneyland, disneyland train line, doc gelo, doc gelo blog, docgelo, family and living, family blog, family from philippines, family life, filipino blog, filipino expats, filipino family, flight of fantasy parade, flowers, foliage, food, food blog, food places in hong kong, foodie, fun, gardens, gratitude, Hollywood, hong kong, hong kong disney's hollywood hotel, Hong Kong Disneyland, hong kong island, hong kong tourist spots, hotels, hotels in hong kong, how to go to hong kong disneyland, how to go to hong kong disneyland from hong kong international airport, lantau island, live performances, musicals, must see in hong kong, must-visit in hong kong, nikon D7000, pancakes, parades, park, photography, photos taken using nikon D7000, pinoy expats, r & r, rest and relaxation, restaurant, restaurants in hong kong, simba, sunny bay, thanksgiving, the golden mickeys, the lion king, tourism, tourist spots in hong kong, toy story, train lines in hong kong, vacation, vintage cars, woody toy story

19 February 2012. Sunday. It was the last day of our 3D2N grand family vacation in Hong Kong Disneyland Park and Resort. And although we’re ecstatic with everything we had experienced in the Happiest Place On Earth, we tried to struggle a bit with fact that we’re leaving Hong Kong for our work place in Penang, Malaysia before dusk. It’s always hard to leave something so special that gave you many wonderful memories. Nontheless, we still had a day to enjoy so Tina, Gabby and I started our last morning in Hong Kong with ear-to-ear smiles.

Good Morning, Disney’s Hollywood Hotel !!!

From our room down to the lobby, we headed directly to Chef Mickey to have our buffet breakfast!

“Chef Mickey recalls the lavish Art Deco-styled studio commissaries of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Mickey decorations and various Disney characters in sketch form are found throughout the restaurant.” (via hongkongdisneyland.com)

Here’s the nice corner reserved for my family and me…

From the ceiling, fixtures, tiled walls and the spread, there’s a piece of Mickey Mouse to delight your senses!

It was Gabby who first noticed and told me, “Daddy, look at the plate, it looks like Mickey Mouse’s pants!”

Much ado about carbo-loading : My first plate had a crusty cheese bread, a delicate egg tart, sample of fruity and fluffy pastries and a piece of Winnie the Pooh banana cake. Of course, my morning would not be complete without a dose of coffee.

Who says pizza ain’t a morning meal? Gabby was wide-eyed when he spotted an all-cheese-thin-crust-pizza on the spread; he’s a purist when it comes to pizza thus, it’s his favorite! I asked him, “Anak, do you want some?” Of course, I received an excited positive response! I got a few slices for him, added some hash browns molded into smileys; how cute! And the basic scrambled eggs and bacon with Mickey Mouse waffles spruced up with maple syrup, while our boy favored chocolate syrup!

One of my favorites that I found so good from Chef Mickey’s various offerings was those thin slices of smoked salmon! I paired it with fresh green salad which I topped with different kinds of cheeses, some bits of cold cuts and vinaigrette and my morning instantly became perfect!

Tina and Gabby were satisfied with the breakfast too. Why, there were cereals which is a staple for my wife and son; yoghurt and fresh tropical fruits too! There were also some Chinese favorites –choices of dim sum, noodles, congee and a lot more that we wished our stomachs can accomodate.

After filling our tummies from Chef Mickey, we got our luggage and bags, had an early check out at 10:30AM, deposited our bags (for free!) at the Left Luggage Service of the hotel and trooped to the Disney’s Hollywood Hotel garden.

For the nth time, I owe some brilliant observations from our 7-year-old-kid. After first noticing those Chef Mickey’s plates patterned after Mickey Mouse’s pants, he commented about the aisle at the garden has film strips! And so I took a snap…

Bright and beautiful foliage at the Disney’s Hollywood Hotel garden…

The colors of the blooms – both big and small were awe-inspiring!

Pretty, isn’t it? My mother would agree (read : she loves flowers while my wife prefers food!).

It must be the great climate. It must be…

Happy moments in Disney’s Hollywood Hotel were made of these…

So happy he became buoyant on cool air!

Then, at the back of those “Hollywood Hotel” signage is somewhat discreet walkway where vintage cars are parked, excellent for photo-ops. What is Hollywood without them anyway?

Now, here are the exhibits of our “not-our-car-photos”….

Gorgeous cadillac coupled with those lovely smiles…

We’re almost ready to leave the garden when Gabby was fascinated with this movie ticket booth…

Gabby was inspired to do role-playing with his mom. Tina as the movie-goer and Gabby sells the tickets. Guess who’s their director? Definitely, not me! I played the usual camera man; Gabby himself called the shots! And all the while we thought his mind’s already fixed in becoming a chef, hotelier and restaurateur in the future. He got other talents, baby!

The moment came when he thought of dancing in the middle of a turntable-designed ground near the poolside. Elvis Presley songs were on air. He was then more of an entertainer with the grooves more than just an actor-director! haha! (I captured all of his moves in photos which I will probably post on a separate entry soon).

Time to bid goodbye to Disney’s Hollywood Hotel. Thank you for that warm and family-friendly accomodation!

As we planned to collect our luggage from Disney’s Hollywood Hotel at around 3PM before heading to Hong Kong International Airport to catch our 5:45PM HK-KUL flight via Air Asia, we rode the resort’s free shuttle bus and went to Hong Kong Disneyland Resort Public Transport Interchange (PTI).

TRANSPORTATION IS ALSO WHIMSICAL AT HONG KONG DISNEYLAND!

Here are some info and tips on how to go about the MTR Disneyland Resort Line

Getting to and out the park is as easy as counting 1, 2 and 3. From Hong Kong International Airport, one can opt to ride a bus, a car, a taxi cab or a train to reach Hong Kong Disneyland and vise-versa if you’re leaving the Happiest Place On Earth.

We’ve been to Hong Kong and Hong Kong Disneyland quite a few times already but we were always on a package tour (read : there’s a tourist bus that pick us up to and from the park) and we have not experienced riding that Mickey-Mouse-windowed train running on the MTR Disneyland Resort Line. And so we did not let the chance pass last month to enjoy such experience.

It’s always great to ask whenever you’re in doubt. So I went to the counter of the MTR Disneyland Resort Line to inquire how to go to Ting Chung via Sunny Bay. He instructed me to buy tickets from the machines located at the laterals of the station just before the turnstiles. He generously broke my bills into coins for the train ticket machines; very HKDL-friendly!

The ticket machines are touch screens; you need to identify and press the point of your origin before you touch the point of your final destination. Say for example, touch first Hong Kong Disneyland Resort then Tung Chung. The ticket price for adult and kids are different but the machine monitor will show the amount per person and you just need to press the total pax (e.g. 3 adults, 1 kid). Et voila, you collect the tickets to be inserted (or swipe if it’s loadable) on the turnstiles!

Convenience meets Fantasy.

That’s my first impression on Disneyland Resort Train Station.

It made me wish that all train stations around the globe would be as neat and pretty as this.

“Travel on the railway network of MTR and interchange for the Disneyland Resort Line at Sunny Bay Station.

Only 23 minutes from the Hong Kong International Airport, MTR Airport station,

30 minutes from MTR Kowloons tation and

33 minutes from MTR Hong Kong station where Guests can pick up Park Tickets too!

Operating Hours between Sunny Bay and Disneyland Resort Station
From Sunny Bay: from 6:15am – 12:45am the following day From Disneyland Resort Station: from 6:20am – 12:40am the following day

Frequency 4 – 10 minutes.” (-via hongkongdisneyland.com)

Just wonderful.

And at an instant, we fell in love with the train! Those train handles are one of the many reasons why one should visit and experience Hong Kong Disneyland!

Among the many train couches, we were lucky to randomly seated near that Mickey Mouse bronze statue.

There’s Tink’s and many other Disney characters immortalized in bronze enclosed in capsules.

Hong Kong Disneyland Resort line runs until Sunny Bay. From here, you wait and take other trains that will take you to your destination.

Doing the “tourist thing” at Sunny Bay Station….

Now, where did we go and what did we do after Sunny Bay would have to be posted next!

With that, I’d like to thank the people who made our Hong Kong Disneyland trip very memorable and fun-filled! Thank you to Jaclyn, Nicole, Catherine and Purple –you guys are the BEST!

Thank you to my fellow Filipino bloggers with their families and friends! Thank you to Gael of The Pinay Solo BackPacker and her sister, Juvy, Thank you to Thammie of ThammieSy.com who came with her entire family, Pastor Dennis of Act Like A Man and their two adorable daughters, Alyanna and Mika. Thank you to Leslie of Shoot First Eat Later who came with her friend, Ms. Elizabeth (not in photo but Thank you, Maam for giving Gabby a lego-Buzz Lightyear watch!), Thank you fashion bloggers and celebrities, Laureen Uy of Break My Style who came with her special one, Robbie, and Kryz Uy of KryzUy.com who went with her sister, Jack. Maraming Salamat! Don’t you wish we meet again in some similar trip like this? Better yet, let’s go to HKDL again someday!

Last but not certainly not the least, THANK YOU SO MUCH to HONG KONG DISNEYLAND for being the venue of our FAMILY bonding, offering more than expected delicious FOOD and providing us never-ending FUN!

In so many ways, this Hong Kong Disneyland vacation was truly an exceptional one!

Whether it was our first time or we’ve been to the park and hotels several times over, reasons are beyond words to go back and revisit the Happiest Place on Earth!

Let this last set of my photos speak of those remarkable reasons why WE SO LOVE HONG KONG DISNEYLAND!

As Shakespeare had put it, “Parting is such a sweet sorrow.”

It was an enormous blessing that we got a chance to revisit Hong Kong Disneyland and experienced family bonding, food and fun beyond our great expectations!

Thank you so much, our dear God!

Thank you so much, Hong Kong Disneyland!

Till we meet again, Mickey Mouse!

———————————

This Blog Series Includes :

Mar

OUR HONG KONG DISNEYLAND TRIP 2012 : GLORIOUS DAY 2

By docgelo 32 Comments

Categories: FAMILY : LOVE KO 'TO, FOOD & MORE FOOD!, HEADLINES, HONG KONG, TRAVEL and WISH LIST
Tags: alaskan crab, amusement park, angelo nino m. santos md, angelo nino santos, asian dishes, astro blasters, beef dishes, breakfast, cakes, cheesecake, cheesecakes, chocolates, cod fish, crab, desserts, dinner, disneyland, disneyland hotel, doc gelo, docgelo, enchanted garden, enchanted garden restaurant, family, family adventure, family and living, family blog, family bonding, family fun, family life, fantasyland, food, food blog, food blogger, foodie, fun, gelo santos, happiness, happy life, hong kong, Hong Kong Disneyland, hong kong disneyland merchandise, Life, lobster, mango pudding, mementos, restaurants, salmon dish, seafood, seafood platter dish, seafoods, southeast asia, souvenirs, stage musical, surf and turf, tenderloin, the festival of the lion king, the lion king, the many adventures of winnie the pooh, theater, tomorrowland, toy story, TRAVEL, traveling, travelling, trip to disneyland, trip to southeast asia, vacation, walt's cafe, winnie the pooh

18 February 2012, Saturday. Tina, Gabby and I woke up early from one of our restful sleeps in Disney’s Hollywood Hotel and excitedly prepared for our Day 2 in the Happiest Place on Earth!

It turned out to be glorious!

From Disney’s Hollywood Hotel, we hopped on the resort’s shuttle bus and headed to Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel. We had a table reserved under our names at Enchanted Garden Restaurant for our breakfast buffet and Meet and Greet with the Disney characters! Everything seemed so thrilling particularly for Gabby!

As we went down directly to the basement of the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel where the Enchanted Garden Restaurant is housed, this beautiful space greeted us…

Enchanting, indeed!

We came in too early at 8AM (read : apparently excited!) and found from the Cast Member at the door of the restaurant that our table would be ready at around 9:30AM (so that’s the time that was reserved to us!). Without a hint of worry, we went out the door from the restaurant and spent time almost unnoticed in this perfectly manicured garden at the back of Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel.

The gazebo looks inviting as a perfect venue for couples to exchange “I dos”. Imagine a wedding with all your favorite Disney characters led by no less than Mickey Mouse! Amazing!

A more interesting part of the garden is the hedge maze that Gabby, Tina and I tried finishing…

This is called, “Mickey Maze!”

Our kid totally enjoyed every second inside the maze…

Spot us in the Mickey Maze…

Let’s play “Hide and Seek!”

More cheesy but priceless bonding moments in Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel…

Must be so happy? You bet!

After almost an hour at the garden, it’s time to freshen up and hit the tables and the spread. On way to Enchanted Garden Restaurant, we spotted super cool and nice things.

Exhibit #1 : Wooden high chairs for kiddos. They made me smile.

Exhibit # 2 : A room near the Enchanted Garden Restaurant will surely entice parents and their little daughters…

In “My Little Princess”, little ladies may be transformed into a Disney Princess of their choice.

This was just a “one proud daddy scene.” The moment reminded me of our wish (I and Tina’s) to give Gabby a little sister. (read :If it will come, it will in His time.)

Exhibit # 3 : Spotted Cinderella at the lobby of Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel with Alyanna and Mika (the beautiful daughters of Dennis and Thammie who were with our group in this HKDL trip).

Finally, a walk under those trellis! Splendid!

Being ushered to our reserved tables and seats felt surreal! Not that we’re excited to binge eat, hehe! but the ambiance exceeded our expectations!

The spread had Asian and Continental breakfast favorites. Everything looked tasteful and a must-try. There was more than enough for us to savor and be energized for another whole day at the park!

And then a thought popped out…

You don’t go to Hong Kong without sampling good bowl of noodles

and some tasteful dim sum and dumplings.

You just dont.

I just wished they had toyomansi (soy sauce + lime/calamansi) for the dim sums.

And because it’s Disneyland, Enchanted Garden boasts of Mickey Mouse figures in their waffles and pancakes! These made me stare at my plate for several minutes before I dunk my fork and knife at them. I had some of the goodies in pair, yum, yum!!! One of my plates had waffles, pancakes, hash browns and french toasts. Appreciate if you won’t calculate the calories! This is when my weakness in Math comes to be most useful! hehe!

The next set was mostly Tina’s and my plates. I had no chance to take photos of Gabby’s because he’s preoccuppied with excitement and huge appetite.

Known in local Filipino TV series, “My Binondo Girl as”Amethyst” that Tina religiously followed online (Malaysia has no TFC!) and more popular as a fashion blogger-celebrity and sister to Liz Uy, we met the charming and beautiful, Laureen Uy.

One Stellar Moment

More stunning episodes happened as some of the best loved Disney characters went to our table for us to take photo-ops! Diners of Enchanted Garden need not to queue to have memorable pictures with Mickey, Pluto and Goofy (and other characters). It’s another VIP treatment that we enjoyed in Hong Kong Disneyland!

Widest and sweetest smiles from my family as we posed with Pluto and Mickey…

Must have one more shot with Pluto…

After that one-of-a-kind-breakfast experience at Disneyland Hotel’s Enchanted Garden, it was time to explore and enjoy Hong Kong Disneyland Park again!

To those who are planning to experience HKDL for the very first time and have doubts if you can enjoy it in one whole day, actually, you can! But would you not wish to double the fun if you can be there on 2 consecutive days?

Weather forecast checked : 14 to 16 degree Celcius. We loved the climate; we didn’t have a downpour! God is truly great!

We wore various hats : A Cast Member volunteered to take our family pic just before a quaint door in one of the pastel-colored structures at Main Street, U.S.A..

Hot. Fresh. Delicious!

Then our feet brought us to Tomorrowland!

As Tomorrowland intends to give park goers a creative experience of being in the future, the moments became nostalgic to us.

Here’s how we looked five years ago…I guess only pounds and kilos of happiness were added!

Inside the Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters ride, we have been warned.

We had FAST PASSES to this awesome ride! It was so cool when Buzz Lightyear himself introduced us to Astro Blasters!

Emperor Zurg!

Shooting robots. robots and more robots! We liked it here!

After that exhilarating Astro Blaster ride, we trooped to the largest restaurant in the theme park with over 800 seats, the Starliner Diner and grabbed a lip-smackingly good fried chicken and fries for lunch!

Over and beyond the food, what Tina and I liked was the fact that Hong Kong Disneyland’s Starliner Diner prioritizes sanitation and cleanliness by providing plastic gloves given inclusive of the food tray. You’ll find them folded and pack neatly with your tray. So eating chicken with hands was no-worries at all!

One more time on this car, Gabby!

2007 on the left ; 2012 on the right –Take a look at Gabby’s Then and Now photos and appreciate what 5 years have done!

Another ride within Tomorrowland available with Fast Passes is Space Mountain. We gave our Fast Passes to Laureen and her friends as we’re not fond of rollercoaster rides (read : Tina has Vertigo, Gabby’s still uncomfortable and cannot ride alone and I might throw up!). But if you’re adventurous and somewhat fearless, by all means, Space Mountain will surely give you the thrill!

We bid goodbye to Tomorrowland and strolled our way in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle to watch the Flights of Fantasy Parade for the second time! That 30 minute Hong Kong Disneyland parade really left us in awe!

Just before the parade started, Tina thought of a clever strategy. Since we didn’t have priority pass to the musical, The Festival of the Lion King, she suggested that together with Gabby while I am still drowned capturing the parade on photos, they will head to Adventureland just before the parade ends. In that way, while people are still busy watching the parade, they’ll be the first on the queue to that another must-see-musical..And true enough, it was a wise move.

The Festival of The Lion King at Adventureland

The scene became more fascinating after the stage lights were turned off. Let the show begin!

“It’s the Circle of Life

And it moves us all

Through despair and hope

Through faith and love

Till we find our place

On the path unwinding

In the Circle,

The Circle of Life….”

It’s visually stunning! The songs and their voices are overwhelming too. We have seen this musical at HKDL more than a couple of times already and performance gets better and better! My particular favorite was the gorgeous air stunt of this lady-bird character; the act was so graceful; almost breathtaking!

These live musical shows (The Golden Mickeys and The Festival of the Lion King) make Hong Kong Disneyland specially different from the other Disney Theme Parks!

Then, it’s Gabby’s time for some Mickey Mouse ice cream! Sarap!

Few more steps, we found oursleves in Liki Tiki…
These “leaky” tiki jungle poles squirts water like fountains; look how our little one enjoys the drizzling effects…

Playing with tribal percussion instruments entertained Gabby to the fullest!

Tina and I are the happiest when he’s happy.

OK, so we left Adventureland with a smile and moved on to Fantasyland with even wider smiles!

This Pixie Dust area where Tinker Bell usually drop by for photo-ops wasn’t existing yet way back in 2007 (Gabby’s first trip to HKDL).

Time for some Mickey’s PhilharMagic! This colorful 3D movie adventure about how Mickey Mouse lost his wizard hat and what Donald Duck has to do with it never fails to amuse us. You never get tired of great attractions in Hong Kong Disneyland!

3D glasses on!

Our last Fast Passes on our hands were for the The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh...Gabby was only 2 years old when he first rode the track to the story of Winnie.

Cinderella’s Carousel has 60 graceful, prancing horses!

I learned that last year’s celebration of the 5th Anniversary of Hong Kong Disneyland, Tink had showered Sleeping Beauty Castle with her pixie dust… The effect is even more magical at dusk!

After Winter Must Come Spring… Is it Spring yet?

Smiles and blooms perfectly blend…

Ahhhhh… another stupendous day at Hong Kong Disneyland is about to end…

Thank You, Lord for another magical day!

We made sure we remember this trip not only through photos and video but mementos and souvenirs from HKDL shops itself. Other than the Disney character-hats that we bought, Gabby got himself a rubber Mickey Mouse wrist watch (When we got into the hotel room, he received a gift from one of our new friends in our group–a lego writs watch with Buzz Lightyear design! Thank You, Ms. Elizabeth for such generous gift!).

Before exiting the shop, Gabby called my attention, “Daddy, picture!” hence, this…

Before 7PM, we left Hong Kong Disneyland Park with almost a heavy heart. It’s our last day in the park and surely we’ll miss all the fun!

Thank you for the memories, HKDL!

We had our last dinner in Hong Kong at Disneyland Hotel’s WALT’S CAFE. I’m almost lost for superlatives to describe how great the overall gastronomic experience we had. First thing came to mind : The dinner was EXCELLENT!

I think diners of Walt’s Cafe can opt to enjoy their meals at the lobby…

I checked the reservation and we’re instantly led toward the end of the restaurant where everything seemed perfect.

This is the beautiful corner reserved to our group. Isn’t it divine?

Looking at my photos after the trip made me wish I have sampled a bottle of their wine…

The view from our table… The ambiance and the look of that by-gone era was almost ethereal!

The smiles to live for….

Now, let’s get down to business. We loved everything we chowed down; starting with this crusty bread that looked like a hot air balloon when you work your imagination; it’s baked to perfection and can be enjoyed sans butter.

Gabby favored one of Mickey’s Kid’s Meal -Oven Baked Ham and Cheese Macaroni with carrots and green peas, fresh fruit salad and a choice of drink; our kiddo got himself a hot chocolate.

For Tina, she savored, Grilled US Beef Tenderloin and Simmered Beef Short Ribs with Mushroom and Pinot Noir Sauce, HK$ 268.

Let me tell you, I had a great time from browsing the menu to having a taste of everything my family had. Here’s my preferences and recommendations from Walt’s Cafe..

Chicken Breast Fillet with Poached Crab Meat with Papaya and Mango Salad served with Honey Lime Scented Dressing, HK$ 128.

My palate was satisfied with its texture and flavors. The fusion of freshest and sweetest fruits complemented well the crunchiness of the greens. And the Chicken Breast Fillet? Heavenly!

I requested the wait staff to provide extra small plates so I can share my order with Tina and Gabby. I also sampled one Walt’s Cafe’s soups -

Double Boiled Black Mushroom with Kam Ha Wam Soup, HK$ 78.

The soup’s tasteful. I like the flavor of the Chinese ham and the black mushroom. Beautiful combo! The mushroom was shaped into Mickey Mouse’s head too! Amazing!

Then for my main entree, a huge plate was served first with one of the prettiest veggie side dishes I ever had…

To people who think amusement parks and their resorts only offer fast food junkies, think again! Hong Kong Disneyland’s Corner Cafe and Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel’s Walt’s Cafe proved it otherwise. Their menus are beyond sumptuous! The ambience, sublime!

Seafood Platter for Two. (Grilled or Poached. I wanted it grilled). Lobster, Scallops, King Crab Legs, Squid, Salmon, and Cod Fish with Lemon Dill “Beurreblanc” and Crustacean Sauce, Assorted Garden Vegetables, and Boiled Potatoes. HK$ 538.

One word : Outstanding!

Just take a look at that lime gorgeously wrapped with golden tulle and ribbon; wonderful!

The entree, Tina, Gabby and I shared….

We cannot be grateful enough!

Moving on to desserts…

My choice : Penny’s Bay Mango Pudding with Mango Puree.

Tina’s sweet preference : White Chocolate Cheesecake with Raspberry Coulis

Gabby’s dessert plate was the most divine!

Oreo Cheesecake never tasted this great!

It’s one FUNtastic dinner to end one glorious day of everything that this blog gives reverence for :

FAMILY. FOOD. and FUN!

———————

I cannot help but marvel at the immense scale of blissful experiences we had in Hong Kong Disneyland! That 3-day-2-night vacation extremely gave us unforgettable memories that Tina, Gabby and I will cherish forever.

Hong Kong Disneyland spells H-A-P-P-I-N-E-S-S!

Thank you so much, Hong Kong Disneyland!

*Up Next : The concluding post of this Hong Kong Disneyland Series! Stay Tuned!

———————————

This Blog Series Includes :

Mar

OUR HONG KONG DISNEYLAND TRIP 2012 : TIMELESS MAGIC

By docgelo 32 Comments

Categories: FAMILY : LOVE KO 'TO, FOOD & MORE FOOD!, HONG KONG, ILOVEPHOTOS and TRAVEL
Tags: adventureland, amusement park, angelo nino m. santos, angelo nino santos, artificial animals, beauty and the beast, buzz light year, clam chowder, corner cafe, disney in the stars, disneyland, disneyland hotel, doc gelo, docgelo, elephants, family, family and living blog, family blog, fantasyland, filipino abroad, filipino in malaysia, fireworks, food, food blog, foodie, grand vacation, hong kong, Hong Kong Disneyland, it's a small world, it's a small world after all, jungle, jungle safari, lifestyle, lobster, main street usa, maliit ang mundo, mulan, must see in hong kong, must visit in disneyland, must-visit in hong kong, pinoy expat, seafood chowder, southeast asia, surf and turf, the golden mickeys, theme park, toy story, toy story land, TRAVEL, traveling, travelling, woody, zebras, zoo animals

The fambam goes to Adventureland! Celebrating at Hong Kong Disneyland the best way we know how!

A young elephant at Hong Kong Disneyland, seriously?

We never thought that we’d see Baby elephant with Mama and Papa elephants other than Dumbo in a theme park reigned by our favorite, Mickey Mouse. Or perhaps, we got overwhelmed being there again and forgot that almost anything’s possible because MAGIC and FANTASY come alive in a perfect fusion in the Happiest Place on Earth! ;)

Even Tina, Gabby and I have been to HONG KONG DISNEYLAND a few times already, and thankfully I’ve experienced the theme park in Tokyo and California too, it was our very first time to ride a tour-guided-boat in the waters of ADVENTURELAND last 17 February 2012, and definitely enjoyed every moment to bits.

Our gang at Hong Kong Disneyland with our uber friendly and warm exclusive tour guides, Janice (on red uniform) and Danny (with tie).

How cool it was to bypass the long queues legally without a feeling of guilt because of

DISNEY’S PRESTIGE TOUR (HK$ 3,888 for 3 consecutive hours up to group of six) .

Our Jungle River Cruise in Adventureland was led by an intrepid skipper. Our group was amazed as he passionately described and elaborately narrated what to expect and see along the mysterious waters.

But wait.

Why’s Gabby so afraid?

First he was afraid; he was petrified!!! ....hehe!

Was it because of the Baby elephant?

Or was it because of Papa elephant and his striped African friends?

Can it be due to those rhino and hyenas chasing these men?

Climb for your lives!!! ;P

Oh, I remember! Gabby was frightened about those fire-and-explosions-on-waters effects during one part of the cruise!

Okay.

Fine.

I admit…

Those mother and baby elephants, zebras, hyneas and rhinos, gorillas and cobras (not in photos) are mechanically operated; they’re unreal! You thought so too? But they’re the next best things to see after watching the lovable Disney characters on parade and I think even better than seeing their natural counterparts in a zoo. Exposing kids like Gabby to such artificial animals that appear like real would give them appreciation of the wild and the environment as a whole without the risk. Safety’s always a priority whenever you travel with kids and Hong Kong Disneyland knows how to implement fun with so much care!

That Jungle River Cruise was really something! It felt like we’re instantly ushered into an African Safari and left Asia for a while to experience some animal and jungle encounter.

Adventureland also features Tarzan’s Treehouse, Liki Tiki and the fabulously produced musical, “Festival of the Lion King” which we watched the following day (to be featured on my next post!).

Moments after we hopped off the boat, our HK Disneyland Tour Hosts, Janice and Danny brought us to FANTASYLAND to experience another engaging attraction, tagged as the happiest cruise that ever sailed, as the children of the world sing and dance to the song, “it’s a small world!”

My favorite part of this Fantasyland attraction : The Jungle Safari! We're having a safari-overload! Amazing!

A ride on the lift took us down to another exciting boat ride! This time, our senses feasted on colorful tableaux made of dolls representing children of each countries around the globe sing and dance to the song of “it’s a small world” in their own respective tongues. And just like that Jungle River Cruise in Adventureland, It’s A Small World journey via boat was another first for Tina, Gabby and me because we always passed the chance to experience it on our previous visits due to its long queue (a proof that it’s a MUST-SEE!). But now that we’re on Disney’s Prestige Tour, it was really a hassle-free!

it’s a small world…

Name Game! What country does this dolls represent? The frustrated violinist in me was in awe!

This FANTASYLAND attraction may be so appealing to kids and kids-at-hearts but it definitely shows a serious issue of unity amidst diversities. We may have come from various cultures and nations but in music and harmony, we could be one!

Indubitably, I am biased with tableaux from Asia!

Outstanding play of colors and costumes! …More Asian flavors!

Then at one lowly lit corner, two dolls dressed in Philippines’ national costume were singing “maliit ang mundo” (Tagalog version of “it’s a small world”).

Tina told me that she only wished that the Philippines’ corner would have a larger and brighter area or perhaps she meant, more dolls, more features like that of the other countries. Nonetheless, at least our very own’s represented! Yay!

As for our current work place, I think our eyes missed to spot Malaysia.

I’m not sure what comes first but certainly, our boat sailed onto the Golden Bridge! At this part, I suddenly missed the actual thing!

Tulips and windmills? Must be Holland.

Venetian Gondola? Must be Italy.

It’s so magical how we toured the world on a boat without the fuss of going through terminals and applying for visas! hehe

Cabaret? ...Moulin Rouge?

“it’s a small world” greeted us with “Hello” in different languages and bid us “Paalam”, “Adieu!”

Next, we headed to another Must-See in FANTASYLAND -A musical celebration of Disney’s movies and characters. If in “It’s A Small World” we took a journey around the globe on a whim, “The Golden Mickeys” presented our favorite Disney films live on stage! It’s a favorite and we never miss seeing this show whenever we visit Hong Kong Disneyland. Again, this trip was extremely special -I am with my family, we met new friends and we got PRIORITY PASS and EXCLUSIVE RESERVED SEATING!

VIP TREATMENT at its BEST!

Thank you so much, Hong Kong Disneyland!

THE GOLDEN MICKEYS

Wonderful!

Hearing Mickey and Minnie speak Cantonese never fails to amuse me. It only happens in Hong Kong Disneyland!

I may not be an expert critic in theater but I know my eyes and ears. I have watched a few musicals during my wonder years and this one’s short but excellently staged! We’ve seen other actors performed “The Golden Mickeys” the previous years and I may state that it has been consistent. What an AWESOME PRODUCTION! Gabby’s eyes were glued on the entire show! The three of us barely blinked! haha!

Live performances of songs, dances and stunts really reminded us of our favorite Disney movies!

The 30-minute show ended with a blast! We were soon guided to the newest and exclusive attraction in Hong Kong Disneyland :

TOY STORY LAND

“It’s playtime at Toy Story Land!

Exclusive in Asia, Toy Story Land brings the cherished stories of the Toy Story movie trilogy to reality, providing an immersive and memorable experience for all Guests. Toy Story Land’s opening on November 18, 2011 as the first themed area of the Park’s expansion project marked a key milestone for the Resort.

Entering the themed area, Guests will feel like they’ve been shrunk to the size of a toy as they are transported to the oversized world of Andy’s backyard. Toy Story Land houses three main attractions – RC Racer, Slinky Dog Spin and Toy Soldier Parachute Drop – offering Guests interactive and playful adventures. Through the themed area, Guests will also be able to play with their favorite Toy Story friends.” -HKDL.

Follow the Arrow to TOY STORY LAND!

Everything is oversized at TOY STORY LAND! Never imagined that we’d experience being in a backyard and feel like shrunken toys of Andy, the boy who owns the toys that come alive in the Disney movies, Toy Story. But it happened magically in TOY STORY LAND!

RC RACER

Soaring in a U-shaped bright orange track, you can ride a race car and have the thrill of fun!

I wish I had the will to try these thrilling rides; I passed up for the fear that I might throw up. I didn’t want to spoil our weekend fun feeling nauseous and tachycardic (having increase heart rate). It’s just me and my family (Tina has Vertigo and Gabby’s too young to get the scare out of him). But for those who seek such gravity defying race ride, RC Racer is made for you!

Since we opted not to try the RC Racer, we thought the next best thing was to pose for posterity!

TOY SOLDIER PARACHUTE DROP

TOY SOLDIER PARACHUTE DROP -another ride that gives you adrenaline rush! If you’re into Skydiving or you dig such extreme drill, this one’s tailor made for you! You’ll get a view of the entirety of Andy’s backyard set in Hong Kong Disneyland in the poetic Lantau Island!

Dig this : “Drop from the sky with the Toy Soldiers in a parachute training drill that thrills!”

SLINKY DOG SPIN

This one’s Gabby’s favorite! He asked me to accompany him not once but twice! We experienced how Slinky Dog run around and chase his tail around and ’round! Fun, fun, fun!

We love Toy Story Land!

You’ll never get to sit on pastel-colored popsicle stick-benches on a daily basis! Made me want to bring them home! haha!

Wonderful, isn’t it? “And there’s more to come! Toy Story Land is the first of three themed areas planned at Hong Kong Disneyland. The second themed area at Hong Kong Disneyland will be called Grizzly Gulch and it’s scheduled to be completed and opened to the public in 2012. And the Mystic Point themed area is expected to open in 2013.” -HKDL.

And because Magic is so timeless,

and the fun never ceases,

we didn’t notice the hands of the clock inside Hong Kong Disneyland!

Dusk fell beautifully in this theme park.

Time for dinner at CORNER CAFE!

One of the newly established restaurant inside the park is Main Street Corner Cafe. This table serviced restaurant offers premium American menu; everything spells D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S!

Gabby’s kiddie set included Fish fingers and fries, veggie side dish, cream puffs that he so loved! (read : as I write this, he uttered, “Iyan ang pinakamasarap!” –”That’s the most delicious!”), watermelon sliced into Mickey Mouse head and watermelon juice to match.

We were served with fibrous bread and butter. Yes to carbo! hehe!

I sampled their Seafood Chowder and it’s rich and tasteful, just what I like!

Satisfying one’s craving inside a kiddie theme park is almost always close to rarity. The usual meals in most amusement parks are fastfood delights and at times, far from your palate’s want. But CORNER CAFE inside Hong Kong Disneyland is amazingly different! Surprisingly, we found the irresistible, SURF AND TURF on their menu! The adequate portion of tender beef which Tina and I had medium-well, and a perfectly seasoned lobster on a bed of creamy whipped potato, all in one heavenly plate was simply divine!

For dessert, Tina, Gabby and I ordered a trio of cheesecake (not in photo); too bad my shots on that plate were so blurry I decided not to post.

Thanks to the Hong Kong people we’ve met -Nicole, Catherine and Purple (you guys are the best!), they left us with beautiful souvenir pins inspired by Toy Story Land! Everyone in our group had a piece; Gabby even got to keep and bring home the handsome box, sweet!

We needed to postpone savoring our desserts because the fireworks outside was about to start. We’re told that it’s best to view such magnificent lighting of the Hong Kong skies in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle but because we’re still halfway on our dinner (it’s really sumptious, you feel half-hearted to eat fast!), most of us just walk outside Corner Cafe and marveled at “Disney in the Stars!”

DISNEY IN THE STARS

Because I didn’t bring a tripod and I was not in the most strategic spot (lame excuses for not having expertise on firework photography!), my shots were disappointing. Good thing though, Tina brought her ipod and took a 43-sec video of the finale of the Disney in the Stars!

Short Video Captured by Tina : View HERE!!!

Our photo and video may not be compelling but trust in Hong Kong Disneyland should be more than enough to convince you that the Disney in the Stars fireworks is such a beautiful and perfect one to end the day at the park.

Thank you, Hong Kong Disneyland!

This post concludes our DAY ONE in Hong Kong Disneyland.

We smilingly hit the sack inside our room in Disney’s Hollywood Hotel

and woke up extremely excited for another MAGICAL DAY!

OUR DAY TWO in HONG KONG DISNEYLAND

and A LOT MORE on this blog’s succeeding posts!

Stay tuned!

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This Blog Series Includes :

Feb

OUR HONG KONG DISNEYLAND TRIP 2012 : SPECTACULAR BURST OF COLORS

By docgelo 43 Comments

Categories: FAMILY : LOVE KO 'TO, FOOD & MORE FOOD!, HONG KONG, ILOVEPHOTOS and TRAVEL
Tags: acrobatic acts, acrobats, amusement park, andy's toys, angelo nino m. santos md, angelo nino santos, angelo nino santos md, beyond toxicity, buzz light year, children, disney, disney characters, disneyland blog, disneyland parade, disneyland park, doc gelo, docgelo, family, family bonding, fast pass at hong kong disneyland, floats, goofy, gymnastics, hong kong, Hong Kong Disneyland, hong kong disneyland blog, hong kong trip, jungle book, kids, lantau island, lilo and stitch, main street, mascots, mickey and minnie mouse, mickey mouse, midwest look, parade, parades, photography, pluto, simba, stitch, the magic of pixie dust, theme park, tinker bell, tinkerbell, toy story, toys, TRAVEL, travel photography, traveling, travelling, USA, vacation, woody

He's the major reason to watch the Flights of Fantasy Parade at Hong Kong Disneyland!

HONG KONG DISNEYLAND IS UPON US!

You may think I have lost my sanity but granting that I am still single and hypothetically speaking, one could marry a theme park, without a doubt, I would definitely wed and give my forever commitment to Hong Kong Disnyeland, bar none! haha! I could not see any reason why anyone would not dare LOVE Hong Kong Disneyland; everything a kid and kids-at-hearts could ask for is present there–day and night! It’ll be a never ending happiness! Life would be more colorful and whimsical! But then again, I LOVE TINA and GABBY SO MUCH and TOGETHER, WE ALL LOVE HONG KONG DISNEYLAND!

Out of the 5 Disneyland Park locations around the globe, I am grateful to have experienced 3 of them already–Hong Kong, California & Tokyo (Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea) making only that in Florida and Paris still on my bucket list.

Every Disneyland Park has uniquely beautiful charm but that in Hong Kong remains close to our hearts. Reasons are beyond words, let our photos on this blog entry convince you why. So are you ready for some 80+ photos to view and some raves to read?

Don’t ever think I am overwhelming you…

I believe there’s NOTHING TOO MUCH in HONG KONG DISNEYLAND’S MAGICAL EXTRAVAGANCE!

Ready? Here we go!

After our memorable long trip from our present place in Butterworth, Penang to Kuala Lumpur to our arrival in Hong Kong Disney’s Hollywood Hotel and our fantastic Dim Sum Lunch at Crystal Lotus Restaurant in Disneyland Hotel, we excitingly trooped to Disneyland Park via the resort’s shuttle bus.

Tina and Gabby at the entrance of the park. Happy much!

Because we already have our 2-day theme park tickets (and fast passes to 3 rides), passing through the turnstiles at the gate was fuss-free.

Gabby to me : “Daddy, jump shot!”

And because he’s on the healthy-chubby side, Gabby wasn’t able to jump high, but nevertheless his smiling eyes said it all! hehe!

After a brief photo-op at the entrance of the park, our group was led to the Main Street, U.S.A., the first of the five lands inside the park where Hong Kong Disneyland Railroad, Animation Academy and the City Hall are located and where Main Street vehicles are parked. Food places like the Market House Bakery, Main Street Market and the restaurants, Corner Cafe (that offers premium American menu; it’s where we had our dinner on our first night which I will post soon!), and Plaza Inn (that provides Cantonese cuisine hosted by Maxim’s) plus a number of novelty and souvenir shops are housed.

Walking through Main Street, U.S.A. again instantly brought back blissful memories! It was surreal!!! I smiled when I remember my first visit to that same park when my parents brought me and my siblings there. I also recalled our trip about 5 years ago when I got a chance to bring my own family–Tina and Gabby to the Happiest Place on Earth. “Time flies so fast,” I silently uttered. Then I looked at my wrist watch and it’s almost few minutes before 3:30PM, the FLIGHTS OF FANTASY PARADE is about to start!

MAIN STREET, U.S.A.

With a very fine and cool weather (Thank God, we didn’t have a downpour!), the welcoming atmosphere was very apt for fantastic parade-watching! People of all ages already found their own areas to watch the parade at one end of Main Steet, U.S.A. just in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle. Everyone was organized and was patiently waiting for the floats of our favorite Disney characters to pass by.

While everyone was anticipating the magical parade to begin, we were ushered to our reserved exclusive viewing area for the Flights of Fantasy Parade…

Notice the rope and pole that secured our reserved exclusive viewing spot? We absolutely felt more than VIPs with such treatment! You too can enjoy the experience of DISNEY’S PRESTIGE TOUR that includes :

Direct Entrance to All Attractions (including RC Racer, Toy Soldier Parachute Drop and Slinky Dog Spin at the park’s newest attraction, Toy Story Land which I will post soon!)
Reserved Seating for Theater Shows
Exclusive “Toy Story Land” Themed Pin Box Set
Exclusive Viewing Area for Flights of Fantasy Parade
All for 3 consecutive hours for up to 6 guests (HK$3,888)

or you may opt to avail of DISNEY’S SUPREME TOUR that includes :

Direct Entrance to All Attractions (in Main Street, U.S.A., Tomorrowland, Fantasyland and Adventureland only),
Reserved Seating for Theater Shows
Exclusive Viewing Area for Flights of Fantasy Parade
All for 3 consecutive hours for up to 6 guests (HK$ 3,200)

It’s a wonderful experience to meet the warm and friendly, Disneyland’s Tour Hosts!

Our group’s exclusive Disneyland’s Tour Hosts were Janice (far left on the photo) and Danny (the only guy on the photo).

THANK YOU SO MUCH, HONG KONG DISNEYLAND!

Sleeping Beauty Castle, Hong Kong Disneyland, 17 February 2012

*Because Tina, Gabby and I were so amazed with the Flights of Fantasy Parade, we watched it twice on 2 consecutive days in 2 different spots. Thus, some photos here were taken on Friday, February 17, 2012 at the VIP area at the MAIN STREET, U.S.A., and some were snapped the following day just in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle

FLIGHTS OF FANTASY PARADE

Expectators know that the parade’s about to start when the Grand Marshall’s car rolls on the street…

Dumbo and Timothy Mouse in “Dreams Take Flight”

Who would be more fitting to open the Flights of Fantasy Parade but the cute elephant with ears that make him fly, Dumbo!

Dumbo’s even cuter when he flips his ears and blinks his eyes!

Then came the Disneyland Marching Band, oops, let me rephrase that –the Disneyland Marching and Dancing Band!

They surely have the tunes, the moves and the smiles!

A quick glance at Wiki : “The Flights of Fantasy Parade premiered on January 18, 2011 as part of the Celebration in the Air, celebrating the 5th anniversary of Hong Kong Disneyland. The parade celebrates the dreams of Disney characters and includes Disney characters such as Mickey, and friends, Dumbo, Winnie the Pooh, Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Belle, Baloo & King Louie, Tantor, Simba, Tinkerbell, Stitch and Woody and Buzz Lightyear. The parade includes seven floats which include Mickey’s Magical Airship, Caught Up in Daydreams, Romance Takes Wing, Jumpin’ Jungle Jam, The Magic of Pixie Dust, Hangin’ Ten and Ridin’ High, and To infinity and Beyond. This parade replaced the former Disney Parade which had been running since the park opened in 2005.”

Don’t you just love those wind instruments?

“Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah, Zip-A-Dee-A. Wonderful feeling, Wonderful day!”

…Alright, I’m still having a hangover of the parade!

The colorful flags and ribbons thrown and swirled into the air by dancers in virbant costumes were followed by the float of Mickey Mouse and his friends!

Mickey’s Magical Airship

Mickey’s giant airship called, Flights of Friendship has his friends on board –Minnie, Pluto, Donald, Chip n’ Dale.

Chasing rainbows with Minnie Mouse!

Witness Mickey Mouse dance on air! Click photo to enlarge.

Seeing Mickey Mouse up close never fails to bring out the child in us!

Mickey Mouse is an epitome of every child’s fantasy!

You're the mouse, Mickey! You're the mouse!

We so love his float!

Chip or Dale?!

Let’s salute Donald and Goofy!

If you must know, Flights of Fantasy Parade is exclusive to Hong Kong Disneyland. And one thing unique with it is its being interactive. I didn’t see that awesome parade-perfomer-audience interaction in parades in Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea when I went there in 2010 nor in Anaheim, California back in 2000; perhaps things have changed now for the better. In Hong Kong Disneyland, dancers, performers and cast members encourage the kids to participate in the fun of the parade! Even some from our group joined the limbo rock! It’s just that our very own Gabby was so shy to actively involved himself in the street fun! Perhaps on our next visit.

The float of Mickey’s Magical Airship was followed by the float inspired by The Adventure of Winnie the Pooh.

Caught Up In Daydreams

Eeyore and Tigger were ever present with their friend, Winnie.

An eye-candy for me were those prostheses used by Tigger-dancers for jumping and hopping!

Those cast members must love their job of hopping and jumping with those cool-leg prostheses! I want a pair, haha!

There are specified areas in the park where a certain unit or float would take its full stop to fully entertain the audience.

And in Winnie the Pooh’s Caught Up In Daydream colorful float, four bungee-jumping performers rise and somersault in the air and do their tricks!

She may not be one of the Disney’s Princesses but she’s definitely Winnie the Pooh’s hunny!

Romance Takes Wing

After that playful Winnie the Pooh float, comes the Disney Princess unit called, Romance Takes Wing.

Regal, elegant and lovely. These words seems an understatement to describe the cast members dancing in the street, ushering the Disney Princess float.

A crowned swan airboat nestled on a bed of roses takes the Disney Princesses : Cinderella, Snow White, Belle (from Beauty and the Beast), and Princess Aurora (from Sleeping Beauty).

The sweet smiles and fine movements of these Disney Princesses makes the afternoon even more enchanting! They smile and wave and move perfectly like those in the cartoons. I wonder what happens if anyone of them needs to sneeze. *just kidding!*

Jumpin’ Jungle Jam

Vivid and bright Safari-inspired costumes of cast members with their impressive moves can immediately put anyone into that “Lion King” mood!

Precision in dancing coupled with widest smiles must be pure talent!

Baloo & King Louie from Disney’s The Jungle Book, Rafiki and Timon and of course, Simba -all from The Lion King and Tantor from Tarzan bring life into the Jumpin’ Jungle Jam float!

Hail to the Lion King!

After that African-designed float comes various fairies and Tinker Bell!

The Magic of Pixie Dust

It’s Tink!

Tinker Bell is on board a cotton float, ushered by four fairies driving bug cars and two flower girls following the unit.

I love that feather-dart detail at the back of Tink’s The Magic of Pixie Dust float!

I like this photo; looks like Stitch is chasing Tink!

Even the Hawaiian themed animated characters, Lilo and Stitch participates in Flights of Fantasy Parade with their windsurfing float!

Hangin’ Ten and Ridin’ High

Hangin’ Ten and Ridin’ High proudly features Stitch windsurfing in the air and beneath his image are two daredevil acrobats that swing a rattan-looking airboat up in the air! Amazing!

It’s fun to watch them rock that airboat! While leading the Haiwaian street dancers are no less than Lilo and Stitch!

Beautiful Oriental lady-dancers dressed in pink grass skirts smile and say, Aloha!

I like to have those sneakers in various hues, one for each day of the week. But then again, without Hawaiian shirts and shorts and a beach or a parade like this, one may appear histrionic! hehe!

While my mom was viewing these photos at home, she became so particular with the picture below, so she called and asked me, “Is this boy, Gabby?”

Our articulate son, told his grandma, “Lola, I’m not that boy; look at his shoes, I’m not wearing those shoes and jacket in Disneyland.”

And then, there’s the handsome cowboy, Woody…

To Infinity And Beyond

Admittedly, Toy Story is a personal favorite! Tina and Gabby love it too! If I could have a collection of huge toys, it would have to be Buzz and Woody!

The newest attraction in Hong Kong Disneyland is Toy Story Land which will be included in my next post. It is expected to see Woody and Jessie and Buzz Lightyear leading the float representing Toy Story Land and their memorable fun and touching movies, of course.

Hi there, Buzz! ....To Infinity And Beyond!!!

Green Paratroopers, Rex and Hamm adorn the eye-catching float of Toy Story!

Wonderful parade, isn’t it?

Flights of Fantasy Parade is more than enough reason for people to visit Hong Kong Disneyland. It’s such a visual feast; a burst of colors that everyone will surely enjoy!

You may have viewed the photos of the parade on this humble site but being there and experiencing the parade itself as it happens before your eyes is totally a different overwhelming experience! Indeed, fantasy comes alive in the Flights of Fantasy Parade! Whenever you find time to go to Hong Kong Disneyland, the parade is always a spectacular you should not missed!

Stay tuned on this blog for more fascinating features about Hong Kong Disneyland! The magic continues soon! *wink*

DocGelo, Tina and Gabby are extremely grateful to Hong Kong Disneyland! Thank You So Much! Until our next visit!

Watch out for more posts about Hong Kong Disneyland! –there’ll be more of Family bonding.Food.Fun soon!

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About Hong Kong Disneyland Resort

Hong Kong Disneyland Resort offers immersive, unique Disney experiences for all families, generations and ages to enjoy. Hong Kong is one of only five locations in the world that is home to a Disney themed park and the many Disney characters that are beloved the world over, such as Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Stitch and Buzz Lightyear. Since the Grand Opening in September 2005, Hong Kong Disneyland has received more than 31 million Guests from around the globe. Through the unique product offering and the world-class service provided by the 5,000 strong Cast at the theme park and the two hotels, the Resort has received outstanding Guest satisfaction ratings and a range of awards from the hospitality and entertainment sectors.

If you want to know more about Hong Kong Disneyland and want to enjoy a unique magical experience, click on to www.hongkongdisneyland.com for more information.

For the latest news and photos from Hong Kong Disneyland, please visit our media website at: www.hongkongdisneyland.com/news.

This Blog Series Includes :

Feb

OUR HONG KONG DISNEYLAND TRIP 2012 : ARRIVAL & LUNCH

By docgelo 51 Comments

DOCGELO X MICKEY MOUSE

FAMILY.FOOD.FUN @ the Happiest Place on Earth!

Similar to a shot of adrenaline, the thought of revisiting Hong Kong Disneyland increases the heart beat and quickens the pulse, at least for Tina, Gabby and me. It’s incredibly different and NOT physiologically tiring but a special feeling of excitement that my family and I would love to go through over and over again, despite and inspite of everything! Hong Kong Disneyland has that positively addicting charm that effortlessly draws the young and equally attracts the young-at-hearts! It’s a Nirvana for family bonding, food indulgence and lots of fun!

HONG KONG DISNEYLAND : DEFINITELY, A STRESS ANTIDOTE

Before Tina, Gabby and I immersed ourselves in a worry-free-three-day-and-two-night-fun-filled-vacation in Hong Kong Disneyland, we had to travel a day before from our current place in Butterworth, Penang to Kuala Lumpur to catch our flight earliest in the morning. We all thought it’s wise to travel via KL if you’re coming from Malaysia because the trip from Penang would take us to Hong Kong International Airport at around half hour past 8 in the evening hence, we’ll lose a day. Either we go a day earlier to Hong Kong which will be more expensive or take the alternative route of via Kuala Lumpur. We opted the latter. However, since we didn’t reserve a flight from Penang to Malaysia’s capital city because of steeper cost (read: we are 3), we chose to take the 5-hour-road trip via the public tourist bus from Butterworth, Penang to Puduraya, Kuala Lumpur, then with our luggage and bags in tow, we hailed a taxi cab from Puduraya Bus Station to KL Sentral where buses that take passengers to KL-LCCT airport are parked.

We arrived in Kuala Lumpur-Low Cost Carrier Terminal at around 8 in the evening of Thursday via Aerobus after an hour trip from KL Sentral. My family and I had to spend the night inside food and coffee shops. After our quick family dinner and some coffee for Tina and me, chocolate frap for Gabby, we found a corner inside LCCT and called it a night (Actually, it was only Gabby who slept for few hours; Tina and I rarely shut our eyes). And few hours after midnight, we took turns in taking showers, changed into new clothes and queued to check in at 4 in the morning.

Some may find our travel very stressful but believe me, we’ve experienced more difficult instances than you could imagine. So this Hong Kong Disneyland trip is definitely a stress antidote for me and my family. We cannot thank the good Lord enough for such opportunity!

We took the flight from KUL to HK at 6:45AM, Friday, February 17, 2012 and arrived at HKIA 4 hours after. Before I slept in my seat, I accomplished the Immigration Arrival forms for Tina, Gabby and myself as what I used to do on our few travels.

That long travel to Kuala Lumpur from Penang and finally to Hong Kong, those frequent air pockets and lack of sleep were absolutely NOT enough to kill our excitement and enjoy the Happiest Place on Earth!

Finally, we set foot again at one of the biggest and most impressive terminals in the world! Sweet!

Hong Kong Disneyland, here we come!

Passing through HK Immigration was a breeze, so did the luggage pick up from the conveyor belt. I wish all terminals particularly that of the Philippines would have such remarkable efficiency. Upon arrival at the HKIA lobby, we trooped immediately to the Train Information Counter. Our initial game plan was to take the MTR from the airport to our hotel but after learning that the waiting and transfer period from one train to the other will take us around an hour, we decided to take a cab.

After paying the metered taxi HKD 150, we arrived at the hotel lobby all in one piece. Yahoooo!!!

DISNEY’S HOLLYWOOD HOTEL : FAMILY FRIENDLY!

From its exteriors that reflects similarities with Pan Pacific Auditorium, the art-deco theme reminiscent of the golden age of Hollywood echoes to the interiors of Disney’s Hollywood Hotel to every detail in the lobby and in its rooms.

And since it’s Disneyland Resorts, the head of Mickey Mouse with other Disney figures including Minnie Mouse’s of course, are a constant decor. Wonderful!!!

Tina and I have lately developed the appreciation for boutique and themed hotels. It’s nice to see how people put so much attention to details. The first sight of the lobby of Disney’s Hollywood Hotel was definitely a feast to our senses!

Just before those bilateral lifts take Disney's Hollywood Hotel guests to their rooms, the Disney magic manifests with the voice of Mickey Mouse no less, welcoming everyone to their room-level, night and day. So cool! It makes you think that Mickey Mouse doesn't sleep too! *kidding*

Certainly, the glass etching on the doors of the lifts also has the same Hollywood art-deco theme and to make it distinctly Disney's, there are so many Mickey Mouse embedded on it. Can you spot some?

We’re checked in at the 8th level where the view’s fantastic! The blurry hazy skyline at the backdrop confirmed that we’re about to experience a misty cool Hong Kong climate despite the clock already hit 12 noon. And coming from the tropical state of Penang, that for me, was so inviting! Thankfully, we didn’t have any downpour, God is really great!

The view from our room offers a relaxing sight of Lantau island, its bay stretching to South China Sea and Disney's Hollywood Hotel's swimming pool. Can you feel the cool atmosphere despite the clock hit 12 noon? It's Hong Kong, baby!

Another view from our window gives you a glimpse of how Disney’s Hollywood Hotel back lot looks like…

I wish I've photographed it too at night. Some other time perhaps (that's another little reason to go back!).

Tina and I basically want few essentials in a hotel room; just nice and comfy bed and pillows to provide us a restful sleep, an insect-free-airconditioned and clean room, toilet and bath and Disney’s Hollywood Hotel doesn’t disappoint. Its theme is continuously obvious. The play of colors are vibrant and definitely puts everyone into the Disneyland euphoric mood!

I guess each room with a twin-deluxe beds has a black and white cartoon of Mickey and Minnie from one of their movies.

How sweet it was to sleep with worries and stress far from your cerebrum.

A little while later, Gabby felt so at home!

From Malaysia to Hong Kong, this 7-year-old-Filipino kid loves his Disney cartoons!

It may not be the most spacious toilet and bath that we had experienced but nonetheless, its cleanliness and the generous volume of towels are truly noteworthy. It’s expected that Disney Hollywood Hotel would be family-friendly and we proved it correctly. How many hotels have thought of providing kid-sized slippers? This hotel has it making Gabby simply delighted. Toothbrushes, toothpaste and some wipes and cotton buds are provided in a pack inside 3 paper cups capped with Mickey Mouse ears. Even the toilet is richly themed!

And again, the little artsy details made us smile and utter, “so cute!”

Cast members (or those who work for Hong Kong Disneyland Park and Hotels) are amazingly creative at these towel crafts. They even refill it everyday in different colors and adorable animal and alien-designs. We brought home some pieces, actually!

Riding the theme park’s own resort shuttle buses for FREE was definitely convenience in its truest sense of the word. After checking in and quick freshening up in our room at Disney’s Hollywood Hotel, we went to the resorts’ other hotel, Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel for the much needed lunch.

The HK Disneyland Resorts Shuttle Buses take passengers for FREE from the theme park to Disneyland Hotel then to Disney Hollywood Hotel in 10 minute interval. It spells convenience particularly when you're traveling with kids. It's so nice when you're worry-free of going back to the hotel and theme park or hopping to a restaurant located at either of Disney hotels.

Experiencing two hotels of Hong Kong Disneyland was so awesome! Both hotels have unique themes, one takes you back in time to Hollywood’s golden years and the other is lavishly Victorian-inspired.

HONG KONG DISNEYLAND HOTEL : ENTICINGLY ELEGANT!

We saw luxury and sophistication at every corner of Disneyland Hotel… Our little-big boy, Gabby’s so amazed! I wonder what other kids think of Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel. Surely, most of them believe that it’s a magical mansion!

what a gorgeous pair of chandeliers!

Everything’s so fanciful! Even the men’s toilet melted all my worries away, haha!

While Tina and Gabby were checking out the merchandise at the hotel’s souvenir shop, I walked towards the concierge and didn’t pass the chance of capturing the framed paintings hanging at the back of the counters.

I asked permission from the Cast Members who are at the reception prior to snapping my cam; made me smile when they gave me a nod.

Aren’t these paintings fascinating? I remember the Mark Twain’s steamboat that we saw in Disneyland Anaheim on the next painting.

Those bursts of colors are too beautiful in my eyes!

Sincere to their work place, I noticed Cast Members of Hong Kong Disneyland Park and Resorts are all service-oriented, warm and friendly. Just when I was thinking for someone who could snap a photo of us, one male hotel staff offered to take our family pic even without asking him. That’s marvelous!

Look at my very own Minnie. Lovely, isn't she?

The hedge maze in the garden of Disneyland Hotel fronting South China Sea really caught Gabby’s attention.

Did Gabby and I try and finish the maze? Find out on my succeeding posts!

Meanwhile, can you spot Mickey Mouse’s profile on this green maze?

LUNCH at CRYSTAL LOTUS RESTAURANT, HONG KONG DISNEYLAND HOTEL.

What warmed our souls and filled our stomachs after that long tiring trip from Butterworth, Penang to Puduraya and KL Sentral in Kuala Lumpur, to Kuala Lumpur-Low Cost Carrier Terminal to Hong Kong International Airport then finally to Hong Kong Disneyland apart from seeing Mickey Mouse again at the theme park was a sumptuous and divine Chinese cuisine at Crystal Lotus Restaurant.

With rich, classy and exceptional ambience, coupled with prompt and attentive service and a delightful menu, Crystal Lotus Restaurant is the best option when you feel like indulging in some Chinese favorites with Disneyland’s kiddie appeal.

Modern and sophisticated Oriental ambience of Crystal Lotus Restaurant. We're so blessed to have experienced it.

Tina, Gabby and I met a few bunch of Filipinos who own blog sites too; Mom and Lifestyle blogger, ThammieSy, Fashion bloggers Laureen Uy and Kryz Uy of Break My Style and KryzUy.com respectively, Foodie blogger, Leslie of Shoot First Eat Later, and travel blogger Gael of The Pinay Solo Backpacker. We communed with our families and friends and with delicious gastronomic treats at this luxurious room.

Crystal Lotus Restaurant brought our taste buds to a variety of Chinese dishes that we all happily took in.

stunningly gorgeous chandeliers

Now, let your eyes feast on the set meal we savored….you might need tissues to wipe your keyboard when you drooled! *kidding!* A glass of ice cold water beside you might be helpful.

If it's Chinese, there must be Jasmine Tea.

We started our delicious dimsum lunch with Roasted Suckling Pig with Cucumber and Sweetened Paste in Steamed and Piggy Mask Buns…

Crisp and flavorful. I'm in heaven!

Family bonding comes in different packages. At this moment, it came with authentic Chinese cum Disney’s culinary.

Next on the menu brought to our table was Disney Dim Sum Platter. Consisting of Three Little Pigs Barbecue Pork Bun, Little Green Men Pork and Vegetable Bun, Mickey’s Glutinous Seafood Pancake which Gabby liked so much!

Eating Dim Sum has never been this cute! It took me several minutes to take them with chopsticks and bite, haha!

I see harmony in steam basket, haha! Then I gave these 2 cute buns a peaceful death via taking them in, LOL!

Pink ears or orange ones? Doesn’t matter, both are appetizingly delicious!

Then came Braised Seafood Soup with Crab Roe. This warm soup dish won my palate! Tina liked it too.

D.E.L.I.C.I.O.U.S

The meal got more interesting when the next dish was brought in. It’s called Wok Fried Chicken and Longan with Sweet Sour Sauce.

My palate is familiar with the fusion of pineapples and chicken meat in a dish but with longan, it must be fascinating! And it is!

With Wok-Fried Shrimps and Disney Root Vegetables, Disneyland and Crystal Lotus Restaurant really know how to make vegetables and seafoods appealing to kids. The dish to me is so impressive!

You know how some children have aversion to veggies and making the ingredients of this dish cut into Mickey Mouse’s gloves and head is pure brilliance!

Who says eating veggies is never fun?

Blessings continued to pour on our table with this golden crab dish…

This one really brought out the kid in me. I was in awe with the plating of this crab dish. Indeed, a crab plated in gold, hehe!

Flip the golden shell of this crustacean plate et voila…

Baked Tasmanian Crab Meat Fried Rice in Whole Crab Shell : Eating crab has never been this edgy!

And of course, a meal isn’t complete without a sweet ending. Crystal Lotus prepared and offered us Chilled “Mickey’s” Red Bean Honey Pudding and Chilled Mickey’s Green Tea Jelly.

Gabby like these desserts and so did Tina. As for me, I like the fusion of textures and its light flavors.

Must take a detail shot…

Did I mention that we EACH received a full course meal? What Gabby cannot finish, Daddy Gelo’s there to rescue. hehehe! Immediately after our very first meal at Hong Kong Disneyland, I thought I gained a few more pounds! Who wouldn’t with such hearty Dim Sum lunch set?

It’s not on a daily basis that we get to eat Disney-themed Dim Sum nor a crab dish on a golden crab shell and of course, not everyone is given the chance to have such indulgence in very sophisticated food place thus, Tina, Gabby and I are grateful for this great dining experience. THANK YOU, LORD FOR ALL OF YOUR BLESSINGS! THANK YOU, HONG KONG DISNEYLAND!

Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel : Such a Magical Dreamy Place!

After our sublime Oriental lunch at Crystal Lotus, we headed directly to the Hong Kong Disneyland Park via the resort’s shuttle bus. We got our fast passes to Space Mountain, Astro Blasters and The Adventure of Winnie the Pooh rides and tickets to the theme park for 2 days! Excitement soared the highest! All that and a lot more in the part 2 of this blog series! Stay tuned!

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*for more information about Hong Kong Disneyland Park, Crystal Lotus Restaurant, Disney’s Hollywood Hotel and Disneyland Hotel, kindly visit the theme park website at http://park.hongkongdisneyland.com

This Blog Series Includes :

Feb

LESSONS FROM THE TREN EXPERIENCE

By docgelo 24 Comments

When you’re unfamiliar to a place and you choose to take the unknown, you have to be ready to digest the consequences. This thought dawned on me when my mom suggested for us to take a train ride from our cheap hotel in Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur to Petronas Twin Towers-Suria-KLCC Shopping Complex instead of the affordably reliable taxi ride. We all gave in with a smile to my mom’s suggestion so no one’s to blame. We all took the path without the aid of a techie gadget that shows direction; worse without googling the how-to-get-there thing. We should have asked guidance from the spirit of Dora the Explorer before we embarked on such common adventure, LOL!

Smiling to our own little misfortune, I took a photo first of our family! With such sweet smiles, who would have thought that we didn’t know where to go next? hahaha!

Perhaps, the idea that the train line of Kuala Lumpur looks quite similar to Manila’s LRT and MRT systems gave us the kick that we would not be lost and we could find our way easily.

Other than I am used to taking the MRT and LRT systems in Manila, I was also fortunate to experienced 2 of the world’s most efficient railway commuting systems- the multi-leveled subways in Tokyo and in Singapore. With some similarities of these trains in mind, I never expected that a portion of KL’s train would give us an unexpected TREK.

We never walked, we didn’t stroll en route to train platforms, we trekked!!! hahaha!

Without a clue of what’s in for us, we were happy to pay RM11 (PhP 154) for the 2 train rides that would take us from Puduraya to KLCC-Suria Shopping Complex; the amount covered 2 adults (Tina and me), a senior citizen (my mom) and a 7-year-old kid (Gabby). It’s really cheaper than taking unmetered taxi cab but it cost us our thighs and legs!

These are the chips the counter gave us that passengers need to tap at the turnstile at the entrance. We thought it’s like chips in slot or vendo machines, hahaha! After asking a man in uniform before the turnstiles, we learned that these chips are only for tapping and there’s no need to drop it until you reach your final destination (sounds like a title of a scary movie! heheh!).

Right or left? What escalator should we take? We had to ask again and confirm. Better to be sure than to assume! We rode the escalator on the right and we took the path to the platform that’s far than you could imagine!

On our search for that train platform, we saw fascinating views…

Signs are there to guide you but nothing stated we’re in for a walkaton…

“Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish” -John Quincy Adams.

OK, so going down the stairs was easy.

When we reached Masjid Jamek station and rode the first train, we had to alight the next station to transfer to another line that would take us to KLCC-Petronas Twin Towers. This is it!

Again it was not a walk, nor a stroll but a trek! hahaha!

forrest gump, is that you? hehe!

We got in the train at no fuss except for the long walk to its platform. Had I googled something about it, we could have been more ready. Nonetheless, it’s a fun experience!

After struggling for directions and being surprised at the ups and downs, literally, my family and I were still all smiles of course! Look, I captured that moment, haha! (parang hindi pagod!)

Just when we thought that the challenges are over, we’re in again for a new one!

Then Miley Cyrus began humming in my mind : “There’s always gonna be another mountain, I’m always gonna make it move. Always gonna be an uphill battle; sometimes I’m gonna have to lose. Aint about how fast I get there, Ain’t about what’s waiting on the other side. It’s the climb!” hahaha!

Mamy, Tina, and I, more so Gabby are not ready yet for trekking. It’s not our cup of tea for the moment. Imagine it was only a long walk to the train platforms, up and down steps to the flight of stairs and we were laughing down to our knees! What more a real trek that adventurers and travelers do.

Finally, our destinasi!!!

Napabili tuloy kami ng fresh fruit juices!

“Most of our obstacles would melt away if, instead of cowering before them, we should make up our minds to walk boldly through them.” – Orison Swett Marden

“For every mountain there is a miracle.” -Robert H. Schuller.

Feb

EXPERIENCING THAIPUSAM 2012 IN PENANG

By docgelo 18 Comments

Categories: EVENTS, ILOVEPHOTOS, MALAYSIA and TRAVEL
Tags: belief, doc gelo, docgelo, faith, hindu, kavadi, kavadis, lord murugan, milk pots, murugan, peacock feathers, penance, penang malaysia, religion, sacrifice, sarees, self mortification, tamil, thaipusam, thaipusam festival, thaipusam festival 2012, thaipusam penang, waterfall road, waterfall road penang

*WARNING : Some photos contain SELF-MORTIFICATION BY PIERCING. The volume of photos in this post may be overwhelming. That’s how I define something in epic proportion, LOL!!!

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Seriously, how deep is your faith?

I am astronomically far from being religious but I certainly keep a constant communication with my Creator and Savior. My family and I don’t go to Catholic masses that often. I have not read the entire Holy Bible neither I am familiar with all the Catholic Saints. Not that I am proud of it but logically, there’s no use of being a hypocrite. Now, this isn’t about our own faith nor our own religion. However, a reflection of one’s own is unavoidable particularly when you witness someone else’s expression of faith.

They crushed and smashed countless coconuts on the ground where the silver chariot of Hindu God, Murugan passed by a day prior to Thaipusam. The same scene was noticed in front of their Hindu temples at Thaipusam festival itself.

I missed it last year so I didn’t pass the chance to experience Thaipusam this year. It’s an annual festival celebrated by the Hindus here in Penang, Malaysia every last week of January or the first week of February. This year, it fell on dates Feb.6,7, and 8. The second day (Feb.7,2012) was declared public Holiday in Malaysia (read: And Feb 6 which was a Monday was also a holiday for the Muslim’s Prophet Mohammad’s Birthday, thus we got a loooong weekend again!).

There’s no excuse for me not to attend or at least witness for a few hours this remarkable religious event. However, Tina decided to spend the day at home to rest with Gabby; luckily, my mom who’s on her second month of vacation here in Penang (she applied for another month of Visa extension) was so willing to tag along with me to experience Thaipusam.

Peacock feathers among Hindus, I read somewhere they supposed to symbolize protection from harm and snakes. Can someone confirm?

My mom and I took a pre-arranged taxi cab (read : I called the driver few days prior) from our place in Butterworth that picked us up at 6 in the morning to Jetty where we had 12minute-ferry ride to Jetty in George Town, Pulau Pinang. From there, Thaipusam-Shuttle buses brought us to what supposed to be the location of the Hindu festival.

Then a funny thing happened to us. This was because we followed “Spongebob!”

Just before alighting the bus, Mamy asked me if I know the place. I told her that I just read it’s held every year at Waterfall Road. The almost clueless me told my mom to just follow pilgrims en route to the site. Logical, eh? We saw one Indian family, barefooted who walked with a Spongebob balloon. We followed the balloon! I saw a familiar looking hospital and there was no sight of a hill, neither a Hindu Temple nor the Thaipusam festival itself. The Indian family that we thought will lead us to the site went directly to their car that was parked at a gasoline station. Toinks!!! Then we concluded, they’re done with their devotion and we’re kind of lost at that moment!

My mom saw a Chinese lady at the bus stop who gave us instructions of where to go. And after seeing a lengthy stretch of road shut to traffic and people in sarees walking barefooted, we knew we’re already on the right track. So we walked, walked and walked until we reached the foot of the hill at Waterfall Road.

It was still dark at nearly 7 in the morning. Didn't I tell you that sun rises in Malaysia later than you think?

The presence of some people handing free cups of coffee which we didn’t sample, those many temporary stalls selling vegetarian food, commercially branded fresh milk in tetra packs (Hindus put milk in brass and silver pots and used it as offering to Murugan), souvenir items and a lot more made the atmosphere so alive and joyous.

But the day wasn’t meant for merry-making but more so for expression of faith, devotion and thanksgiving.

Malaysian Hindus proudly wore clean shaven heads smeared with sandalwood paste. This is one expression of their spiritual belief a Tamil family shares.

At few minutes past 7 in the morning, there’s already a build up of volume of faithfuls and Indian pilgrims queued patiently just to worship their deity Murugan.

A parade of various colors of sarees amidst the yellow and saffron clad devotees was a feast to the eyes. But frankly, as my eyes were delighted to their gears, my nose didn’t like the aroma of mixed coconuts smashed on the grounds with smell of fresh milk; it hit my olfaction and was wafted as curdled milk-like smell and it was definitely a- no-good-for-me; Sorry! Nonetheless, I cannot resist the picturesque event happening right before my eyes. Kaya deadma na sa amoy!

Fresh milk were either carried in silver or brass pots as offering.

Before devotees climb the hills via flight of stairs, they drop by this Hindu temple and venerate.

A Sea of Faith

People across the life span gathered in troops to celebrate their faith and religion.

An arresting sight of brass and silver milk-pots called PAAL KUDAM.

They carried brass and silver pots of milk over their heads as offerings to Hindu deity, Murugan.

Elders…

Men…

Women…

and even children showed their devotion with pride.

KAVADIS are ornately adorned religious loads carried over their shoulders as offerings to Murugan.

Kavadis and more kavadis…

Didn’t I mention they walked without footwears?

Are these betel leaves?

Do you have any idea what’s on that saffron sling?

Couples who were blessed with offsprings over the past year carried their babies in saffron slings under stalks of sugarcane.

When he grows older, he will understand everything… *i hope*

Thaipusam, therefore is a celebration of Thanksgiving and Penance as well…

Thuderous drum rolls esorted this devotee…

He was one of those who had vels or piercing and…

Drums that accompanied this devotee.

hooks individually attached to his back subcutaneously. Note it was bloodless…

The same man almost caught everyone’s attention for a while when he began to move like a galloping horse that gave a more pull and tension to the hooks at his back. Painful to my eyes!

At this point, I knelt down and clicked my cam and became breathless for a sec.

Like all pilgrims, the man waited his turned, step by step on the stairs towards Murugan.

I saw a few non-looking Indian who professed their Hindu faith too..

Others had lime to weigh down their hooks attached to their back.

Some had miniature milk pots used as weights for their hooks.

I wonder how heavy this Kavadi was.

Peacock feathers were used to decorate their Kavadis.

Imagine if someone accidentally pull or push either ends of that piercings. Call me morbid or paranoid but it surely is painful if your not in trance or at least on anesthesia.

More piercing and kavadis…

While I was busy clicking my cam, my mom was waiting for me at the sloped area still at foot of the hill. She had an engaging conversation with tourists from abroad. The not-so-ordinary-couple whom she conversed with was from Auckland, New Zealand. What made them extraordinary among the many tourist out there (no, my mom did not spent hours talking to all of them, hell no! hahaha!), was the fact that they’re traveling the globe from New Zealand by their own boat. Repeat, they’re traveling the globe from NZ with their own boat docked in Langkawi Island in North of Penang. My mom, who was with us in Auckland, NZ back in 2005 during our 7-week break then, was truly amazed with the uncommon passion of the couple she talked with.

I called my mom after an hour and we decied to leave. I guess we had seen enough.

But en route from Waterfall Road to the main exit road (where we followed Spongebob), we saw some more devotees…

As my mom and I left the site of Thaipusam, we carried in our memories how Hindus worship their God, manifest their religion and practice their faith. Although it’s totally different from ours, nonetheless a common belief in Superior Being makes us all mere mortals and far from being seamless.

Feb

REVISITING HONG KONG DISNEYLAND VERY SOON!

By docgelo 20 Comments

Excited is an understatement to describe how Tina, Gabby and I actually feel about our upcoming trip to HONG KONG DISNEYLAND! The wonderful anticipation to revisit the whimsical kiddie’s paradise heightens as days go by! Who would not be thrilled to return to the “Happiest place on Earth” with no less than the most important people in your life? It will be a some sort of Post-Valentine celebration for the three of us but with or without occasion, just being there, leaving all our worries and stress behind makes any day definitely lovely and special!

HONG KONG DISNEYLAND, January 01, 2007

Gabby was only 2 years and 3 months old when we first brought him to Hong Kong Disneyland and that young experience gave him an early positive impression of how a life full of dreams looks like!

I’ve been to HONG KONG DISNEYLAND thrice in the past and had been to other Disneyland as well (Tokyo and Anaheim, California) but admittedly, my first trip outside the Philippines with my parents and siblings to Hong Kong Disneyland was the most memorable of them all! Meeting Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse in person back then was absolutely surreal for someone who remains a kid at heart.

I was blessed to bring Tina and Gabby to Hong Kong Disneyland back in 2007 to celebrate New Year at the theme park. Five years after, we’re so geared to go back and relive that magical experience! We can’t wait to see the newest attraction in HKDL that is dedicated to one of our favorite Disney animations of all time: TOYSTORY LAND!

It's PLAYTIME, baby!

We’re ready to see Mickey and Minnie again, together with Goofy, Pluto, Donald and Daisy, the gorgeous Disney Princesses and of course, my personal favorites, Woody and Buzz Lightyear and a whole lot more in HONG KONG DISNEYLAND!

I am sure it’ll be an extraordinary weekend full of FUN and FAMILY BONDING!

Have you been to HONG KONG DISNEYLAND? I’m sure! What are your most unforgettable memories about this fantastic theme park?

Feb

THE COLORS OF CNY 2012 IN GEORGE TOWN, PENANG

By docgelo 26 Comments

Road closure is inevitable when there’s either a repair or an important event. More than a week ago, the streets of George Town, Penang were not accessible to traffic because of the Chinese New Year Heritage and Cultural Celebration.

Kapitan Keling Street along Lebuh Chulia : Closed for the festivities

Everyone’s feet were on the go to welcome the Lunar Year of the Dragon!

Every spot and almost every laterals of Lebuh Chulia rendered a festive mood. Even Penang’s famous trishaws were dressed to the nines for the occasions!

Do you have any idea in mind about the next photo? Have you seen similar dry runs before?

They're rehearsing LION DANCE ON STILTS; Yup! LION DANCES ON AIR are observed in this part of Southeast Asia! Roads are not enough to dance to the beat of the drums! ....Too bad the shows were scheduled 7 and 9 that evening and I had to go home early.

As I marveled at the various preparations to make the event lavish and merry, I followed a few groups of people walking down the red carpet.

Walking on Red Carpet

Youngsters who rule the drums came in troops…

Drum roll, please!

Their thunderous drum rolls led me to the Opera Stage of Khoo Kongsi Temple…

The Opera Stage had these kids in traditional Chinese costumes prancing in lively tunes…

I only spent few minutes inside the Cannon Square of Khoo Kongsi because “something happened” to me (don’t ask what for now, will post it one day. Let’s just say, it happened all for the love of this hobby called photography). Moving on…

I exited the compound of Khoo Kongsi and went back to one of the streets of George Town…

Buddhist temples and clan mansions at this side of Malaysia are located left and right!

As I turned my back, another visual feast greeted my eyes : Chinese Opera Rehearsal…

The artists were stunningly beautiful in their costumes despite sans make up! I think this is because they proudly wear their culture on their skin.

Then, my feet brought me to this corner where kids were practicing what I assumed as yo-yo.

I wonder what they call this uniquely looking yo-yo. These kids are amazing! They're practicing the skill in sync

One more temple facade and I found myself back in Armenian Street.

In one of the souvenir stalls there, my eyes caught these pieces, won my heart and made me smile…

I know Tina would love these paintings as she appreciates art too. If only I have an extra budget for pretty but unnecessary things, I would have brought a frame or two for her. Perhaps, next time…

Do they appeal to you?

I’m sorry I failed to get the name of the artist, most of the artworks weren’t signed too so there’s no way for me to credit them.

CNY 2012 is being observed in Penang from 23rd January to 15 days after. A lot more streets will surely witness dragon and lion dances in the remaining days of the event; either on the grounds or on top of the stilts!

I know red is considered to be the most auspicious of all the colors. Does black attracts good fortune too? I guess so. It’s not a black cat anyway, it’s a lion! LOL! hehehe

And among the volume of inspiring sights I’ve seen, this one’s most enticing…*wink*

Feb

DRAGONS IN KUALA LUMPUR & PENANG

By docgelo 12 Comments

As I am an ordinary spectator of the biggest annual event for the Chinese community here in Malaysia, my eyes continue to feast on the colors and festive moods extremely associated with the Spring Festival, the Lunar Year or simply, the Chinese New Year. It’s such a delight to learn that at the end of every grandiose day of celebration, a family reunion dinner and gatherings with friends remain to be the occasion’s most inspiring spirit!

Apparently, 2012 is the year of the DRAGON.

“In Sung Dynasty (a Chinese imperial dynasty lasting from AD 960 – 1279) texts, the dragon is described as having the head of an ox, muzzle of a donkey, eyes of a shrimp, horns of a deer, body of a serpent covered with fish scales, and feet of a phoenix. The dragon usually clutches a pearl symbolic of its super-natural powers. Invariably accompanied by thunder and rain, dragons move like lightning and whirlwinds – - all powerful yet totally unpredictable” (-sourced here).

And because Tina and I, together with my mom who’s with us currently here in Penang, are all under the DRAGON sign, behold my blog’s tribute to the ultimate auspicious symbol representing success and happiness…

In KUALA LUMPUR, dragons come in varied elegance…

At Suria-KLCC Shopping Complex at the foot of the Petronas Twin Towers, Kuala Lumpur, My

Detail shot of one of the dragons in Pavilion Mall…

Pavilion Mall, Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur

And its entirety…

Pavilion Mall outdid Suria-KLCC Shopping Complex in terms of volume and size of their dragon displays. This is how Pavilion Mall’s 600-foot-dragon looks like…

And what’s a Chinese New Year celebration without dragon dances?

Embroidered dragon in a man’s court suit on display at Pavilion Mall…

In PENANG, the Chinese community also shows solidarity and unity in welcoming the New Lunar Year…

Drum rolls and beats make the atmosphere so stellar!

Armenian and Kapitan Keling Streets welcome everyone with this dragon-designed arch.

Dragons in Pulau Pinang are everywhere! From stage…

to novelty stores selling stuffed dragons…

and street kiosks with paper ones…

fifteen ringgit is two hundred ten pesos. mahal!

The streets of George Town, particularly the laterals of Lebuh Chulia display a lot more dragons…

Do you like your dragon on textile?

which are obviously hand-painted…

Or would you care your dragon be inked on you?

To environmentalists and those who care for Mother Earth, a dragon made of recycled bottles surely looks awesome!

but to foodies like my family and me, these last two photos certainly seems enticing!

Gong Xi Fa Cai, everyone!

*CNY in Malaysia this year starts 23rd January 2012 until 15 days after.

Jan

FROM CENTRAL MARKET WITH LOVE

By docgelo 12 Comments

I believe that a good way to know a place is to visit its market. That is why whenever we find chance on our few trips, we often try to drop by to some of community’s economic center.

I remember how I admired one of the most photographed public markets in Malaysia…

About 4 and a half hours from Penang, the SITI KHADIJAH MARKET, or central public market is located at the Northeast coast town of Kota Bharu, in the state of Kelantan, Malaysia. Tina, Gabby and I visited Kelantan last May 2011.

There’s really something so special about local markets. They usually define a place either rural or urban. While Siti Khadijah Market in Kelantan offers a wide variety of fresh produce and dry goods, the Pasar Seni in Malaysia’s capital city-Kuala Lumpur, boasts of anything from creative handicrafts, fascinating arts, even live cultural performances at almost every night plus a piece of country’s history.

The art-deco- Pasar Seni in Kuala Lumpur, taken Chinese New Year 2012

Our short trip to Central Market in KL provided a different kind of visual feast. The challenge was to hold on to our wallets prior to impulsive purchase.

Central Market is a walking distance from Petaling Street, the Chinatown of Kuala Lumpur. It’s easily accessible by bus, train or by foot.

The right lateral to Kuala Lumpur’s Central Market is called Katsuri Walk, the latest outdoor addition to the more than-century-old Pasar Seni. Many souvenir items, street foods, arts and crafts and local snacks, even ice cream are being sold and showcased for haggling at the Katsuri Walk. Care for some scoops of ice cream in DURIAN flavor? We didn’t dare but we already sampled durian ice cream sometime last year in a buffet restaurant in Penang. If you love durian, you’ll certainly like durian ice cream too.

Lanzones, longgan, rambutan, kyat-kyat (I'm sorry I don't know their Malaysian names)... Sige, Mamy, tawad pa sa lanzones! She bought a kilo of sweetness.

We personally liked Central Market better than Katsuri Walk simply because the former is airconditioned. It certainly makes window shopping and shopping itself less tiring in this tropical country (the weather mimics that of Philippines EXCEPT Malaysia doesn’t have any typhoons, neither any weather disturbances; its location is unlike my home country in the typhoon belt).

Fully airconditioned stalls inside Central Market in Kuala Lumpur.

There must be tales from every carving and color.

Most Malaysians don’t know that we, Filipinos came from Malay race. That is why many of them are a bit surprised whenever we fill out forms and write Malay as our race. Malaysians and Filipinos share some similarities clearly apparent even with local handicrafts. Notice the sepak-takraw or woven sipa, colorful banig or sleeping mats and rattan crafts on the next photo.

Better to haggle than come home with an empty wallet. Bear in mind that this Central Market is one of Kuala Lumpur’s tourist spots; having said so, prices of items can be affordable and at the same time soar up to the high heavens.

More than the usual souvenir items like key chains, T-shirts and fridge magnets, a lot of interesting crafts are on stalls inside Pasar Seni. Even our kiddo, Gabby enjoyed the sights; he was even looking for a toy to take home.

Stalls are enticing; hold on to your wallets firmly, hahaha!

We were just strolling around, looking at commodities until my haggling power was tested at one of the stalls.

Irresistible for me.

I owe it to Gabby and Tina who found the stall with CONGKAK or SUNGKA to us Filipinos…

This LOVEly portable and light-weight-wooden-rabbit shaped-dark blue-batik-painted Malaysian congkak (pronounced as chongkak) was first priced at RM99 (PhP 1,386) which was way too much for my budget. Finally, the lady vendor agreed to my last price (a little more than the half of the original price). There were a few more designs but I just fell in love with this blue one. Isn’t it gorgeous? Gabby and Tina also gave me their approval. Nice!

It came with free tiny glass marbles but I certainly preferred sigay or small seashells -the way we played it with my brothers, cousins and Lola during our wonder years. We have roamed most markets and craft stores in KL and Penang the past weekend but no sigay in sight. Perhaps those stalls near the seaside of Batu Ferringhi have it. But no worries, for as long as we have another family bonding to savor.

Back in Renaissance Hotel in Kota Bharu, Kelantan last May 2011, Tina and I were left in awe at a vividly colorful double-headed dragon-designed congkak at the concierge of the said hotel. It was put on display with no seashells neither marbles but mentos candies for all the guests checking in. I asked immediately the receptionist where they got that beautiful congkak, and to our disappointment, it wasn’t a craft bought from their town but bought from Indonesia.

Almost a year after, we got no dragon-designed sungkaan, but a better one, at least for me. It reminds me so much of our late maternal grandmother, Lola Idang, who taught us how to play and enjoy the game.

While our kiddo at his young age flickers his fingers in playing various apps, I’m so glad he also finds time to play sungkaan with me. Guess who’s always winning and who’s asking a rematch frequently? LOL!

This Kuala Lumpur blog series includes :

Jan

CAVES AND BEARS

By docgelo 20 Comments

Hindu God, Murugan at the entrance of Batu Caves

SATURDAY MORNING : JANUARY 21, 2012

Our Day 2 of our Kuala Lumpur trip was devoted to explore caves and experience the sight of bears but definitely NOT in one location. We left our budget hotel in Chinatown at few minutes after 8 in the morning and headed to KL Sentral via taxi cab. At the KTM Komuter train station, we paid one-way-fare of RM 1 (PhP 14) each for adults (Mamy, Tina and me) and 50 sen or RM0.50 (PhP 7) for kids (Gabby); cheap for an almost 40 minute ride en route to Batu Caves.

The KTM Komuter train apparently looks old but still functional nonetheless, and resembles like our local MRT / LRT back home. After 4 to 5 stations, we finally arrived in Batu Caves.

Batu Caves in Kuala Lumpur is probably the largest Hindu temple outside of India. It is expected to be packed every Thaipusam, the counterpart of Holy Week amongst us, Catholics. Thaipusam this year is scheduled on the 7th of February, a public holiday in Malaysia; thus expected to have thousands of people particularly from the Tamil community to flock to Batu Caves to venerate.

It is wise to visit this Hindu temple early in the morning; we’re happy to reached it few minutes past 9AM. The sun then was not that scorching hot yet.

Indian shrines like Buddhists’ that are frequently vivid in colors and covered with gold are always a visual feast!

Must have that detail shot…

Our noses led us to these leis for offerings…

Leis made up mainly of Jasmin or Sampaguita (Jasminum sambac) to us Filipinos are also common offerings to the Hindu Gods.

Mamy Tessie who loves and adores flowers so much was delighted to see those leis. I love my mom’s energy during travels; she never ceases to pose for photo-ops as if she doesn’t feel arthralgia (read: pain in the joints! -she might kill me for this!

My mom was overjoyed and gamely posed even with those pigeons! She so liked it! I know even without telling us, she's imagining she's in Italy or somewhere in Europe, haha!

Must have that souvenir shot…

doing the tourists' thing!

That was our last photo before we ALL conquered the 272 steps of Batu Caves. Yes, even Gabby who was quite hesitant to climb and afraid of heights (who doesn’t?) successfully made it to the top and back down the grounds! He had no choice but to come with us (with no coercion or force, mind you! haha!), otherwise, he’ll be left alone and wait for us (which Tina and I would not do of course).

The facade before the flight of stairs has this fascinating icons…

Then we met our challenge.

The 272 steps!

Here we go.

The steps fell short for my feet.

I wish they constructed the stairs with consideration to those with big foot.

On way up, we saw more interesting sights…

Their faith is inspiring!

…And finally we reached the caves!

Like other tourist spots, vendors of various souvenir items are found present even in a temple like Batu Caves. At least these stalls are far from what’s considered as Holy grounds for the Hindus where they walk barefooted.

I'm no seasoned traveler and not fond of trekking (yet) either; I believe it's my first encounter with stalactites.

If you will look closely at the next photo, you’ll notice another flight of stairs on the left side that takes visitors and faithfuls to the a shrine at the center of the Batu Caves. I died seeing another challenge! I almost yelled “No way! Not again!” while catching my breath.

*panting! gasping!*

Needless to say, we went down few minutes after. Among the four of us, it was Gabby who was so relieved when we got off the caves. He never liked the experience of climbing Batu Caves, neither did I. It was damn too tiring for all of us! I salute and bow to those who go up with religious loads like this…

or this…

I always find myself clueless each time my son asks questions about other religions. Like, how will you deal when your own kid inquires about this Hindu creature?

Often, I tell Gabby, each religion has their own belief. Safe answer, huh?! I know he’ll understand it more when he grows older. For now, we’re just grateful that he’s exposed to a lot of diversities around him.

Young Devotion

Reaching the grounds again, we saw lots of fresh coconuts being sold at RM4.00 each (PhP 56) too perfect as refreshments after a tiring climb. However, none of us did sample those coconuts, haha! Guess what we did immediately after going down the caves? We had BUFFET of Indian breakfast (to be posted on a separate entry at the end of this series)!

Then just before lunch time, we hopped in at KTM Komuter train again heading back to KL Sentral.

From KL Sentral, we took a cab and for the first time, we met a taxi driver in KL who offered a metered trip. Usually, we pay RM10-20 (PhP 140-280) for a 5-less than 10 minute cab ride. Thankfully with an honest driver, it only took RM5 (PhP 70) to get to this shopping paradise…

The 147 United Buddy Bears on exhibit at Pavilion Mall in Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON : January 21, 2012

Pavilion Mall wasn’t included in the itinerary that my mom prepared for this KL trip but I insisted we have to pay a visit. Not to burn cash on shopping (we had less budget than you think!) or anything but just to experience the “Rodeo Drive” and “Shibuya or Ginza” of Malaysia.

Upon getting off the cab, I heard wows, sighs and amazement from Tina, Gabby and Mamy. All of us were in awe at the sight of the upscale shopping district in Kuala Lumpur.

Adding to our heightened excitement was an astonishingly beautiful, one-of-a-kind, ongoing exhibit of United Buddy Bears just in front of the Bukit Bintang entrance of Pavilion Mall. We felt so lucky and happy to see them all!

We were only expecting to see dragon and lions because of the Chinese New Year celebration but we got more than that! Pavilion Mall in Bukit Bintang is currently the venue of the first exhibition in Southeast Asia of the 147 United Buddy Bears. They are so adorable!

After a quick glance at Wiki, I found this -

“United Buddy Bears – Worldtour

On 6 November 2002, the bears were moved to new locations, including their respective countries embassies in Berlin, or back to country that they were based on. Some of the bears were auctioned off to raise money for UNICEF.

After the circle of “United Buddy Bears” had been such an overwhelming success in 2002, a new circle was created in 2003. The idea was to send the circle on a global tour.

On their global tour, the “United Buddy Bears” promote peace, love, tolerance and international understanding. The circle changes every time it reaches a new city. This is not only due to the local conditions, but also to their constantly changing order, as the bears are always set up in alphabetic order, following the local language of the host country. This always leads to new and sometimes politically very interesting proximities” (sourced via Wiki)

So these bears promote peace, love, tolerance and international understanding. We all need that, don’t we?

happiness!

Kidding around the Philippines Bear featuring the Philippine Eagle by Artist, Pierre F. Patricio, sponsored by the Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines in Berlin.

Bear Love!

We can’t get enough of these bears!

Don't you wish to bring home at least one bear? hahaha!

Our fatigue from exploring Batu Caves was gone in a heart beat; thanks to these incredibly FUNtastic United Buddy Bears!

These colorful larger than life buddy bears have gone to countries like Germany, Austria, Hong Kong, Turkey, Japan, Korea, Australia, Egypt, Israel, Poland, Argentina, Uruguay, Kazakshtan, Bulgaria and as mentioned, first in Southeast Asia : Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia!

Now, when will these bears visit 168 Mall in Divisoria, Manila? LOL!

On right photo is the bear from Malaysia!

The quote on the bear states, “Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding.” –Albert Einstein

Walk Like An Egyptian!

Tina, my mom and I were all happy to see Gabby enjoying these bears!

sexy back

Fun to look at with messages that cut through you…

Stay tuned for more posts about our fun moments at KL.

*This blog series includes : Petronas Twin Towers Skybridge Visit

Jan

OUR FUN HOMAGE TO MALAYSIA’S MAGNIFICENCE

By docgelo 25 Comments

It was actually love at first sight. She’s so iconic; mesmerized me effortlessly and blew me away the first time I saw her from the foreground back in 2010. She has an identical twin who’s equally gorgeous; they’re both breathtaking!

21 January 2012, Saturday : The view at EIGHTY SIXTH LEVEL is incredibly STUNNING!

I can’t help but fall in love with Petronas Twin Towers every time I see her. It’s my 4th time to be in Kuala Lumpur, Tina and Gabby’s second and my mom’s first (except she passed by the city with my dad en route to the airport last year). We grabbed the chance to revisit Malaysia’s capital city again to celebrate this year’s long Chinese New Year weekend (we’re on holiday until Tuesday, 24 January 2012) and to accompany my mom (who’s visiting us from UAE) in (re)exploring KL.

Believe it or not, Gabby’s Lola did our itinerary for this trip. My mom surfed the net for top 10 must-visit sites in KL, personally called contact persons of each destinations including our budget hotel concierge to inquire about the whereabouts, transportation and whatnot; after which, she spoke to me of what’s best to do to maximize our 3D2N break et voila! After casual deliberation, our priority’s to experience the Petronas Twin Towers Skybridge Visit.

It was around past 6 in the morning of Saturday, 21 January 2012 when our 5-hour-bus-ride from Butterworth, Penang reached Pudu Sentral (formerly Puduraya) at the heart of Kuala Lumpur. Thank God we slept comfortably on the midnight trip so we headed directly to our budget hotel in Chinatown. Since regular schedule for check in is at 2PM and we arrived early at dawn (sunrise in Malaysia’s later than you expect), we just dropped off our luggage and bags and hurriedly trooped via taxi cab to KLCC-Petronas Twin Towers.

My mom was right. Tickets to the Skybridge Visit should be paid and claimed the earliest possible time, ideally in the morning of the day of your tour. We already saw groups of tourists heading to the basement of KLCC to queue for tickets; we followed suit. I went on queue and asked my family to freshen up at the tandas and grab something for breakfast from the nearby convenience store; we took turns in doing so.

Tandas or toilet at the basement of KLCC : simple and clean. I wish to see the same in NAIA 1 and all terminals in Manila.

The zigzag lines of people grew so fast!!! Look, at half hour past 6AM…

and just before the office opened at 8:30AM…

Despite the many tourists, there was no stampede, no loud noises, discipline was observed. Very good!

When the gate of the office opened and the line moved at a nice pace, photo-ops are limitless…

Team Docgelo

Finally, after almost 2 hours of waiting, we got our tickets for the 9:15AM visit! I believe they’re making a census out of the number of citizens per country who came to appreciate Malaysia’s iconic towers. I smiled with pride when I saw the name of our country on our tickets!

As of present, the schedules for the Skybridge Visit are as follows : 9AM, 9:15AM (the one we availed), 10AM, 10:15AM, 11AM, 11:15AM, 12PM, 12:15PM, 1PM, 1:15PM, 2PM, 2:15PM, 3PM, 3:15PM, 4PM, 4:15PM, 5PM, 5:15PM, 6PM and 6:15PM. So the visiting hours stretch from 9AM to 7PM every Tuesday to Sunday and is closed on Mondays. *Phone and advance bookings are not be entertained.

Entrance fees for Malaysian adults and kids are cheaper at RM 25 per pax (PhP 350) than for foreign tourists, RM 50 per adult (PhP 700) and 25 ringgit for kids like Gabby (7-12 y/o, ages younger are free!).

Before 9AM, we noticed the monitors displayed, "All tickets for today are SOLD OUT" a few minutes after we're done with the cashier. The people on queue probably will get tickets for the next day but I doubt, as per brochure, "advance and phone bookings are not allowed."

Soon after we got the tickets, we brought our feet to the Check In area where like any terminals and highly restricted places, all our bags and things were scanned on an X-ray machine; all visitors were subjected to body-check; everyone was provided a color-coded ID, stickers for kids, and those with bags were advised to leave them at the package counter except for valuables.

Adult vistors s are provided with color-coded IDs, kids with stickers.

Then still few steps at the Check In area, the tour commenced with a brief hologram presentation of the history of the Petronas Twin Towers and some few reminders of what to expect and how to move during the entire visit.

A guide led us to the lift en route to 41st floor where the Skybridge is located. It’s actually a double decked Skybridge–41st and 42nd levels connecting the two towers.

Taken at 7PM of the same day from the front foreground of Petronas Twin Towers

My heart silently pounded for extreme excitement. Like a kid of Gabby’s age or probably younger, I was quietly jumping for joy as we took steps to the Skybridge.

Petronas Twin Towers Skybridge 41st level : 170 meteres above street level

But upon hearing from the staffs that they ONLY allow 15 MINUTE-STAY per 20 visitors, PANIC ran through my veins, became too ANXIOUS in a heart beat; worried of how to capture the moments, the SPECTACULAR VIEW from the Skybridge on such limited time. Do you know how? Like my mom, who more often than not is tensed with tons of things, I really had no “grace under pressure”, LOL!

I am no engineer nor architect, but my jaw dropped in amazement with such magnificent structure.

Can you spot the fountain at the park in front of the Twin Towers?

I just snapped my cam without a concrete plan in mind how to properly stretch the 15-minute Skybridge visit. I was caught by circumstance and drowned by awe but nonetheless, the moment was so surreal! Definitely one for the books!

The view and everything in sight was definitely spectacular! My photos cannot give justice to the exact beauty that we marvelled about.

The view of the garden at the back of Suria-KLCC Shopping Complex at 170 meters above street level…

While I was so excited taking photos, Tina’s busy capturing almost everything in video via her little gadget (from her dad). Then we meet at the moment to pause and smile for photo-ops, haha!

I love this shot!

One more shot before leaving Level 41 and take the lift to 86th floor…

The floor to the lift has photo-sticker of the image of the fountain and park in front of the towers.

Level 86th is the 2nd observation floor aside from the Skybridge. We were given 20 minutes to savor the amazing view.

“The design of each tower’s floor plan is based on simple Islamic geometric forms of two interlocking squares creating a shape of eight-pointed stars. Architecturally, these forms reflect important Islamic principles of Unity within unity, Harmony, Stability and Rationality.” -–Sourced via “Petronas Twin Towers A Vision Realised” visitors’ brochure.

"Pinnacles : House the aircraft warning lights and external building maintenance equipment. Features: each of the 2 pinnacles is made up of a spire ring ball, a 23 segmented mast and ring ball (14 rings of varying diameters)."-Sourced via "Petronas Twin Towers A Vision Realised" brochure.

A Masterpiece of Architectural Design : "The exteriors is made of multi-faceted walls, 33,000 pieces of stainless steel and 55,000 pieces of glass panels form the towers' wall cladding. The vision glass panels are laminated light green. To shade the interiors against strong sunlight, stainless steel sun visors shaped like teardrops line the vision glass." -Sourced via "Petronas Twin Towers A Vision Realised" visitors' brochure.

*Quick Facts :

Number of storeys -88,

Height of each tower -452 meters above street level

Length of Skybridge : 58.4 meters

Height of Skybridge (Level 41 from street level) : 170 meters

Lifts : 29 double-decker high speed passenger lifts in each tower

Escalators : 10 in each tower

Stairs : 765 flights

Car park : 5,400 parking bays on 5 levels of basement parking

Steel used : 36,910 tons

Weight per tower : 300,000 tons

Usable space : 213,750 sq meters per tower

Two annexes : 186,000 sq meters of space *-Sourced via “Petronas Twin Towers A Vision Realised” visitors’ brochure.

*Milestones of the construction of Petronas Twin Towers :

June 1992 ………………..start of project planning

Mar 1993………………….start of foundation works

Apr 1994………………….construction of the superstructure

Jul 1995…………………..lifting of skybridge

Jan 1996………………….fitting out of the interiors complete with furniture

Mar 1996…………………jacking of the spires of Tower 1 and Tower 2

Jan 1997…………………moving in of the first batch of Petronas’ personnel

Aug 31, 1999……………official opening by YAB Dato Seri Dr Mahatir Mohamad, the 4th Prime Minister of Malaysia -*-Sourced via “Petronas Twin Towers A Vision Realised” visitors’ brochure.

The 86th level observation area is kid-friendly. See how Gabby played his ticket lifting the hologram structure of the twin towers. Aliw ang bata! The other foreigner-visitors waited for Gabby to finish for them to use the monitor to play too!

Our almost half an hour spent at the 86th level of Petronas Twin Towers was definitely unforgettable! It gave us uniquely beautiful kind of high!

High na high!

I would not mind paying the two towers a visit again in the future. And again. and again. Because I love them so.

———————————-

*This is a part of a blog series on our 3-day-Chinese New Year holiday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. As of this posting, the family & docgelo have returned to Penang.

Jan

KEK LOK SI TEMPLE REVISITED

By docgelo 17 Comments

In my almost 2 years of being an expat in this part of Malaysia, I haven’t explored the entire Pulau Pinang (Penang Island), much more its neighboring states (with the exception of Kota Bharu in Kelantan that we visited last May 2011 and Kuala Lumpur of course). There are lots of tourist spots or must-visit places that my family and I have yet to experience. But of all areas that we’ve been to within the island, one of my favorites is Kek Lok Si Buddhist Temple.

Kek Lok Si is the Temple of Supreme Bliss.

Despite its distance from where we live and inspite of the fact that we need to spend at least half of our day whenever we go there to explore and enjoy the scenic spots, not to disregard the travel period and remarkable fatigue we need to endure in walking and reaching its uphill shrines, every visit seems so meaningful when we’re inside the temple.

No, we’re not Buddhists; neither we know much of their religion other than reading the book Siddharta back in my High School days. Nonetheless, the atmosphere inside Buddhist temples like Kek Lok Si which was dubbed as the biggest in Southeast Asia never fails to bring tranquility, serenity and peace similar whenever we savor the solemnity of a Catholic mass or whenever we have a chance to commune with Mother Nature.

“Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.” ~Buddha

To the few but loyal and valued followers of this humble site, you probably are familiar that my family and I only commute to take our feet to work and whatnot. We usually take Rapid Penang bus from our place in Butterworth for about 5 to 10 minute ride to Penang Sentral and Jetty. There’s a waiting period for buses to pass by of about 30-45 minute-interval but we have learned to go by. From Jetty in Butterworth, we take 12-minute ferry ride that takes us to George Town, the heart of Pulau Pinang.

Ferry from Butterworth, Penang Sentral to George Town and back : roundtrip costs RM1.20 (PhP 16.80) per adult and RM0.60 (PhP 8.40) per "kanak-kanak" or kids like Gabby.

We haven’t tried yet RO-RO (roll-on-roll out?) transportation back home but here in Penang, ferry rides are frequent part of our trips, mostly on weekends when we go to the island. This is how Penang ferries look like – the upper deck is usually alotted for commuter-passengers and the lower deck is for those traveling with vehicles (although some ferries accomodate people and cars at its upper deck too).

A stroll from getting off the ferry brings us immediately to the Rapid Penang Bus station in George Town. Buses are numbered depending on its route. Tina and I use an all-month-pass cards which are definitely cheaper than without particularly for those working people like us. Bus rates here are still affordable compared to other countries; discounts are provided to senior citizens (like my mom who’s here and my dad who came last year), children (like Gabby’s age pay half) and students.

After bus-ferry-bus-rides, I found myself at the foot of Kek Lok Si Temple again. It was my third time to be there but as mentioned, every visit gives a different experience. Tina was left home because she was nursing her bowel (oops!) This trip to Kek Lok Si, I brought my mom who’s visiting from UAE and Gabby of course who was so excited to enjoy her Mamita.

First things first -we had to eat. I took them to the hawker restaurant (their version of our local carinderia or turo-turo) which I’ve tried before located just where we hopped off from the bus. Our tummy fillers that mid morning were Chinese-Non-Halal toppings : Roasted Pork Rice for me, Barbecued Pork Rice for Mamy, Soyed steamed dumplings and Chicken Rice for Gabby which he liked the most! We washed down everything with Pure Lemon Iced Tea and Milo-iced for Gabby (yes, they call it here Meelo-ais).

Entrance to Kek Lok Si is absolutely FREE! After our hearty meals, I led them to its walk way where Mamy and Gabby’s eyes rolled onto the assorted souvenir items being sold by shops left and right. Literally, these stores line up the path en route to the shrines (Kek Lok Si has various temples not just one); they also make the uphill walk less tiring, haha! Tip : when shopping, haggling should always be observed; make sure you ask for the half of the original price.

The pond filled with turtles greeted us once more. It’s Gabby’s second time here, my third and Mamy’s first. Like his first visit, Gabby asked us to buy him kangkong to feed the turtles. No other feeds are allowed except kangkong sold by the vendor there. Our little-big boy had fun as usual!

Kangkong costs RM1 (satu ringgit or one ringgit, PhP 14)

There are short bridges to get to the central gazebo where they fed these tons of amphibian-reptiles with one bunch of kangkong. More bunches come from other tourists and visitors.

“Chinese tradition believes that a turtle is a symbol of longevity, strength and endurance. It is an act of spiritual liberation when a turtle is captured and set free in this pond.” ~sourced via penangvacation.com

Few minutes after, I was mesmerized again. I brought them first to the main temple where the ceilings are such a visual treat. I spent several minutes of silence as the interiors left me in awe.

Must have that detail shot….beautiful, is it not?

Not that we’re superstititious but we believe there’s no harm in doing few practices of other religions. To each his own. When I told my mom that there’s a Wishing Ribbon Tree inside the main temple, she went there first and chose her ribbons; Gabby and I followed to do the same.

Payment is done with honesty. You just drop the fees at the steel boxes where ribbons are selected.

Without a help from me, Gabby chose these ribbons and well, the kid has global concern this early as he included World Peace!

He followed his Mamita in writing the names of the love ones at the back of each ribbons. Gabby did this to 10 of his wishing ribbons.

Then, Mamy and Gabby hung the ribbons to the tree like what Buddhists do.

There are 3 huge altars inside the main temple at Kek Lok Si; here’s the center most. I find it so grand yet exudes humility.

Offerings at the altar…

Flowers and fruits are usual offerings but can anyone explain about the liter of cooking oil?

Outside the main temple at Kek Lok Si, the colors and architecture are so inspiring! Can you blame me not to be tired of being here?

Every corner is picturesque!

Here’s the pagoda of the ten thousand Buddhas.

The view from the lateral of the main temple. The covered cat walk lined by red and yellow lanterns takes you to the other temples at Kek Lok Si.

Mamy and her apo enjoyed photo-ops at almost every spot.

They had wacky ones at considered “safe” places…

and observed decent poses inside the shrines… :

When my son asked me about those golden Buddhist statues, the clueless me simply replied, “I don’t know, Anak, just keep quiet, and smile for the pictures!” haha! After browsing the net just before posting this entry, I found out that those 4 (yes, they come in 2 pairs in glass cases) are Buddhists’ Heavenly Kings that bring hope and prosperity.

Amazing how these kyat-kyat (or what do you call these tiny sweet citrus?) were grown (or put) into almost perfect bunches! They’re reall fruits actually! Funny how some chinky-eyed-perhaps-Korean-or-maybe-Taiwanese tried to test if they’re reall by pinching them several times.

The bursts of colors are incredibly fantastic!

Bottles of water and chilled cans of soda bought from stores in between shrines kept us going.

My mom wanted to see everything of Kek Lok Si or at least most of it; she was in the mood to try even the inclined lift with roundtrip ticket of RM 4 (PhP 56) each….

just to witness the shrine of the Goddess of Mercy overlooking the hill…

the bronze statue of Kuan Yin or the Goddess of Mercy is magnanimous!

The view from the top…

Everything in Kek Lok Si seems to be so fascinating. I chuckled when I saw these creatures at the grounds. Can anyone confirm if Minnie Mouse is a Buddhist? *just kidding!*

Obviously, my 7-year old boy loved them.

Gabby and his Mamita had photo-ops galore!

If you must know, the temple has these voluminous red and yellow Chinese lanterns not only because of the upcoming Lunar Year of the Dragon but they’re there whole year through. Wonderful, aren’t they?

Then the moment came when I extremely wished I had a professional lessions in basic photography or at least has no mediocre skills in capturing such beauty…

The entire temple is such a visual feast!

Everything on it enhances its grandeur. From the magnificent architecture to the very impressive interiors, to the little details such as these greens. It’s a money plant, isn’t it?

Flowers are adored and least likely to be overlooked when we are with my mom. She so loves colorful and various blooms!

And if you must know, Hibiscus or our local gumamela is one of Malaysia’s National Symbols.

I guess my mom was happy with her first-time visit to Kek Lok Si. I know we’re all tired and fatigued after, but those are nothing when we think of the little fun memories we had at the temple. Indeed, the Temple of Supreme Bliss is aptly called!

A day spent at Kek Lok Si will never be dull and boring for me. It will always be glorious!

Gong Xi Fa Cai !

Happy Chinese New Year!

*Kek Lok Si is majestically located on the hills of Air Itam; you can reach it by car or cabs from George Town or by taking Rapid Penang Bus 201, 203, 204.

Jan

CHRISTMAS BREAK 2011 FOOD TRIP

By docgelo 11 Comments

Our Christmas Break 2011 Series includes :

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Foreword : You might need a glass of cold water when you browse this post. You have been warned, haha! *Most dishes are NON-HALAL too. Obviously, this is another gastronomic entry however, allow me to remind you again that I am not blogging food exclusively, but family and fun too. Go ahead, indulge and feast your eyes!

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The Christmas season in my country is all about family togetherness, friendly celebrations and homecoming particularly to those Filipinos who are residing and working abroad. Yuletide is such a perfect time for all those fun pursuits. It’s such a big blessing for us to be able to come home again after almost 2 year of being an expat-family here in Penang. Our hearts and stomachs remain loyal to the Philippines indubitably.

The following photos with brief descriptions essay some of the fantastic digestive feasts we savored with our families and friends during the entire 21 day-break (including holidays and weekends) we had in Manila. Don’t ask me about their calories, we’re not counting, haha!

At Via Mare in Greenbelt 3, Tina, Gabby and I enjoyed Filipino dishes….

Crispy Binagoongang Baboy served with Pakbet side dish (Crispy Pork Belly with Shrimp Paste and veggies).

Via Mare's Beef Caldereta was Tina's choice; sarap!

Our late-lunch-heavy-merienda included…

Wild Mushroom Soup for Gabby

Puto Maya : glutinous rice served with panutsa syrup and riped mangoes.

Gabby's personal preference : Shooters-a trio of guinumis, mais con yelo and halo-halo. The kid has his own taste, do you agree?

Via Mare's famous Bibingka : buttery, fluffy and served with salted egg (or kesong puti) delicious!

It’s only every Yuletide season when leaves of poinsettias become vividly red; lovely, aren’t they?

And poinsettias are lovelier at the facade of Manila Peninsula.

…where Gabby was overwhelmed with holiday cheers

…where we dined with one of our good friends of almost 2 decades, LG who also stands as one of Gabby’s dutiful godparents.

At the LOBBY of the Manila Peninsula, dinner included another set of Filipino favorites…

Kare Kare (Ox Tail and Veggies in Peanut Sauce served with Shrimp Paste) : one of my favorites!

Pancit Guisado

Lechon Kawali

And an Oreo-flavored sundae dessert for Gabby

Moving on to our other indulgence, at the Podium in Ortigas, we were treated to a Chinese dinner by my dad-in-law at …

I am proud to belong to a beautiful family…oh yes, that’s something to be proud of!

Must have soup…

then a prawn dish selected from the menu by my sister-in-law.

And despite no one’s celebrating a birthday (except for Baby Jesus!), must have Birthday Noodles…

Tender slices of beef and mushroom on a bed of broccoli’s always a winner for me.

Hakao or shrimp dumpling cannot be missed.

Our beloved kid ordered Four Seasons to wash down everything. Have I told you he has his own taste?

Gabby and his cousin, Raphael loved the dinner.

Then one lovely weekday afternoon, we found ourselves in the middle of Ayala Triangle in Makati City.

At last, after having a long thread at the inbox in facebook, we finally arranged a meet up with our good blogger-friends around the area of their offices in Makati City. The lunch was set initially at Banapple, however the place was packed, so we had to look for Plan B : Wee Nam Kee.

It’s our (Tina, Gabby and I) first time to dine at this Singaporean-inspired food place, where Hainanese Chicken Rice is the bestseller.

Hainanese Chicken cooked two ways : Steamed and Roasted; sarap pareho! And we ordered LARGE! haha

Dyan, one of the most bubbly blog buddy I have suggested we try Cereal Prawns when we visited Singapore last year. However, we didn’t have the chance back then, and luckily, it’s available to sample at Wee Nam Kee. Another yummy!

Here are our pretty lunch dates at Wee Nam Kee :

Tina & Gabby with blog buddies, Marian, Dyan and Grace

And we had another version of Birthday Noodle. Sarap din!

Two days before our flight back to Penang, I attended to the invitation of Ivan Man Dy of Old Manila Walks a personal FREE Big Binondo Food Wok along with other BIG TIME food bloggers (read : For the nth time, this may be a food post but I am not into an exclusive food blogging). After that almost 4 hours for pigging out at Manila Chinatown, I hurried to meet my family and my sister-in-law with our Med school classmates and great friends, also godparents to Gabby –doc Shiny and doc Mitch at Peking Garden, TriNoma Mall in Quezon City.

At around half hour past 6 in the evening when I arrived, they’ve already ordered and all I had to do is eat. But because I just came from another food trip, I was still satiated and had more appetite in catching up with them and our lost times.

On our table at Peking Garden :

Forgive me, I failed to get the names of the dishes from the menu; as I mentioned, I arrived when there were already food on the table.

Spareribs, obviously. It tasted better than it looks.

Fried chicken that’s nothing special to rave about.

They also selected Yang Chow Fried Rice and yes, Birthday Noodle again. However, if I can call the attention of Peking Garden with this post, or the concerned diners in the TriNoma branch, then I’d like to ask them the reason why their waitresses have to get the used plates from their diners’ table IMMEDIATELY, as in, IN A SNAP, iyong tipong hindi pa tapos kumain, kinukuha na ang plato. Why? Never do that to your paying customers, okay? I believe it’s disrespect. Why in a hurry? May lakad kayo? LOL! I swear, of all the food places I’ve featured here on my blog, my family and I will never set foot in Peking Garden TriNoma ever again, seriously.

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There was no lack of excitement in all the moments amidst gastronomic feasts we shared with our families and friends. Our vacation was made complete with such wonderful experiences. We look forward again to another holiday when we can extremely stretch the time to bond with our love ones.

Jan

CHRISTMAS BREAK 2011 DAY 5 PART 2 : THE LEGARDA MANSION

By docgelo 14 Comments

Our Christmas Break 2011 Series includes :

En Route To Pinas
Day 2 : Ulingan, Tondo
Day 5 : Malacanang Palace
Day 8 : Bisperas Ng Pasko Sa Ulingan
Day 11 : Our Students’ Wedding
Day 12 : We Went To Farmville!
Day 14 : Our Celestial Weekend at Hotel Celeste
Day 19 : Our Big Binondo Food Wok

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There's my dad-in-law who came home for the holidays from Missouri; holding hands while walking with her lovely daughter (the one in black striped shirt; not in pink, ok--no offense meant.

After an engaging and informative Malacanang Palace Tour with Ivan Man Dy, our group of local and foreigner-tourists walked back to where we met that afternoon –the Legarda Mansion that’s turned into La Cocina De Tita Moning, a fine dining restaurant that features Filipino cuisine at its best.

It’s good to see an herb garden within the restaurant itself. It’s so uncommon to spot a food place that partially rely on their own produce.

They grow Tanglad or Lemon Grass among other herbs and leaves for their very refreshing Lemon Grass Iced Tea.

We were ushered to the outdoor dining area where a tasteful and supposed to be a light merienda but was a bit heavy and delicious on the tummy was served.

While eating, Ivan continued to entertain his guests without a hint of fatigue from more than 3-hour tour guiding inside the Malacanang Palace. I believe it’s his gift more than a talent or skill.

Then the opportunity presented itself. Ivan Man Dy asked us if we’re interested in having a brief tour of the Legarda Mansion for free or as a last stop of our Palace, Power and A Shot of Beer Malacanang-San Miguel Walking Tour (remember, we were enjoying our light snack at its outdoor garden and without a reservation, one may have uncertainties to be accomodated inside the Legarda Mansion itself or the La Cocina De Tita Moning restaurant proper). I immediately replied, “Sure, I read somewhere there’s a medical clinic inside, I want to see it!”

Because it was almost past 5 in the afternoon, some of the tourists had to bid goodbye. We chose to stay to take a peek inside the ancestral house. I’m glad that my father-in-law was so courteous enough not to say no to my want despite he seriously lacked sleep and was still struggling with jet lag from his more than 16 hour flight from US to HK then Manila the day prior to the tour.

More than the main dining areas (read: several private rooms to dine) of La Cocina De Tita Moning located at the mansion’s second level….

Rose petals, sculptured crystals and the best china on the dining table.

I am more interested to see the other quarters inside the Legarda Mansion…

The wooden and iron staircase leads to a whole lot of fascination.

Do you like PHOTOGRAPHY?

Antique photography equipments are showcased in one of the rooms as Dr. Alejandro Roces-Legarda was into this beautiful (and expensive) hobby. Visitors, diners and photo-enthusiasts like me have plenty to talk about over this priceless collection.

This was how a camera looked like in Dr. Alejandro Legarda’s years…

Imagine if time didn’t evolve and cameras still appear like this, I think I cannot strap it around my neck to stroll and shoot, haha!

Are you into ARTS?

"La Inocencia"

For the moment, I was left in awe…

How many houses own a Juan Luna?

If owning a priceless masterpiece is close to impossible, then dreaming to have a coffee table book about such art works is the next best thing, haha!

Let me remind you (or myself, haha) that this mansion is the restaurant itself.

Photography. The Arts. If not, perhaps, are we playing in the same field?

Notice the stirrups on the photo? I'm no OB-Gyn but a humble General Practitioner-Educator only however, man, I miss delivering a baby! Just like many Filipino MDs, I had the chance to go on rotation in Fabella Medical Center in Manila where 98 deliveries in a 24 hour shift is considered BENIGN. I also miss my Post-Graduate Medical Internship days at Quirino Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City and my OB-Gyn rotations there. I miss yelling (just to make your voice heard) at women about to deliver, "Ginang, hingang malalim, pigil, ire!" (In that order! --"Mrs., take a deep breath, hold and push")....ah, those were the days!

Can you find a vaginal speculum on the next photo?

Dr. Alejandro Roces-Legarda was an OB-Gyn specialist along with his 3 other siblings who were all MDs.

Like the others, I also believe having a clinic at your own residence gives you the convenience to practice. However, the downside is having your own home and worst, own family being exposed to your clients’ pathogens (microbe-causing diseases ). To each his own.

We read the same book.

Of course, it’s not an issue to me but would you still have your appetite for fine dining at the sight of a female skeleton? *just asking*

An appetite stimulant or an appetite killer? haha! I won't mind for as long as the spread's delicious!

Other than the medical clinic, the living room upstairs is definitely attention-grabbing.

One of the quarters features the family’s radio transmitter collection. Another rare and expensive collectibles.

And then, there are some more things to tickle your fancy.

According to Ivan, a fine dining set meal, either lunch or dinner on reservation will cost you around PhP 1,500 to PhP 2,500 and up per pax. With the sample we had at the outdoor garden, I am definite that the menu is as superb if not beyond words.

The Legarda Mansion, a.k.a. La Cocina De Tita Moning extremely reminds me of two of my favorite heritage houses here in Penang,

the PINANG PERANAKAN MANSION

and

the CHEONG FATT TZE BLUE MANSION

which both stand with grandeur in George Town, one of UNESCO’s Heritage Sites.

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*Special thanks goes out to Ivan Man Dy for his generous invitations to me and my family. For readers out there who would like a professional and intelligent and amusing guided walking tours of Manila, visit the website of OLDMANILAWALKS.COM for details. Kindly give my regards to Ivan if in case you’ll find time to join his tours. Thank you!

Jan

CHRISTMAS BREAK 2011 DAY 12 : WE WENT TO FARMVILLE

By docgelo 25 Comments

Categories: FAMILY : LOVE KO 'TO, FOOD & MORE FOOD! and TRAVEL
Tags: antipolo rizal, bagoong, bahay kubo, boso boso antipolo, coconut juice, coconuts, crab fat, family, family and living, farm, Filipino food, fishing, flowers, food, foodie, foods from philippines, Kamayan, lechon, lunch, lunch date, lydia's lechon, Philippine food, picnic, roasted pig, shrimp paste, swamp, swing, vacation

Our Christmas Break 2011 Series includes :

En Route To Pinas
Day 2 : Ulingan, Tondo
Day 5 : Malacanang Palace
Day 8 : Bisperas Ng Pasko Sa Ulingan
Day 11 : Our Students’ Wedding
Day 14 : Our Celestial Weekend at Hotel Celeste
Day 19 : Our Big Binondo Food Wok

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28 December 2011, Wednesday. To be honest, I extremely enjoyed our trip to my in-law’s farm! Our entire day spent there was definitely a breather from the common mall ratting and absolutely far from our usual work-home-routine. Inhaling fresh air and savoring cool mountain breeze was definitely a fantastic treat for all of us.

The whopping 4.6 hectares of farm of various crops owned by my brother-in-law and his family is located at Boso-Boso, Antipolo Rizal. A roughly an hour and a half drive from Pasig City and Ortigas took us to this beautiful respite from the hustle and bustle of the urban life.

Meet one of their farm caretakers….

who lives in this paradise…

The place reminded me of my maternal grandmother’s hometown, Barangay Halayhay, Tanza, Cavite where we used to visit every Summer of our growing up years; where houses were built separately from their toilets (the ones that require you to walk before you pee or poop) and where life is incredibly simple.

Aren’t these puppies, despite the lack of breed (or so called, ~~askal~~ aspin or asong pinoy) and a dumalaga so fit for Tinola, too cute for words?

The farm has a family house too where toilet is much comfortable. (There’s our Tita/Ninang sa Kasal on the photo).

Seeing a white cow grazing in grass doesn’t happen on a daily basis –definitely another treat!

Next photo reveals how my father-in-law who came home for the holidays from Missouri attempted to enjoy fishing.

And our Tito/Ninong sa Kasal became too busy too snapping his camera at this nature’s best. BTW, this is the bahay-kubo where we ate our sumptuous lunch. Very Nice! Cool eh?!

Another shot of that beautiful bahay-kubo…

One of the abundant crops are coconuts. Photo below exhibits Gabby’s amazement on how Kuya Boyet, one of the farm caretakers climbed and tried his best to get us freshest coconuts.

Coke and distilled water were rivaled by delicious coconut juice and pulp. Thirst-quenching!

Sarap ng buco, lalo na libre!

Other than coconuts, rice, some mangoes, there are also grapefruit trees. I’m not sure but it tastes and looks like grapefruit and tastes like pomelo as well.

Abot-kamay ang mga prutas!

Meet Gabby’s cousin, Raphael (left), the heir to this farm.

Look what’s cooking…

Preparation always comes before success. And my sister in law prepared and cooked on the spot a very tasteful Sinigang na buto-buto! The tender meat almost effortlessly fall off from its bones. The sour broth and the veggies were just perfect! Sarap! Success!

Here she is, doc bibsy, a.k.a. my former classmate in med school and Tina’s sister; that makes her my sister-in-law who happens to be the haciendera of this vast farm. Sarap ng buco, bibsy!

Tina and Gabby obviously enjoyed it too…

Jun, my brother-in-law and owner of this farm provided one of the best tasting barbecued liempo (pork belly). His recipe –a marinade of mustard, rosemary, salt and pepper. Imagine, it was my first time to eat liempo sans soy sauce and vinegar. Ang sarap!!!

While the adults were busy cooking, the kiddos were having their own business.

Another addition to our feast that afternoon was 2 kilo-takeaway/takeout by my dad-in-law enroute to the farm; its packaging says, Malutong. Masarap. Masaya!

tadaaaaa…. (nagsebo na kasi malamig sa farm!)

More artery-clogging delights : Crab fat, bagoong, salted eggs. Extra rice, please!

Tina must have her favorite green mangoes that she personally sliced into pieces.

It was Gabby’s first time to eat on banana leaves and it has been a while for me.

The lunch at the farm was surreal.

Shameless display of my plate, err, leaf.

Burp!

Gabby : “Daddy, how do we use this cable car?”

Me. : “CABLE CAR?!!? What cable car?” Then I looked around and found an old swing. Kids loved it!

To Jun, Bibs and Raphael, Papa Chito, Tito Mars and Tita Emma, thank you so much for that fun afternoon at the farm! Wonderful!

Despite we spent a day WITHOUT mobile signal, NO WIFI, no cable TV because the farm is located uphill the barangay in Antipolo City, the experience was still memorable. Food. Family Bonding. Nature. Surreal!

The 4.6 hectare private farm is on the planning stage of progress, either to keep it as crop-producing farm and/or part of it will be converted to a resort. Regardless, it’s a clear gem from Mother Nature.

Jan

CHRISTMAS BREAK 2011 DAY 14 : HOTEL CELESTE

By docgelo 27 Comments

Our Christmas Break 2011 Blog Series includes :

En Route To Pinas
Day 2 : Ulingan, Tondo
Day 5 : Malacanang Palace
Day 8 : Bisperas Ng Pasko Sa Ulingan
Day 11 : Our Students’ Wedding

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*This is not a paid post for Hotel Celeste. The blogger and his family spent for their overnight stay and this blog’s simple review and staff commendation attempts to be honest and fair.

Celeste (pronounced with silent last e) means heavenly. And Hotel Celeste in Makati City is just that. Celestial. Stellar. Heavenly!

30 December 2011, Friday. Exactly 2 weeks after we arrived from Penang, we availed of the deluxe room I reserved a few weeks ago at Hotel Celeste, a European-inspired boutique hotel in the heart of Makati City. Now, before someone raises his or her eyebrows and comments that we’re spending a fortune on this overnight accomodation, think again. We only availed of the hotel’s promo called CELESTIAL WEEKENDS that I luckily spotted at their website last year. Besides, give us a break, will you? It’s already 2012 and it’s our 8th Wedding Anniversary on Sunday, January 08, 2012, hence this simple indulgence.

I asked first my commander-in-chief’s go signal (who else but Tina) if I can book a hotel room even for just a night in honor (naks!) of our 8th years of being officially married, 11 years of togetherness and as a part of our Christmas vacation in Pinas. And man, I was in cloud 9 when I got her nod.

It was already the night of December 8, 2011 when I emailed Hotel Celeste to make a reservation. One night for us (December 30-31) and the other date this January 2012 as gift certificate that we gave as present to our first inaanak sa kasal (sponsored newlyweds, Nicole & Carlo). Tina and I thought it’s a decent wedding present for them more than the classic golden chamber pots (ginintuang arinola) *pun intended*

Incidentally, this is the first time I’ll be acknowledging the names of the people who served us beyond expectations. The hotel service was excellent!

First to be applauded was the front desk officer, Ryan Lacerna. We never met him but he was the one who promptly replied to my email-request and immediately sent a reservation under my name on my preferred dates on PDF form. Thank you!

Second was the door man/bell boy, Dexter and the couple of guards outside. Mabuhay po kayo! Dexter’s Indigo blue marvelous uniform was perceived by Gabby as those worn with Samurai. (Our son mixed Japanese with Old World European–you know how kids watch so many cartoons these days, haha!).

And of course, the nicest people who man this small but ever efficient reception should be regarded as well.

Thank you to Em and Ethel who smilingly received me when I first personally went there to settle our bills in advance. Believe me, they’re the friendliest front desk ladies I’ve ever encountered.

Thank you to Jiggs Garcia who texted to inform me that the GC that I requested was already ready for pick up.

Not to forget the front desk people who were on duty during our stay, Gracie and the tall male front desk man who’s with her and whose name I forgot to ask, he also didn’t wear his nameplate that time, nontheless, thank you too!

To the Celi’s restaurant wait staff -morning and night shift, hats off to you for being courteous!

All of you made our brief stay so remarkable and memorable! Maraming Salamat!

Honey, lower your eyebrows, please. Umabot ata sa 3rd floor. Why? hehehe! *she'll kill me for this*

Needless to say, Hotel Celeste impressed us –not only the jologs in me who’s easier to pleased but Tina who has more discriminating taste. With only 30 rooms –in Suites and Deluxe that vary in their interiors (I think no room is designed similar), this charming hotel is an absolute respite amidst the hustle and bustle of Makati City and a great competition to the premier hotels around. It’s a few steps away from our favorite malls -Greenbelt and Glorietta. Very accessible too for tourists and balikbayans who likes a nearby accomodation from the airport.

Wacky Gabby posed for Tina while I check in at the counter.

Gracie, the front desk officer on duty didn’t ask anymore for the PhP 2K refundable deposit when I checked in for my family. I don’t know, either she forgot about it or I’d like to think she trusted me because of the 2 letters after my surname (ehem!). She just requested me to provide an ID; I gave her my passport and after she scanned and returned it to me, I found myself with Tina, Gabby and the bellboy/doorman, Dexter inside the lift. Even the lift was elaborately decorated with DAMASK TEXTILE and mirrors. Nice!

We’re assigned at level 3, room 305. Here’s the corridor…

The lateral view from the door of our room…

We were welcomed by spotless wooden floors and simple yet amazing fixtures.

I'm happy when my family's happy.

The mini bar isn’t free of course unlike QUINCY HOTEL SINGAPORE but nevertheless provides with complimentary bottled water, coffee and tea making facility. Personal fridge also available.

The quality of pillows and the size of the bed for me are relatively important whenever slumbering in a hotel. I want my pillows not too soft but a little firm. Tina and Gabby like it otherwise. We all love a king size bed instead of a twin, so much room to cuddle and curl up. And in Hotel Celeste, we’re grateful that we had one of our restful sleeps. Fantastic!

Tina noticed the wardrobe has a long umbrella for the guests to use. We both think it’s uncommonly provided by most hotels unless you ask for one and Hotel Celeste was thoughtful in doing so even without a request.

The tandas (toilet) at first glance was instantly perceived as covered with wall paper but a closer look revealed it’s beautifully stenciled. Thank God it’s no floral design but leafy. The Deluxe room has no bath tub but the rainshower dutsa with comforting hot and cold water was good enough.

The banyo may be small but almost sterile. It’s so important to be kept clean.

L'Occitane hair and body wash are provided, must of all, I like it when hotel choose Colgate to include in the box of toothbrush (despite we always bring our own gum needs).

The Celestial Weekend Promo package that we availed comes with a foot and leg massage upon arrival that we failed to enjoy. Tina and I opted to have it in the morning just before checking out however, it’s already late when we learned that the service is only available from 3 to 5 in the afternoon. Our fault. No worries. But definitely, Gabby and Tina savored the welcome drinks; they chose ripe mango shake and iced chocolate.

vouchers for fee welcome drinks that were handed to us upon check in.

Fast forward to dinner : Most deluxe hotel room packages would only offer buffet breakfast, but Celestial Weekends treats guests to set dinner as well. When we’re almost ready to choose from the set menu, Gabby asked me to accompany him to pee.

This is how the toilet at the lobby looks like…

waiting area just before the toilet at the lobby

the male toilet : I wish I had mural painting of a knight to in our comfort room.

Admittedly, the set dinner may have been better if the servings are a bit bigger. But I’m not complaining; just saying. As mentioned, it doesn’t happen all the time that set dinner is inclusive in a hotel package unless it’s an ALL INCLUSIVE (Read : QUINCY HOTEL SINGAPORE again FTW!).

Inside CELI’s Restaurant just by the lobby of Hotel Celeste…

There's a male acoustic crooner who's set we adore : love songs from the 80s sang and popularized by male foreign singers. Ang husay!

The view from where we sat…

From the set menu, Tina and I chose, focaccia and another high-fiber bread with buttered spinach and rock salt as starter, then roast chicken for me that’s sadly too salty and so minimal serving (I should’ve ordered the salmon!). Tina had carbonara which we gave a thumbs up but wished for, yes, a larger serving, hehe (note to self : it’s free and included in the package, remember?). She shared some pasta to Gabby but he likes the desserts better. We all love the chocolate ecclairs but the creme brulee’s too sweet for my sweet tooth.

If the set dinner was just OK, we were greatly surprised with the buffet breakfast!

A knock at our door at few hours before we went watching last full show of Gabby’s choice from 2011 MMFF at Greenbelt 3 cinema (guess what movie? haha!), made me opened it and saw 3 people, wearing white collared shirts and pants (correct me if I’m wrong but they struck me as on OJTs or HRM interns) who handed me 2 sheets of paper to fill out.

It's all in the details.

The paper had the menu for breakfast but it allows the guests/diners to customize their dishes. It’s like tick the ingredient you want in your omelette; tick if you want Belgian waffle, croissants, danish pastries, cinnamon, smoked fish, pork tocino, bacon, chicken frankfurter, eggs benedict, fresh fruits, cereals, yoghurt and a lot more choices with various tea and coffee.

The jologs couple in us were puzzled after reading the instruction on the paper. It simply state tick your preferred dish to be served either in Celi’s restaurant or right inside your room. We’re not dumb or anything but we want to make sure before filling it out and submitting it to the front desk before 11PM. So Tina called the front desk to clarify. The OC in me followed to verify.

Tina : “Hello, this is room 305, We just received 2 sheets of paper for us to select our menu for breakfast. So how do we fill it up, will it be, we choose one per dish category or we can select more than one plate?”

Front Desk : “Maam, you can select all po.”

Tina : “Ah, OK, Thank you.” …puts down the phone and turned to me, “‘ney, pwede daw lahat? haha! Ikaw nga tumawag!”

To cut the funny story short, I confirmed that it’s like “select-all-that-apply” kind of thing. SARAP! Alam nyo naman, we have to eat like a KING during breakfast! hehe!

We’re glad to have tasted their SMOKED BONELESS BANGUS… This is one reason why we love Filipino dishes!!!

Admit or deny it, this is how a typical Filipino buffet plate looks like : mix-mix! haha! ...There's that gorgeously delicious Smoked Boneless Bangus (we opted it instead Daing), Omelette, Beef Tapa, Pork Tocino, Hash Browns, Bacon strips, Chicken Frankfurters which we all shared.

Then Tina loved their Eggs Benedict…

And then seriously, while being served with one of our delightful breakfast meals, Gabby began feeling sick (he and I really got sick, NOT because of Hotel Celeste but perhaps of pollution/bacterial/viral exposures or change of weather temperature), so Tina requested the wait staff if we could have all the food to be served in our room in order for Gabby to have ample and more relaxed time to eat. Et voila!

We didn't finish everything! Ang dami..so we take it home by buying microwavables from Landmark when we went grocery shopping before checking out at 12noon. Sayang naman itapon! haha..

Our stay in Hotel Celeste’s Celestial Weekends only cost us PhP 5,399 nett (the promo runs every weekend until January 15, 2012). Some may accused us of overspending beyond our means, but hey, it ain’t your money we’re using. So chill. Some may say it’s too much for an overnight stay, well I say it’s a steal from the original deluxe room price of almost PhP 10K+ exclusive of what we enjoyed. And above all, price for as long as you can afford, shouldn’t be an issue when you spend for family’s happiness and family bonding. Memories are cherished forever. Money can be earned.

I love you honey and Gabby! Cheers to our 8th year and here’s to more traveling, delicious feasts and fun-filled family bonding!

For more details on Hotel Celeste, visit their website at www.hotelceleste.ph

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Dec

CHRISTMAS BREAK 2011 DAY 5 : MALACANANG PALACE

By docgelo 31 Comments

Our Christmas Break 2011 Blog Series includes :

En Route To Pinas
Day 2 : Ulingan, Tondo
Day 8 : Bisperas Ng Pasko Sa Ulingan

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*Disclaimer : I try to maintain my blog as an APOLITICAL one so this isn’t about views and opinions about any issue.

”How many times have you been inside Malacanang Palace?“ asked by Ivan Man Dy of Old Manila Walks to our group of 14 tourists –a mix of locals, balikbayans and a few foreigners. One of us replied, “Four!” …I thought my previous Malacanang experience was absolutely no match because I only answered, “Once“…

Then Ivan continued to ask, “How many times have you been to SM (Shoemart Department Stores)?

I smiled.

Apparently, setting foot inside the grounds where President of the Philippines resides and takes office doesn’t happen on a daily basis. Needless to say, it’s another EXTRAORDINARY experience for us. Thank you, Ivan for the invites! My wife, my dad-in-law and I definitely enjoyed every bits. Brilliant!

We began The Power, Palace and A Shot of Beer Walking Tour in one of the art-deco huge houses in San Miguel, Manila– the Legarda Mansion, that’s known to others as the fine-dining restaurant, La Cocina de Tita Moning. From there, Ivan escorted us through a parallel of San Miguel all the way to the stone throw away, Malacanang. The drizzle that Wednesday afternoon wasn’t an issue to get us in the Palace.

these things look amazing to me...

ORGANIZED… Several days prior, we received an email with reminders of what to expect, where to meet, the how-to-get-there-map, and whatnot on the this walking tour. Our names were collected for submission as guests to the Kalayaan Hall or the Malacanang Palace Museum thus, getting inside was such a breeze (Do you think PSG did a character-investigation prior to the tour? haha, just asking!). Understandably, since we’re paying the highest office of the land a visit, our bags and bodies were scanned; cameras were labeled with red-orange PSG stickers (I just didn’t get it why PSG asked us-those with cameras to have a test shot with them or point and shoot it first at anything…). Ivan explained everything’s a protocol, of course.

With utmost humility, I got 1.25 (highest of 1.0 and lowest of 5.0) in Philippine History back in my days when I was taking up my pre-medical course at Far Eastern University (who cares, right? even the carebears don’t care, toinks!). Defensively, I am neither a History geek nor a happy-g0-lucky kind of guy. I just don’t know up to now what soul got into me those days that I became so fascinated with Agoncillo’s book on Philippine History and taking essay-type-of-exams in our class wasn’t difficult for me. With more than a decade after, I forgot everything I’ve learned. Haha! Well, almost.

INFORMATIVE…Glad I was one of the participants of this walking tour because A LOT of things that happened in the past were not found on books. And Ivan had refreshed and informed us even of things unfamiliar to many. Case in point are these four men on a set of painting who contributed to the Philippine History. The only name that rang a bell to my ears was Hernando de Magallanes who toured the globe before he got killed with his Portugese Christian soldiers by a native ruler of Mactan, Cebu–who else but Lapu-lapu. (Iyong iba, di ko ka-facebook, hehehe!)

Apart from history and politics aside, Malacanang Palace as a tangible structure in my humble opinion, is very Filipino or at least represents who we are, how we evolved through the years. Inspite of the fact that the exteriors reminds us of Spanish colonial regime, it boasts of intricate carvings on solid wood inside its vast and countless rooms that obviously reflect talent, skills, artistry and craftmanship of Filipino people.

Must have that detailed shot…

INTERESTING…wood carving galore!

Can you believe that this served as a luggage used in traveling in the previous era? ...*hebigat*

One can easily tell that those solid wood carvings from Narra, Kamagong and other finest lumber are symbolic of our resilience amidst adversities, or was it only my interpretation? I hope others won’t perceived it as luxuries in the heart of a third world country (Did I just mentioned this blog would not discuss social and political issues?).

NEVER BORING… The tour featured almost all corners of the museum and the stories behind them.

Imagine the efforts exerted in making these floor to ceiling wood carvings. One can almost feel the hands that held those chisels. Artistic. Decorative. Beautiful!

Nothing’s overlooked…

even the electric sockets should look authoritative?

NOSTALGIC…Alas, my solitary memory of Malacanang Palace resurfaced from my lazy cerebrum. Upon the sight of the rooms, I remembered Imelda Marcos’ shoes, Ferdinand Marcos’ five libraries with vast collection of books, their gorgeous paintings, Madame’s canopied bed with wooden crown at its top, her toilet boasting of jars of perfumes with actual miniscule faucets and a lot more of Marcos’.

Admit it, they're the most vivid and powerful people who lived in the palace.

COMPELLING… How does a ruler convince his people to follow his lead?

Letras Y Figuras : One of the eye-catching commissioned paintings inside Malacanang has the name of Imelda Romualdez Marcos with scenic and iconic paintings representing her "achievements" per letter of her name.

Si Sir....

at si Madame...

Martial Law may have scarred the many; thus, looking at the same chair and table where it was proclaimed could hyperstimulate your senses or worst, can be disturbing…

ENGAGING with WITS and HUMOR…As a lecturer myself for almost a decade now, I have learned to make my classroom discussion interactive, lively and enticing despite a boring topic. And the Ivan Man Dy certainly knows to do the same, in fact far better than my limited skills. He makes Philippine History soft and chewy to absorb by the common tao, much more by the foreigners who most of the time are clueless of our own story.

"How many pairs shoes did Imelda Marcos have?", "Where are her shoes now?" Everyone was enthralled in the charming discussion about everything inside the museum including fellow blogger, Marian of her site, upto6only (wearing black shirt with pink headband and pink belt; yes, it must be pink, right, Marian? hehe!)

Folks, meet the most participative tourist in our group, Mr. Primo (the one wearing Fedora hat and eyeglasses). He’s the man who made the tour more fascinating. He had the most extensive commentaries.

Ivan's so successful in engaging all of us in his tour.

To me, students who come to my classes so prepared and well-read, are definitely a challenge. And Mr. Primo is similar to such, that with his impressive knowledge on Philippine History, his great discussions with Ivan made me think he could effortlessly pass as a Dean in an academe or simply put, he’s someone who experienced the tales being told.

FANTASTIC... The tour featured the priceless art works of Filipino artists as well as gifts from foreign dignitaries that are all housed inside Kalayaan Hall.

I just had to click my cam on the sculpture of that Greek God, Mercury (right photo); reminds me of a local drugstore's tag line, "Gamot ay Laging Bago" hehe!

There’s something for everyone to be interested with…

With all due respect, Ex-President Joseph Ejercito Estrada's inaugural Barong Tagalog showed he's definitely bigger than I am. *no pun intended*.

She will be forever Tita Cory to me. I was once a child growing up in her presidency.

One of the reasons why this tour's called, "Palace, Power and A Shot of Beer" : San Miguel Brewery back in the old days was located literally beside Malacanang Palace. Don't ask me how it happened. I highly suggest you join the tour of Old Manila Walks.

And of course, there were those photo-op moments…

Special thanks to my father-in-law who snapped this shot.

On way out, I found this sculpture of a family that I wished to have as a takeaway. hehe!

After more than 2 hours, we walked our way out of the Palace and Ivan led us back to the Legarda Mansion (not of Senator Loren’s but Atty Katrina’s family).

The tour promised a fine-dining merienda, et voila!

How often do you eat with rose petals on the table?

We enjoyed it in an-open-air-dining area within the simple garden of the Legarda’s. The ambiance was so casual yet the offerings were special.

The sotanghon (vermicelli noodles) dish was a delight. Squeezing a calamansi covered with mesh (similar to how they serve it at the Lobby of the Manila Peninsula --abangan!) over a sauce dish of fish sauce and chili even made the pancit more heavenly.

We were treated to a delicious light snack but absolutely less ordinary…

If my taste buds and memory serve me right, those 2 slices were chicken galantina. One thing is definite, its aroma and fantastic taste was to die for.

However, they made the dessert less sweet (perhaps, they’re considering the diabetic tourists/diners). Sayang, I like it done with more sugar.

Guinataang Bilo-bilo

For the nth time, this tour’s called, Palace, Power and A Shot of Beer. So other than that refreshing and refillable Tanglad Iced Tea (Lemon Grass Iced Tea) and cold water, here’s that single shot of San Miguel Beer, cheers!

It was so nice to end a tour with a simple feast. But lo and behold, Ivan gave us a plus! After I told him that I read somewhere that the Legarda Mansion houses a doctor’s clinic (the patriarch and his 4 kids were all MDs), without hesitation, he invited all of us for a short but another impressive tour inside La Cocina De Tita Moning.

The experience inside the Legarda Mansion deserves a separate post…Soon!

For interested parties to join Ivan Man Dy’s tours of Manila, contact them via their website at OLDMANILAWALKS.COM

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Manigong Bagong Taon po sa lahat at Maraming Salamat! May the good Lord continuously shower us with His divine grace.

Dec

CHRISTMAS BREAK 2011 : EN ROUTE TO PINAS

By docgelo 27 Comments

Categories: FOOD & MORE FOOD!, MALAYSIA and TRAVEL
Tags: air asia, airport, airport food, airport maintenance, airport renovation, asian dishes, asian food, breakast meals, breakfast, budget airline, cakes, chicken noodle, chocolate cake, chocolate indulgence, chocolates, christmas, christmas vacation, Coffee, cold coffee, daricreme, diosdado macapagal international airport, dmia, expat, family, family and living, food, foodie, fracppuccino, Haagen-Dazs, indulgence, kuala lumpur, lcct, manila, mary brown, mary brown chicken, mary brown fried chicken, mcdonald's, NAIA 1, noodle dish, noodles, old town, old town coffee, pandesal, pastries, penang airport, penang international airport, Philippines, philtranco, reno, reno liver spread, restaurants, simple indulgence, theobroma, theobroma chocolate lounge, traffic, twister fries, waffle

*This blog series includes : Christmas Break 2011 Day 2 : ULINGAN, TONDO

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16 December 2011, Thursday night. I arranged a pick up from our place in Butterworth to Penang International Airport via SMS with an Indian taxi cab driver whom we frequently call whenever we need a ride prior to departure and arrival. He came at around 7 in the evening and with the expected rush-hour-traffic jam, we arrived before 8PM at the terminal. Dropping of our 49 kilo-luggages and bags was such a breeze because I did the online check-in already and had our boarding passes printed from the web days prior to our flight. And because we’re on a very limited budget and value practicality above something else, we went home via Malaysia’s budget airline, Air Asia (May kamahalan na din ang nakuha naming ticket kumpara sa karaniwan at promo airfares dito –humigit-kumulang PhP 35K kaming tatlo, one way from Pen-KUL, then KUL-CRK).

I set to use my annual work leave in spending Christmas season in Pinas. I didn’t go home or utilized my paid days off else where (read : our breaks in Paris, New York and London *kidding!* I wish but we only went to Kelantan, Malaysia, Singapore and Hatyai, Thailand this year were all enjoyed during public holidays) but saved it for the yuletide. After all, it is Christmas that Tina, Gabby and I consider as the most wonderful time of the year, the happiest season of all!

Despite Penang is only1545 miles away from the Philippines, there’s no direct flight yet to connect my current work place and our home. So it’s either you fly Singapore or Hong Kong first –which would cost you your arms and legs at this time of the year, or either take the cheaper but longer route by the bus or train or fly from Penang to Kuala Lumpur first that we usually do.

At the Penang International Airport which has on-going renovations (hey look, NAIA 1, terminals outside our country are on the road to improvement, and you?) we had dinner from one of Gabby’s favorite fast foods. It was a simple delight to have twister fries and quarter pounder before a flight.

After dinner, the waiting period began. Our local flight from Pen-KUL was supposedly 11:15PM but was delayed for 30 minutes. What can we do but bear with the waiting game. Are you fond of waiting for your flight/s at the airport? I do except when it’s not on time. I mean, I maybe impatient at other matters but killing time at the terminals for me is not that bad.

We safely reached KL-LCCT after 45 minute flight. Everything’s fine except the looooong walk from the tarmac to the airport itself. The fatigue and lack of sleep were gone withe the sight of this heavenly food place that we’ve been wanting to try…

The Low Cost Carrier Terminal in Kuala Lumpur may not be one of the best, perhaps not even included in top 10 great terminals in the world and in my opinion has also its share of inconvenience but nontheless has decent choices of food places. We passed on Starbucks Coffee, Mary Brown Fried Chicken (Malaysia’s answer to KFC), and some other few but we failed to resist the charm of Theobroma Chocolate Lounge.

the ambiance is casual and inviting.

Forgive us for indulging chocolates before 2 in the morning. Sinful is it not?

Look, everything looked nice and tasted great too but they served the knife & fork with its tips exposed and the handles wrapped with tissues and before you wrongly judge Theobroma, let me inform you that this is a common practice in restaurants around Malaysia; and frequently, availability of tissues is a rarity in hawkers too! (read: I am not a foodie expert neither have a degree in culinary but my common sense dictates me that it’s best to wrap and cover the parts you’ll put in your mouth rather than expose and drop it directly on the table. Spell HYGIENE and CLEANLINESS, people!).

Moving on…Tell me, how can you resist Theobroma’s Belgian Waffle with Ice Cream?

Me speaking to the waiter : “What are your bestsellers here? What can you recommend?”

Waiter pointing to the menu he handed us : “Ah, eto po ang masasarap, ok po ito, iyan…”

Me : “Ah, Kabayan! Saan kayo sa atin? Ano ba masarap dito?“

the eyes tell you that they're sleep deprived but hungry. hehe!

Our verdict : The waffle’s tasteful! The strawberry slices rippled with chocolate were divine. And it’s so amazing that the scoop of ice cream took several minutes to melt which made us ask ourselves, is it gelato?

Gabby went to the counter and checked out the cakes. I believe he wanted Oreo chocolate cake but we were served with Orange Chocolate slice. We did not complain; I felt there’s no need to because we also wanted to sample such flavorful combo.

Gabby’s taste buds were a bit purist. When he wants chocolate, he wants nothing else. In fact, our kiddo doesn’t want any nuts when eating anything chocolate. But the cake was a delight for me and Tina. It reminded us of one of Haagen Dazs’.

Tina asked our kabayang-waiters (we talked to 2 of them-one serving us and the other at the counter) their recommendations. One of them highly suggested QUEEN OF ROCK AND ROLL.

Me asking Tina :” ‘ney, design lang ba iyong nasa cup or chocolate ripple talaga? “

Tina : “ano ka ba, chocolate!” –tapos ngumiti iyong waiter sa clueless moment ko.

We trusted our kabayang-waiter and the suggested cup doesn’t disappoint! Queen of Rock and Roll (left photo below) went to Gabby and he loved it! That chocolatey creamy drink indeed rocks! While Tina opted for a coffee-chocolate blend called MADAME ESKIMO which was beautifully served with a coffee bean on top. My lovely wife, despite sleep deprived was happy!

Thumbs up for Theobroma's blends!

As for me, I needed to have something warm; I settled for FLAT WHITE.

Sarap! Nakakawala ng antok! Someone should bring home Theobroma Chocolate Lounge to NAIA Terminal 1 please!

The prices are comparable to Starbucks Coffee. Service is efficient. Goodies are yummies!

The Air Asia check in counter didn’t open until it was past 4AM. Maraming PASAWAY sa pila na ibang lahi. SINGIT! I didn’t allow them to get in over my queue. Our international flight from Kuala Lumpur to Clark Field, Pampanga was scheduled at 6:45AM. And so I thought, di ba 4 hours dapat bukas na ang airline counter kapag international flight?

Waiting, waiting and more waiting. After few bladder and bowel breaks, yikes! (hey, it’s part of morning rituals, right?), we decided to spend our last hour prior to the flight and our few remaining ringgit in OLD TOWN WHITE COFFEE restaurant also in LCCT.

Tina and I had a plate each of this noodle dish that the name slipped my memory.

I may have forgotten its name but the taste was etched on my palate. Sarap! It’s so comforting to eat hot noodle dish in the wee hours of the morning.

I was fortunate enough to avail of our RETURN FLIGHT on the first week of January 2012 last April 2011 at its promo sale. It only costs me PhP 8K nett for the 3 of us with 40 kg check in luggage and I think that’s a steal! However, due to tight budget, I only purchased our airline tickets from Pen-KUL, then KUL-CRK last week of November for our Dec 16-17 flight. Understandably, most of the aircrafts servicing Malaysia-Philippines route are alreay full because of the holiday season and prices of tickets are expectedly steep than usual. Nonetheless, come hell or high waters, Tina, Gabby and I have to spend Christmas in the country we call HOME.

From the arrival area of Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA), we claimed and paid our reserved bus tickets from the friendly ladies of Philtranco bus liner kiosk located at the lobby. I googled their website and did the reservation via email; a ticket from DMIA to SM Megamall (even up to Pasay City) costs PhP 400/pax.

The trip was only an hour and a half and everything went OK except for the traffic from Balintawak in Caloocan after NLEX to EDSA then Ortigas approaching SM Megamall. But hey, it ain’t home without the traffic! *pun intended*

The next morning, we savored one of our missed breakfast meals…

Nothing spells the Christmas celebrations better than spending it in your home country with your love ones. Walang katulad ang Pasko sa Pilipinas!

From Tina, Gabby and me, Maligayang Pasko po at Manigong Bagong Taon!

Nov

SHANGRI-LA’S RASA SAYANG : A BLEEDING WOUND, A THOUGHTFUL STAFF, A DIGESTIVE FEAST PART 2

By docgelo 35 Comments

I have always thought that most of our priceless and happy moments together as a family are commonly shared over a meal. Either at home or whenever we dine out, great tasting foods have been essential in making the three of us more joyous. Most epicurean adventures that we celebrate, be it simple or otherwise have been a constant reminder too, that we’re so blessed on top of life’s challenges.

On a lighter note, I am a strong believer of my personal beatitude, ‘Blessed are the people who consider food as their kryptonite for they will continuously seek strength to fight cravings for more toothsome dishes!’ LOL!

However, I know most, if not all will instantly agree with me that resistance is remarkably futile if the spread includes the following….

Mont Blanc

Black Forest never presented this edgy…

Our 7-year-old wonder boy loves cheese and cheese cakes and so are we…

Gabby’s palatal exposure to wide array of digestive stimuli may hopefully contribute in his aspirations to become a chef, a hotelier and a restaurateur someday. So help us, God!

Paris Brest

Strawberry Flan

Apparently, Chocolate Dome Cake…

Pralinosa Bavaroise…

And of course, Tiramisu….

Reservation was done over a phone call a week prior to this dinner-buffet. Spice Market Cafe in Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort and Spa in Batu Feringgi, Penang is usually packed even on weekdays, as we’re told, not only because of their on-going promotion (Yes, if it’s not a buy-one-free-one we could have not afford it, haha!) but more logically for their delightful dishes.

No fresh floral arrangements, neither fancy balloons nor fruits. What could be more appropriate table centerpieces for Spice Market Cafe but mortar and pestle with dried herbs and spices.

Table for 3 please : Tina, Gabby & me

The three of us immediately became busy viewing the spread of the different live-cooking stations that represent a multi-cultural gastronomic feast : Continental, Indian, Japanese, Chinese and Malay. Even Gabby had several trips to the buffet tables on his own. And after getting our individual preferences, we shared plates generously.

Without a clue, Tina’s scarred wound at the tip of her left ring finger was already bleeding; her table napkin was inevitably stained with drops of blood.

me: Ano nangyari? Bakit dumugo? (What happened? Why did it bleed?)

Tina : Hindi ko napansin e. (I didn’t notice.)

Then out of nowhere, Norizah, a short-haired pleasant female senior wait staff approached our table with utmost concern. She asked what happened and offered something she can do.

Tina : (smiling despite bleeding) “My wound is bleeding but I’m OK. Nothing to worry. I am a nurse and my husband is a doctor.”

me : (smiled and nodded at Norizah)

Norizah : “You’re a nurse and he’s a doctor but you are my customers and I worry about you. Would you like me to bring something from the clinic? I’ll go get some band-aid.”

Right there and then, I wanted to give Norizah a “Natatanging Waitress Award.” (Outstanding Waitress Award) haha! Seriously, I could have told her that it’s our first time to experience such utmost thoughtfulness from a restaurant staff but Tina and I only thanked her for her impeccable service.

How many hotels, restaurants or any form of food places have thought of providing kids their own plates? Isn’t this gesture sweet?

Because excitement was difficult to contain, Gabby filled his first plate with chilled scallops that he topped with what else but parmesan and cheese dressing. Cheesy overload on those delicious mollusks. Takaw mata man, Tina and I were there to eat his leftovers. Sarap!

There’s a bar that has various cheese offerings; celery and carrot sticks made available for dipping.

How do you like blue cheese?

Or emmental cheese perhaps?

There’s no wine for obvious reasons but breads made a great combination..

Now, let’s proceed to shameless display of plates : I started with this few slices of cold cuts– chicken ham and that remarkably delicious smoked salmon, with bread and cheeses. We also enjoyed their thick and creamy corn soup.

Must have that detail shot, haha!

Second of my beatitude, “Blessed are the people who have no hypersensitivity, for theirs the kingdom of seafoods!”

I am a sucker for prawns and proof to this is the fact that I never miss out to buy prawns from the public market here every weekend (read : we’re lucky for it’s a lot cheaper here than in Pinas). Tina usually cook it either with garlic and butter or just steamed and we’re on cloud 9 already!

Mussels on the otherhand, aren’t as common as shrimps here. If you must know, the sweet taste and humongous size of mussels that we’ve eaten when we were in Auckland, New Zealand back in 2005 for our memorable 7 week family vacation there remains to be unforgettable! We’re fortunate enough that the buffet of Spice Market Cafe has mussels but not as close as what we had in Auckland.

Then there were those another family favorite which Gabby had singled out…

Have you tasted yabbies?

We could have wash our hands and enjoyed them to bits but I for one had no extra room in my gastric pit…some other time, I guess haha!

Here’s my seafood plate…

Pity those who must take anti-histamines when they eat these glorious foods!

Moving on, the Chinese section’s essentials were present like noodle station…

It’s an experience watching the chef make hand-pulled noodles live! The force in kneading that dough as he stretched and slammed it to have less air was already an entertainment while eating!

Noodle soup must have other ingredients…

But where are the dimsum and dumplings? Did we miss it out?

I was silently jumping for bliss when I saw that there’s a Japanese station. It has been months since I’ve last squeezed a sushi between chopsticks.

Although to our dismay there were no ebi and crab tempura which are also Gabby’s favorites, we were happy to have freshest tuna and salmon sashimi, and some sushi…

The little-big boy really had his time…

I can eat this plateful of yummies everyday, haha!

I just recently found my love affair with some Indian foods, so I tried some chicken tandoori (but too spicy for my palates), papadum and roti, and one of the famous local grilled goodies here, chicken satay with peanut sauce…

I like their chicken satay but had an aversion to eat it with fresh onions. Usually, it’s eaten with cucumber and onion slices. Don’t you love these brass wares? I do!!! I wish when the time comes that we need to leave Malaysia, there would be extra money to buy these as souvenirs (O marami nyan sa Divisoria? LOL!)

Do you like lamb? I don’t because of its usual-after-taste that leaves you wanting to gargle non stop, hehe! But the slices of roasted lamb leg from this buffet made me reconsider it!

Beef dishes, as I know it, aren’t easy to prepare. It needs slow cooking for it to become tender and the beef medalions with mushrooms from Rasa Sayang doesn’t disappoint!

Peking Duck and Char Siew Chicken were also sublime!

tastier and crunchier than it looks on photo!

Most foreigners and tourists would dig the local Malaysian favorites so for the desserts section, they’re offering ais kacang, cendol, ABC and more….(their version of our Filipino Halo-Halo!)

However, we didn’t try their version; perhaps, next time.

We've already tasted those green worm-like jellies made from rice flour and food coloring that are toppings of cendol from a hawker food stall in George Town before and we liked it! Grossly looking but will delight your palates!

Thankful to Gabby, he had the effort of going to the ice cream station to prepare a cup as Tina and I were already full that time.

Ice cream toppings and syrups never looked and tasted this great!

Chef Gabby’s plating of ice cream…

Local Malaysian desserts were satiatingly good; our own versions we call them in Tagalog, kakanin…

Skewered for dipping…

One of this blog’s valued commenters (convictstock from Australia) mentioned before that their stay and dining in Rasa Sayang was made extraordinary because of their chocolate fondue. I agree but it would not hurt for Shangri-La Penang to double it with white chocolate fountain too! We have lots of hotels in the Philippines who offer it and it’s twice the fun of course!

Melted dark chocolate : so heavenly but wished there was white one too!

Gradually, Gabby’s having big ideas of what his kitchen, hotel and restaurant will all look like in the future as he picks up beautiful things and notes those he must avoid doing by his decent exposures to all this. It’s like (positive) brainwashing 101 or more like an early immersion for our kiddo. Salamat na lang, lagi may promosi! (We’re always grateful for promotions as buffets in hotels are made affordable!).

These FUNtastic looking sculptures out of some ingredients I guess, made Gabby and Tina the happiest people on that dining area that night. My family's addicted to Angry Birds as they left me still enjoying Plants vs Zombies, LOL!

Thank you, Spice Market Cafe for putting up such dining decors for kids and kid-at-hearts!

Fresh fruits were also on the spread but not the same with fruit juices; you need to pay extra for a glass or two. It’s unlike other premier hotel-buffets we have tried here in Penang where beverages are included in their offering; that’s one little disadvantage for patrons of Rasa Sayang in our humble opinion.

However, they uplifted our spirits when we learned that coffee is included in the buffet, yahoooo! Tina and I are just simple coffee-lovers!

One week prior to our dinner when I had phoned them to make a reservation, they told me that the 250-sitting capacity of the restaurant is almost filled. I just took the chance in requesting that if and when some guests back out for whatever reason, I’ll appreciate if they can accomodate us in for consideration that I am bringing Gabby and I was surprised on the eve of our indulgence, they did! They allowed us to sit inside the buffet dining area instead outside where they have nipa huts and more tables for diners.

All in all, our first dining experience in Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort and Spa Spice Market Cafe was indeed, less ordinary. Admittedly, I personally had great expectations because of its name and reputation and they exceeded it, bar none! More than great tasting dishes, their friendly service to customers showed how they value their market over their business. And where else can you spot such impressive factors for the price of RM 185 nett (PhP 2,590 or USD 59) for the three of us (at RM 104+ : buy-one-free-one+kid’s half rate)? The cost is such a steal that one will be tempted to go back for more! Visit their website for more details of their rates and promotions (http://www.shangri-la.com/)

Until our next family bonding moments!

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PART ONE : Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Spice Market Cafe Buffet

Nov

SHANGRI-LA’S RASA SAYANG : A BLEEDING WOUND, A THOUGHTFUL STAFF, A DIGESTIVE FEAST

By docgelo 27 Comments

RASA SAYANG, in Bahasa Malaysia when translated to English means A Taste of Love. And in my vocabulary, Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort and Spa here in Penang is aptly called in every sense of the word.

The lobby is so enticing, you’ll fall in love in a heart beat…

Located 12km away from George Town, Penang, Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort and Spa is one of the premiere hotels in this part of Malaysia. Other than the lavish amenities and hospitality that Shangri-La Hotels are known for, this branch offers beyond great expectations.

We experienced something extraordinary that cannot be done justice in words or in pictures.

We arrived more than an hour earlier to the dinner-buffet we reserved at 6:30PM. Waiting wasn’t a big deal because appreciation of the hotel’s facilities was more than enough for us to kill time.

Because it was drizzling, Tina and Gabby decided to stay inside the lounge while I, with a huge black umbrella, took the chance to roam around from the lobby to the beachfront…

It reminded me of Shangri-La Mactan, Cebu where the lush green leads you to the waters however less the expansive lobby where you can view the majestic scenery. This one in Penang doesn’t have an elevated lobby like the hotel in Cebu but nonetheless impressive.

Nipa Huts and benches are found along the uniquely shaped swimming pools amidst the enormous trees and tropical plants. I know nothing of architecture but I noticed how creative they were in guiding the raindrops as they fall from huts’ roofs to a massively charming jar that serves as basin. Have you seen one like this in Pinas or elsewhere? (Ang husay ng alulod!).

I joined my lovely wife and adorable son for some more minutes of waiting. While Gabby became busy taking photographs of the lounge and his parents, a male staff approached and talked to us.

male staff : Are you waiting for the dinner-buffet? Do you have reservations, Sir?
me : Yup! I did a reservation over the phone a week ago.
male staff : Spice Market Cafe gets packed even on weekdays.
me : Because of the on-going promotion?
male staff : Not only that, Sir but because the food is really good. And for its price, it’s more than reasonable and competitive with other hotels’ buffets.
me : That’s great to know. Thanks!

After few bladder breaks at the spotless tandas (toilet)…

and some more snapshots at the facade of the restaurant…

If jeepneys are the king of the road in the streets of Manila, in George Town, Penang are the trishaws. Most tourists and travelers are seen on this wheels, being driven by a local on a tour of one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites.

Finally, at 6:30PM, I confirmed our reservation at the entrance of Spice Market Cafe, was surprised that beside my name on the guest list was the apposition, “recognized blogger”; I cringed and swallowed my saliva! haha! (read : I am recognized only by my family and a few online friends and being known by some may be purely accidental).

Gabby, Tina and I have been to quite a number of eat-all-you-want-food havens but our experience in Rasa Sayang’s SPICE MARKET CAFE was definitely less ordinary….

Located at the main entrance of Spice Market Cafe is Spice Boutique that showcases an interesting display of varied spices and herbs that were sourced all over Asia .

Our 7-year-old kid who dreams of becoming a chef, a restaurateur and a hotelier someday was again exposed to another ground. However, his nose wasn’t ready yet to perceive an array of aromas and different smell from those spices…

Perhaps, because of their quaint characteristics of being rustic and old, I was silently jumping for joy upon the sight of these museum-worthy kitchen wares and whatnot. I don’t care whether they’re original and vintage or just a noteworthy reproductions, they all looked attractive to me.

Tina and Gabby had their own fascinations while I found myself mesmerized…

Ais Kachang or their version of the Filipino Halo-Halo needs finely shaved ice, thus the existence of this equipment…

My eyes were also caught by a corner where a long wooden bench holds a row of canisters of locally-cooked chips…

We never dined anywhere before where the entrance of the restaurant creates such impact…

To be continued…

Oct

OF MUZIUM, LITTLE INDIA & DEEPAVALI

By docgelo 19 Comments

“Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.” ~Confucius.

This scene greeted me when I passed by one of the laterals of Little India, George Town. The Lord said, it's a beautiful day!

I certainly know that not all people would appreciate museums, old mansions, historical or touristy streets. Fascination to anything is such a unique trait that even twins don’t share. As everyone puts it, to each his own. A flower to me may appear a weed to you…

Neither watching movies nor spending lazy day inside a mall interest me lately. Are these signs of aging? haha! No, it’s just me.

On a bright and sunny morning, I got off the Rapid Penang Hop On Free Bus that I boarded from Jetty in George Town, a few steps from the most majestic building in Lebuh Farquhar (Farquhar Street), the Muzium Negeri Pulau Pinang or the Penang State Museum…

With just one ringgit entrance fee (PhP 14 or USD 0.30), I was transported back in time on different era when history of this Malaysian state originated.

Although the 2-storey fully airconditioned building is absolutely smaller in scale than our very own Philippine National Museum (I love Juan Luna’s Spolarium!), Penang State Museum doesn’t disappoint with its uniquely impressive display of magnificent history and colorful diversities. The 3 Malaysian races -Chinese, Indians and Malays are greatly featured in each rooms and chambers inside the muzium.

Too bad, photography isn’t allowed but irresistibly, I secretly captured this art creation from colored rice grains called Kolam…

“Kolam, (far from the witchcraft that you’re thinking! haha!) is a traditional sign of invitation placed at the entrance floor to welcome all into the home, not the least of whom is Goddess Lakshmi, the Goddess of prosperity. The patterns range between geometric and mathematical line drawings around a matrix of dots to free form art work and closed shapes.” (sourced via Wiki) True enough that when I asked one of my Indian-Malaysian students about Kolam, she mentioned it’s intended to bring good fortune to homes.

And so when Kolam becomes apparent decors on the floors of entrances of homes, malls and establishments, one can easily tell a Hindu festival is approaching.

Colored rice grains in delicately designed beautiful patterns, a kolam on display at Prangin Mall, George Town, Penang

Detail shot of the kolam on display at the entrance of one of the groceries here, Carrefour in First Avenue Mall…

It’s entirety is amazing!

On the 26th of this month, Deepavali or the Festival of Light, a celebration of triumph of good over evil will be observed here in Penang, and the rest of Hindu communities worldwide. Deepavali is one of the public holidays here in Malaysia.

Cookies to share to welcome and celebrate Deepavali

I only stayed less than an hour inside Penang State Museum and via few minute bus ride, I found myself mesmerized in Little India…

With my more than a year of working in Penang, it was only recently that I brought my feet to Little India in George Town. And what a perfect day it was because all stalls and streets are geared up for that Hindu holiday. The mood that morning was so festive even the pigeons looked happy and lovely…

With several interesting things to see, I killed time effortlessly on these streets within this Indian community…

The structures in these streets truly reflect the fusion of cultures…

How timely it is to visit Little India days before Deepavali! The blissful atmosphere radiated throughout the shophouses and almost all corners of this market place…

Bollywood music were played to high decibles that made the sights and sound of strolling and shopping more festive!

There are multiple interesting items to see, hear, smell and taste…
Another feast for the senses!

I personally liked these lanterns in various hues. One day, Tina and I will build a house with lanai with all those colorful Indian, Japanese, Vietnamese, Venetian, Moroccan and Turkish lanterns! *wishful thinking*

Having open houses during festivities like Hari Raya for Muslims and Deepavali for Hindus where every visitor is welcomed to eat and partake on the occasion requires offering of traditional delicacies, sweets and cookies…

Amazing colors and patterns…

Ladies may fancy these…

or these perhaps?

Make the garlands and floral leis ready for Deepavali!

Before Mr. Sun hits high noon, I felt the urgency to fill in my tummy. I walked towards Lebuh Chulia to sit and order from Kapitan…

And to complete the Little India experience, it was a perfect time to eat that platter of Chicken tandoori and cheese naan AGAIN!

At only RM 10 (PhP 140), this Restoran Kapitan’s Chicken Tandoori and Cheese Naan combo is a sure hit for me!

It was more than a year since I’ve first tasted this Indian dish here in Penang. I love Kapitan’s version of the tandoori; the chicken’s very tender with sauces and chutneys that are so flavorful! I asked the wait staff who politely told me about what comes with Chicken tandoori. There’s fish curry sauce, then there’s chili and green mango chutney, veggie sauce served with lime plus onions. These dips and sauces perfectly match my favorite, cheese naan. The wait staffs and other diners were looking at me while I perform my usual ritual of capturing my food before I eat it! But wait, I just had to take another shot! :D

Ahhhhhh, Kapitan’s Chicken Tandoori and cheese naan –succulent, deliciously marinated, so tasteful! I washed it down with a mug of Mango shake.

To my students and colleagues and all others celebrating the Festival of Light, have a happy Deepavali!

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PS : Do you consider all these things on photos a flower or a weed to you?

Oct

MY 2 HOURS AT PINANG PERANAKAN MANSION

By docgelo 44 Comments

*Please make sure you view the ENTIRE post; it’s a visual feast! Thank you!*

Heritage.

Opulence.

Grandeur.

Heritage…Opulence…Grandeur –all in one roof.
Pinang Peranakan Mansion is impressively stunning!
With just an entrance fee cheaper than a venti of Starbucks Coffee, ten ringgit actually (RM10 =PhP 140 or USD 3.16), I took the chance to spend a couple of hours inside this fantastic place with Chinese carved wooden panels, English floor tiles and Scottish ironworks and a thousand and more fascinating pieces. I freely wandered and marveled inside Pinang Peranakan Mansion at my own pace, without time limit. In an instant, my senses were brought back to the bygone era when the Peranakans, also known as Babas and Nyonyas, reigned as a community of acculturated Chinese unique to this part of the world.

Tucked in the heart of George Town, in Church Street or Lebuh Gereja, the mansion in mint green was beautifully restored to its glory meant to be enjoyed by the present and future generations.

The mansion’s second floor boasts of the Bridal Chamber, Family Hall, Glass room and an enormous display of finest porcelains.
But before your steps take you to these lifestyle galleries, must comply….

An ornately decorated bedroom is transformed into a bridal gallery.

Continue reading ‘MY 2 HOURS AT PINANG PERANAKAN MANSION’

Oct

SUNTOK SA BUWAN!

By docgelo 32 Comments

Categories: HEADLINES, ILOVEPHOTOS and TRAVEL
Tags: doc gelo, docgelo, floating market, hat yai, natgeo, national geographic, national geographic photo contest 2011, photography, thailand

I’m shooting for the moon and the stars, people! I entered my photo below, taken at Klonghae Floating Market in Hat Yai, Southern Thailand to National Geographic Photo Contest 2011 under People Category. Win or Lose, it’s all for the thrill and the experience! USD 10,000 and a trip to Nat Geo main office in Washington DC, USA to attend a Photography Workshop on January 2012 and a spread of the winning photos on Nat Geo issue are at stake! There will be judges to critically select the winning entries per category but your support will be so appreciated!

So if you’re generous to show support to DOCGELO’s entry, kindly click LIKE his photo via this link -> HERE!!!

It’s difficult to resist the unique charm of the rural life reflected by the fascinating vendors of the Klonghae Floating Market in Hat Yai, Southern Thailand. The ambiance simply radiated their passion to live and to boost the local tourism.

UPDATE : SUNTOK SA BUWAN ito pero I want to WIN!
“The First Place winner in each Category will each receive US$2,500, and his/her winning photograph will be published in National Geographic magazine. One Grand Prize winner will receive in addition to the First Place prize, US$7,500 and a trip to the District of Columbia, USA from Jan. 10 to Jan. 13, 2012 to participate in the National Geographic Photography Seminar. Trip includes round-trip coach class air transportation between a major airport near winner’s home and Washington, D.C.; three nights hotel accommodations in Washington; a behind-the-scenes tour of National Geographic headquarters; and access to the all-day Seminar on Jan. 12, where Grand Prize winner’s winning entry will be projected. The Grand Prize is non-transferable and no cash alternative is available.” -sourced from National Geographic

Sep

ABOUT LAST WEEKEND

By docgelo 28 Comments

Categories: Attitude, HEADLINES, MALAYSIA and TRAVEL
Tags: books, butterworth, children, doc gelo, docgelo, edcuation beyond books, education, family, ferry, floating library, george town penang, georgetown, kids, library, Life, living a life, logos hope, penang, teaching

This was how God greeted us last Saturday noon when we viewed Him from our porch…

It was a sunshiny day too perfect to go to the Island. It was a long weekend, by the way, because last Friday, 16th September, 2011 was Malaysia’s 54th Merdeka or Independence Day! However, Tina and I were actually lazy to go out last Saturday and had psyched ourselves to spend it at home, rest, eat and do Grey’s Anatomy marathon (We loved Season 7 Episode 18 – the Musical episode of that Medical drama).

The plan to be a bum at home didn’t push through. I was too weak to resist Gabby’s wish to accompany him to the Island. OK, fine, I also shared the same thoughts with my kid. So while Tina had her much deserved-rest at home, Gabby and I hopped on the bus, went to the jetty in Penang Sentral and headed to the Island…

Enroute to Georgetown aboard the ferry…

Round trip Ferry rides from Butterworth to Georgetown jetty cost RM 1.20 per adult (PhP 16.8) and RM 0.60 sen (cents or PhP 8.40) per kid. And you only pay once at Butterworth (so if you’re coming from the Penang airport or anywhere in Georgetown, crossing to Butterworth is always free).

Another very short bus ride took us here at Sweetenham Pier..

Gabby and I had the chance to board a 12,000 ton vessel and the boy was as excited as his dad.

No we didn’t go on a cruise! How we wish, but you certainly know we won’t board a cruise ship without our muse (Tina of course!).

We went to Logos Hope, the world famous floating library that took its maiden voyage to Malaysia this year; docked in Penang since last week of August and will leave for other parts of Malaysia prior to Singapore on 25th September.

“A community of 400 UNPAID VOLUNTEERS from over 45 nationalities lives and works together on board Logos Hope. With over 5,000 book titles bringing knowledge, help and hope to the world…” Absolutely it’s a unique and inspiring experience!

Has Logos Hope visited your country already? Check it out…

Apparently, it already docked in the Philippine shores too but it took us to become expats in Penang before we get to experience it.

The little kid was so happy on board the floating library…

There’s a book for everyone, even if you’re looking for the most delicious ones…

Since this largest floating book fair travels through so many countries, book titles are priced in units and there are a charts provided that convert the unit prices into local currency…

Titles are so varied and mostly affordable.

Logos Hope has different sections, prior to the main book fair, there’s a “Welcome LifeBoat Theater”. There’s that “Journey of Life” that will surely melt your heart by merely looking at the illustrations on the wall; they tell story even without trying…

Those walls will make you reflect in a blink…It cuts through me.

Then there’s everyone’s favorite part of Logos Hope, the International Cafe where you can have ice cream or coffee or both, depends on how you were inspired by those books, haha!

Volunteers of different colors and hair-dos try to make kids’ visit to Logos Hope more fun and memorable; they even hand away colorful sculpted balloons…

Imagine the passion and dedication these unpaid volunteers have as they serve Logos Hope; truly inspiring…

I know I still have a lot of grains to swallow, but as a young father and a medical educator, I say it’s so easy for any fool to teach anyone to earn a livinlifeg but it takes a ton of passion and skills and dedication to teach anyone how to live a life.

I’m glad I accompanied my son to Logos Hope last Saturday. We both learned beyond books.

Sep

SINGAPORE : MY LAST THOUGHTS ON OUR FIRST VISIT

By docgelo 12 Comments

Is there any other terminal in the globe cleaner than Changi airport? Educate me.

Call me shallow and easy to please but Singapore’s Changi Airport is just simply impressive!

Notoriously known for being almost sterile and so strict on implementing rules, Singapore’s orderliness works for them and for their tourists too (My wife and I are so envious and felt the Philippines and the Filipino people deserve such system too), and we’re just fortunate to experience it for the first time ever. Needless to say, our 4-day visit to Singapore was indeed a memorable and pleasant one.

From the spotless airport to its very efficient immigration service (read: our passports were stamped smoothly in and out), i cannot complain a thing.There’s just spontaneity in everything.

Where else can we find cleanliness meets creativity?

My family and I were happy to see lush green amidst the city’s most famous shopping district. Apparently, even the air and the atmosphere are being kept fresh and clean by all means…

In this very expensive city where almost all luxuries are within reach and really come alive right before your eyes, you have the options to splurge or guard your expenses tightly. And for a less seasoned traveler like us with a limited budget on our pockets, we’re left with frugality and being wise to maximize the experience.

Case in point : I booked our roundtrip flights via a budget airline (Air Asia), even waited for their promo rates months prior to our break. We decided to visit only one theme park with entrance fee and just opted to go sight-seeing at those tourist spots free for public. We deviated our ideas of shopping spree to trying their MRT and riding the bus, at times, taking the cab and of course exhaust all energies at strolling and eating! Hahaha!

But then again, I thought it’s also ~~practical~~ nice to stretch the range of our vacation by experiencing best of both worlds. I chose to bring my family to both upscale and budget hotels for our accomodation. And so our little dreamer, Gabby who aspires to be hotelier-restaurateur-chef someday had a unique dose of exposure.

We all loved Quincy Hotel Singapore‘s all-inclusive-concept, its hip and edgy amenities and impeccable service. At S$405++ (USD 327++ or PhP 14, 122++) package includes Airport pick up by a chauffeur and a Mercedes Benz E-class limo, buffet breakfast for 2, set meals for lunch and dinner + appetizer and salad spread, free flowing coffee, tea, canned soda, exclusively bottled distilled water, complimentary mini bar, cocktails at 6-8pm, Molton Brown, London toiletries and more cool benefits any guest would enjoy…

Happy to relied on tripadvisor.com Trendiest Hotel Travelers’ Choice Award 2011. Now, we are one with those tourists who have tried Quincy and have appreciated everything about it.

But our warm and safe stay in the budget-friendly, Strand Hotel on our second to fourth day in Singapore was also noteworthy.

Glad that I took the recommendation of fellow blogger, Cza to try Strand Hotel. It’s a good choice if you only need a decent place to sleep and keep your things during your travel.

Located at Bencoolen Street, Strand Hotel’s strongest point is its accessibility to bus stops, MRT stations, restaurants, convenient store and must-visit spots in Singapore. At S$160 nett (USD 129 or PhP 5,580) inclusive of Deluxe accomodation for 2, set breakfast + buffet spread of fresh fruits, bread loaves, noodle dish, sausages, cereals, tropical fruit drinks, coffee and tea.

On our first morning at Strand Hotel (day 3 in Sg), we ordered a plateful of french toasts with maple syrup for Gabby (S$6) because our hotel package only included 2 food stubs per day; we were then unaware that the breakfast spread (other than set meals provided for guests) is already sufficient for a kid’s first meal to jumstart his day. So the following morning, Gabby just shared plates with us.

The S$160 nett hotel package at Strand was really a value for money although I bet tourists would be more appreciative if they would do some improvements like updating their interiors a bit, changing their “welcome to the jungle-sort-of-theme” curtains and headboard to a more plain and simpler hues.

The choice of hotel accomodation truly depends on your preferences, travel needs, and of course, your allotted vacation expenses.

We may not have visited the beaches at Sentosa Island and were not able to watch the city’s attractions–Songs of the Sea and The Lion King musicale, didn’t ride the cable car, failed to go to Singapore Museums, Botanical Park, Night Safari and Zoo, passed on the chance to try the Singapore Flyer and the Luge, thus, these remain to be the reasons to find time and save money to go back to this beautiful city again soon.

All in all, it boils down to the fact that vacation need not to be too expensive neither it should be lousy and restrict you on having fun memories with yourself and your love ones. The possibilities of enjoying a break whether in Singapore or anywhere else is just limitless!

Beyond Toxicity’s Singapore Blog series includes:

Sep

SINGAPORE BY THE BAY

By docgelo 13 Comments

Categories: FAMILY : LOVE KO 'TO, FOOD & MORE FOOD!, ILOVEPHOTOS, SINGAPORE and TRAVEL
Tags: doc gelo, docgelo, esplanade, food, food blog, foodie, grilled liempo, hotels in singapore, liempo, makansutra, makansutra gluttons bay, marina bay sands, merlion, merlion park, one fullerton, singapore

Can you guess where I took my shadow?

Those are the waves at the foot…..err the tail of the merlion…

Merlion has been iconic that a trip to Singapore would not be complete without a visit to its park. I don’t know with Tina and Gabby but I was in awe; it was actually bigger than I thought.

Across the statue of half-lion half-fish are a couple of structures equally worthy of admiration…

The Esplanade : Singapore’s theater for performing arts creatively built with shopping and dining complex, with fantastic architectural shape similar to durian; only more sophisticated looking than the tropical pungent fruit because it’s made of glass. Its waterfront location is just perfect to wait for the sunset in this side of Southeast Asia.

One of the luxurious hotels in the Lion City is The Marina Bay Sands, famous not only for its service, and noted spectacular amenities but it’s strategic location.

At our first sight of its magnificence, Gabby asked me, “Is that a boat above those buildings?”. I replied to our kid with a smile, “It’s the Marina Bay Sands’ SkyPark, anak.”

Believe me, if Tina and I have the fortune, we could have brought Gabby to Marina Bay Sands to watch and marvel at the musical, The Lion King.

From the Merlion Park, we strolled to Esplanade via their sidewalk on the bridge. Had a dose of S$1-ice cream bar, watched the glorious sunset and went inside the Esplanade mall.

When dinner time came, we had to ask directions to Makansutra Gluttons Bay. A few steps more within the Esplanade Mall, we found what we’re looking for.

Our meal that night could have been cereal prawns or chili crabs but our Filipino palates became so biased with 1/2 kg of Liempo (grilled pork belly) from a Filipino hawker food stall in Makansutra. We coupled it with Seafood Fried Rice and downed everything delightfully!

These capped our day 3 in Singapore after we enjoyed Universal Studios.

Other than having the lack of budget for The Lion King, failing to taste cereal prawns and chili crabs, ~~another little regret~~ I also passed the chance of trying to capture Singapore’s beauty at dusk in my lens but then again, it’s all because I prioritized bringing Tina and Gabby back to our hotel to rest. At least there are a lot of reasons to go back to Singapore. It’s that fascinating!

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Beyond Toxicity’s Singapore Blog series includes:

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Sep

WHEN IN SINGAPORE, MUST EAT…

By docgelo 11 Comments

Categories: FOOD & MORE FOOD!, SINGAPORE and TRAVEL
Tags: chicken, chicken dish, doc gelo, docgelo, food, food blog, foodie, gastronomic delights, hainanese chicken rice, kata butter toast, kaya, kaya toast, malaysian food, sinagporean dishes, singaporean food

…toasted bread with kaya and butter + 2 half-boiled eggs then washed it down with milo dinosaur

and of course, one of my favorites, Hainanese Chicken Rice…

They tasted better than they appear in photos. Would you believe that these were our airport meals?

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*Singapore Blog Series continues…

Beyond Toxicity’s Singapore Blog series includes:

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PappaMia, Check-In Level 3, Changi Airport Terminal 1.

Sep

TALES FROM A TAXI CAB DRIVER IN SINGAPORE

By docgelo 16 Comments

Categories: Attitude, SINGAPORE and TRAVEL
Tags: bencoolen street, doc gelo, docgelo, fascination, love for country, one fullerton, Philippines, singapore taxi driver, taxi cab driver, universal studios

We met some people in Singapore. We even encountered ourselves.

After we took a bus from Bencoolen Street and alighted at One Fullerton, we made a decision in a heart beat that we need to postpone the plan of strolling at Merlion Park, Esplanade and enjoy the view of Marina Bay Sands to a later time because the sun was scorching hot that morning. We opted to go ahead of schedule to Universal Studios.

And so I led my family to walk towards the waiting shed and with an outstretched right arm, I waived for a taxi cab. Clueless that we were waiting in the wrong side, I wondered why cabs without top lights that say ‘hired’ would not stop and pick us up (read: taxi cabs should take passengers from the side street and not from the main road–logical enough!).

Until one of the cab drivers on the main road signaled me to wait at the back of the bus stop and took us in.

Meet Andrew, the Singaporean taxi driver who sounded like more Filipino than we are…

: Singaporean taxi cab driver, Andrew with Gabby

At first, I didn’t know how he easily spotted that we’re Filipinos, it must be how we speak. As the unusual friendly taxi-driver-and-passenger-conversation started and went on, Tina and I found ourselves so engaged with Andrew’s little stories about our own country.

My cynical brain initially thought that this guy’s cheap words about his passengers’ home country were just randomly uttered to tourists’ fascination for time being but I was completely wrong. Andrew really knows and likes the Philippines not only because his money could buy more for him in our country but he fell in love with almost everything back home.He mentioned he has been to the Philippines several times and that his travels already took him to Iloilo, Cebu, Davao and Makati City. Tina, with so much amusement told him, “You’ve been to a lot places in the Philippines than we do.”

He described how he felt when he bought an entire lechon (roasted pig) somewhere in Cebu and shared it to the locals, mostly kids of various ages that he found along the beach.

Andrew’s also aware of unpleasant news back home. He also recalled being with his cousin in a Korean restaurant in Greenbelt Mall in Makati and suddenly was shocked upon hearing gun shots during the time that the Rolex watch store in the said mall was robbed. He also mentioned that he knows the tragic tourist bus hostage drama that involved Hong Kong nationals in Rizal Park in Manila. For a moment, I sanked in my seat; I cringed. But despite all those, he still spoke highly of the Philippines.

Apparently, Andrew fell in love with the Philippines. He elaborated that he likes the freshest and affordable seafoods, pristine beaches and simplicity of rural life in Iloilo, he remembered how he enjoyed his stay in Shangri La Mactan Hotel in Cebu and was so fascinated with Davao. Then, Andrew professed his desire to buy a condo unit in Makati City someday.

While some of us, Filipinos feel that the Philippines is hopeless, we met a Singaporean who plans to retire in our own country someday.

Upon reaching USS, he even instructed us where to go to find its entrance. I gave him S$50 because I didn’t have smaller bill; I was expecting him to get a tip on top of the taxi rate but he did not. It was one of the most fascinating taxi cab rides that Tina, Gabby and I experienced. The trip from One Fullerton to USS was short, but definitely extraordinary.

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Beyond Toxicity’s Singapore Blog series includes:

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Sep

DAY 3 IN THE LION CITY…

By docgelo 20 Comments

It’s our first time to attend a Prayer Rally that drew a huge crowd on our 3rd day in Singapore!

*kidding!* Obviously, there’s nothing wrong with going to prayer rallies but we really spent our entire 3rd day in the Lion City at Universal Studios Singapore. The photo above was taken at one of the featured live attractions we watched – Waterworld.

We continue to dream. And dream big...

On Thursday morning, 1st September 2011, I initially brought my wife and kid to the riverfront near One Fullerton via bus from Bencoolen Street. However, since the sun was unforgiving (at least Mr. Sun was up after days of downpour prior to our trip), we opted to head directly to USS via cab.

And did the much-needed tourist thing, haha!

It was ages ago when I stepped foot in Universal Studios Hollywood; I was still single then, and apparently didn’t have Gabby yet to share the experiences with. Nonetheless, the memory remains vivid and it’s so apt to relay the fun to our son when we got a chance to bring him in a similar venue.

With Marty, Melman, Alex and Gloria of Madagascar!

A day in most if not all theme parks would not be complete without photo-ops with those lovable mascots…

Wonder where Shrek and Princess Fiona were that day. It was only Puss whom we saw in Far Far Away.

We watched Shrek 4D Adventure though, and tremendoulsy enjoyed the simulations of splashes and spiders crawling on legs.

Then we also caught a birdie mascot (Is this Woody Woodpecker?)…

Whe we heard the growling of our stomachs, it signaled us to immediately chow down.

Of all the restaurants inside USS, we chose Goldilocks (not the local cakeshop that we grew with) and ordered some delicious fastfood junkies…

We shared these tray of chicken burger, criscut potato fries and 3-piece chicken seasoned with 7 spices done just right!

Ang sarap! But it made me miss our very own Max’s Fried Chicken back home.

Moving on…

There was a souvenir shop where we tried on some novelty hats just for the cam…

While Gabby wore an Egyptian hat, Tina can pass here as a Miss Universe contestant representing the land of milk and honey sans visa or citizenship, haha!

There were so many hats to choose from and almost everyone at the facade of the store wanted to try them all.

He is my King and I am his Knight...

We still wanted to escape from the heat of the sun, so we took the chance of queueing at Monster Rock that featured the Universal Classic Monsters in rock-and-roll extravagant show. I had a mixed feelings and thoughts watching (performers wearing costumes of) Frankenstein, Count Dracula, Lady Mummy and others doing Lady Gaga and other contemporary pop songs on stage, nevertheless, it’s fun! They pulled out the show. But prior to their production numbers, Tina and Gabby had their own show…

If there's a casting audition that day for the best act in sleeping roles, Tina and Gabby could have won it, hands down! hehe!

I’ve told you, we also watched Waterworld before lunch time. The show has death-defying stunts, pyrotechnics and explosions on water. I’ve seen it first in Los Angeles and concluded then that the USS show is even better than its movie version.

Since I knew that there will be parts of the show where actors would intentionally wet the audience with splashes and pails of water, I told Tina and Gabby to sit in the so-called-”dry area” of the bleachers. I noticed improvements from its USS Hollywood version; this one in Singapore has more humor and stunts.

We continued to while away time and went to the part of USS called Sci-Fi City. Here, the famous buwis-buhay (life-threatening) ride called Battlestar Galactica can challenge fear in anyone…

Are you daring enough to ride this?

We’re not! We’re just content in watching the actions from the ground. At least there, we’re surely safe!

“Battlestar Galactica -Human or Cyclon? Choose your side on the world’s tallest duelling roller coasters. Prepare to engage in aerial combat between two coasters. The Cyclon (blue track) suspended coater goes up, around and upside down with an intense corkscrew and a cobra roll, while the Human seated coaster zooms at speeds of 82.8km/h and propels you over fourteen storeys into the air!” -sourced from the USS Studio Guide.

In Ancient Egypt…

one funny thing happened to us…

Overwhelmed with excitement, we went to the locker area and left all of our things at hand -bags,camera etc, to the designated locker by the ATM-looking machine for free. We went on queue for the Revenge of the Mummy absolutely clueless that it’s another buwis-buhay-ride. Why? Well, we went inside without reading anything! *bummer!* So we hurriedly exited the building after reading a ~~warning~~ sign that stated it’s indeed an indoor roller coaster ride. It really pays to read, hehe!

At around 4PM, we decided to leave USS. And just before exiting the turnstiles at the gate, we saw Marilyn…

better hands off...just smile!

Outside USS, was a paradise for Gabby and Tina….

My family has sweeter tooth than I am (OK, we all have!). Imagine their bliss upon seeing a volume of shops of chocolates and candies…

I know Tina’s number 1 fan of Jelly Beans; she can eat it as if there’s no tomorrow!

Those enormous Hershey’s bottles are plastic coin banks that I wanted to take home. However budget and logic restrained me, it costs S$25 each! Nevermind, haha!

Now, these are happiness to me (Tina, Gabby and Reese’s)!

At the Hershey’s store, they have these biggest chocolate bars available at whopping price of S$60 each! As I took it from its shelf to hand in to Gabby just for fun, I told him to hold it carefully for I didn’t want to be jailed if he breaks it, haha!

Honestly, I expected to ride an open-air tram that takes guests to different studio buildings inside USS. I thought it’s similar to that in Hollywood with backlot filled with studios where famous movies were shot and where simulations of scenes can be experienced but I was totally wrong.

I even inappropriately compared the size of USS to Disneyland in Anaheim, Disneyland and DisneySea in Tokyo but it’s no match. Perhaps, not even half of Disneyland in Hong Kong. That was my mistake making me felt short of USS.

What’s important for Tina and me was the fact that Gabby enjoyed his day.

So much for a day in Universal Studios Singapore. We went to Merlion Park, Esplanade and Makansutra at dusk that same day which will be featured and posted soon…

—————————

Beyond Toxicity’s Singapore Blog series includes:

Our Amazing Quincy Hotel Singapore Experience
Orchard Road
Chinatown, Singapore

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Archive for the 'TRAVEL' Category

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“United Buddy Bears – Worldtour

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