penang | beyond toxicity

Posts Tagged ‘penang

Mar

OUR FAMILY WEEKEND INDULGENCE AT EASTIN HOTEL PENANG

Categories: FAMILY : LOVE KO 'TO, MALAYSIA and TRAVEL
Tags: bayan lepas, blog review, buffet, buffets in malaysia, buffets in penang, crab tempura, doc gelo, docgelo, eastin, eastin deluxe, eastin deluxe suite, eastin hotel, eastin hotel penang, Eat all you can, Eat all you want, ebi tempura, expat, expatriate in malaysia, expatriate in penang, family, family blog, food, food blog, foodie, halal food, hi tea, high tea, hotel accomodation, hotel buffets, hotels in penang, hotels in penang malaysia, hotels in penang near the airport, Japanese food, kani tempura, Life, lifestyle, lifestyle blog, lifestyle blogger, malaysia, malls in penang, must eat in penang, must see in penang malaysia, okonomiyaki, penang, prawn tempura, queensbay mall, queensbay mall penang, review of eastin hotel, sashimi, seafood, soft shelled crab, staycation, suite, suite room, sukiyaki, sushi, swez brasserie, swez brasserie at eastin hotel penang, tea time, tempura, the lounge, TRAVEL, travel blog, travel blogger, travelling, vacation, weekend

A priceless scenic ocean view, a fantastic glimpse of Penang Bridge by the window and the warmest greetings on the nicest card welcomed my family and I last Saturday, 23rd March 2013, when we were invited to spend a usual weekend turned extraordinary one in Eastin Hotel Penang.

One of the sweetest greeting cards I’ve ever received.

Accessibility is one of the best selling points of Eastin Hotel Penang. Whether you are coming from Penang International Airport, Penang Mainland or Seberang Prai via the iconic Penang Bridge, or one of Malaysia’s World Heritage Sites, George Town, Eastin Hotel Penang is just located a few minutes away either by public and tourist buses, private cars or ferry. Best, the hotel’s a stone throw away from hawker food stalls where the foodie in you can sample cheap and authentic local dishes from Malay, Indian and Chinese cuisines (although you can also savor them from the hotel’s F&B outlets’ menu), and adjacently located with one of the island’s most visited and largest malls, Queensbay Mall!

With almost 3 years of working and living in Penang, it was only last weekend that we set foot in Eastin Hotel; I thought it was never too late to discover another gem in this side of Malaysia. We appreciate the invitation given by Eastin Hotel Penang for us to experience what makes them different and special from the rest.

From the hotel lobby, we were ushered by the most accomodating & friendliest staffs at the 11th floor and while on the lift, I had to ask them if all elevator units in the hotel are dimly lit. I got a positive response making me wish for a brighter lifts. Othe than that, excitement heightened.

It was a love at first sight!

We loved EASTIN DELUXE SUITE!!! Our 8-year-old-son, Gabby’s the happiest!

Jump for joy upon the sight of Eastin Deluxe Suite!

Now that blissful expression was taken before he opened the gifts from Eastin Hotel Penang. This defined how thoughtful and sweet the people behind this hotel are! Thank you very much!

First adjective that popped out upon the sight of our 56-square-meter, one bedroom suite : Minimalist.

First impression : Wow! (I wished I invented post-its! Running joke between Tina & I from the movie, Romy & Michelle High School Reunion, lol!) The room surely will appeal to businessmen and leisure travelers. But did it meet our family’s expectations? Read on.

While I do not deny the fact that seeing something whimsical or edgy is sometimes fascinating, having only what you need in the cleanest lines and tasteful interiors (without clutter and yes, without any plastic plants and floral curtains) is always fresh and rejuvenating.

We certainly had one of our restful sleeps in Eastin Deluxe Suite’s comfortable king-size-bed. I liked the bed so much however, I wished the pillows are a bit firmer. But Tina & Gabby had no qualms about the feathery pillows; it must be me! hahaha!

With free and fast wifi access, apparently, Eastin Deluxe Suite is perfect for businessmen, honeymooners, a bunch of friends and yes, even family with kids! It certainly provides no-frill-comfort and convenience.

The very spacious suite is equipped with a luxurious living area with a sofa that’s big enough to fit the hyperextended-me, a wardrobe that keeps a flat iron & an ironing board, a safe and a shoe rack; the room also has an LCD TV with cable channels (another unit is generously installed in the bedroom), and a complimentary bar.

The room’s huge enough to offer a separate powder room where Tina reigned for two days, a full length mirror, a toilet, shower & bath that’s even the most discerning ones would give a thumbs-up.

I didn’t feel short with the bath tub. The size of the tub effortlessly accomodated the 5’7 1/2″ in me (don’t forget the half inch in height! i reckon! lol); I had slept 30 minutes in the tub, almost fully soaked in lukewarm water. It was so relaxing it nearly melted all my worries away!

Go ahead, ask our son if he enjoyed the tub!

I also liked this little business corner at the living room. If only they have installed more than two sockets and a few more gadget plugs, it could’ve been better, nonetheless, it doesn’t disappoint.

Actually, the nook became more impressive at night when Gabby lorded it like a boss!

And just so you know, this one’s candid. Tee hee!

At few minutes past 5PM, we went to the lobby to meet again the Marketing & Communications people of Eastin Hotel Penang, Selene & Joanne. They exclusively toured my family and I for few minutes to some of Eastin Hotel Penang’s rooms and facilities. I must state, we enjoyed it as it doesn’t come on a daily basis!

Far from being boring, the hallways display vibrant visual attractions via abstract paintings that are continuously echoed in various rooms at Eastin Hotel Penang.

Our first stop : The Deluxe Rooms with Hillview (and the other Deluxe Room with Seaview). These well appointed rooms apparently were designed to provide both function and ease to either businessmen, leisure travelers or families. With such contemporary style and amenities, one’s definite of a comfortable and delightful stay.

Eastin Hotel Penang also has Friendly Suite Room, called as such because it’s built to cater to the needs of elderly and physically-challenged guests. Another room that’s remarkable with Eastin’s their Family Suite Room which at the time of our visit was occupied. Good to know, I told our hosts. Then there’s that Soho Duplex Room that has few similarities to Family Suite Room. Probably it’s unique in most, if not all premier hotels here in Penang. Let the succeeding photos defined how Soho Duplex Room looks like.

Beautiful, isn’t it? (My family and the Soho Duplex Room!)

Expectedly, Eastin Hotel Penang also has a fitness center, a spa (not in photo) and a swimming pool.

Located at the third level of the hotel, the swimming pool gives everyone a sweeping view of the skyline, roads leading to Penang International Airport and yes, Queensbay Mall! Did we take a dip? Negative. Not because we didn’t feel like it but Gabby preferred to savor our suite the next morning after the buffet breakfast; told you it was that relaxing! But the swimming pool looks really inviting!

Passing through hallways of Eastin Hotel Penang, we saw some guests interviewing applicants for jobs, proving that Eastin caters to businessmen and the like. We also peeked at its function rooms and ballrooms where special events and momentous occasions are usually celebrated.

After that brief hotel tour, we trooped to the Executive Lounge which is only accessible by hotel guests who upgrade their packages. With more soothing ambiance, wonderful view of the ocean, contemporary and minimalist interiors, and a shelf with reading materials from travel & fashion magazines to broadsheets can be savored over a free flowing cups of coffee or tea, sodas or wine and some cheese, English scones, sushi, bite-size pizza, cold cuts and more! Here’s a peek at our late afternoon tea time!

Yum, yum, yum!

The High Tea at the Executive Lounge is a great prelude to the delicious dinner buffet we had! Did I already mention that this spot also serves breakfast? Courteous & efficient staff, quick and attentive service. Delicious bites. Awesome, isn’t it?

No captions needed; the smiles said it all!

JAPANESE DINNER BUFFET @ SWEZ BRASSERIE, EASTIN HOTEL PENANG

One of the highlights of our staycation at Eastin Hotel Penang was the Japanese Dinner Buffet hosted by none other than, Swez Brasserie’s Senior Sous Chef, Daniel Tan. Chef Daniel heads the Swez Brasserie where he and his team offer a wide variety of international and local favorites. It was a pleasure meeting him as Gabby desires to become a chef someday. Talking to the main man responsible for the sumptuous spread was such a nice opportunity. While Tina and Gabby were busy filling their dinner plates, Chef Daniel casually informed me that everything in the buffet is Halal making me more impressed as I somehow knew how challenging Japanese cuisine to be done with no pork or its derivatives (Read : No Pork Tonkatsu!). I told Chef Daniel that despite I’m far from being a food critic and a no authority in Japanese cuisine, my palates have tasted authentic Japanese dishes during my 14-day-trip in Tokyo back in 2005. The dinner buffet, to simply put it, was satisfyingly good! My family and I were pleased with what he and his team prepared. Bravo, Chef Daniel!

Freshest sashimi! Yummy!!!

Sharkfin’s soup, sushi, sashimi and more!

How could you not be impressed with this Japanese themed eat-all-you-want dinner being offered every Saturdays in Swez Brasserie at Eastin Hotel Penang with OKONOMIYAKI (the so-called Japanese pizza), SOFT SHELLED CRABS that aren’t usual in other hotel buffets and so much more? Other than a variety of sushi and sashimi, they also have one of my ulitmate favorites, that sweet and salty beefy (they have chicken too) SUKIYAKI!!! Not to forget, Chef Daniel offered to do a platter of kani, ebi and veggie tempura for all of us after learning Gabby likes it!

Oishii!!!

Shameless display of one of my plates! Sukiyaki, Okonomiyaki, Unagi, Baked Oysters, Salmon, and those Skewered Grilled Beef – so tasteful and very tender!

Desserts were Japanese themed too! There were mochi and some jelly balls of some sorts! Interestingly good!

We didn’t miss the opportunity to have a photo-op with Chef Daniel, a couple of friendly staffs of Swez Brasserie and the ladies behind the MarCom of Eastin Hotel Penang, Selene and Joanne. Thank you so much!

THE LOBBY LOUNGE @ EASTIN HOTEL PENANG

Just when we thought the day was over, Selene and Joanne led us to the opposite end of the lobby where The Lobby Lounge is located. We met the manager of the bar, had some drinks from their menu (Mojito, Singapore Sling, Strawberry Ice Cream Blend and Kiwi mixed Shake), watched and met the Filipina singer after their set and absorbed all in and capped the night!

BREAKFAST BUFFET @ SWEZ BRASSERIE, EASTIN HOTEL PENANG

We woke up with excitement to sample the breakfast offering! Good Sunday morning, Eastin!

I was silently jumping for joy seeing two choices of congee (plain & seafood congee filled with shrimps and scallops) with several choices of toppings. Too perfect to warm my tummy!

Char siew pao, prawn dumplings, and other dim sums, beef bacon strips, (and another favorite of Tina and me; drum roll please) smoked salmon, assorted fresh fruit slices, strawberry and mixed berries yoghurt, DIY-salad were some of the offerings on the spread we enjoyed. Gabby had fresh juices while the coffee addicts in Tina and I were truly satisfied.

One of the best tasting Congee!

So many food, so little time!

HIGH TEA | SUNDAY LUNCH BUFFET @ SWEZ BRASSERIE, EASTIN HOTEL PENANG

Our overnight staycation at Eastin Hotel Penang was nothing but pleasant accomodation and nearly non-stop gastronomic feasts! What a blessing! Few hours after a very heavy breakfast came lunch time! The 3 of us avoided rice intentionally to sample a little bit of almost everything from the High Tea spread.

There were many local dishes featured in Swez Brasserie’s Sunday High Tea - Rendang, Curry, Nasi Lemak, Sotong & Udang Dishes, but my eyes were attracted to this Mixed Veggies while my palates loved their version of Chicken Satay that blended so well with its Peanut Sauce (some satay I’ve previously tasted had overpowering gingery taste; this one’s from Eastin tasted just fine). The Roasted Duck & Chicken were also must-sample! However, the Chicken Shawarma was a let down according to Tina.

Plates for the three of us-self-proclaimed foodies!

Bow!

The Children’s Corner at Swez Brasserie’s High Tea | Lunch Buffet last Sunday was something commendable! Our kiddo’s happy with the “treasures” he found on that spread!

Bubur Gandum (Wheat Sweet Porridge)-Malaysian equivalent to Philippine’s Guinataang Mais. LIKE!!!

I’m already so full but I wanted to sample their version of another popular Malaysian dessert – Ais Kacang (reminds me so much of the Filipino, Halo-halo). When I went to its station, the Assistant Sous Chef suggested to his junior to make a colorful Ais Kacang, something that will look extra pleasing to the cam. As per his instruction, my bowl of Ais Kacang was made of all the sweet ingredients on the table, and instead of having them under the dome of shaved ice, mine had everything as toppings! Beautiful!

Tina and I ended our unforgettable digestive feasts with a cup of coffee but I made mine more sinful. I tried to marry the coffee and ice cream stations and made an affogato instead of the usual dose of caffeine!

The people of Eastin Hotel were super generous, they even allowed us to avail of a late-check-out at 2PM!

Despite our very short stay at Eastin Hotel Penang, our family felt so at ease with their hospitable and courteous service, comfortable and spacious room, guest-friendly amenities and very wide variety of delicious treats! Who says Eastin Hotel Penang is only for businessmen? It’s so family-friendly too!

Thank you very much, Eastin Hotel Penang!

We’re more than grateful with the experience!

My family and I can proudly say that we highly recommend Eastin Hotel Penang!

EASTIN HOTEL PENANG | 1 Solok Bayan Indah, Queensbay 11900 Bayan Lepas, Penang, Malaysia | www.eastinhotel-penang.com

>><<

*While this is a sponsored post, all words and opinions on this blog aren’t influenced and remain 100% my own.

Special thanks goes to Criz Lai of www.crizfood.com

Mar

TORBRECK VERTICAL WINE DINNER AT MACALISTER MANSION, PENANG

By docgelo 12 Comments

My entire experience that evening at the Macalister Mansion, Penang could be summarized into one word. Engaging. The evening was defined not only by epicurean indulgence and luxurious wines but casual and fun interactions with fascinating people who became an instant personal inspiration.

I was honored and pleased to be invited as the only blogger by the sophisticated and incredibly charming lifestyle destination in George Town, Penang, the Macalister Mansion. The event’s invitation came perfect to end a tiring week at work, as receiving it on a Friday afternoon surprisingly made me look forward to a Monday! How often do you wish for Monday to come soon? Despite the short notice, I gave it a nod with a bright green light; it was that irresistible! Anticipating for Monday had never been that thrilling!

The Torbreck Vertical Wine Dinner last 18th March 2013 was hosted by one of the finest exports from Australia, Torbreck Wines and Macalister Mansion, the newest boutique hotel in Pulau Pinang that’s intricately restored to maintain its rich heritage of being an English Mansion, fused with contemporary designs that transformed it into a stylish food & beverage outlets within an 8-room-hotel.

If you must know, back in the last month of 2012, my family and I initially fell in love with Macalister Mansion and chose it to be the venue where our family portraits were taken (blog posts here & here). Not long after, it felt so special just to experience this tasteful elegance again.

First priority when I arrived at Macalister Mansion that Monday night : to know where to go and who to go with. I was told the guests were having cocktails at the Bagan Bar.

Amidst sleek interiors and low lights, it didn’t take a minute for me to recognize few familiar faces -there’s a chef from Czech Republic whom my family and I met recently. I was so flattered while he was showing my blog via his iphone to his friends (what an introduction!), and of course, I was glad to see again the one who did our family portraits last year whom I considered as one of the most brilliant young Malaysian photographers in Penang, Sunny Tan! He generously shared one of his precious captures that night; Thank you, Sunny!

*With Director & Owners of Macalister Mansion, Dato’ Sean H’ng (far left) and his wife, Datin Karen H’ng. With us is Australian Export Director of Torbreck Wines, Andrew Tierney. Photo taken by by Sunny Tan.

After those Bagan Bar-moments, everyone was ushered to Macalister Mansion’s Dining Room.

Its immaculate and almost poetic interiors is an absolute visual treat! It’s stunningly beautiful!

It wasn’t my first time to see the Dining Room but it was difficult not to marvel in awe once more! Unbelievably, such quaint place exists in Penang!

*The fantastic dinner was opened by AsiaEuro Regional Sales Manager, William Chong and brief but interesting talk about Torbreck Wines and its history was done by Andrew Tierney; both sat on the same table I was assigned.

The 6 Torbreck wines. The 6 gourmet courses creatively prepared by Macalister Mansion’s very own, Chef Lance. The new friends I’ve met. The fun filled talks about wines, food, travels and whatnot in my table. Every minute, delightful!

*Amuse Bouche paired with Torbreck Woodcutter’s Semillon 2010.

What a crisp and refreshing start! I was in Nirvana in a heart beat!

*Bergamot Smoked Salmon, Beetroot Dye, Thai Cucumber Pickle, Avruga Caviar & Olive Soil paired with Torbreck Woodcutter’s Semillon 2010.

Given the fact that I’m a huge fanatic of anything-salmon, plus this appetizer was prepared smoked, and wrapped with thin strips of pickled cucumber; I almost forgot my name, baby! Then it was paired with the very fruity and subtle Torbreck Woodcutter’s Semillon 2010. A match made in heaven!

*Know more about Australia’s Torbreck Wines via www.torbreck.com.

Wine and food pairing was brought to a higher level when the next plate was served. Drum roll, please!

*Torchon of Foie Gras, Crumble, Gastrique Pearls paired with Torbreck Cuvee Juveniles 2011.

This plate of foie gras was too gorgeous to eat, it took me several minutes after staring aimlessly, to start savoring its rich flavor. Beautiful!

Perhaps, the only little disappointment on the menu according to my palates was THIS.

*Veloute of Spinach Soup, Hay Smoked Black Lip Mussel, Creme Fraiche, Pommes Brunoise and White Truffle Oil paired with Torbreck Cuvee Jeveniles 2011.

So much drama was put to the presentation of this seafood-spinach soup but unfortunately, fell flat on my tastebuds. I’m not that familiar with French cuisine and I truly appreciated Chef Lance’s efforts but I can only imagine if instead of spinach, a creamy and velvety pumpkin soup was poured on my bowl instead. Or probably, I’m just partial to my wishful thinking.

The time to cleanse the palate came.

*Sorbet. We’re guessing that night if it’s cranberry. One can tell easily.

Have I told you the service at the Macalister Mansion’s impeccable? The multicultural wait staff had a ready smile that night; everyone’s quick and efficient. Good job! After finishing my sorbet, I was asked by one of them of the main dish I prefer. It was choice between :

*Pan Seared Halibut, Savoy Cabbage, Gold Miso and Cauliflower Floret.

and

*Chargrilled Wagyu Oyster Blade, Creme Fraiche Polenta, Carrot Puree, Grilled Cauliflower and Perigueux Syrup.

I had the beef instead of the fish not because the former’s better than the latter; as a matter of fact, guests were raving for the fish plate! However, I had a nice salmon-appetizer already, so I thought it’s but logical to try the meat dish which, in my opinion complemented the Torbreck wines effortlessly! Tender, nicely grilled, flavorful Wagyu. I loved it!

Torbreck ‘The Struie’ 2010.

Torbreck Descendant 2008.

Torbreck Run Rig 2007.

I’m no wine connoisseur but I know my palates so well. Between Torbreck ‘The Struie’ 2010 and Torbreck Descendant 2008 which are Shiraz, I like the Descendant more. While Torbreck Run Rig, despite it’s only 6 years to date and a suggestion to the wine maker, Andrew was raised by my tablemates, that with 2 more years, Run Rig will be so much better tasting, it’s the most aromatic and dense among the wines served that night.

Great food, vivid wines, wonderful ambience, commendable service and most specially, fascinating people. Excellent combination.

*Torbreck Run Rig 2007.

Just when I thought I might be feel alienated by going to this event solo, serendipitously, I was assigned to sit beside this pleasant German lady, Evelyn.

“I’m sorry, Gelo but WHAT IS A BLOG?” Evelyn asked me. Then she burst into infectious laughter and from then on the great food, vivid wines, wonderful ambience, commendable service and most specially, fascinating people, those excellent combination was made livelier with my fun-filled chat with Evelyn.

Who would have thought that I’d meet a German woman who came with her equally friendly husband, Klaus, who’d tell me that they lived in my country, the Philippines for 8 years since 1963? Evelyn spoke how she and Klaus miss their lives in the Philippines. In between Torbreck wines and Chef Lance’s masterpiece plates, I’ve listened to Evelyn when she shared a bit of their interesting stories about Martial Law in my country duing those times, and on a lighter note, they professed how they miss Philippine mangoes and pineapples and how they enjoyed their home in San Lorenzo Village in Makati and their holidays in Cebu. Who would have thought that two souls from this awesome event could speak so much about the country where I am from? Amazing!

Must have desserts.
Ladies and gentlemen, here’s the most uniquely delicious jam I’ve tasted. No, it’s not Durian!

*Brie, Jackfruit Jam and Sable Breton.

Don’t be fooled with the simplicity of the plate. The tug of war between the saltiness of the cheese with that sublime sweetness of Jackfruit jam was one of the many reasons why this event’s memorable!

While I enjoyed Brie, Jackfruit Jam and Sable Breton, the next dessert plate was even better!

*Salted Caramel Ice Cream, Bitter Chocolate Ganache and Praline paired with Torbreck ‘The Bothie’ 2011.

The sweet and chilled, bitter and salted and textured flavors simply overwhelmed my palates. I loved it!!!

*Petit Four.

Simple and sweet ending that brought me back to my senses. I wasn’t in heaven, yet. Not yet.

*Special thanks to Macalister Mansion for the invitation. I am eternally grateful.

>><<

Macalister Mansion

228 Macalister Road, 10400 Penang, Malaysia | website : www.macalistermansion.com

>><<

Mar

MORE THAN A PLATEFUL OF CHAR KOAY TEOW

By docgelo 16 Comments

As life has been teaching me, inspiration and motivation usually spring not (only) from those famous and authoritative people but (even) from those ordinary individuals with outstanding or at least, remarkable characters. It also holds true when it comes to my perception about places. I try my best not to underestimate places that look modest and cheap as it may be rewarding than expected.

Case in point, this hawker stall in front of a common-looking-eatery in Penang called, Kafe Heng Huat located at Lorong Selamat, one of the laterals of Jalan Macalister in George Town, Penang. If you must know, every hawker stall in this part of Southeast Asia appears almost the same. Apparently, they differ in the goods they offer. It turned out that my initial sampling of my ultimate favorite Malaysian dish, Char Koay Teow from Kafe Heng Huat didn’t only sustain me and satisfied my craving for that noodle dish but taught me some essential that money certainly can’t buy.

PASSION. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I personally saw untiring love for what she does that ~~probably~~ clearly makes every plate of CKT she prepares arguably the BEST in the entire Pulau Pinang.

Meet Soon Chuan Choo that according to the broadsheet article posted on the wall of this restaurant, has been cooking CKT for 45 years (the feature in Bangkok newspaper written in English was dated 2012). For someone who continuously does the same routine on a daily basis over those decades without boredom and fatigue, it must because of pure passion and love for it.

Penang, you’re very luck to have Aunty Soon Chuan Choo! She must be a living Heritage for cooking this Malaysian noodle dish for more than 4 decades and counting!

Look at my lunch freshly cooked as per order. Take note of the size of those prawns! A plateful of CKT from Aunty Soon is definitely worth it at 10 ringgit!

Because every plate is only prepared upon order, it took around 10 minutes of waiting before I savored this version of CKT recommended to me by Malaysian-blogger and friend, Emily of www.millymin.com and incidentally, by our colleague and friend who’s now back in the Philippines with his family, Doc Noel. According to his previous observations that he shared on the comment-thread of my CKT-photo on fb, he remembers this lady to be somewhat in unpleasant mood while cooking; perhaps, because she doesn’t want to be disturbed of the long queue with many orders; she remains so focused on cooking Char Koay Teow then and now. Aunty Soon may not offer anyone a smile and obviously has an attitude towards work but that’s how she delivers a perfect plate. If people go to Kafe Heng Huat for her Char Koay Teow over the past 4 decades, I think it confirms that she’s doing it right.

The view from where I sat. Packed with hungry diners, mostly locals who know what’s best in their area.

Waiting wasn’t an issue to me as I saw this signage when I went to my table.

So I gave in and ordered one of Malaysian popular desserts.

At only around 3 ringgit, I managed to go against the scorching sunny weather with Ais Kacang (pronounced as ice ka-chang) which is made of finely shaved ice, milk, sweet corn, jelly strips, nata de coco and red beans topped with a scoop of ice cream. Sedap! Sarap! Reminds me of our very own smilar dessert in the Philippines, Halo-halo. So perfect for summer!

In my 3 years of working in Penang, I oftenly go to Gurney Drive when I crave for a tasteful Char Koay Teow. Here’s a capture of that CKT :

But suggestions from friends proved that there are other far better options. This Malaysian dish of fried flat noodles, mixed with chili sauce, tofu, egg, sprouts, cockles, Chinese chorizo or pork sausage and larger prawns can give that CKT from the hawker stall in Gurney Drive a tough competition on my list.

It was a pleasure eating Aunty Soon’s specialty :

Edited : Doc Noel added on his comment on fb that Aunty Soon was noted to be strict on schedule, as he saw a nice family with kids came 5 minutes past closing time, and Aunty did not give in. I understand her being strict but a little consideration and a smile would not hurt.

Somehow, I see myself in Aunty Soon’s character. People easily judged me to have an attitude, ridiculously an anti-social but that’s how they define not my character but theirs. Like her, I am also particular with schedules, I rarely come late on appointments as I value time and punctuality. I am strict and stick with rules particularly my own. I always try to give everything in what I do.

For as long as we’re here in Penang, I’ll surely return to Kafe Heng Huat for another serving of Aunty Soon’s Char Koay Teow. Each plate is inspiring!

>><<

*This post with all of its photos is my entry to Weekly Photo Challenge : Lunchtime

Mar

2013 MINISTRY OF TOURISM MALAYSIA BEST EXPAT BLOG AWARD!

By docgelo 32 Comments

2013 March 6th, Wednesday.

2013 Malaysia International Tourism Conference & Blog Awards | MITBCA

Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

Beyond Toxicity @ docgelo.com is named

2013 Best Expat-Malaysia-My-Second-Home-Blog Award Winner!

Awarding the trophy was the honorable Tourism Malaysia Minister Dato’ Sri Dr. Ng Yen Yen

The scene was surreal. Almost deja vu of what happened last year…

2012 MITBCA blog post HERE!!!

It’s truly an honor to receive another recognition for this personal passion, particularly of which 80% came from public voting. I cannot be grateful enough to all those who follow and read this site since I started this virtual home back in 2007 in the Philippines, to those who remain loyal readers and commenters after we have moved to Penang, Malaysia to work and of course, thank you to those who voted for my blog to win last year and this year’s MITBCA! Your support is absolutely priceless!

Terima Kasih to Ministry of Tourism Malaysia and all the people behind MITBCA for appreciating and lifting the spirits of movers of Tourism and bloggers in Malaysia in general. Awards like this is certainly inspiring and motivating! Maraming Salamat po at Mabuhay po kayo!

Similar to last year’s event, MITBCA offered two-day-bloggers conference for free, but because I chose to limit my absences from work in Penang, I decided to attend the awards night and skipped the meeting of the like-minds and international movers in social media including a bunch of fellow Filipino bloggers. That was a wrong move from me. I could’ve learned so much from them but to regret is futile. Nonetheless, I met them in the Gala Dinner & Awards Night that was far better than last year’s. Proof that collective efforts have been put just to nail this year’s success of MITBCA! Kudos to everyone involved! The ceremony was nothing short of fantastic!

The venue was bigger and more sophisticated. The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, no less!

I arrived of course, with TEAM DOCGELO; who else but my loving wife, Tina & our bundle of joy and pride, Gabby!

We’re so happy to meet again Ms. Emila Yusof of emilayusof.com, two-time-winner of Best Tourism Lifestyle Blog Award from MITBCA and who happens to be the Malaysian Illustrator and Children’s Book Author who custom-made my very own blog header! I am one of his huge fans and she remains an inspiration!

After the cocktail, came the Gala Dinner & Awards Night proper. The mood inside the venue was festive!

The view from where we sat.

Drum roll, please! Let the show begin!

The honorable people behind the Ministry of Tourism Malaysia, Malaysia Social Media Chamber and MITBCA shared engaging and powerful words about the reasons of our gathering.

Beautiful and talented Malaysian performers lorded the stage!

While local entertainers were doing their great parts on stage, we were busy dunking our forks and scooping our spoons to the delightful dinner they prepared. There were visual and gastronomic treats! It was a complete sensory feast!

Speakers in the Bloggers’ Conference were awarded by plaques; I wished I captured them all.
Here’s Malaysian Celebrity Chef (second from left of the photo below), Nik Michael Imran…

And the speakers from where I came from, the Philippines! Here’s Vince Golangco (second from left on the photo below) of www.wheninmanila.com.

Blogie Robillo (second from left of the photo below) of www.robilloblog.com

Tonyo Cruz (second from left of the photo below) of tonyocruz.com

It was flattering when one of my fellow Filipino Bloggers shouted, MABUHAY! when my name was called as one of the winners, even overwhelming when Tonyo Cruz himself, told me, “kinikilabutan kami to see someone in Barong on stage” (kindly seek Google Translate, thank you!)

Blogger-winners included Best Tourism Travel Blogger, Squall Chin of www.wretch.cc/blog/squallczk whom I first met in Singapore Blog Awards last 2012.

And again, Ms. Emila Yusof of emilayusof.com, winner once more of Best Tourism Lifestyle Blog Award. Bravo!

For complete list of winners, visit www.mitbca.com.

More than the awards and recognition, I thank the Lord for my loving and supportive family!

They’re my LIFE! I love you, honey! I love you, Gabby!

After the wonderful awards night, we walked a few steps to pay homage again to Malaysia’s magnificence, what else but the Petronas Twin Towers. En route, we dropped by Aquaria…

And just before midnight, our eyes set on those incredibly stunning twins again!

Malaysia, Thank you very much for everything!

To God be the Glory!

>><<

Feb

CHASING LIONS & DRAGONS IN GEORGE TOWN, PENANG 2013

By docgelo 10 Comments

Categories: ILOVEPHOTOS, MALAYSIA and TRAVEL
Tags: backpackers' paradise, celebration, celebrations in malaysia, chinahouse, chinahouse penang, chinese arts, chinese drum performance, chinese god of wealth, chinese heritage, chinese new year, chinese new year 2013, clay molding, cny, cultural and heritage chinese new year celebration penang, culture, doc gelo, docgelo, dragon dance, drums, expatriate in malaysia, expats in malaysia, family, festivals, fun, george town penang, heritage, heritage trail penang malaysia, life in malaysia, lifestyle, lifestyle blogger, lion dance, malaysia, murals, must do in george town penang, must do in malaysia, must see in penang, must visit in george town penang, ofw, ofw in penang, penang, penang malaysia, prosperity, southeast asia, street arts, street arts in george town penang, street photography, TRAVEL, travel blog, travel blogger, trishaw, year of the snake

If I have to narrow down the reasons to be thankful, for living and working in Penang for almost 3 years now, being personally exposed and immersed to diversities in this UNESCO’s World Heritage Site will absolutely be on the top of my list. It’s always amazing how spending few hours in this quaint area of Pulau Pinang, either in an ordinary sunny day or during a very auspicious occasion, can be utterly enriching! Every experience exceeds expectation. Each visit has been a sensory feast! And this year’s Chinese New Year Cultural and Heritage Celebration in George Town, Penang wasn’t an exception!

*The tremedously beautiful, Khoo Kongsi is one of the clan houses in George Town worthy of visit.

I’m sure my wife, Tina (who had to stay again in our apartment during our visit for CNY to the island, for her to do the usual chores and get enough weekend rest), is also grateful for the countless times that our 8-year-old-son, Gabby has been discovering Malaysian tradition and cultures beyond books.

*Street art @ Armenian Street and the rest of GT rocks!

How could you not enjoy entering an art gallery for FREE?

*Metal sculptures Gabby and I really liked.

*Sitting on a trishaw, like a boss!

Because I knew our afternoon will be packed, a bladder break was a must! So before we continued our CNY-merriment in the streets, I invited Gabby to walk towards Chinahouse restaurant just to have a decent minutes in toilet.

The streets of George Town were filled with murals and new steel-rod- art installations that are great addition to the existing ones. Those whimsical caricatures on most walls mention a bit of something from this town’s past and present lifestyles and whatnot. It’s certainly a refreshing and innovative approach in bringing art, history and culture readily accessible to both local and foreign tourists. They easily appeal even to kids like Gabby!

*Our very own wandering wonder boy!

*Theater was brought again in the streets! Bravo!

*Talents and skills were overwhelming!

On the spot demonstrations of Chinese arts of sculpting, painting, weaving and even clay-molding were definitely crowd-drawing!

*Gabby and I loved those clay masterpieces! And you?

Needless to say, it was effortless for me to further enhance our son’s appreciation to the arts and someone else’s culture and tradition and more so, the need to value and constantly hone one’s skills and talents for self-improvement, forever and ever, Amen! LOL!

*Infectious smiles!

How often do you see a volume of men dressed as Chinese God of Wealth?

*What a sweet welcome to the year of the snake!
Regardless of our ethnicity and belief, we all wish this year to be more prosperous one!

*Rub those golden nuggets, Gabby! And our kid didn’t forget to get some candies!

No CNY celebration would be complete in any Chinatown without those traditional dragon and lion dances. And this year, Gabby and I were happy to witness an incredibly different performances in Kapitan Keling Mosque street.

It was a pleasure watching the performers from the time they prepared their acts, even happier of the fact that we savored everything in a very strategic spot. Despite my captures were so amateurish, the event was so momentous!

Vibrant colors, dynamic and synchronized moves are common to dragon and lion dances, but performing them on top of stilts or tables (one group had steel tables, the other was more daring dancing on wooden ones) made it more thrilling to watch!

I wish I had better shots! Everything was so awesome!

Can anyone confirm if these yellow and colorful creatures are what they called, Pi Xiu? Excitement heightened with their performance!

Enter the Dragonsssssssssssss!

*Twice the fortune, double the fun!

Photographers and other people with camera (like me!) tried to obstruct our best view of the event, thus I had more difficulty in documenting the scenes. I cannot blame them, it was really exciting!

*Culture in motion!

Happy to take this shot….

*Fantastic!

The celebration continued with a 68-drum-performance from an all-girl-group! Amazing!

*By their stance and synchronicity, you can tell that these are not your ordinary girls!

They’re beaming with passion!

Definitely stunning!

“Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!”

I kept on shouting with the crowd behind us and for a while, Gabby kept clapping his hands too! It was truly an outstanding performance!

No matter how imperfect the photo was and the dusk was upon us, I just had to snap my camera with one of those wonderful drummers and Gabby.

*Gabby’s ear-to-ear smile says it all!

And just before we thought we’ve seen everything, a live performance of Chinese Opera was on stage along Chulia Street.

Because the roads in these areas were temporarily closed to traffic, public buses and cars were rerouted making us walk and enjoyed some more minutes in George Town. Our feet brought us to Chinahouse again and this time not only to void but to grab some bites before hopping on the ferry and bus to go home to Butterworth.

*Chinahouse’s Tiramisu which has been a personal favorite plus Gabby’s choice of Chocolate Cake and tic tac toe really made sense!

It was another happy day in George Town! We cannot be grateful enough!

How was your Chinese New Year celebration?

>><<

Feb

LANGKAWI MEMORIES

By docgelo 20 Comments

Categories: FAMILY : LOVE KO 'TO, FOOD & MORE FOOD!, ILOVEPHOTOS, MALAYSIA and TRAVEL
Tags: affordable accomodation in langkawi, beach, beach in malaysia, beaches in asia, best chicken rice, best chicken rice in malaysia, cenang beach, cenang beach langkawi, chalet, cheap accomodation in langkawi, chicken satay, doc gelo, docgelo, duty free, duty free shops in langkawi, expat blog, expatriate in malaysia, family, family oriented blog, family vacation, fastfood, food, food in langkwi, good accomodation in langkawi, hotels in langkawi, hotels in malaysia, indian food, internet lounge at airport, jollibee, kedah malaysia, lagu, lagu beach blanket, lagu singapore, langkawi, langkawi beaches, langkawi island, Life, life at the beach, lifestyle, lifestyle blog, malaysian food, mcdonald's, must visit in langkawi, must visit in malaysia, naan, overseas blogger, pantai cenang, penang, penang international airport, roti canai, shopping in malaysia, tourism, tourism malaysia, travel blog, traveling, travelling, what to eat in langkawi, where to go in langkawi, where to go in malaysia, white lodge chalet, white lodge chalet langkawi

24-27 January 2013. Langkawi Island, Kedah, Malaysia. No matter how short, a vacation can do no wrong when spent with people you love most and love you back. Tina, Gabby and I took advantage of the long public holiday here in Malaysia from January 24-28, 2013 (well, not actually as January 25th, Friday wasn’t a holiday so we filed a leave from work to maximize the fun) because of their celebration of Prophet Mohammad’s Birthday (January 24th Thursday) and Hindu’s Thaipusam (January 27, Sunday that made the next day a Replacement Public Holiday).

Time stood still upon the sight of this charming beach. Pantai Cenang, Langkawi. So happy to be here!

HOW WE REACHED LANGKAWI

When Tina and I were planning to go to this island paradise back in late November last year, we already crossed out the possibility of bringing our feet to Langkawi via ferry ride from Penang (about 2-3 hours), or from Kuala Perlis or Kuala Kedah simply because my lovely wife has vertigo; she gets dizzy easily on long ferry rides; she’s not fond of airplane rides either. She rarely travel without her anti-motion sickness pills. I thought the plan would not push through until I collected little earnings from a sponsor by posting an an airline food review, we both agreed to go to Langkawi via Air Asia with their promo-seat-sale. And man, the flight took us by surprise! It was like we just went on board to watch the pre-flight safety demonstration by the crew, went up at 11,000 feet for few minutes and then the plane took its smooth touchdown at the Langkawi airport at 25-minutes flat.

Prior to that shortest flight ever, my family and I were admiring the newly refurbished Penang International Airport. Recalling how it looked like when we first saw it in 2010, there’s a tremendous improvement on this terminal as seen on its minimalist architecture, clean lines on its interiors and commendable provision of FREE internet lounge at the boarding area. We’re very impressed by the changes! Look at my family’s smiles while grabbing siopao bites prior to boarding, there’s no sign that we almost missed our flight that late afternoon! Teehee!

OUR AFFORDABLE AND BEAUTIFUL ACCOMODATION

From the list of hotels in Langkawi that Tina obtained online, I narrowed the choices for our accomodation prioritizing location, comfort and cost. It seemed like we hit the jackpot when there was a promo-rate offered for a Deluxe Room at the time of our online reservation. And we’re all content with the decision to purchase a 4D3N stay at White Lodge Chalet. It only took us 20 minute-taxi ride that cost 20 ringgit (US$ 6.4) from Langkawi Airport before we arrived at this relaxing island abode. The lush and gorgeous walkway to the reception area was enough to remind us of the importance of savoring a change of environment from time to time. Such an incredibly welcoming respite!

Admittedly, all staff of White Lodge Chalet particularly those assigned at the reception area were all warm and friendly. They readily answered all my queries about the Island and best, they volunteered to phone a taxi cab prior to our departure to the airport on our last day. We proved that their services were rendered fast and efficient as we requested their maintenance to check and repair a minor and brief electrical interruption in our room.

Location was perfect for us. It’s secluded from the busy main road of Cenang; about 5-to-10 minute walk from Pantai Cenang or Cenang (pronounced as chenang) Beach.

I already paid the room reservation via agoda.com a month before our holiday so checking in was a breeze; they didn’t even ask for a deposit on top of the paid voucher upon arrival. After we got the keys and wifi’s username and password, we headed to our designated room. It may not be a beachfront hotel, neither a five-star-accomodation, what mattered most was the fact that we really enjoyed our days at White Lodge Chalet! Tina professed her wish to go back to the same budget hotel if we get a chance to go back to Langkawi.

Here’s the garden-path to our Deluxe Room at White Lodge Chalet Langkawi…

The room was relatively new; not too spacious neither very small. Everything’s good except for few little things like there’s no phone in our room to call the reception, the wifi’s weak, the flat-screen-TV didn’t have cable channels and the tissue holder at the toilet was installed near the shower. But all in all, we managed to enjoy our time at White Lodge Chalet.

After checking in, we dropped our luggage and bags and off we trooped to the beach! But before anything else, must take photos!

A few minute walk will take you to the main road of Cenang…

…where restaurants, eateries and Duty-Free-Shops are located.

Have I told you that Langkawi seems like our very own Boracay in the Philippines but with plenty of Duty-Free? It’s an island paradise cum shopping haven! Tina bought few chocolates as they’re in volume and cheap in these shops.

ANS_6606
At the back of that famous tourist attraction, Underwater World Langkawi, lies the beach…

PANTAI CENANG (CENANG BEACH)

This was how we contained our happiness the first time we experienced Cenang Beach…

Then went wackier for the pic :

Felt the powdery white sand on our hands and hurriedly soaked our feet! Something we do not do on a daily basis!

It was almost 7PM and the sunset came as usual (in Malaysia) at around 7:30PM. It was time to leave the beach for dinner. Langkawi of course, boasts of freshest catch from the sea! We suddenly missed going to Dampa restaurants back home where you buy your ingredients from the market and ask restaurant people to cook your goods the way you want it -grilled, buttered, fried, in broth and whatnot! Hmmmmm!

There’s that airconditioned Cenang Mall and the main road itself offers a wide variety of choices of food places from hawkers and fastfood joints. We tried to sample local dishes but found nothing extraordinary compared to Penang; we ended up having dinner in this Tomato Nasi Kandar, a decent Indian eatery.

We had Chicken Satay in Peanut Sauce, Gabby’s favorite -Cheese Naan dipped in dahl, Buttered Chicken Masala and 3 orders of Roti Canai (which was so affordable at 80 cents | US $ 0.25 per plate!) and washed everything down with a can of Coke (sinful, I know!) and a gulp of fresh watermelon juice! Solb!

“The sun looks down on nothing half so good as a household laughing together over a meal.” #CSLewis

After filling our tummies and while waiting for the bill, Gabby and Tina made fun of themselves by playing one of Gabby’s antics. He calls this game, STARING CONTEST.

Without umbrellas, we were halted by a downpour and had to wait for half an hour under the shades of a sidestreet bazaar.

Thank God, it rained; it made me appreciate the wet colored tiles of the sidewalk. The patterns were amazing!

We continued strolling down the main road back to our room. Here’s a rundown of the interesting things we saw…

SECOND DAY AT THE BEACH

We thought of catching the sunrise by the beach but we’re too weak to resist the lure of curling under the sheets. We gave in to our desire to sleep longer; after all, that’s included in the philosophy of a break, isn’t it? Nothing’s more delicious than waking up without worries of battling with an alarm clock.

It was already high noon when we left our room. That red roof on the left side of the next photo below was our room for 4 days in Langkawi. And the structures on the right are called vacation homes by White Lodge Chalet. Spotted a Mini which is so common on the roads here.

Kodakan right in front of our room : Say ,cheese! :)

Inside a tiny wooden gazebo in the garden…

And at the walkway near the reception area…We loved this place!

Trying to avoid KFC as we commonly eat it almost twice a week when at work and in the absence of our favorite Filipino fastfood, Jollibee in this part of the globe, we opted for the next best thing on our list. ‘Love din namin ‘to!

Cravings : satisfied. Time to worship God and appreciate His beautiful creations by the beach!

We also like the fact that there are chalets and locally-themed accomodation at the beachfront but indubitably, the area can get crowded and noisy unlike if the hotel’s tucked somewhere near.

After Tina chose a spot to while away time, she spread our beach-friendly, sand-repellant Lagu blanket. Thanks, Lagu Singapore for this one; we welcome additional gifts in other vibrant colors #shamelessplugging!

Perhaps, one of the highlights of our family bonding on this Langkawi vacation was the moment Gabby and I flew this 5-ringgit kite that we brought all the way from Penang. We came prepared, you know!

The wind and sea breeze were perfectly blowing so flying this plastic birdie wasn’t an effort. It was whole lot of fun! I think I enjoyed it more than Gabby, lol. The only problem was, we all forgot to bring our sunnies and the scorching heat was unforgiving to the eyes! Nonetheless, it was surreal!

While Tina was having her ME-time at one shaded corner of the beach, it was a pleasure accompanying the little-big-boy in collecting seashells by the seashore. #soundsliketonguetwister.

We called it a day inside our room watching movies and munching junk foods.

THIRD DAY : BEST CHICKEN RICE AND PANTAI TENGAH (TENGAH BEACH)

As the plan to catch another sunrise by the beach was drowned again by long hours of sleep, we left our room at almost noon to take lunch. Tina’s craving for Chicken Rice was satisfied! We highly recommend Mr. Tan’s Famous Chicken Rice along the road in Cenang! Two thumbs up for this ultimately flavorful Chicken Rice served with soup!!! The wannabe-food-connoisseur in me told Tina that my palates sensed a-no-preservative dish in the plate and on the soup. Mr. Tan must not be fond of using chicken cubes but freshest ingredients only. Very nice indeed! So budget-friendly and cleanly served for only 5 ringgit (US$ 1.60) per plate! It goes without saying that I had two servings and unbelievably, it was the same case for Gabby! The chicken was not steamed but roasted to perfection! Dare I say it’s the best Chicken Rice we’ve tasted in Malaysia. Need I say more?

When in Langkawi, must eat here! Sarap! Sedap! Delicious!

Dining al fresco was never been better! Great tasting and cheap food enjoyed with family, provision of free table napkins (which is a rarity in Penang hawkers!) and a warm service from Mr. Tan! Everything’s awesome!

Too lazy to hit the beach at high noon, we decided to go back and cool down inside our room. We dozed off until late afternoon.

Just outside our room, Gabby dried his shells on those immaculate chairs that I wanted to bring home.

We woke up before 6PM and hit the roads again. The walk towards Tengah Beach from White Lodge Chalet took us around 20 minutes. Although Pantai Tengah runs continuously with the waters of Pantai Cenang with only a chunk of rocks and a slope of a hill dividing the beaches, one can easily know the difference between the two. If you’re into water sports like parasailing and jet skiing, Pantai Tengah is it! While if you’re like us who prefer finer and more powdery sand, go enjoy Cenang Beach!

Here are the scenes from Tengah Beach…

I love this monochrome portrait of Tina despite the blur. #lovely #happy #surreal

Also in Pantai Tengah, we spotted a Malaysian jelly fish ashore.

We failed more than once to catch the sunrise from Langkawi but we’re glad to appreciate the glorious sunset by Pantai Tengah.

Dinner time. Oh yeah, McDonald’s again.

Langkawi offers so many tourist adventures like the famous cable car that provides a panoramic view of the island with a Sky Bridge (some say you can even view the neighboring Thailand from there), a stroll inside Oriental Village filled with souvenir shops and other attractions, a trek to Seven Wells, a visit to the Eagle Square, gardens, museums and mosques, the Underwater World near Cenang Beach and of course, island hopping and eagle-spotting. We missed all those for some reasons (ask Gabby!) but nevertheless, they remain a notion for us to go back and revisit this wonderful island paradise in the near future. *crossed fingers and toes*

Honestly, we’re grateful and happy we did nothing but beach-bumming and eating in Langkawi. Even for a while, Tina and I were relieved from stress and worries about work (and perhaps, Gabby too with routine life in school). It may not be as interesting and fascinating as what the other tourists usually do iin this island but our simple break defined what we badly need. We created a no-game-plan-vacation and just allowed time to take its course. It was wonderful!

LAST DAY IN LANGKAWI

We checked out from White Lodge Chalet and left our luggage and bags at the reception area. We went back to the same Chicken Rice stall by the road and ordered the same thing for lunch. Gabby had two servings again! It’s that addicting, I kid you not.

After that quick lunch, we went back to the reception area and waited for few minutes for the taxi cab they phoned for us. We opted to kill time inside Langkawi Airport rather than rushing to catch the flight again. We arrived here around 2PM and waited for our flight 3 and a half hours after. We chilled in our favorite coffee shop with these yummies…

C’mmon, don’t count those calories! lol

As for me, I’m counting memories…

Bye-bye, Langkawi! Thank you very much for everything, we had so much fun! Till we meet again!

And just before the 25-minute-flight touchdown at Penang International Airport, I luckily got a good shot of Penang’s inviting coastline. Hello, Penang! We’re so back and recharged.

Until our next family bonding adventure!

*This is NOT a sponsored post.

>><<

Nov

MALAYSIAN DISHES ON AIR : AN AIRLINE FOOD REVIEW

By docgelo 11 Comments

I don’t usually eat on board particularly if it’s only a short flight as I usually ingest something either at home or in a coffee shop at the terminal few hours prior boarding. Thus, I rarely have history of reviewing inflight meals. And the few times I’ve eaten during flights can be easily counted with fingers on one hand. Those were during our direct flight via Philippine Airlines from Manila to LAX back in 2000; then if my memory serves me right, my wife and I also munched on something on board Lufthansa Airlines from Manila to Bangkok for our honeymoon in 2004; it was followed by our trip from Manila-Bendar Seri Begawan-Brisbane-Auckland in New Zealand for our 7 week break in 2005 via Royal Brunei Airlines and during my solo-trip to Tokyo from Manila via Philippine Airlines in 2010. Limited history, easy to recall.

When an opportunity to review airline food for SKYSCANNER as I was generously recommended by a fellow blogger and friend, Gael of ThePinaySoloBackpacker.com (THANK YOU!), I became thrilled! All the stars in the universe were aligned as chance paved the way for me to particpate as one of the 1,500 travellers from 53 countries who joined this airline food review. Destiny it was as it coincided with my planned trip from Penang to Kuala Lumpur to apply for a renewal of my passport at the Philippine Embassy. I took a 4-hour-bus-ride en route to Malaysia’s capital, stayed there for 3D2N and boarded the morning flight of Air Asia from KL-LCCT to Penang a couple of weekends ago.

It was the very first time for me to eat on board Air Asia. It was my first time to enjoy local Malaysian dishes at 24,000 feet!

What did I choose? Despite the volume of choices Air Asia has, it’s easy to spot what to order online because their menu has my favorites! Well, except for Char Koay Teow! LOL!

Chicken Satay Combo

My review with ratings based on scale 1-10; 10 being the highest :

Value for money : 9.

With 5 sticks well-seasoned, skewered and grilled chicken meat completely served with ketupat or rice cakes, slivers of onions and delicious peanut sauce, Air Asia’s Chicken Satay Combo is reasonably priced at RM12 or USD 3.90. The price and quality are incomparable to those sold in ordinary hawker stalls. Its cost is really affordable, even the most keen on budget will agree! Satisfying the craving of this favorite Malaysian dish because of its availability at 24,000 feet makes everything worth it!

Taste : 10

What can I say but I love its taste! I have sampled this dish a multiple times from hawker stalls to five-star hotels in Penang & Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and in Singapore too, but Air Asia’s version is a sure delight to the palate; it became one of my favorite versions officially! The grilled chicken meat’s so tender with no overpowering taste, its peanut sauce isn’t irritatingly spicy and compliments the chicken meat and ketupat best. This combo is satisfyingly good! I will definitely order it again next time!

Presentation : 8

The packaging is neat and clean but could have been better if the entire set is in microwavable and the peanut sauce is tightly capped in plastic container rather than sealed with foil and thick paper. As Chicken Satay Combo came with plastic spoon and fork in vibrant red Air Asia color and tissue all packed inside transparent plastic, it certainly provides an easy and no-mess-eating!

Menu Choices : 10

Impressive variety and volume of choices –both the must-try-local-dishes and some of the favorite Western eats. The downside is difficulty in choosing. Need I say more?

Overall Rating : 9.25 out of 10, with 10 being the highest. I’m a happy diner on sky! (Oops, but I had everything as takeaway!)

Then I thought, I would be happier if I’ll have two to sample. The more the merrier, right? *snickers*

Chicken Tandoori Wrap

Ratings based on scale 1-10; 10 being the highest :

Value for money : 9.

With only RM 9 or USD 2.93, this impressive inflight meal offers a lot than one could imagine. It reinvented our family’s favorite, Chicken Tandoori (that we usually eat with Cheese Garlic Naan) as a Chicken Tandoori Wrap. I will pay 9 ringgit any time to this snack that’s not commonly found in our kitchen. Innovative and creative bites on air!

Taste : 9

The classic taste of Tandoori is there which I really like. The deliciously seasoned and shredded Chicken Tandoori meat complimented the tortilla and the thinly sliced cucumber and greens. I wished they also served Mango Lassi that will make the Indian-Malaysian dining experience complete!

Presentation : 10

The two piece-Chicken Tandoori Wrap is properly packed in recyclable carton complete with labels, list of ingredients, nutritional facts, storage instruction and allergy information that aren’t commonly found.

Menu Choices : 10

Same reasons as mentioned above.

Overall Ratings : 9.5 out of 10 with 10 being the highest.

I asked the flight crew to provide me something to pack the meals I ordered as I had them as takeaway. I brought it home to Tina and Gabby but they’re stuffed during the time of my arrival at home, so I ended up really wolfing down those two Malaysian favorite dishes alone. Delicious!!!

*This is a sponsored post. THANK YOU very much to SkyScanner | http://www.skyscanner.com.ph/

_________________________

Nov

WE GOT FREE BRUNCH @ CHINAHOUSE

By docgelo 20 Comments

10 November 2012. Saturday. Between Victoria and Beach Streets, George Town, Penang.

Hats off and thank you very much to the 567 facebook buddies who voted for my photo entry at ChinaHouse Shoot and Win contest. Whether you clicked ‘like’ voluntarily or voted with force and coercion, hahaha! it became one of the 8 finalists! Maraming Salamat po! Congratulations too to the 2 Chinese-Malaysian winners!

Despite I didn’t win that Langkawi getaway, we devoured a FREE brunch at ChinaHouse and for that, I am so grateful!!!

It’s nice to indulge once in a while with your love ones and even nicer if it’s FREE!
Now, try to spot Gabby amidst that heavenly table…

Bingo! I felt I won the jackpot when I saw that spread again! Salivary glands and gastric acid secreting cells were all stimulated. Judgment on what to order was the biggest problem. It took us a while to decide from the menu. So while waiting for our food and having difficulty of choosing desserts, I cannot get enough of it and snapped my camera a countless times on that table filled with cakes and pastries! Here’s a few of my captures of that mouthwatering ChinaHouse spread…

Is it not happiness?

We texted and called Tina who opted to stay in our apartment to get some extra hours of rest and do motherly and wifely duties at home (read : household chores).

I noticed it didn’t take a while for our choices to land on our table. Let the pig-out begin!

Gabby ordered two plates. First was Toasted Banana Bread With Fresh Banana and Cream.

While I enjoyed the tasteful Homemade Beef Sausage & Scrambled Egg Muffin with Tomato Relish.

That tomato relish was the bomb! It complemented my breakfast plate so well that it made me forget about the importance of calorie counter. Got yah! I’m not on a dietary regimen (yet). In as much as I want to give importance to health as my license and profession dictate me to do so, indulgence ruled over those moments! I was too weak (again) to resist! Resistance is futile once more! LOL!

Gabby’s second plate was Yoghurt, Fresh Fruit Salad with Granola & Honey. Sugar and sweetness overload!

Our wonder boy didn’t finish everything he ordered; I guess like me, he was overwhelmed! No problem as it’s a part of my Daddy duties to finish the plate whenever needed *insert evil grin here*.

Before ordering desserts (yes, we still had room for sweet endings!), Gabby walked to the shelves and got some kiddie books. He initially browsed the very educational (kidding!) Pokemon!

then he shifted his pure and young attention to a more serious, morally uplifting hardbound, “Walter the Farting Dog”, LOL!

Not long after, our appetites were ready again! Gabby had few fork-dunks on Chocoholics’ Chocolate Cake; the rest of its slice was our takeaway for Tina.

Over and beyond those multiple cakes and pastries, I succumbed to the decision of having Tiramisu again. It’s really unforgettable the first time I had it, thus a repeat was a must!

ChinaHouse’s Tiramisu, now officially known as one of my kryptonites!

To wash everything down, I had Fresh Orange Juice while Gabby didn’t finish his glass of Strawberry Smoothies. Water in a cute capped tall bottle was provided free (FYI, other restaurants in Penang charge a few cents for iced water).

After our 112-ringgit-hearty-brunch, Gabby and I went to the first floor (yes, it’s ground floor first here in Malaysia) to see the art gallery of ChinaHouse.

Luckily, it’s opened as it was otherwise during my first visit. There’s an on-going-art-exhibits of various local artists of which one’s entitled, Circus, I think. Pardon me as I didn’t get the other titles of the show.

It’s almost past noon when we left ChinaHouse.

Gabby and I agreed that Tina will like ChinaHouse too. And with that, it’s a conclusion that it won’t be our last to dine-in at ChinaHouse; we shall be back one day with my loving wife.

Thank you so much, ChinaHouse! You’re one of our family’s best food finds in George Town, Penang!

*For my first blog post about ChinaHouse, click THIS!!!

_______________________

CHINAHOUSE | 153 & 155 Beach Street & 183B Victoria Street, George Town, Penang. http://chinahouse.com.my/

Nov

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE : RENEWAL

By docgelo 11 Comments

Categories: ILOVEPHOTOS, MALAYSIA, TOKYO and TRAVEL
Tags: cheah kongsi, doc gelo, docgelo, george town penang, kuala lumpur, lifestyle blog, malaysia, medeka square kuala lumpur, penang, photography, photos, postaday, renewal, shinto wedding, TOKYO, TRAVEL, travel blog, traveling, weekly photo challenge

A Shinto Wedding, Meiji Temple, Tokyo. April 2010.

Immaculate blooms at Merdeka Square, Kuala Lumpur, May 2012.

Offerings at the Temple, Cheah Kongsi, George Town, Penang, June 2012.

These photos to me mean renewal of self, life and faith.

This post is my entry to Weekly Photo Challenge : Renewal

Oct

EDELWEISS CAFE

By docgelo 14 Comments

I didn’t plan to eat alone in this beautifully restored 150-year-old shophouse along the very quaint, Armenian Street in GeorgeTown, Penang but the opportunity presented itself. I’ve been passing this restaurant almost once or twice a month every weekends for two years now but never I was enticed to pay it a visit until last week. After I did an errand for Gabby’s school project, I took a stroll on a late Sunday afternoon from Chulia Street with a sole expectation to capture some more picturesque corners. My feet led me to this non-Halal-Western restaurant, Edelweiss Cafe.

The chalk on blue board menu seemed like a magnet!

The moment I walked in, it felt like a step back in time.

I paused. Took a 360 turn and absorbed the killer ambiance. And just like that, the ginormous mirror and all its reflections blew me away!

An absolute breather from the usual fastfood dining experience.

From floor to ceiling inside Edelweiss Cafe, there’s nothing but extraordinary. How do you describe dining amidst this mighty Tower Clock?

It’s love at first sight. The hand movements of the Tower Clock are controlled by this mechanism…

Amazing.

I could just imagine how the bell rings.

I always have conscious efforts to keep punctuality running in my veins; I know that and people who know me best are also aware of that. What I realized after my Edelweiss Cafe experience was the fact that over and beyond believing in the cliche, “Time is gold”, I actually adore massive timepieces too. Fascination costs nothing, isn’t it?

Lovely corner…

Lovelier…

Loveliest…

Next time I get a chance to go back and dine here, I’ll probably choose to sit and while away time in this spot with Tina and Gabby…

The view from where I sat…

I’m not alcoholic but the beverage menu and the gorgeous bar are inviting too.

I passed up; perhaps next time. Instead, I savored every sip of their cappuccino.

Dunking my fork and cutting with steak knife this Pork Belly Baguette served with Fresh Garden Salad and French Fries on a paper cone was definitely the highlight of my Edelweiss Cafe visit.

Did I already tell you that their French Fries are thin as shoestrings but crispy and a bit spicy? It’s made special by a dash of dried chili rather than the usual salt. I liked it! I left the cone empty!

At this point, I really missed Tina and Gabby. The experience was definitely incomplete without them.

After a hearty meal must have dessert. I asked the friendly wait staff about their bestseller. He suggested Apple pie with Vanilla ice cream. I am believer! There’s a lot of pretty thin slices of apple neatly arranged in layers on the crust; perfectly complemented by that scoop of the most classic flavor. The photo doesn’t give justice.

For the moment, all my stress and fatigue and worries and problems were all melted away.

Life isn’t easy but still sweet.

____________________

Sep

WHAT MELTS OUR WORRIES AWAY

By docgelo 6 Comments

Categories: FAMILY : LOVE KO 'TO, FOOD & MORE FOOD! and MALAYSIA
Tags: baskin robbins, doc gelo, docgelo, Ice cream, malaysia, penang

Keeping an indomitable spirit amidst uncertainties has been tougher than I imagined. The challenge to maintain high hopes together as a family has always been magnified to a greater extent that imposes requirement to keep the faith alive and burning.

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.” ~ Isaiah 43:2

In our most trying times, uttering prayers and remembering happy memories are the best efforts to melt our worries away.

HAPPY THOUGHTS… HAPPY THOUGHTS… HAPPY THOUGHTS…

Would you not be in bliss despite troubles, when you recall that once upon a time, you enjoyed Baskin Robbins at 31% off with your family?

And when the most important people in your life become happier than usual, nothing else matters.

Beautiful and delicious memories numb me and maintain my sanity.

Once upon a time, we chanced upon Baskin Robbins 31% discount offered every 31st day of the month in Queensbay Mall, Penang and availed a quart and a pint that we savored for more or less an hour. It’s ice cream overload, I know. The indulgence and its memories make me smile ear to ear in the middle of a family crisis that’s beyond our control. Gabby and Tina chose a handpacked quart of Cotton Candy in pink and purple swirls and Cheesecake flavors while I was delighted with handpacked pint of Very Berry Strawberry and Mint Chocolate Chip flavors and washed everything down with just water.

Sweet memories!

Jul

GEORGE TOWN FESTIVAL 2012 : JUST GOT BETTER

By docgelo 22 Comments

Categories: EVENTS, ILOVEPHOTOS, MALAYSIA and TRAVEL
Tags: 14 living story, 14 living story penang, acheh street, armenian street, art, arts, cannon street, cheah kongsi, chicken cheese kebab, chinese culture, chinese money plant, chulia street, culture, doc gelo, docgelo, ernest zacharevic, expat in malaysia, expat in penang malaysia, festival, fiesta, george town festival 2012, george town penang, george town penang festival, heritage, http://docgelo.com/, indian culture, indian dishes, indian traditional dances, kapitan keling street, kebab, lebuh acheh, lebuh chulia, life abroad, lifestyle, malaysia, malaysia tourism, malaysian culture, naan, paavani, paintings, penang, penang tourism, photography, restoran kapitan, roti, roti cheese, street photography, tourism, tradition, traditional dances, TRAVEL, travel blog, traveling, travelling, unesco, UNESCO world heritage sites

I anticipated grandiosity in this year’s celebration. I also set no less than great expectations of the pageantry of events. I thought there’s no way that the 4th anniversary of inscription of George Town, Penang as one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites could get worse but otherwise. No one can blame me as I experienced George Town Festival 2011 : Tapestry of Cultures last year. I saw, heard, felt, smelt and tasted it as beyond spectacular! A flamboyant display of rich diversities that this cultural melting pot in Southeast Asia is known for. I was simply blown away by that 2011 holiday and I believe this year, it just got better! I haven’t traveled the world but where else can you find streets showcasing arts, heritage, culture, traditions, food, religions, performances and whatnot, mostly for FREE and readily accessible to public all at the same time?

July 7th is the gazetted public holiday for the George Town Festival but people behind it planned and prepared an entire month of merrymaking! This year, it extends from June 15th to July 15th. And if that doesn’t sound grand fiesta to you, I rest my case.

With only my mom in tow, as my wife and our 7-year-old son decided to stay at home to do some chores and rest after, I arrived in George Town from our place in Butterworth on the afternoon of Saturday, July 7th. My mom and I did some necessary errands first, then headed to Plaza Gurney Mall and back to the laterals of Lebuh Chulia.

If you’ve been following this blog, you’ve probably known that the Lithuanian artist, Ernest Zacharevic‘s murals are all over the key streets of George Town. I assumed the muralist who did those fantastic and whimsical reflections of bits and pieces of life in Penang using mostly children and children’s imagination as his subjects, was commissioned specially for the GTF2012. I showed my mom one of his works located in Lebuh Ah Quee as we began our personal GTF2012 walking tour that weekend.

This Zacharevic’s art installation in Lebuh Ah Quee is an updated version that we saw on our visit last June 23, 2012; before it became more animated, it was firstly presented as ruggedly, rustic and restless looking street painting then…

His masterpieces at one of Penang’s waterfront settlement protected by UNESCO, Chew Jetty …

Armenian Street which is my favorite…

and other streets of George Town are always admired by local and foreign tourists.

I regret the fact that I failed to come to Ernest Zacharevic and Gabija’s invitation via facebook and missed their exhibit called Rescube which was a collaboration with few more Malaysian artists.

What I like most of George Town, Penang other than its multi-racial diversities that are so apparent in their flavorful gastronomic delights, colorful and vibrant cultures and varied and inspiring religions, is the fact that this island boasts of creativity in almost every corner.

Another wonderful treat for the public present in this year’s GTF2012 was witnessing Malaysian artists creating their on-the-spot-watercolor paintings. My mom and I were very fortunate to chanced upon these artistic and skillful hands immortalizing parts of Cheah Kongsi and its nearby shophouses along Armenian Street. For few minutes, I was left in awe!

Still in Armenian Street, I walked my mom through a souvenir shop called, 14 Living Story which in my humble opinion, is one of the most quaint stores that sells interesting pieces that represent George Town and a few more things about Pulau Pinang. However, since it’s my nth time inside that souvenir shop and I somehow became familiar with what they could offer, I was more fascinated with one of their ornaments –a Chinese money plant! I like this plant and I want money, LOL!!!

Spotted this street performer at the junction of Armenian and Kapitan Keling Streets who’s throwing his unusual neon yoyo up in the air while grooving over an imaginary sound. He drew crowd expectedly.

Then we continued our aimless strolling and walked towards Cannon Street. Et voila, another Ernest Zacharevic’s mural!

I saw him when he did this last June 23, 2012…

The other side of the wall has pink pin wheels to send lovely vibes…

Meanwhile, at the tail end of Cannon Street comes Lebuh Acheh…

How do you like sweet smiles as a welcoming party?

Whenever I fill out forms or converse with Malaysians and tell them that we, Filipinos came from Malay race, I usually get quirky stares because most of them haven’t heard of it yet. One need not google or read history books, there’s proof in things that are common among us. Traditional music with gongs, for one, is shared by two countries.

There were also live demonstrations of other forms of arts and handicrafts from henna tattooing, batik making and basket weaving.

Past half hour that we’re roaming George Town streets, my mom and I trooped back to Armenian Street and went inside Cheah Kongsi.

We were in Cheah Kongsi to witness one of a kind expression of Lion Dance. To most of us, Filipinos living in Manila, we usually enjoy such Oriental street performance in Manila Chinatown every Chinese New Year. We might be familiar with Lion and Dragon dances performed on the road with so much ease, but Penangites do it on stilts! The GTF2012 map and guide had Lion Dances on stilts at 6PM and Dragon Dance at 7 in the evening for that day. As soon as we got inside the Cheah Kongsi compound, I let my mom watched over my backpack and reusable shopping bags and thankfully found a nice spot that’s high enough for me to capture the impressive performance.

Yeah, right, I was on stilts too! LOL! No, of course not! I stood up the concrete fence with my stance secured and took extra efforts not to fall and break anything important while capturing this feature. So here’s a few of my photos of that amazing Lion Dance on stilts…

One of the breathtaking stunts they did was this…

And these were the two young men who moved the lion on stilts with ease and expertise…

This Lion Dance was tremendously done; absolutely entertaining!

There was an hour gap between the Lion dance on stilts and the Dragon dance thus, my mom and I opted to grab some eats from our favorite food place in Lebuh Chulia (photos just before the end of this post) and headed back to Cheah Kongsi before 7PM.

Just a few steps from Yap Kongsi and Yap Temple is a Southern Indian decorative design made of colored grains. Where else can you experience Hindu, Chinese and Malays co-existing harmoniously? Pardon me but I really I have to state this : Indeed, “Malaysia, Truly Asia!”

We left Lebuh Armenian and headed to Lebuh Acheh where Indian, Thai and Sri Lankan dances will be performed at 8PM. Days before this event, I was personally invited by Ms. Pavaani, the classical Indian dancer whom I met last June 23rd before she performed then. Her email noted that I can capture a few shots of the girls just before their show.

Local and foreign audience in the street including my mom and myself were treated to fascinating cultural dances. First to perform were the very energetic and passionate, Punjabi dancers…

Each group as I understood it, prepared two dances. Each step was engaging; all eyes were glued to the steps of the performers.

I was surpised myself to see Thai and Sri Lankan dancers. I’m not sure if they’re from George Town too or must have been invited to grace the event. Either way, they made the night even more vivid and alive!

After the amusing Thai dances, the group of Ms. Paavani continued presenting ”Dancing Feet”, a wonderfully choreographed various styles of Classical Indian dances, much to delight the audience.

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, the beautiful lady in yellow is Ms. Pavaani… I believe she leads the group.

It was almost 9PM when we decided to leave and didn’t wait for the Sri Lankan dancers to perform; we saw they have real swords and spear-looking weapons as props. Not because we chicken-out of their performance, but we’re almost dead-tired. We saw they even needed a long table to put all those props in place prior to their performance. We missed their dances but nonetheless, my mom and I were happy with what we experienced. The shows were modestly done in streets yet so exuberant and lavish!

This blog entry would not be complete without food post of course! For our early dinner that Saturday, just before we came to watch the Dragon dance in Cheah Kongsi, I brought my mom to our family favorite, Restoran Kapitan where we indulged in simple but tasteful Indian dishes.

We love Indian dishes from Kapitan however we prefer it less spicy (or for my family –non-spicy at all). We’re glad they have food choices to cater for the taste buds like ours. I ordered Chicken Cheese Kebab with Cheese Naan. It comes with flavorful dips which I like very much. That tangy tamarid, green mango and chili mix is one of the tastes that I usually crave for! It’s perfect to dip the Cheese Naan or Roti Cheese.

Chicken Butter Boneless is the bomb for me! It’s the first time I’ve tasted this and so glad my mom opted for anything without chili. It might be red in color but only because it’s tomato based. Creamy and buttery with hint of tomato sauce with Indian herbs (and spices), it’s another great dip for those Indian breads. I found another favorite in this dish! Can’t wait till Tina and Gabby sample this.

My mom loves Kapitan’s Mango Lassi which I also like. Lassi’s different from the usual and plain juice or fruit shake because it’s yoghurt based. We all washed down our Indian meal with thirst-quenching Mango Lassi…

This post was only about a few hours of a month-long celebration of George Town Festival 2012. It’s not even tip of the iceberg, so to speak. There’s a long line of programs that includes performers from other neighboring countries. So there were Sri Lankan and Thai dancers whom we saw in this D-I-Y-day tour but there are performers from Cambodia, Australia to name a few; not to forget, no less than my country’s pride, The Philippine Madrigal Singers also threw a 2-night concert that regretfully we missed (due to financial limits). More activities are in store for the remaining days of the festivities.

I remain grateful for being an expatriate here in Penang for almost 2 years now. Because of my work here, I and my family get to engaged ourselves in decent revelries like this. Most tourists and travelers would take efforts just to visit this UNESCO’s World Heritage Site but as mentioned, I consider it a blessing to be based in Penang and to experience George Town almost every weekend. This island’s diversities, heritage and gastronomic offerings are its strongest charms that lure tourists from near and beyond. In my opinion, those are the main reasons why George Town Festival should be celebrated by more generations to come.

———————-

Jul

DEFYING STRESS : YET ANOTHER FOOD PORN

By docgelo 18 Comments

Categories: FAMILY : LOVE KO 'TO, FOOD & MORE FOOD!, ILOVEPHOTOS and MALAYSIA
Tags: adele, autocity penang, buffet, docgelo, docgelo.com, Eat all you can, expat in malaysia, expatriate, family, filipino abroad, filipino expat, food, food blog, food blog review, food blogger, food in penang malaysia, food photography, foodie, fun, http://docgelo.com/, Ice cream, international blogger, japanese cuisine, japanese dishes, Japanese food, jimmy choo, love for food, malaysia, night life in penang malaysia, ocw, ofw, penang, penang malaysia, photography, photos, restaurant in penang malaysia, restaurants in penang malaysia, roast beef sandwich, sashimi, scallops, someone like you, Starbucks coffee, subway, subway melt, subway sandwiches, sushi, tao, tao authentic asian cuisine restaurant, tao japanese cuisine, tao japanese restaurant, tao restaurant, temaki, travel blogger, whitney houston

We defy stress from a weeklong work and some bizaare challenges that come with living in another country by spending quality time together, either simply being lazy at home or going out on weekends. It breaks the monotony of our seemingly routinary lives here in Penang on weekdays (home-school-home for Gabby and home-work-home for Tina and me). Needless to say, we enjoy our togetherness longer every Friday night, Saturday, Sunday and during holidays, thus, we usually have efforts to make the most out of it (In Tagalog, SULIT!).

And whenever my family finds extra time and budget to go out, gastronomic adventures have been integral part of the fun! Frankly speaking, savoring good food has been therapeutic and a delightful measure to combat all the hassles away. Of course, the choice of food places and menu should always be unanimous among us!

Subway never fails to unleash the sandwich and cookie monsters in us. My family and I always opt to make our Subway sandwiches into a meal so that we get a cup of drink plus 2 cookies per sandwich, which we favor over a bag of Lays potato chips. Tina and Gabby love Chocolate and Double Chocolate cookies. While I also like their choices, I frequently go for Macadamia cookies; it’s deliciously good! Admittedly, Subway has been a favorite of the family. At reasonable and affordable cost, we get to savor freshness in every bite!

Before the clock hits 7PM when we watched Upin & Ipin, Live! at a carnival in AutoCity, Juru, Penang one Saturday, our tummies were filled by early dinner-cum-late-afternoon snack at Subway. Gabby had Roast Chicken-no veggies, just mayonnaise (I know, he should eat greens and he usually does at home but not in Subway), Tina had Roast Beef while I chose Subway Melt and both of our sandwiches contained everything except Jalapeno and olives.

Dinner came at past 9PM. We had eat-all-you-want and this time we went Japanese! But because we only had reservation on the same day at around half hour past 5PM, the Japanese food place was already packed hence, we were assigned to a table at their open-air-area. It turned out to be a better option because Tina, Gabby and I got to watch a live band show plus Gabby experienced dining while his legs crossed.

Because we became preoccupied looking at the menu, we failed to note the name of the band. Toinks! However, Tina and I had a strong hint that the two lady lead singers are voices from the Philippines. We might be wrong of course, but the English accent that landed on our ears when they sang their repertoire almost confirmed it; we just failed and was too shy to ask. Nonetheless, they threw a remarkable performance of a variety of songs mostly from classic hits of Whitney Houston (Indaaaaaaay, will always love youuuuuuuhuhuuuuuu!) to the very now, Adele (Someone Like You) and so much more!

Tao Restaurant’s Japanese buffet specializes in ala-carte-eat-all-you-can. Simply put, food is only delivered on the table upon order. In a way, we liked it because it assures the freshness of the dishes compared to the ones found on a spread. We already experienced it once in Manila when we dined at Chef Laudico’s Bistro Filipino in Bonifacio Global City several years back.

These were the dishes from Tao that earned thumbs up from the 3 of us.

Temaki : Hand rolled Soft Shell Crab (2 orders), California and Smoked Salmon. They’re satisfyingly good, a visual treat too! This is why I love Japanese food -they’re both art and sustenance.

Ebi tempura : Gabby’s default choice. I didn’t sample it but by mere looking, the prawns had too much batter nonetheless, our son munched it happily!

Sushi Moriawase : Took me to heaven!

Sashimi Moriawase : Fresh cuts! …Salmon and tuna sashimi are happiness!

Fried Crabmeat with Cheese : The cheese lover in Gabby liked this.

Tina ordered Ika Spicy Age : A fried and crunchy-spicy squid dish. Just okay.

I think this is called Beef Bacon Skewer : We liked it too! :D

Salmon Teriyaki’s another just fine.

And if there’s one dish that’s worthy of visiting Tao again and again, it’s this Scallop thingy-I-forgot-its-name but never its taste! Toink-Toinks!

It’s creamy, sweet and spicy; what more can you ask for? WE LOVED IT! Tina and I consumed 3 plates!!! There you go!

And these were the ones that FAILED to stimulate our palates…

A bigger scallop-let-down-dish-so-unremarkable-i-didn’t-bother-to-note-its-name. Glass noodles and scallops fusion wasn’t good on this plate.

Pickled Papaya Salmon. #ayokonito.

Cheese-something. #anotherforgettable. Gabby, Tina and I are fond of cheese but this one didn’t hit the mark.

Beef Ribs that looked like pork chops had nothing to rave about. Sorry.

Ebi Fried Kani Mayo. I so love prawns, crabs and mayonnaise but the combination didn’t worked on this dish. #soggy #supersaturated

Tina ordered this Mushroom dish but I so believe my very own home cooked buttered garlic mushrooms is far better than this variety.

Lobster sandwich. I ordered this when I thought I was not struggling on satiation yet. The end point : I didn’t even taste it. #whatawaste!

My bad comments on several dishes from the menu of Tao impose a challenge for enhancement. I’ve to be honest and far from being biased on my review. On a positive note, we loved Tao’s bottomless drinks (we only had iced tea, but Tiger beer was also free-flowing), and dessert included in the rates. The cost of the buffet for the three of us was reasonable; in fact, was only equivalent to half of an adult-rate in a hotel buffet in Manila. Another plus point of Tao was the courtesy of the wait staff. Prompt and friendly service without being pushy makes every dining experience commendable.

The raspberry flavored ice cream was such a wonderful ending to this meal! Tina and I loved it but Gabby passed it up.

I had an arrangement with our usual taxi cab driver to pick us up at around 11:30PM so while waiting, we had to give in to Gabby’s request for him to have his share of dessert. We left Tao before 11PM and walked few steps towards Starbucks Coffee.

Since Tina and I were so full, it was only Gabby who enjoyed his Chocolate Chip Frappuccino and Chocolate Marble Cheesecake.

For few minutes while waiting for our cab to take us home, I chanced upon this magazine inside the coffee shop that featured one of Malaysia’s pride, Penang-born-world-renowned-luxury handmade shoemaker, Prof. Dato’ Jimmy Choo. I’d like to end this lengthy family-food-fun blog post on one of Jimmy Choo’s quotes from that featured article…

Until our next stress-busting-family bonding!

——————–

Jul

GABBY IN UPIN & IPIN, LIVE!

By docgelo 16 Comments

When I was in the Philippines some 2 years back, my descriptions of Malaysia only revolved in three phrases. Their country’s very effective Tourism tag line, “Malaysia, Truly Asia!” that’s so compelling to make you feel the urgency to fly to Kuala Lumpur in a blink. Next was the incredibly iconic, Petronas Twin Towers that never fail to mesmerize me at dusk until now; they’re magnificently stunning! And lastly, the most popular animated characters from Malaysia, Upin and Ipin. Our 7-year-old son, Gabby has been into Upin and Ipin even long before coming to Malaysia. He has been watching the show religiously on Disney Channel and made it as one of his favorites. Believe it or not, our kiddo had suggested for the two Malaysian cartoon characters be included in the parade in Hong Kong Disneyland when he was asked by one of the staff during our last visit to the theme park early this year. It’s how big Gabby’s admiration to these duo. And as for me apparently, after I became an expatriate here in Penang, my perceptions about Malaysia have been improved but I still associate the identity of the country with those few phrases, specially Upin and Ipin!

30 June 2012, Saturday. Imagine our joy that night when we saw Upin and Ipin, Live at AutoCity, Juru, Penang! What’s even happier was to see Gabby performed an impromptu dance with Malaysia’s famous cartoon characters on stage with the other children (my wife, captured the stint on video at the last part of this post). Despite the weather didn’t allow us not to perspire, excitement was upon us!

We were lucky to be accomodated warmly by Farhan and Daniel, two of the many men behind this seemingly modest yet fun-filled carnival who gave us a VIP access that allowed us, particularly Gabby, to enjoy the rides for free! They even gave us a nod to have a special photo-op with the two mascots after the show but we had to bid goodbye for buffet dinner (blogging next!).

First and only ride we tried as dad-and-son was the bump cars. Admittedly, I had fun more than Gabby! He was a bit surprised on how speedy those cars could go on a single step. He swore he’ll never ride bump cars again but I bet his spur-of-the-moment-decision would change once years are added to his age.

After a few carnival rides, we trooped to the venue of the show and while Upin and Ipin were still out of sight, Tina and I were delighted to take turns in capturing the kids who pre-enlisted to join the Upin and Ipin Coloring contest.

Then the much-awaited stars of the show arrived and strolled their way to the stage…

One thing that’s definite about Malaysia : almost the entire country, if not all, love Chicken Dance! It was one of the dances that our company introduced to us during a few-day-workshop years ago; even Gabby instantly learned it when we attended the 2012 MITBCA Blog Awards where no less than the Minister of Tourism led the audience to groove to Chicken Dance! Its popularity to Malaysians perhaps, properly equate to the love for Upin and Ipin.

Now here’s a run down of how Gabby and other children savored that minute on stage dancing Chicken Dance with Upin and Ipin! No rehearsals needed! No kidding!

Fastforward Play : Now, please yourself for a minute or so and watch Gabby and the other children’s on-the-spot-performance of Malaysians’ favorite, CHICKEN DANCE with Upin and Ipin on stage!

The children’s happiness was infectious! They cheered and danced with Upin and Ipin tirelessly! What a worry-free night it was!

If you’re in Penang, Malaysia (also in time for George Town Festival 2012) or nearby states, and would like to experience “World of Fun with Upin & Ipin”, catch the shows and the carnival that runs from June 30 to August 6, 2012 at 6PM-12MN daily at AutoCity, Juru, Penang. Admission rates are only 4 ringgit for adult and 2 ringgit for kanak-kanak or children. Tokens are sold at 2 ringgit each. *Special thanks goes to “World of Fun with Upin & Ipin” particularly to Farhan and Daniel for everything!

—————————-

Jun

HOW I INTRODUCED GEORGE TOWN, PENANG

By docgelo 26 Comments

Categories: FOOD & MORE FOOD!, ILOVEPHOTOS, MALAYSIA and TRAVEL
Tags: a guide to tourists in penang, ais kachang, armenian project, armenian street, armenian street george town penang, buddhism, buddhist temples, cendol, chicken rice, doc gelo, docgelo, durian, ernest zacharevic, food, food blog, food in penang, george town festival, george town festival 2012, george town penang, george town penang malaysia, goddess of mercy temple, indian, indian malaysian, joe sidek, kapitan keling mosque, life in malaysia, lifestyle blog, malaysia, malaysian cuisines, malaysian food, murals in george town penang, muslim mosque, must visit places in penang, nasi lemak, old town, pavaani thannimalai, penang, penang assam laksa, penang malaysia, photography, photos, pulau pinang, purefoods corned beef, religions, Sasana Vamsa Shima Shrine Hall & International Standing Buddhas, sleeping buddha penang, standing buddha temple penang, temple of reclining buddha penang, tourism malaysia, tourist attractions in george town, tourist attractions in penang, travel blog, traveling, travelling, trishaw, trishaw in penang, unesco world heritage site, wat chaiyamangalaram, water lily

23 June 2012, Saturday. How do you introduce a place that needs no elaborate introduction? As one of the Filipino expatriates in Penang, Malaysia for almost two years now, I oftenly state that I still consider myself a traveler and a tourist despite I frequent George Town almost every weekend for the reason that this island has so much to offer. Every visit to this cultural melting pot in Southeast Asia is such a SENSORY FEAST!

I had a first-time opportunity to casually showcase George Town, Penang to two fellow Filipino bloggers when I accompanied them in touring a few must-visit-sites in Pulau Pinang as they arrived from Kuala Lumpur via bus. The challenge : They’ll only spend several hours in Penang and head back to Malaysia’s capital city after.

Without any hardcore plans in mind, I brought 2 of the Philippines’ youngest bloggers, Lloyd (of his travel blog, The Lost Boy) and Dan (of his travel blog,The Wandering Wonder ) in tow to Penang Island after meeting them in Penang Sentral bus station in Butterworth and together we explored George Town via ferry, Rapid Penang buses, taxi cabs and of course by foot. I personally define this utterly quaint island in three words : DIVERSITIES, HERITAGE and FOOD, hence my few-hour-introductory-tour of this UNESCO’s World Heritage Site to my Filipino blog buddies simply revolved on those.

*All photos on this blog entry are captured on June 23, 2012 therefore I have not published them yet prior to this posting. However, some subjects were already featured on this site thus, I intently inserted URLs of my previous blog posts for your reference. ENJOY!

D I V E R S I T I E S

Lorong Burma or Burma Lane, accessible via Rapid Penang Buses # 101 or 103 from Pengkalan Weld (or Weld Quay/Jetty in George Town) or by cars and taxi cabs, features two Buddhist temples. Firstly, the Thai Buddhist Temple or Wat Chaiyamangalaram; the shrine of the Reclining Buddha (also known as Sleeping Buddha). This shrine to me, provides a feel of somehow being in Thailand and Malaysia at the same time.

And just across the street is the equally stunning, Burmese Buddhist Temple, the Sasana Vamsa Shima Shrine Hall & International Standing Buddhas. Burma and Malaysia conquered by few steps! How’s that?

I never feel tired of going back to these temples, not only because they’re picturesque but the atmosphere’s always serene and tranquil. Every visit calms and recharges my mind.

Due to limited time of my guests, I opted to highlight only two Buddhist Temples that are located across each other. As I wanted to maximize the ticking of the clock, I suggested for us to take a taxi cab instead of riding the bus in going back to the laterals of Lebuh Chulia. In that busy Chulia street where foreign backpackers spring everyday like mushrooms, tangible proofs of religious diversities in this Northwestern Malaysian state can be found. Harmony among religions reign supreme in different places of worships that are only a stone’s throw away from each other. Conflicts don’t exist or if there are, at least discreetly. Few steps from Goddess of Mercy Temple are the mostly flocked by tourists, Kapitan Keling Mosque for Muslims and a Hindu temple of the Indian-Malaysian community (View previous blog HERE).

H E R I T A G E

Besides Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion also known as the Blue Mansion (View previous blog post HERE), another personal favorite heritage site is the Pinang Peranakan Mansion (View previous blog post HERE). Because of the unique charm of this magnificent mansion-turned-museum, it’s one of the most preferred venues for prenuptial photoshoots. We chanced upon one and I captured the next photo on a whim ala-paparazzo. Lovely, is it not?

I like Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion and truly enjoyed my tour there with my family before but its restriction on taking photos inside its beautifully restored heritage house makes it second best in my humble opinion to Pinang Peranakan Mansion where unlimited photo-opportunity awaits.

We strolled our way from the site of Pinang Peranakan Mansion in Lebuh Gereja or Church Street to Kapitan Keling Street and headed straight to Armenian and Cannon Streets.

The majestic Khoo Kongsi should never be missed when visiting George Town, Penang (Visit my previous blog post HERE). I have toured this gorgeous clan house with temple, stage for Chinese opera and other performances and its very own museum a few times too including during the 2012 Chinese New Year celebration (View previous blog post HERE). Every visit is an unforgettable experience!

One need not google Wikipedia for George Town heritage and history anymore for it is gloriously illustrated in its streets and alleys. I so appreciate how creatively executed the bits and pieces of this place’s character and colorful past with art installations that are difficult to ignore. Case in point are the many murals and wrought-iron caricatures plastered on walls of shophouses scattered in various streets of George Town. They’re absolutely informative and fantastic! Where else can you find heritage data that are never boring and so creatively done that could enticed ages across the life span? I wish this could also be possible in the streets of Manila or some provinces in the Philippines.

As we reached Armenian Street by foot, we spent few minutes inside a souvenir shop called, 14 Living Story (View previous blog post HERE). It’s located immediatley beside Cheah Kongsi and a hole-in-the-wall-favorite-restaurant by tourists, Amelie Cafe (View previous blog post HERE). Inside 14 Living Story, was a Chinese-Malaysian man who played an interestingly uncommon musical instrument.

We then trooped to the tail end of Armenian Street that’s Pengakalan Weld and headed directly to another must-visit-UNESCO’s World Heritage Site in this part of Malaysia. I brought my-2-first-time-Penang-visitors to one of the waterfront settlements of Chinese clans, The Chew Jetty (View previous post HERE).

The sights in Chew Jetty when I visited it for the second time made me miss my family instantly (who chose to stay in our Butterworth appartment). How I wish I could bring Gabby and Tina here one day and spend a lazy afternoon like what the families in photos did.

Durian, anyone?

Confession : Tina and I have not yet tasted durian in our almost 36 years of existence. It’s something we should do soon before durian season in Penang ends.

Still at Chew Jetty, I was silently jumping for joy like a kid when I saw another Ernest Zacharevic‘s mural masterpiece…

Must have detail shot…

Ernest Zacharevic is a Lithuanian artist commissioned to do these murals on the streets of George Town just in time for 2012 festival. His works depict the seemingly ordinary but joyous lifestyle of children living in Penang. Most people describe his paintings realistic but larger than life. I myself got hooked to follow his masterpieces one after the other after I saw his very first in Armenian Street (View previous blog HERE).

Like many people who stop by for a photo-op with Ernest’s murals, Filipino travel bloggers, Lloyd and Dan also tried capturing these street art pieces on photos. You can’t blame them; the paintings are really awesome!

Another Ernest Zacharevic mural is installed in Ah Quee Street. How do you like this?

Rugged, rustic and restless…

Despite I got hold of Armenian Project schedule for that day as part of GTF2012 celebration, I didn’t expect to catch the main man behind these wonderful murals in action working on his current art work a few steps from the gates of Khoo Kongsi in Cannon Street. Ladies and gentlemen, meet Ernest Zacharevic…

Everything’s a part of George Town Festival 2012 that runs June 15 – July 15, 2012. The main holiday and celebration of entire Penang for the anniversary of the inscription of George Town as one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites is on July 7, 2012. Now, that’s a reason to pack your bags and visit Pulau Pinang!

And because of Armenian Project that day, a lot of enticing programs were there to stimulate the interest of everyone. I randomly met, Joe Sidek, one of the men behind these festivities; however my one-shot-photo with him was too blurred hence I chose not to post here. I introduced myself and then he asked me why I know his name and he smiled when I told him, “Of course, Sir, who doesn’t know you? You’re famous for this GTF!”

A little while later, I met Pavaani Thannimalai, the Indian solo-dancer of the night. She graciously agreed to be photographed just before she strut her stint so passionately right in front of the Yap Kongsi…

After that exotic and dramatic performance that was well received by everyone, we entered the Handmade Bazaar held inside Yap Konsgi. Everything being sold was handicrafted of course, so prices were expectedly a bit steep. Nevertheless, these are the few things that caught my eyes…

I could have bought Tina and my mom a bouquet of lemon grass for 2 ringgit each but thought I’ll just bring them to this street on the 7th of July for the GTF2012 grand celebration.

I smiled when I saw thsese baby girls’ shoes and suddenly hoped that Tina and I could give Gabby a baby sister whenever God allows.

The mood in the streets and inside the bazaar was festive and happy; the crowd was well controlled definitely.

F O O D

A trip to Penang is never complete without sampling the local dishes that this Malaysian gastronomic paradise is known for. Here’s a run down of what we savored…

Lunch was at Old Town, First Avenue Mall. Barbecue Chicken Rice, Crusty Fried Chicken, Nasi Lemak (the Malaysian staple food served with sotong or squid and not with the usual chicken), and Penang Assam Laksa, 2012 CNN Go’s Top 7 Most Delicious Food in the World (Visit previous blog post HERE).

For dinner, I suggested to Lloyd and Dan early on that I would bring them to one of the most frequented Penang hawkers; the hawkers in Gurney Drive and I’m glad they liked it. We feasted on Chicken Rice, Oyster Omelette, Claypot Chicken Rice, Char Koay Teow and Cendol and Ais Kacang for desserts.

I had to profess my LOVE for Char Koay Teow and needed to infect my blogger-friends. Here’s my plate of Nirvana!

Before that CKT reached our table, I had to wait on a long queue while Lloyd and Dan scouted for other foods that satisfied our cravings. It was no hassle for me to fall in line for this heavenly noodle dish; long queue certainly affirmed that this CKT is perhaps, the best in this side of Penang. Here’s the process how my favorite Char Koay Teow was prepared. Sublime digestive goodness for only 5 ringgit (USD 1.56).

Et voila! Here’s a memento of that evening feast of 3 Filipino bloggers in Penang… Tadaaaaaaaaa Delicious! Sarap! Sedap!

And to perfectly cap that Penangite dinner, we enjoyed Malaysian desserts, Cendol and Ais Kacang at 2.50 ringgit each.

From lunch time to half hour past 8 in the evening, I tried my best to feature the places where I mostly spend my weekends after a tiring and productive week at work. I know my efforts were not enough as I did not keep a plan in mind on where to bring my guests; nonetheless luck was on my side because we witnessed some parts of the celebration of the 2012 George Town Festival. I believe it’s already an amazing treat for all of us!

And at the end of a tiring but FUN-filled day, GRATITUDE remains PRICELESS.

This blog is the recipient of 2012 BEST EXPAT BLOG AWARD by MINISTRY OF TOURISM MALAYSIA

PS : Maraming salamat, Lloyd and Dan sa pasalubong niyo na anim na lata ng Purefoods Corned Beef na pinakapaborito kong carne norte sa balat ng lupa! Naway naging masaya ang inyong pagbisita dito sa Pulau Pinang!

May

HAPPY BLOGGING

By docgelo 37 Comments

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

TEDDY FOR A CAUSE

By docgelo 4 Comments

No, these photos were not taken from a toy museum nor a toy shop but a garden-themed restaurant in Batu Ferringhi, Penang. The second floor (or as they call it here in Malaysia– the first level) of the restaurant was transformed into a venue for a FREE exhibit where handmade teddy bears were featured; most were sold, some were only for display. The proceeds of the sale went to a charity, caring for the children of Penang. With the few pieces I’ve seen as labeled, tag prices ranged from 75 ringgit to 880 ringgit. In as much as I understood the cause of the event, unfortunately, my budget didn’t allow me to contribute and just captured the event for posterity.

Helen Lee’s Handmade Bear Exhibition was presented last April 15- May 2, 2012, 6PM-11PM by Ferringhi Garden Restaurant as a charity event for the benefit of Children’s Protection Society of Penang.

The name Teddy Bear comes from former United States President Theodore Roosevelt, whose nickname was “Teddy”. The name originated from an incident on a bear hunting trip in Mississippi in November 1902, to which Roosevelt was invited by Mississippi Governor Andrew H. Longino. There were several other hunters competing, and most of them had already killed an animal. A suite of Roosevelt’s attendants, led by Holt Collier, cornered, clubbed, and tied an American Black Bear to a willow tree after a long exhausting chase with hounds. They called Roosevelt to the site and suggested that he should shoot it. He refused to shoot the bear himself, deeming this unsportsmanlike, but instructed that the bear be killed to put it out of its misery, and it became the topic of a political cartoon by Clifford Berryman in The Washington Post on November 16, 1902. While the initial cartoon of an adult black bear lassoed by a handler and a disgusted Roosevelt had symbolic overtones, later issues of that and other Berryman cartoons made the bear smaller and cuter. -Sourced via Wiki

May

ARMENIAN STREET, GEORGE TOWN, PENANG

By docgelo 29 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.

Apr

MASJID KAPITAN KELING

By docgelo 15 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

METAMORPHOSIS : PENANG BUTTERFLY FARM

By docgelo 20 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

PATCHI GOODNESS!

By docgelo 15 Comments

It’s incredibly wonderful when something pleasant happens to you in the least expected times. Who would have thought that exactly a day after we evacuated our 11th floor-seaside-appartment for a night, in response to Tsunami Alert issued by Malaysian Meteorological Department after that 8.9 magnitude earthquake on the richter scale and a strong aftershock with epicenter in Aceh, Indonesia and were immensely felt here in Penang, a courier man would be standing in front of our door at lunch time bearing a gift…

The Lord is truly the greatest and indeed the sweetest! After He has saved us and spared our location from unthinkable complications of that calamity, He continuously showed His extraordinary LOVE with a box of PATCHI chocolates from Abu Dhabi in UAE –it was a gift from Ms. Jo, of the blog, WITSANDNUTS who visited her cousin in Penang Island a few weeks back. However, unfortunately we failed to have a meet-up because as I learned from her email, she (and her family) only stayed over the Holy Week-Weekend and left Pulau Pinang on Easter Sunday. Despite the short notice, I so appreciated the thoughtfulness of her email.

It was a day of PAGOD, PUYAT, then PATCHI!!!

See, Gabby’s smiling ear to ear….

The chocholates featured postcard-perfect photos of Abu Dhabi’s scenic spots in every wrapper. What a charming and unique gift!

And even if @PatchiOfficial followed me on Twitter and RTed my tweet about this prior to this blog post which I acknowledged, allow me to mimic one of the usual lines I read from other fellow bloggers’ sites,

“This is NOT a sponsored post!” hahaha! *pun intended*

However, if someone from Patchi would read this and would send gifts over, I’ll be more than willing to feature their uber yummy chocolates in this humble site again! Seriously, sponsored or not, my family and I welcome blessings –big and small so bring it on!

Thanks again, Jo! My family and I hope to meet you when we get a chance. ;)

Follow her blog at http://witsandnuts.com/

And to God, YOU’RE the SWEETEST!

—————————-

Our unforgettable evacuation experience due that 8.9 magnitude earthquake posted here –> http://docgelo.wordpress.com/2012/04/12/the-day-gabby-learned-about-earthquake/

Apr

THE DAY WHEN GABBY LEARNED ABOUT EARTHQUAKE

By docgelo 25 Comments

The “morning after” edition of the New Straits Times newspaper was distributed to all hotel rooms at around 4:30AM, Thursday 4/12/2012 and my mom was the only one awake among us to pick it up.

4/11/2012, Wednesday was a public holiday for the entire Malaysia because their new King was crowned or in their words, was installed (Sultans of Malaysian states rotate on being a King, as explained by one of my Malaysian students). In spite of the holiday when one has the luxury to enjoy the malls and whatnot in the island, my family and I simply chose to stay at home together. Then at around 5PM, I thought of sitting on our rattan chair in the living room instead in the sofa, and felt the seat was rocking and sliding. In a blink, Tina and my mom came out of separate rooms telling me it’s an earthquake! I knew it’s an earthquake but my mind was in denial for a few sec because for 20 months of stay here in Malaysia, I haven’t experienced any natural calamities, not a single typhoon nor floods, neither anything alarming.

Our very first earthquake felt in Malaysia.

As the four of us walked hurriedly to exit our unit, we saw next door neighbors about to go down too. We didn’t panic except for Gabby who knew nothing of earthquakes before this incident! You cannot blame our 7-year-old boy for it was his first time to experience such. The boy was almost in tears, yelling for us to take the lift. I, who was still plugging out and turning off electrical appliances in our rooms, told Gabby, “We never take lifts during earthquakes, anak, we take the stairs!” (Good thing is, our unit is located adjacent to the concrete stairs, almost across the elevators and our block has 2 more exits other than what’s beside our unit and the 2 lifts.) Tina held Gabby’s hand and guided him and my mom towards the stairs –11th floor to the ground. I locked our unit, went down with only 7-year-old mobile and keys at hand. Yes, we didn’t panic but admittedly, we’re NOT ready with such EMERGENCY! (Lesson learned : Pack important stuffs such as passports, credit cards, money, keys, things that matter to you the most and those you cannnot live without in an “E” bag with a couple of clothes and toiletries for survival. I know this, actually but honestly was too lazy to prepare.). We went down the emergency-exit-concrete stairs with one of our Filipino colleagues and stayed for about 20 minutes in one of gazebos in the playground.

The aftershock and the tsunami alert.

Twenty minutes after, we returned to our unit. I heard my mom reminding us to pack important things to be ready enough in times as such. I turned on my laptop and browsed online news about the quake; I even managed to chat to my friends in Pinas and Saudi about the earthquake and inviting a few of them over to Penang on one of its holidays. While Tina called her older sister, relayed our situation over the phone. Then, the inevitable happened. An aftershock! This time, Tina brought money with her in a sling bag and I got my backpack with passports and credit cards, and camera but still left and forgot my laptop, chargers and other things. We saw more people coming down. A siren was heard all over. Security guards seen actively roaming and advising the tenants to evacuate and leave our units.

Tina, Gabby, my mom and I walked our way to a restaurant-cafe in front of our condo unit. We saw some colleagues and talked to one of them who pleasantly, despite of the stress about the quake and all, kept her composure for her own family. We saw them carrying a few of their clothes and other essentials to their cars. We stayed in the restaurant, watched news on TV even if it’s on Bahasa Melayu and stay tuned for updates. We sat in the resto so naturally, we had to order food. It was a blessing in disguise for we had to fill in as it’s almost dinner. Trying to struggle with panic and anxiety, we heeded to the advice of one of our co-workers to get clothes, bottles of water, toiletries and things we need for the night and leave too. So while my mom and Gabby were waiting for our food, Tina and I went up again our unit and finally got our things. Leaving our unit was an understatement -we evacuated! Tina even joked as she tried to fight her stress, “We’re like refugees now!” As we rejoined my mom and our son in the restaurant, I saw my mom flipping pages of the telephone book so I began calling our suking (*insert english translation here*) taxi cab driver. Luckily, the cab driver’s available to pick us up and transport us to a hotel near our work and far from the sea.

Tina, Gabby, my mom and I had to evacuate our 10th floor (actually, we’re on the 11th level as Malaysians consider Ground floor as their 1st) seaview unit in Butterworth, Penang because a Tsunami alert was issued.

‘We have issued a tsunami alert. We urge people to keep away from the beach in (the states of) Kedah, Perlis, Langkawi, PENANG and Perak,’ Che Gayah Ismail, Deputy Director-General of the Malaysian Meteorological Department.

‘People are advised to keep away from the beaches. It is not an evacuation order.’ She said she wanted to clarify an earlier statement by a department official who had mistakenly said an evacuation order was issued.

The 8.9 magnitude earthquake struck off Indonesia’s Sumatra island, triggering an Indian Ocean-wide tsunami alert. Sourced via StraitsTimes.com

Despite the news which I firstly read on facebook, stated it was only a warning and NOT AN EVACUATION ORDER, the sound of sirens screaming long and twice, the sight of our colleagues who also live in the same condo units packing and about to leave, the countless feet that looked like EXODUS of people of various ethnicities whose ages range across the lifespan –literally, there were a lot of babies and grandmothers, all going down the stairs -but some took the risk of taking the lifts, those series of text messages and (missed)calls and brief talks with Filipino concerned co-workers, and worse, the cry and plea of our 7-year-old son who practically learned about the meaning of earthquake first time led Tina and I to immediately decide to go somewhere else too far from the sea.

We left this seaview for a night…

and woke up in Hotel Seri Malaysia with this view on our window…

Renting our 11th floor fully furnished appartment for 950 ringgit monthly (PhP 13,300 or USD 310) exclusive of utilities and other domestic bills to a very generous and nice Chinese-Malaysian lessor for almost a year now has been a good deal, or at least for us. We know that with such priceless and remarkably beautiful view of the bay before George Town and gorgeous sunsets by the porch, it’d be difficult to find similar cost and perks in Manila or possibly anywhere else. However, it dawned on us that living in a condo unit by the sea has its own downside too. Tsunami risk and earthquakes are difficult to battle. We’re not complaining, just contemplating. In fact, we’re very grateful despite and in spite of everything. Adversities make us stronger and wiser.

On a lighter note, we safely arrived via our reliable taxi cab driver in Hotel Seri Malaysia in Kompleks Dato Kailan, Kepala Batas at around past 9PM, Wednesday. It’s a few meters away from our place of work (and around 40-45 minute-away from our appartment when we take the bus).

Can you spot my mom who's only in her duster seated beside her apo, Gabby? We became evacuees for a night.

If it’s only Tina and I, we could have stayed the night anywhere and waited until the tsunami alert’s lifted, but we’re with our son and my mom.

So I got a Family Room for only 160 ringgit nett (PhP 2,240 or USD 52.13–probinsya po kasi ang Kepala Batas kaya mura kumpara sa iba) inclusive of buffet breakfast for 3, a spacious room with a Queen-sized and a double beds, cable TV, internet use, hot and cold shower and a clean toilet. It was another steal! God knows that we’re financially burdened and unprepared for these things so He led us where comfort is affordable and reasonable (with its inclusives, it’s even cheaper compared to one of our favorite budget hotels, Tune Hotel!). God is great, all the time!

Facebook buddies kept me posted through the night. Notably, just so timely that the concierge gave me a negative reply when I asked her about English news on cable TV, one of my students informed me via fb that there’s an English news on TV3 at 12MN. Thankfully, we learned that tsunami alert was lifted around 10PM.

My family were all knockout at few minutes after midnight while I managed to stay up until half hour past 2AM.

Morning came with a new promise. We headed down to the Delima Restaurant of the said 4-star-hotel. Delima in English means Ruby or the red gem as told to me by the hotel manager. Tina and I actually have been seeing Hotel Seri Malaysia almost every week as it’s located right in the spot where Rapid Penang Bus Station in Kepala Batas is, however we never set foot to it before our so called evacuation.

And with no expectations from an unexpected (excuse the term) staycation, we were delighted with the buffet morning spread…

DIY-congee. I stuffed it with dilis, chopped salted egg, roasted peanuts, spring onions, fish sauce and sesame oil to taste. Sarap!

We arrived home at around past 12 noon, Thursday 4/12/2012 and were absent at work and school. Despite the nice stay in the hotel that night and everything seemed going back to ‘normal’, we felt extreme fatigue as soon as we got back.

We kept on telling Gabby to trust and believe in the Lord and that He shall never abandon nor forsake us, not now, not ever.

DEUTERONOMY 31:6 –”Be strong and of a good courage, do not fear, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD your God, He it is who goes with you; He will not fail you, nor forsake you.”

*”We’re so thankful to those people who were concerned and professed that they prayed for my family’s safety on facebook, twitter and personal calls. Their messages were overwhelming! Maraming Salamat po!”

Mar

LOOKING AT THE BRIGHTER SIDE

By docgelo 26 Comments

“A cloud does not know why it moves in just such a direction and in such a speed…It feels an impulsion…this is the place to go now. But the sky knows the reasons and the patterns behind the clouds, and you will know, too, when you lift yourself high enough to see beyond the horizons.” ~Richard Bach

*The photos were taken from the tiny porch of our 10th floor appartment in Butterworth, Penang, Malaysia overlooking George Town in Penang Island. I frequently look at the sky immediately after arriving home from work and wait for dusk. There I see abundance of priceless blessings!

Feb

THE COLORS OF CNY 2012 IN GEORGE TOWN, PENANG

By docgelo 27 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*

Jan

KEK LOK SI TEMPLE REVISITED

By docgelo 20 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.

Oct

FOR THE LOVE OF COFFEE & SNOOPY

By docgelo 27 Comments

Categories: FOOD & MORE FOOD! and MALAYSIA
Tags: cakes, charlie brown cafe, chocolate, Coffee, coffee shop, doc gelo, docgelo, food, foodie, penang, penang malaysia, pulau pinang, restaurants, straits quay, tanjung pinang, TRAVEL

As cute and lovely as it gets…

Tina must have been so excited and overwhelmed with all these photos that she borrowed my SD card, copied and edited them on her laptop, and posted an album on her fb account tagging me and Gabby long before I put watermarks on them and come up with this blog post. It doesn’t happen usually. And I love her more for doing so, because it affirmed that she appreciates even the little efforts that I do for us to enjoy our days here in Penang.

Gabby's hot chocolate from Charlie Brown Cafe

Apparently it’s not only Tina who became happier when I brought them to Charlie Brown Cafe at Straits Quay but more so, Gabby!

It's the first in Malaysia that opened last April 2011. The second branch will follow soon in Kuala Lumpur as told by one of the staff.

Saturday, 22 October 2011. We hopped on Rapid Penang Bus 101 from Jetty in George Town and got off at the newly opened Tesco in Tanjung Pinang (a enormous supermarket that opened another branch in the island months ago). We took a 5-minute walk from the bus stop and easily found Straits Quay.

We’re glad that we didn’t get lost looking for it but we all got a bit homesicked. Straits Quay, tagged as “Penang’s First Seafront Retail Marina” reminded us of a lot of places in Pinas. First thing Gabby uttered was, “Mukhang Eastwood!” (“Looks like Eastwood!”). Tina thought so too. With its facade and its entire structure, it really looks like those upscale condo units in Eastwood City in Quezon City. I had Serendra, Alabang Town Center and Mall of Asia fused in my memory when I first saw Straits Quay. But its lobby and everything behind it told us otherwise…

I don’t know much but every amazing geometric structures incorporated in the interiors will confirm its uniquely Malaysia… Beautiful, is it not?

It aint a quay without these…

and a magnificent looking lighthouse…

I digress. The reason why we paid Straits Quay a visit over those few malls in Penang that became a part of our weekends was to experienced a cartoon-themed coffee shop called Charlie Brown Cafe…

This dining place is more than a coffee shop not only because it serves entrees and desserts too but it’s so picturesque and an eye-candy particularly to kids like Gabby and kid at hearts like Tina and me!

As Tina was more excited than Gabby and me, I gave her the freedom to decide where to sit. And I bet it wasn’t easy choosing a spot because every corner of this cafe is fascinating if you’re a Snoopy fan! Obviously, we all are!

The three of us were all under these gorgeous lights that made us wish we have them too at home. Imagine looking at those colorful Peanut characters before and after you retire to bed. Fantastic!

I knew Tina was really having blissful moments being inside this cafe for the first time because she even got the camera to shoot several photos of the place herself. Without spoiling her excitement, I got the menu and asked what they want to try.

Spontaneity, I liked it! Even the menu is animated! ...If only we can try everything at the same time, hahaha!

Are you a Peanut-character fan yourself? Did you also grow up browsing anything with Charlie Brown and Snoopy comic strips?

Are you also fascinated with that beagle named Snoopy who sleeps on top of his doghouse instead inside it? hahaha!

Snoopy loving Woodstock

Follow those dog paw prints to order!

And so Tina had Charlie Brown on her Cappuccino, I had Lucy Van Pelt on my Caffe Latte…

It took us a while before we got our spoons and stir those caffeinated mugs; so wonderfully done you just want to stare at them!

From these chilled display….

yum!

We tried these…

It's so good, i forgot what it's called, hehe!

Gabby wanted a chocolate cupcake with Charlie Brown on top while he enjoyed his mug of hot chocolate drink with Snoopy design.

Not sure if he’ll able to finish it, Tina requested the wait staff to put it on takeaway cup…

There are a lot of interesting stuffs near the cashier at the counter that will surely catch your eyes and attention and could enticed you more to order, haha!

Everything we tried tasted great! Prices a lot cheaper than other coffee shops. Service was quick, staffs were pleasantly attentive. But to us, the selling point of this cafe over all others around is its entire theme…

Do you play chess? I don’t but I would not mind learning the game with these too-cute-for-words King, Queen, Bishop and Pawns..

This was how Gabby manifested his happiness…

We liked the place, we’re glad that we spent our weekend there!

Before leaving Charlie Brown Cafe, we checked out its souvenir shop and got affordable takeaway…

Gabby chose these Snoopy collectibles. Tina and I wanted other versions in various national costumes but just like the chess set, they're not for sale.

Proof that we like Snoopy was this plate that we’re using in our home in Penang; I got a half dozen of this in different theme-countries (Africa, England, Malaysia etc) for FREE from Jusco Supermarket at Queensbay Mall last year.

Even Snoopy barks, "Malaysia, Truly Asia!" hehehe!

It’s definitely not the last time that we’ll be in CBC at Straits Quay! All for the love of coffee and Snoopy, haha!

Oct

TROPICAL PLAYGROUND

By docgelo 29 Comments

Categories: Uncategorized
Tags: beach, best things in life are free, coastlines, doc gelo, docgelo, family, family vacation, penang, penang beaches, penang malaysia, penang public beach, public beach, tajung bunga beach, tajung bungah, weekend

Few weeks before Gabby turned 7 last 5th October, he candidly told his mom and I that he’d like to have beach toys as birthday gift. I smiled from ear to ear because apparently, it won’t cost me and Tina our arms and legs. He already had a set which he used when he enjoyed the powdery white sand and turquoise crystal waters of Philippines' Island Paradise, BORACAY a couple of years back, but of course, we didn’t bother to bring those to Penang. Then we thought, what’s the use of beach toys without going to proper venue, right? It’s a subtle way for our kid to utter his wish to take him to where he can play his preferred birthday present. How creative!

The 10th floor unit that we’re renting in Butterworth has a priceless sea view, breakwaters actually with white sand too. However, it’s such a “buwis-buhay” (read : life-threatening) to cross the highway (motorway or freeway; whatever suits you!) on foot. Thus, we found time to actually give way to Gabby’s birthday wish.

Glorious sunset view from our living room

8th October 2011, Saturday. Tina, Gabby, my dad and I hopped on Rapid Bus 101 en route to Tajung Bungah from Jetty in George Town. After almost 40 minutes, we got off the bus near Infinity condo building and saw this road sign:

Several steps more from the bus stop via the narrow street, we found the public beach that was recommended by one of my senior colleagues who lives with his family in a nearby condo unit.

PUBLIC BEACH means NO ENTRANCE FEE! One may truly enjoy the sun, the sea breeze, the waters (if you dare swim at your own risk!) without spending a cent other than bus fare and your efforts to go there. Indeed, ‘best things in life are free!’

Those upscale condo units in Penang's premiere location have monthly rental fees that start from 1,300 ringgit or USD 416 (PhP 18K) and can soar as high as 15K ringgit or USD 4,800 (PhP 207K+)!

And the 7-year-old boy became excited for some seashells and sand…

Admittedly, my first impression of the public beach in Batu Ferringhi was unpleasant. Batu Ferringhi has a stretch of beaches that comes after Tajung Bungah. Muddy, dirty, and far from Boracay and Philippine resorts’ qualities. Let me emphasize those initial insights were of public beaches in Batu Ferringhi in 2010. The sand and waters along Penang’s hotels and resorts (Shangri La’s Rasa Sayang, Hard Rock, Flamingo and many more) in Batu Ferrhingi are off topic. Nonetheless, Tajung Bungah public beach, although far from being sublime, is good enough venue to unwind. Tina professed we’re so coming back!

We strolled to look for a spot…

Then the weather became too cloudy that we thought there will be downpour. What’s great about Penang is its strategic location –we’re far from the routes of typhoon, there’s no class-suspension here; no storms yet in my more than a year stay. And so in almost a blink, the strong winds blew these dark clouds away.

A few more steps and we saw people frolicking in the beach, some were having fun on water sports -kayaking and jet skis. I am guessing they’ve availed it from the nearby Flaming hotel…

A closer look…

The place is also perfect for camping; we saw families who managed to bring and set up tents with barbecue grills, tables and other stuffs. No corkage fee here, haha!

Fun with ball games is also a possibility.

And being lazy on the sand until you appreciate the sunset and the stars is also can, can! LOL! (FYI, Malaysians commonly use the phrase, “can, can!” when they want to affirm something).

Finally, Tina removed her rubber shoes and spread our blue blanket…It could’ve been more apt if we brought a plastic mat but we don’t have it, so a soiled fleece did the job before it hits our washing machine.

Gabby followed by dropping his beach toys…

Et voila! Gabby’s masterpiece included Mr. Crab…

We stayed in Tajung Bungah public beach at almost an hour and left the place at 6 in the evening. We headed to a steamboat buffet after, that I will post on a separate entry.

Oct

MY 2 HOURS AT PINANG PERANAKAN MANSION

By docgelo 47 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

ON GABBY’S SPECIAL DAY

By docgelo 20 Comments

“I love you, Ma, I love you, Daddy!”
These phrases never fail to melt our worries and stress away. And now that Gabby is turning 7 years old this Wednesday, 5th October, Tina and I cannot be grateful enough to the Lord for giving us His greatest blessing; we love our son beyond words.

Because his birthday falls on a weekday (we have work, he has school), we decided to celebrate it in advance last weekend. Tina was suggesting for us to dine at T.G.I.Fridays again but of course, the birthday boy’s wish prevailed.

He has been craving for some bites at an all-cheese-pizza from Pizza Hut so we gave in to his request…

He’s a purist when it comes to pizza as his preference is exclusively partial to 3 to 4-cheese pizza; like he really doesn’t like anything on top.
Gabby also favored calamari and garlic bread from the menu…

I maybe a doctor and an educator but I honestly don’t know everything. I’m not sure if the love for great-tasting food (read : huge appetite) can also be transferred via genetics, can it? Gabby might have been blessed with good genes, don’t you think? LOL!
My choice : Pizza Hut’s Honey Barbecue Chicken Wings –sarap to the bones!

We washed everything down with iced cold water, canned light Pepsi for Gabby (yes, I know sodas are junkie too!), and a tall glass of citrus flavored drink infused with calamansi and champoy at its bottom–uniquely refreshing; an eye candy too!

After that hearty lunch (we didn’t finish everything; we had some slices as takeaway *defensive*), Tina went to the department store and bought Gabby a new shirt while I headed to the mall’s barbershop for that much needed haircut. We met about an hour after, and had some grocery shopping too.
Then the time to blow candles on a birthday cake came; we sat inside Secret Recipe and the rest was momentous…

While waiting for Gabby’s cake, Tina took this photo on a whim. A littly grainy but I just had to post it because Gabby’s too adorable, isn’t he?

Chocolate Indulgence cake landed on our table with a cake slicer and 7 pieces of candles. Our little big-boy didn’t waste time and made his wishes…

The multilayered and richly textured chocolate cake was truly to die for; there’s no other name more apt for it but Chocolate Indulgence. It’s one of our favorites!

At seven, Gabby’s still a baby. He still likes toys a lot! Good thing he knows how to profess what he wanted to receive so we know what to give. Best, it’s afforbale and functional too. Uhm, I think so… hehe..

He could have asked for a remote control aircraft but opted for his second wish. With these, you now have a clue where we’re heading next weekend, if and when weather permits…

We left Queensbay Mall last Saturday with happy faces and full tummies.

The simple celebration continued the next day on our humble abode here in Penang. Tina cooked another irresistible dish – creamy carbonara with lotsa bacon bits on penne, yummy!

We’re joined by my dad whom we picked up from Penang Airport after we spent our entire Saturday at Queensbay Mall. With his Lolo Ben around (who went home 2 months ago to Manila with my mom for some important matters), Gabby will have longer sleeping hours again before he goes to school daily. The birthday boy’s smile reached ear to ear when his Lolo Ben brought out from his luggage a gift imported from Pinas from his Lola Tessie (my mom).

And there was a candle on a birthday cake again; he really enjoyed blowing candles on his cake. There must be something special about it.

What made his birthday preparation this year a bit different from before, he took the initiative and the efforts to pack his simple loot bags for his classmates and teachers on Wednesday (his actual birthday)…

Alone, he segregated candies and packs of chocolate bicuits piece by piece and put them on these loot bags. Such heightened his excitement to share his special day with his Chinese and Indian schoolmates too…

But we made known to him that he’ll only have loot bags as giveaways and no party will be thrown in his school here (read : we’re cutting on expenses, seriously!). Nontheless, it’s fine with him, after all, he understands and loves us so.

Our family life, although far from being perfect has been incredibly special and seems like there’s always an everyday-celebration because we have you, anak! We love you very much, Gabby!

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.

Aug

WE LIKE IT HERE!

By docgelo 9 Comments

Categories: FAMILY : LOVE KO 'TO, MALAYSIA and TRAVEL
Tags: asia, eid vacation, expat life, family, family and living, family break, family life, hari raya vacation, penang, penang malaysia, southeast asia, traveling, travelling, trip, trip abroad, vacation

30 August 2011, Tuesday. We left our place in Butterworth at around half hour past 6 in the morning to catch our flight scheduled at 12 noon. It’s a holiday that I planned several months ago, when days were less troubled and airfares were sold at discounted rates.

useless photo : they're wearing crocs, i'm wearing my old school reliable sneakers....perhaps, by the time you get a chance to view this entry, those happy feet have already explored some parts of a place so rich, clean and orderly.

Time check: 1:30AM, I have to doze off now. In a few hours, we shall have a long (and fun) family day again! Our arrival was a blast. We can’t wait to seize the remaining days. :)

Aug

MY FAVORITE PHOTOS TO DATE

By docgelo 33 Comments

Categories: FAMILY : LOVE KO 'TO, HEADLINES, ILOVEPHOTOS, MALAYSIA and TRAVEL
Tags: arts, asia, blogging, boats, culture, doc gelo, docgelo, family, family and living, family life, george town penang malaysia, georgetown penang, hari raya, hari raya aidilfitri, heritage, hobby, india, indians, Life, malay, malaysia, nikon D7000, passion, past time, penang, penang malaysia, photoblogging, photographer, photography, photos, pictures, tradition, tropical spice garden, vacation

And so the weeklong break has come. We’re up to enjoy the Hari Raya (end of Ramadan) vacation from work (for Tina and I) and school (for Gabby) beginning today, 27th August until 4th September. I will take my wife & kid on Tuesday next week to a short trip in a neighboring Asian country for the very perstaym, but since it’s too early to pack our luggage and bags, we’re just happy to spend more time together for more than a week (repeat : no work, no school, yahoo!) and do things we’d like to do.

De-stressing at home : As Tina’s busy preparing our meals, she also finds more time to play her favorite computer games. Gabby’s doing a cartoon marathon on TV (making me miss to watch one of the series I follow, The Amazing Race but that’s OK of course) while I go online to do a little research on our itinerary next week, making last-minute reservations and bookings (akala ko ba de-stressing?) and blogging and blog hopping in between.

I’m happy that a popular Filipino website called spot.ph featured few of my blog pictures of the Japanese restaurant back home called, Zensho, with, permission, proper credit and link to my post (back in 2009), I was inspired to browse my photo files once more.

I chose to repost my favorite photos taken after I purchased my Nikon D7000 early this year. They may be far from your standards, but I’d like to share them again to you as my favorites to date as these captures simply make me smile when I browse them in files. Comments for improvements, particularly free tips on this hobby called photography (I consider it a big word for I am a neophyte with still so much to learn –blame my laziness to read the few photography books and magazines I acquired) will be appreciated.

And of course, my main reason for owning a camera is to capture moments with them with their precious smiles…

I don’t know of the technical aspects of photography yet but I like these pictures not only because of the subjects but the memories that come with them.

PS: I agree with what I have read before that “owning a DSLR doesn’t make you an instant blogger more so a photographer”. My 2-cents-worth: It’s not really the camera that matters for it’s only a tool; it takes passion, talent and the will to learn new things for you to love and improve on these hobbies.

Jul

LOLO BENRUH ARRIVES IN PENANG

By docgelo 33 Comments

09 July 2011. Saturday

We left our home in Butterworth at half hour past 11 in the morning. It was another memorable weekend for my family.

that little golden jeepney arrived in our home in butterworth, penang as we warmly welcomed the one who brought it from pinas!

After knowing that Transformers is only showing on 3D in one of the cinemas here, we decided to pass on the movie because my wife doesn’t want to watch anything that may trigger and aggravates her vertigo. Instead of a movie-date, we immediately brought ourselves to a Chinese restaurant and indulged in some dimsum and noodles for lunch inside Queensbay Mall, the biggest in the island that’s few kilometers away from Penang International Airport.

We needed to kill time before we pick up my dad who came from Pinas on dependent visa (valid until my work visa expires) via Kuala Lumpur, to continue his being dutiful lolo to his apo, Gabby.

The no-drama-and very casual-reunion at the airport was almost like we just last saw each other yesterday.

After the meeting, must eat Mcdo! Funny thing was, he’s also treated to Mcdo breakfast meal by my brothers in the morning of his flight right before leaving Pinas, haha!

Note to Jollibee : If you can bring your branches to Brunei and other parts of Asia, sa Penang wala pa! We’ll be your very first patrons, when that day comes. Promise!

lolo benruh (ruben or lolo ben for gabby) finally invades penang!

I arranged a pick up service with a friendly Indian taxi cab driver, the same guy who helped us haul and transfer our things when we moved in to our new place a week ago exactly. The trip from Penang Airport (Penang Island) to our place in Butterworth (mainland Penang) cost around RM 70 (PhP 980).

Daddy’s first glimpse of that 25km Penang Bridge….

After that long stretch of magnificence comes another flyover that connects the roads going to Butterworth. The structure mimics the majestic Penang Bridge…

Then the time came to unwrap his 25kg Balikbayan box (yes, he didn’t have any luggage and only brought few of his clothes to accomodate and bring our request).

Tina wanted something from Pinas for our living room table centerpiece. My brother, Mac bought these balls for us from bazaars in Greenhills no less (tyangge, syempre!). For the meantime, Tina placed her balls on one of her plastic banana leaf plates until I’ll find something more appropriate.

And because religious articles are apparently hard to find in a predominantly Muslim state…

Gabby's happiest with his first bible.

More reasons to be happy…. Lapid’s Chicharon, FTW!

Best Package Ever!

Thank you, Lord for all the blessings, big and small.

Jul

WELCOME TO OUR OWN SPACE!

By docgelo 45 Comments

It’s our third day in our new humble abode since we moved in last Friday, 1st July and Tina, Gabby and I are so thankful for having our own space finally! It’s almost indescribable living with just your family; with no other people who have less concern, consideration and sensitivity. The feeling is tantamount to independence, liberation, freedom. Simply surreal!

The priceless seaview from our 10th floor unit (11th actually since they have ground floor prior to first). Gabby and I will add more pin wheels to gauge the wind and sea breeze with vivid colors.

You don’t have any idea how I appreciate and value my readers’ comments. When I posted that We’re Itching To Move In to our chosen appartment to rent here in Butterwoth, Penang, I got helpful words from my blog buddies and one of them came from Marga aka Midge, the passionate blogger behind Sybaritic Diversions, whom Tina, Gabby and I met in one of her informative and fun sessions of Chocolate Appreciation 101 in Heavenly Chocolates, she generously shared the essentials to bring before one occupies a new home.

In the same words our late grandparents told us, fellow blogger, Marga reminded me to bring : "Salt to keep evil at bay, rice so that the kitchen/pantry never runs out for food, matches to protect the family from harm, and coins for prosperity."

Superstitious or not, I heeded to Marga’s words for I knew there’s no harm if those little items will be the first to be hauled.

I was truly overwhelmed with suggestions and pieces of advice to make our personal space as homey as possible. Online friends who mostly I haven’t met are always unselfish to share their ideas. Even on tweeter, fellow blogger-educator and an architect at that replied to my request when I asked her expert advice for free! Thank you, Architect Reena of Reena’s Thoughts . I really appreciate it.

Here’s a peek to our home in Butterworth…

Dad & son attempt to urban gardening : After I bought some potted plants in the island, I put them in our doorstep and Gabby arranged those pebbles around them. It was our very first father & son bonding in our new home.

Limited space requires you to be creative in maximizing everything. Without being boring but minimalist, our unit is still a work in progress.

the couch where we'll spend lazy hours; it's strategically located facing the porch that offers the view of the bay

Huggables : we bought some uncoordinated pillows to put life and colors in our living room.

The curtains were bought on sale. From RM 114 (PhP 1596) each, we only paid RM 28 (PhP 392) each.

Gabby’s choice : Because we love our almost 7-year-old kid, we gave him a chance to put on some decors that he likes. At the console table, there are framed photos, indoor potted plants and our boy’s little things.

While shadow puppets of Rama and Sita made from cow hide and artline inks that we bought from Kota Bharu, Kelantan which we haven’t framed yet stand side by side with our wedding photo, on the other corner of the living room lies another Gabby’s favorite : Plants vz Zombies!

Tina’s favorite area of the unit…

We’re fortunate that in Penang, discounts can get as low as 70-80% off. Tina bought these electric kettle for only RM 29 (PhP 406) from RM 99 (PhP 1386) and the mini oven for another affordable price.

Old but still at its best : Sharp fridge that came with the unit decorated with our ref magnets

Our fully furnished 3-bedroom-2 toilet & bath-appartment (or condo in Manila; flat in other parts of the globe) owned by a Christian Chinese came with a TV set, 3-piece sofa, 3 airconditioning units, ceiling fans for each rooms, queen size beds and a single bed, a dining table, a simple but charming kitchen, a refrigerator; our landlord was so nice to provide us a brand new washing machine. So when Tina is busy cooking, I do the laundry, hehe…

With A Mind of Its Own : We love this brand new washing machine provided by our landlord; it calculates first the exact volume of water per load of laundry before it starts spinning. Excuse our amazement; walang ganito sa probinsya namin, hehehe!

The very first meals were memorable! Despite we truly miss having pandesal in the morning, breakfast with Spam Lite, rice and coffee tasted great as we ate as one family.

The lunch with paksiw na bisugo was superb! Do you eat bisugo?

Paksiw na Bisugo : best eaten with fish sauce + siling labuyo. Try it! hehehe...

While I only went to the public market which is a bus-ride away and mini groceries downstairs to purchase some more stuffs, I have to give credits and much love to my wife because she exerted extra efforts to prepare our first dinner.

garlic buttered shrimps, beautifully deveined by Tina : one of our favorites!

Udang (the Bahasa Melayu term for shrimps or prawns) is cheaper in Penang than in Metro Manila. The cost here ranges from RM 16 – 25 per kilo (PhP 224 -350) thus enabling us to enjoy it every now and then.

We only invited one of our senior colleagues who also lives in the same building. For almost a year now, she stands as my/our genuine friend, comforter and a nanay-nanayan. She came with her sister and together, we shared our very first dinner. We could have invited another senior-fellow who have inspired me so much about family life, life in general and whatnot but I thought he’s busy enjoying the weekend with his own family. (read : We’d rather keep one or two friends only here in Penang rather than have an entire community who backstabs us; our world will peacefully revolve without them!).

Best Home Cooked Dishes : Kare-kare with Bagoong, Camaron Rebosado and Garlic Buttered Shrimps

At anytime of the day, our porch offers a relaxing view; now we know how it feels like to dwell in those hotels and serviced appartments along side Roxas Blvd back home; the only difference is, it’s a lot affordable here in Penang for the purchasing power of Ringgit is higher than Philippine Pesos.

The coming days will be brighter. As we begin to enjoy our new home, my parents from Manila and UAE will be coming over to share the love and fun with us. Gabby will continue schooling here in August and the rest, I know will be epic.

A new chapter of our expat lives unfolds.

—————————————-

Jun

OUR SATURDAY MORNING AT 32ND PENANG INTERNATIONAL DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL

By docgelo 27 Comments

While most people in Penang were still sleeping and curling up in beds last Saturday morning, my wife, Tina, our 6-year-old son Gabby and I were already on our feet to the bus stop at few minutes after 6AM. The reason was simple : to get a glimpse at the 32nd Penang International Dragon Boat Festival held in Teluk Bahang Dam.

I initially considered sleeping with my family in a cheap hotel in George Town to be up and early at the rowing site but Tina vetoed the idea; I surrendered to her choice.

I never expected that we would have a long hike getting to the venue.

Although it took us only few minutes to be at the jetty after hopping to the bus from our place in Butterworth, we’ve waited around half an hour for the bus to arrive and spent another 30 minutes for the ferry to arrive in Penang Sentral that will take us to George Town; note that the usual ferry trip takes around 12-15 minutes (Why ride the ferry? We’re staying in mainland Penang where our work site is and “the life” is in Penang Island so whether you own a car or you commute, either way, you still have to cross the bay via ferry–for both vehicle owners and commuters or take the long Penang Bridge).

We had another bus ride from George Town to Teluk Bahang; it’s Rapid Bus 101 that took us there for almost an hour. Now you can do the math computing for our travel time! It was almost 9AM when we got off the bus and immediately bought some chilled bottled water at the convenient store within a gas station. Oh, and by the way, we went there with fellow colleagues, Dr. Y and Dr. C.who are also photo-enthusiasts.

Dr. Y : “One kilometer na lang daw iyong dam, lakarin na lang natin! Kaya ba nyan (referring to my son)?“ (It’s still 1 km to the dam, let’s just walk; is it OK for Gabby?)

Me : “Sure!”

And my simple honest nod to his question took us for that unexpected morning hike.

After passing by Penang Butterfly Farm which we haven’t been to, we had that unforgettable almost 45-minute-uphill-walk to the dam. (You might think we could have taken a taxi cabs but ‘teksi’ here in Penang require to be contacted by SMS or phone call if you’re not riding it from their stations; or we could have hopped onto another bus but it would take another hour for us to wait).

We walked though this long and winding road…. Tina and I are just proud of Gabby; he took his steps through it with less complaints.

Believe it or not : Our 6 year old son, Gabby walked with us through this uphill road enroute Teluk Bahang Dam; it was almost 2 km long!

It was a good relief when we finally saw the dam…

the bridge to the Dragon Boat site with the view opposite Teluk Bahang Dam.

The 2-day-competition held June 11-12, 2011 had entries from Guam, Australia, Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Macau, UAE, China, Malaysian states like Kedah, Perak, Selangor and Penang of course but Tina and I had our widest smiles when we heard the name of our country, the Philippines who, at the time of our arrival at the site was already rowing at the preliminaries.

Guess who competed for The Philippines…

Me to Tina : “Tanggal pagod nang marining ko ang “in lane….The Philippines!” (My fatigue was nothing after I heard, “”in lane….The Philippines!”)

Unlike in other foreign cities, there is rarity of Filipinos in Penang so understandably, it’s nice to see and meet Filipinos, more so if they’re here to represent our country.

Photo-op : Gabby with a DLSU-Philippines-Dragon Boat Team member

After the DLSU-Philippines finished 3rd at their first row before the official Opening Ceremonies…

we caught them having their much needed-stretching…

then had their cheer for victory…

Animo! ... As DLSU-Philippines Dragon Boat Team puts it, For Synchronicity, Strength and Speed!

Meet some of the foreign and local Dragon Boat rowers…

Singapore! See you in 2 months time...

Nice to see varied colors of uniforms!

The 32nd PIDBF had Standard Boat and Small Boat Races of 250meters and 500meters, with Open, Women and Mixed categories.

"row, row, row your boat gently down the stream..."

But wait, our beloved Philippine flag was displayed upside-down, gera ito! (means war!) Had it not for our colleague, Dr. Y who told the people there to fix our banner, it would have been in the air for two days wrongly.

Universe, the blue part of our flag should always be on top of the red, get it? Otherwise, it means WAR!

As a beginner in violin, I was so impressed at these Chinese youngsters who played at the Opening Ceremony that was done at 10AM, their band played upbeat pop songs fit for the competition.

At around few minutes past 10, we decided to leave the event while our colleagues, Dr. Y. and Dr. C stayed until 5PM. According to them, DLSU-Philippines Dragon Boat Team placed 1st in one of the races that day, congratulations!

It was fun watching people…

reminds me of a local teeny-bopper TV soap, "Tabing-Ilog" hehehe

Luckily, as we walked down the road, there was an empty taxi cab that passed by, so it saved our legs and feet in going back to the bus stop.

Although admittedly, we were fatigued from the event, we never regret our decision of attending it. As Tina and I witnessed how Gabby was strong-willed to finish the hike with us (as if he had other options!) and for being exposed to friendly competitive sports, I was reminded of the fact that if you really want something (like success in any task, or a glorious win),

there are a ton of ways to do it, but otherwise, you’ll just offer reasons to make up for not trying.

—————————————————————

PS : While on the Rapid Bus 101 going to Gurney Mall from Teluk Bahang, we figured out it’s a perfect time to freshen up and try another wonderful lunch buffet! *burp* –>here’s our dining experience at G Cafe in G Hotel, Penang

May

PENANG BOTANICAL GARDEN

By docgelo 8 Comments

My first exposure to the idea of horticulture was when I was in fifth grade after my teacher asked us to bring plants, small figurines (I brought a tiny bridge and a water well, both made of ceramic), pebbles, moss, soil and a glazed pot, he taught us to make a “dish garden”.

From then on, I have thought I would have an intense fascination with such, much more to have an instant green thumb; I was absolutely wrong! haha! Well, at least, I learned to appreciate twigs, leaves and flowers.

It was a long tiring week for us but we’re not complaining. In fact, we’re even grateful for days passed by so fast and weekend dawned in a swift.

The challenge has been always to make a variety of experiences every weekend. Apart from finding solace every time we attend mass, it’s a bit sickening when you only go to malls, dine and shop a little and repeatedly do it on a Saturday-Sunday-basis (read : expat life can be dull or fun!).

In a place where most women cover their hair (and practically everything!) with veils for religious purposes, my wife decided to have hers rebonded, haha! It was her very first time to go to a beauty salon, spend a few money for her virgin locks and that was one of her ideas of creativity with weekend.

While my wife’s long straight and shiny hair was under that UFO-looking steamer, Gabby and I decided to leave her inside the mall, hopped on the bus and went to find our own unique Saturday. From bus, we rode this tram that took us to Penang Floral Festival in Penang Botanical Garden…

I have been to a few Botanical Gardens of other countries and honestly, that of Penang wasn’t that impressive (my personal favorite is the Winter Garden in Auckland, New Zealand). Yes, Penang Botanical Garden is a good venue for picnics; a place for strolling and jogging or just kill time and commune with nature but I think I have seen a lot more fantastic gardens before. Nonetheless, the festival made it livelier, with so many plants for sale and for photo-enthusiasts to enjoy…

My son and I never bothered to know the names of the blooms neither asked the vendors of their commodities’ prices, what I remember was we were in awe of the colors.

Among the flowers, I can identify this easily because its name was the brand of the notebooks I used back in college.

And from my PreMed Botany class, I knew this is a pitcher plant…I told Gabby that this plant can trap insects effortlessly. Please don’t tell me they remind you of condoms…oops!

There was a showcase of bonsai too!

Simply amazing!

It was a total feast for the eyes! I felt like a bee, admiring those vibrant and wonderful God’s creations.

Much to my son’s delight, Penang Botanical Garden has these voluminous tailed mammals wandering freely all over!

we almost locked eyes! i wonder if it recognized an old familar face, "long lost relative?" haha! nah!

Like any day in Penang, the sun was unforgiving last Saturday afternoon so after an hour of stroll and getting close with Mother Nature, I decided to go back to the mall where we left Tina (inside the beauty salon).

We brought 2 affordable & small potted bonsai (of course, they’re small; they wouldn’t be called such if they’re not!) as pasalubong for Tina (to bring to our new home come July).

Gabby and I became sweaty and all, I had to freshen him up; changed his shirt but nonetheless, he had his first-hand lessons on nature appreciation and he liked it. It was a day less ordinary.

We ended our Saturday with a simple dimsum dinner after attending anticipated Catholic mass.

Enjoy the new week, everyone!

Apr

COOLERS FROM PENANG

By docgelo 12 Comments

Categories: FOOD & MORE FOOD! and MALAYSIA
Tags: ais kachang, cendol, coolers, desserts, desserts from penang, desserts in malaysia, doc gelo, docgelo, food, foodie, george town, george town malaysia, halo-halo, hawkers, ice coolers, penang, penang malaysia, shaved ice, summer, sweets

This is our very first time to spend summer abroad; although Penang and Manila share similarities under one tropical sun, my family and I still miss some things about this time of the year in the Philippines – from going to Baguio or Tagaytay Cities, to our beautiful beaches, to taking a few week break from work (or for Gabby, from school) less the part of being diaphoretic of course (read : profuse sweating!).

We miss enjoying scoopful of halo-halo topped with leche flan and ube jam and spending some afternoon with dirty ice cream, carioca, turon, banana cue and camote cue from street vendors. Sarap!

To lessen our homesickness, I brought my wifey and kid to places where coolers are best served.

One of the biggest, if not the largest mall in the Island, Queensbay Mall has this kiosk in its food court on Level 3, that sells flavored shaved ice topped with slices and balls of tropical fruits in season. They call it Snow Ice Mix Fruits.

At RM 6 (PhP 84) per bowl, one is treated to a refreshing and nutritious delight that effortlessly beat the summer heat.

If you want to sample distinctly Malaysian dishes and desserts, hit the roads and find nearby hawker food stalls where one can savor unique flavors in colors…

Ais kacang (pronounced as ais ka-chang) is a Malaysian dessert. Traditionally a special ice machine is used to churn out the shaved ice used in the dessert, originally hand cranked but now more often motorized.

Formerly, it was made of only shaved ice and red beans. Today, ice kacang generally comes in bright colours, and with different fruit cocktails and dressings. In Malaysia, almost all variants now contain a large serving of attap chee (palm seed), red beans, sweet corn, grass jelly and cubes of agar agar as common ingredients. Other less common ingredients include aloe vera in one form or another (e.g. jelly) nata de coco, or ice cream in various variants of the dessert. A final topping of evaporated milk, condensed milk, or coconut milk is drizzled over the mountain of ice along with red rose syrup and sarsi syrup. To cater to the palates of the modern customer, some stalls have even introduced novelty toppings such as durian, chocolate syrup and ice cream. There are also versions that shun the multi-coloured syrup and are served with just a drizzling of gula melaka syrup (gula=sugar) instead. (Sourced from Wiki)

Cendol (pronounced /ˈtʃɛndɒl/) is a traditional dessert originating from South East Asia which is still popular in Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar (where it is known as Mont let saung), Singapore, Vietnam, and Southern Thailand (where it is called lortchorng singapore ลอดช่องสิงคโปร์).

The dessert’s basic ingredients consist of coconut milk, a worm-like jelly made from rice flour with green food coloring (usually derived from the pandan leaf), shaved ice and palm sugar. Next to these basic recipe, other ingredients such as red beans, glutinous rice, grass jelly, creamed corn, might also be included. (Sourced from Wiki)

There are a thousand and one ways to celebrate summer and beat the heat. Ice cream and halo-halo still top my list. However we spend the season, the best is to enjoy the time being with the ones we love.

What are your best memories of summer?

Have a great ‘fruitful’ weekend, everyone!

Apr

EAT.SMILE.SWIM

By docgelo 13 Comments

Categories: EVENTS and MALAYSIA
Tags: butterworth penang, doc gelo, docgelo, families, family, family and living, fun, kondominium cassia, penang, penang malaysia, raja uda, summer, summer activities, summer fun, swimming

The 2 storey-5 bedroom penthouse at this appartment has been our temporary home in Penang for the past 8 months (but for my wife and kid, only after they’ve arrived last mid March).

Although Tina, Gabby and I are extremely excited to transfer to our “new home” before the month of July ends (oh yes, we thank the Lord we already found a new condo unit to rent- deposit given!), Gabby still likes it here because the place has swimming pool and playground too… nice, isn’t it?

Our little-big boy usually spends his afternoon frolicking in the pool.

But when a party for all Pinoys and our families was planned, the venue was hands down given to our colleagues’ ‘home-away-from-home’ called Kondominium Cassia at Raja Uda, Butterworth, Penang which has more gorgeous facilities than our present humble abode.

The Filipino MD-lecturers and our families opted for this beautiful resort-like appartment as the venue of our casual get-together party for our kids and some birthday celebrators few weeks ago.

Tina, Gabby and I didn’t miss the fun! We shared reasonable contribution for the party and even volunteered to bring 2 sets of these :

pâte de crevettes, mangues vertes et aubergines frites (sa madaling salita : homemade bagoong, hilaw na mangga at pritong talong!) Tina sauteed the shrimp paste, sliced the green mangoes and ehem, I fried the aubergine! sige na nga, pritong talong! LOL!

The get-together made us feel we are one with the world, hehehe… My wife felt she’s in a beauty pageant representing the Philippines…

beauties all! from right to left : Dr. Phoo from Myanmar, Ms. Tina and son Kostyk from Russia & Zamboanga, Lyn - Phoo's sister also from Myanmar and of course, my very own -Tina & Gabby from the Philippines

Tina candidly told me that she could have won it effortlessly if there’s any pageant if the contest would give more points on talent portion rather than question and answer! haha! *nose bleed* daw sya, LOL!

Definitely, a party, simple or grand, would be incomplete without something to pig-out. The spread contained these yummies…

It felt like a feast for all of us Pinoys!

their sweet smiles say it all

Tina and I didn’t take a dip (read : I was a cat in my past life, LOL!) so Gabby was accompanied by his floater and our colleagues at the pool.

floating happily at the wonderful swimming pool of Kondominium Cassia

The moment of being a kid again is priceless!

Life will be so much better if we can only live our lives as simple as children do. *easier said than done, though!*

Imagine a dreamy life where problems and hassles do not exist and all you need to do is to eat, smile and swim!

Tina and Gelo's pride!

How is your summer or whatever season you’re having in your part of your world?

Apr

SCENES FROM OUR FIRST EASTER IN PENANG

By docgelo 11 Comments

Categories: EVENTS, FAMILY : LOVE KO 'TO, HEADLINES and MALAYSIA
Tags: bukit mertajam, catholic church penang, doc gelo, docgelo, easter, easter sunday, lechon, lechon kawali, non halal, penang, roasted pork, st anne bukit mertajam, st anne church penang, st anne parish, st anne penang

We usually celebrate Easter in the Philippines by waking up before dawn to attend the very early morning mass and witness the Salubong (restaging of the scene where Jesus Christ first saw Mother Mary after His Resurrection; little girls dressed as angels lift the black veil as symbol of mourning from the image of the Blessed Virgin in caroza). Then it’s usually followed by religious procession led by the image in caroza of the Risen Christ, His apostles and saints. I miss those events. I miss eating lechon and lechon paksiw as brunch during Easter Sunday with our entire family. Things are totally different now that we’re trying ~~our luck~~ to live a better life here in Penang.

Dressed in Sari : An Indian mother and daughter who are about to hear Catholic Mass in St. Anne Church

As Tina, Gabby and I tried to make the best out of our very first Easter here in Penang, we woke up early at 4:45AM, freshen up and hit the roads to the bus stop before 6AM. We ate and sipped our purchases from the ever reliable convenience store, 7-11 while waiting (for almost an hour because we were too early!) for the Rapid Penang bus that would take us from our place in Butterworth to Jetty.

At Penang Sentral bus station, I personally asked the bus drivers of the specific bus and bus number that we have to ride going to St. Anne Church in Bukit Mertajam. Two of them told me the bus will leave at 8 in the morning, which I knew would be too late for the mass. So Tina agreed to take the cab for RM 25 (PhP 350) which I haggled from RM 30 (PhP 420), hehe!

There are other few Catholic churches in predominantly Muslim state like Penang, but I wanted my family to experience St. Anne. Its mountainous backdrop with lush greens and fresh air blends beautifully with its vast interiors and exteriors.

First built in 1888, St. Anne then was only a chapel. That original small church remains to stand still on top of the hill beside the newly established parish for everyone to visit.

The interiors of the original chapel…

The image of the Resurrection perfectly overlooks from the top of the hill beside the chapel…

They built a new parish in honor of St. Anne, mother of the Blessed Virgin,with bell tower that reaches the heavens…

The massive parking lot…

And the church itself…

As faithfuls started flocking inside the church, I signaled Tina to walk toward the right side first for us to go to tandas (read : malaysian word for toilet).

I led my family to sit in the pew at the church’s right side and started praying just before the mass. I knew that English Mass is always scheduled at 8AM at St. Anne but apparently, almost half of all of the church-goers at that time were dressed in Sari and mostly Indians. My hint that the mass would be in Tamil was confirmed only when it began.

We looked at each other cluelessly. Gabby was puzzled. The boy was surprised to hear hymns and biblical readings in foreign tongue. Tina and I explained to him that regardless of language, color or race, our Lord understands and appreciates the voice of our hearts. Then he started saying his very own daily prayer, also uttered one Our Father, one Hail Mary and one Glory Be.

We didn’t finish the mass and walked few meters away from the church to the same Chinese eatery we used to go to.

After almost a weeklong abstinence from pork, I suggested this simple meal to be our breakfast; we ordered two (Tina had hers mixed with Peking Duck, mine was purely roasted pork cutlets both affordably delicious at RM 4 each = PhP 56 served with rice) with iced and hot coffee, while Gabby had seafood noodle soup and Milo-iced (pronounced here as Mee-lo ais).

It may not be my personal Easter favorite, lechon or at least, lechon kawali, but we savored our simple breakfast because we certainly enjoyed it TOGETHER.

God bless, everyone!

Apr

BLOG CONTEST 2011

By docgelo 2 Comments

Categories: HEADLINES
Tags: blog, blog contest, contest, doc gelo, docgelo, food, freebie, fun, online contest, penang, penang malaysia, photography, recipe, TRAVEL, travel books, traveling, travelling

My own universe will be celebrating its 4th birthday (it’s my blog 4th anniversary!) and you are invited to join this simple-all-for-fun-contest. Mechanics and the prize ->[HERE].

Maraming Salamat po! Terima Kasih from Penang, Malaysia! *clap, clap*

Apr

LOVE KO ‘TO!

By docgelo 13 Comments

Categories: FAMILY : LOVE KO 'TO, FOOD & MORE FOOD! and MALAYSIA
Tags: family, family and living, fastfood, fatherhood, french fries, georgetown, hamburger, love, mcdonald's, mcdonald's penang, mcdonald's prangin mall, parenthood, penang, penang malaysia, prangin mall

Dahil walang Jollibee dito :

At Mcdonald’s Prangin Mall, Georgetown, Pulau Pinang…

Life is so much better with hamburger,chicken nuggets and french fries, is it not? haha

And family loving too! naks!

What are your plans for the weekend?

Have fun and be safe!

Mar

MUDRAS : INSPIRING GESTURES

By docgelo 29 Comments

I consider myself lucky for being exposed to fascinating diversities that are so apparent in my current work place and its surroundings. Penang isn’t only a foodie’s paradise but a multi-racial haven where various cultures and religions breathe and thrive harmoniously.

In a community where Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism (and Christianity) mix peacefully, I found myself having profound respect for these religions. Despite my minimal knowledge about them, my fancy was heightened gradually with anything that symbolizes love, peace and humility.

Just when I brought my wife+kid and our visiting friend to 2 Buddhist temples in the heart of Penang Island, I never expected that something would still be interesting considering that it was already my 3rd time to be there last week, nonetheless, it felt like every visit offers a remarkable charm.

Inside the temple, documenting the hand gestures of images of Buddha, the ones they called Mudras happened spontaneously…

Abhaya Mudra – Imparting Fearlessness, Reassurance, Protection, Blessing.

Dhyana Mudra. This mudra signifies meditation…

Varada Mudra – Symbolizing Charity…

Vitarka Mudra – Intellectual Argument, Debate, Appeasement, Teaching, Giving Instruction, Reason…

Dharmachakra Mudra. Teaching, Preaching, Turning the Wheel of Dharma…

And the other hand signs…

that despite unlabeled, obviously represent simplicity, wisdom, enlightenment, truth and other values of Buddhism…

“Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.” -Buddha.

On the lighter side of things, my son, Gabby was so natural as he tried to absorb the atmosphere inside the temple…

*Any insights and additional inputs on Mudras and Buddhism in general, are highly appreciated.”

Sourced from Buddha Images, Hand Gestures, Lotus Sculpture

Mar

FOOD PORN : PENANG

By docgelo 31 Comments

It’s an understatement to state that Penang offers a variety of food choices because food options in this part of Malaysia is limitless! It’s as diverse as its people (Malay, Indian and Chinese). However, since taste is subjective, one may be easily satisfied with affordable and delicious dim sum from food stalls in the streets, popularly known as hawkers, while others would not be pleased to eat some dishes if tolerance to spice can’t be stretched. Nonetheless, there’s a plate in Penang for every palate.

When Rob, one of our good friends of almost 2 decades decided to go to 3 key cities of Malaysia (Kota Kinabalu, Penang and Kuala Lumpur) for his 1-whole-week of lone backpacking trip, I thought of playing the best tour guide to him but I guess my 7-month-stay here in Penang isn’t enough to meet the part (The story deserves another post). Part of the plan (if there was any, haha!) was to showcase to him the flavors of this island (read : food trip!) I reminded him just before he went here that it’s a must for first-time-tourist to taste the place’s staple food; and one of Penang’s favorites is Nasi Lemak…

That was my plate. I didn’t know that Rob developed allergy toward chicken. Chicken is a part of that dish served with roasted peanuts, cucumber slices, cup of rice traditionally cooked in coconut cream, hard boiled egg, dried anchovies, and sambal, yes its hot and spicy sauce. Nasi Lemak simply means fatty rice; it needs no further explation with its ingredients. A colleague once said that this Malaysian dish can last you throughout the day.

All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast. ~John Gunther

Some people categorize food into meal times. We don’t. My family and closest friends can eat almost anything regardless if it’s breakfast, lunch or dinner. I call it pure talent. haha! We are one with those people who like breakfast-all-day menus. Here are some breakfast foods for some which we had for our early light dinner…

Who doesn’t like buttered toasts?

We brought our best friend to one of my favorite simple food places along Jalan Burma (Burma Road) in Georgetown. It’s called Santorini…

Santorini’s Chinese-owned restaurant without intimidating ambiance. I cannot recall a visit without me ordering this dish previously known as Seafood Rice Combo but now labeled on their menu as Butterine Prawns and Mantis Rice…It’s sufficient to ease out all worries and fatigue from a day’s work. In other words, it’s one of my comfort foods. Sarap!

My wife, Tina opted to have Sambal Rice… tolerable spiciness served with prawns and herbs.

Our 6-year-old kiddie, Gabby went British in ordering Fish and Chips…

While Rob’s first meal in Penang wasn’t a local dish but nonetheless looks so pescetarian to me (he is, actually). He finished this veggie-pasta plate; it’s either it was that good or his trip from Kota Kinabalu to Penang was tiring for him.

We washed everything down with refreshingly good iced teas of berries and lemon flavors.

Then the next morning, we left the hotel in the island at 6AM and took our breakfast at a roofed-hawker-place somewhere 30-min from Georgetown.

Warm broth from this prawn noodle dish in hot claypot can be soothing for an empty tummy.

Rob and Gabby had bowls of Fish Congee and a bun of kaya…

I wanted to eat Char Koay Teow that morning but the vendor said that ingredients were still yet to be sourced from a nearby public market, so I ended up having another noodle dish with taste similar to CKT…

If food choices are as wide as the Penang blue sky, so do drinks…Tina and I shared in Iced Coffee, Gabby had Iced Milo and Rob tried Wheat grass which tasted like sago’t gulaman to me; sarap pamatid-uhaw!

Lunch last Thursday was superb; in fact I lost superlatives to describe its goodness. Rob treated us to this buffet place in Plaza Gurney called Seoul Garden. It’s like Tong Yang and Yakimix in Manila or close to the authentic yakiniku in Don K! in Tokyo…

You get to grill your prawns, beef, fish and chicken strips while boiling your preferred soup; we chose Abalone broth as our soup base.

The spread in Seoul Garden is more than what your appetite can handle…

We also feasted at salads, dim sums, fried chicken, potatoes, fried spring rolls and more…

And the world is always a happier place to live in because of ice cream, is it not?

It’s one of the best vanilla ice cream I’ve tasted; it’s creamy vanilla enriched with chocolate sprinkles; sinfully delicious! They’ve other flavors like raspberry, mango, corn even durian!

Great tasting food + company of loved ones = what more can you ask for?

It was a day and half of food tripping with my family and our best friend who paid us a visit here in Penang. We might not have brought him to the most authentic food places like hawkers at Gurney Drive and food stalls in Lebuh Chulia and other parts of Georgetown but I am betting my last ringgit that he definitely enjoyed his hours with us.

Until my family’s next gastronomic adventure!

——————————————->

Mar

THEIR FIRST FEW DAYS IN PENANG

By docgelo 22 Comments

Categories: Attitude, FAMILY : LOVE KO 'TO, FOOD & MORE FOOD! and MALAYSIA
Tags: buchi, butterworth, cartoons, chinese dish, chinese food, condo living, doc gelo, docgelo, expat, filipino abroad, gabby, Johnny Depp, life abroad, life of an expat, living abroad, lotus balls, movie rango, movies, noodle dish, noodles, ocw, ofw, penang, penang malaysia, pinoy abroad, pulau pinang, rango, taho, too foo far, urban living, vista perdana

Je suis tellement heureuse pour vous. Dis bonjour à Ma’am Santos

Que Dieu vous bénisse toujours

(I’m so happy for you. Say hello to Ma’am Santos May God bless you always) -This was one of the several comments I’ve received on facebook after I’ve posted a photo of my son and wife’s arrival in Penang International Airport last Saturday. Those words came from my wife’s student, Myeen, who’s born in ~~Belgium and raised in France.~~ Pinas but spent her 10 years in Belgium and had traveled France and some countries in Europe. I always have my widest smile every time she posts comments on French; such a beautiful language I wish I could learn. Won’t you be happy if others are happy for you and your family as well?

20 March 2011, Sunday : On board the ferry that takes us to and from Butterworth to Penang Island; ferry takes approx 12 minute ride; kinda relaxing for me unless there's inevitable little isolated hassles. (tingnan nyo si ate, nakatingin sa mag-ina ko, hehe!)

And so I became the happiest man alive on the day I finally brought my family to Penang. They’ll be staying here with me until God knows when.They arrived safely from Manila to Kuala Lumpur via Cebu Pacific (4-hour-flight) then had another flight from KL to Penang via Air Asia (about an hour-flight). I saw them coming out of Penang Airport at around 6:10PM last Saturday. That moment was surreal!

We’re all thankful to the Lord for despite the vertigo episodes that Tina was having during their entire flight until they reached Penang (imagine, she fainted down to her knees in front of the immigration officer at Kuala Lumpur-LCCT airport) plus the fact that she was only one to carry all the 37 kg of check-in luggages and 13 kg of handful of cabin-bags, not to forget that the rains (only) poured from heavens when we’re already in the cab enroute to our condo, they arrived safe and sound. God was indeed good all the time!

Tina wanted to hear mass the next day but I knew there’s no scheduled English mass last Sunday at the parish where I frequent so we postponed it the following weekend.

We hopped onto Rapid Penang bus, hit the roads to the jetty, transferred to the ferry then took bus again to the Island. (Cest la vie for we’re still living in Penang mainland, but before August hopefully, we get to transfer to a new place in the Island itself).

I took them to Queensbay Mall, one of my favorite malls in Penang Island where I usually spend my days off inside its coffee shops and cinemas. Tina and Gabby only had one chance to go to Queensbay during their 2-week-break here last December.

At the Queens food court, we feasted on Beef Fried Rice, Yee Mee noodle dish, peanut and lotus balls (aka buchi) and Too Foo Far in brown sugar, of in Pinas we call it, taho less tapioca or sago. Sarap kumain pagkasalo pamilya!

Then we watched the movie that had Johnny Depp’s voice, Rango…

Rango : "No man can walk out on his own story."

It wasn’t difficult to like Rango for the three of us are all followers of most Johnny Depp’s kiddie-movies. The fantastic visuals and spectacular scenes plus the splendid voices rendered to the animated cast made the movie truly entertaining. Rango, like most contemporary cartoons is filled with matured themes and quotes that kids might find to early to absorb. Like how many kids can easily grasp the importance of a hero finding his true self? Nonetheless, I saw Gabby smiled and laughed at few chase scenes and that was enough for me as I start to fill in those days that we’re away from each other.

The following day after my work hours, we visited few of our colleague-friends’ home-away-from-home.

Gabby, striking his seriously wacky pose at the hallway of the condo we visited.

It’s so comforting that my fellow MD lecturers welcomed my family to their living rooms (actually, i personally requested if we can peek in at their condos for Tina to have an idea of how Pulau Pinang urban living looks like). You don’t have idea how hard it is to live as an expat with barely friends and relatives you have lived with since you existed until you become one.

Chance led me to discover the song that’s so apt for our present family status.

I honestly don’t know who Bruno Mars is and am completely clueless with his music until I stumbled upon this wonderful song that speaks my thoughts exactly. Please do yourself a favor, click the video and sing to your heart’s delight! Let me know of what you think.

Tina and I are aware that we took the big leap as we begin to live and thrive here in Penang that’s absolutely far from our own comfort zones. We’re taking one day at a time; hopefully in God’s will, we may be able to become happier, healthier as we begin our new life here.

What’s most important now is we’re one family again.

God bless all our loved ones!

———————o

Mar

FROM THIS DAY FORWARD

By docgelo 17 Comments

Categories: FAMILY : LOVE KO 'TO, HEADLINES and MALAYSIA
Tags: doc gelo, docgelo, expat, family, family and living, family life, filipino abroad, filipino in malaysia, life abroad, life in penang, ocw, ofw, penang, penang malaysia, pinoy abroad, pinoy expat, rob, sensory replays

Another chapter in our family life will unfold today.

My life in Penang will be happier for this late afternoon, my wife, Tina and our kid, Gabby will arrive from Manila via Kuala Lumpur. They’ll be staying here with me on dependent visa until (my work visa expires) God wants us to be here.

I certainly know how difficult it is for my wife to leave Manila for she will be missing two valuables in her life -

-her Ate who’s a doctor and a medical educator too (happens to be my classmate-friend back in Med school) and is the only immediate family she got in Pinas; the rest of my in-laws are based in the US and

-her job as a clinical instructor and a skills laboratory lecturer for Nursing college students in which Tina have been passionate about for some years (I think she didn’t resigned but only filed an indefinite leave of absence).

My wife shall begin to work here in Penang as an Operating Room Nurse once her license from MNC is issued. While waiting, she’ll continue to be the best personal and private teacher to Gabby as we prepare him for schooling here (read : we need to save first for Gabby’s private foreign school because its cost is so steep although the cost of living isn’t).

I know that with my family’s presence, I’ll be more inspired to wake up every 5 o’clock in the morning to hit the roads to work.

Another reason of my excitement is the fact that someone close to my family will pay a visit next week.

I already filed a replacement leave in our HR office because by mid next week, one of my best buddies of 18 years and counting, Rob of Sensory Replays will have his lone backbacking trip for a week in Malaysia. He’ll start his leisure tour in Kota Kinabalu on Monday, then we’ll fetch him at the airport on Wednesday and will serve as his tour guide here in Penang until the next day before he leaves for Kuala Lumpur on Friday. Rob is one of Gabby’s dutiful godparents so we expect pasalubong from him of course. haha!

It’s a whole new world for my family; a new life to begin. I am certain that there are reasons why the good Lord made all this possible. We cannot thank Him enough.

Now, you’ll have to excuse me, I’ll have to prepare to go to the island, kill few hours in the mall before fetching my family at the airport. yeehaa!

Mar

I LOVE JAPAN BECAUSE OF THESE

By docgelo 11 Comments

Categories: FOOD & MORE FOOD!, HEADLINES, MALAYSIA and Uncategorized
Tags: doc gelo, docgelo, food blog, foodie, george town, georgetown penang, japan, Japanese food, komtar, penang, penang malaysia, prangin mall, sushi, TOKYO

Honestly, I cannot get over the news about how Japan was inundated by that massive tsunami and jolted by that tremendous earthquake a couple of days ago. I was ashamed of myself dwelling on my little personal and professional problems while people on the other side of the planet were fighting for survival against forces beyond their control.

I prayed and asked for forgiveness; asked for mercy for those deeply affected by the calamity. I immediately thought of my family who as of the moment, are miles away from me. I prayed for their safety and for the good Lord to continuously keep us in His divine care.

Perhaps, one of the reasons why I am deeply affected with what happened to Japan was because I was fortunate enough to experienced Tokyo last year. I have personally seen, heard, smelt, felt and tasted Tokyo for 14 days! It was indeed, remarkable 2 weeks of my life! Admittedly, I fell in love with the city and it’s so difficult to reconcile that its northern part was devastated by that natural tragedy.

It instantly came to mind that even the most progressive country has its own sufferings. And that nothing is spared when nature speaks its wrath.

I know Japanese people have been used to strong typhoons, frequent earthquakes and in history, even atomic bombings. How they managed to rise from all these adversities should inspire and motivate not only me but the rest of the globe.

I was hesitant to post something pleasant about how I love that city and that country with their culture and their food of course, but life has to move on. Thus, this entry.

Second to our very own local dishes back home, I love Japanese foods. As mentioned, I am lucky to have tasted authentic sushi, sashimi, teppanyaki and sukiyaki when I was in Tokyo. So everytime I see Japanese food stalls and restaurants wherever I go, I cannot help but crave for some bites.

About a couple of weeks ago, I went to one of the malls here in Penang that I frequent every weekend. And I did not resist the temptation of having Japanese for late lunch. Here was my set then…

Japan’s greatest contribution to gastronomic history : sushi!

Other than sushi and sashimi, Yakult is the next best thing Japanese people introduced to the world!

This set meal came with soup+noodle bowl and a small cup of custard dessert as sweet ending!

Free small pitcher of iced cold green tea and drinking water to wash everything down.

I had that set meal from Sushi King in George Town, Penang…

Diners can directly get their sushi from the conveyor belt …

besides the set meal I had, I also opted to order ala carte. Sushi King’s Soft shelled crab temaki –delicious!

I ate this lunch set at the heart of Penang 2 weeks before that catastrophe happened in Japan. At least, it reminds me of good memories I had from Tokyo; a breather from those actual photos of news online.

Japanese food. Japanese culture. Japanese innovation. Japanese people. Japanese way of life. These are the things I love about Japan. And so until after they rise on their feet from the devastation they had, they’ll be constantly in my prayers.

So help us, God!

Mar

410 THREAD COUNT COMFORTER SET FOR 1 RINGGIT ONLY

By docgelo 25 Comments

Categories: FAMILY : LOVE KO 'TO and MALAYSIA
Tags: akemi uchi, akemiuchi, bed linens, bed sheets, beddings, bedsheets, comforter set, confessions of a shopaholic, discount, doc gelo, docgelo, expats, filipino expats, linens, mall, ocw, ofw, penang, penang malaysia, pinoy expats, queensbay mall, sale, sheets, shopaholic, shopping, shopping addict, sleeping, towels, weekend

As of this posting, I have not seen the 2009 American movie adaptation, “Confessions of a Shopaholic” of the series that was written by Sophie Kinsella; starred a certain, Isla Fisher as the shopping addict. Nevertheless, I had that film in mind as I exerted efforts in waking up early on a supposed to be lazy Saturday morning, hopped on the bus and ferry just to reach Queensbay Mall in Penang Island and grabbed some greatly discounted items with 3 friendly colleagues. Am I a shopaholic? Naaahhh….

Who would pass on the chance of 70 – 80 % off on bedroom items?

Can you resist this ?

Last night, I received a text message inviting me to a Members’ Day at Akemi Uchi, a Japanese shop that sells bed sheets, pillows, comforters, towels and other home items. The message stated a RM 1 (PhP 14) comforter set, up for grab by members (fortunately, I kept the membership card I got after I purchased a regularly priced item last year).

We arrived at Queensbay Mall at 9AM when it’s still closed. *talked about eagerness and excitement* Had some bites and sips from Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, then off we went to the mall’s 2nd level where Akemi Uchi is located.

When the store opened its door, I rushed to one of its shelves and luckily got one of those ten-limited-offer Queen-sized comforter set, on sale for only RM1 (PhP 14).

Comforter set = 1 piece- 410 thread count Queen-sized-comforter set, 1 Queen-sized fitted sheet, 2 pillow cases, 1 bolster case ALL for one ringgit (or PhP 14)!

I knew the items to be sold for RM 1 (PhP 14) were very limited but didn’t expect that comforter sets will only be 10 pieces. I should have known the right shelf where they’ve put those great buys earlier; could have picked a nicer color.

I initially offered the RM1-comforter set to my friends, but after I heard a Chinese lady-shopper commented that I am lucky to have one because it’s 410 thread count, I decided to pay for it despite it’s tan, black and red colors (I prefer darker ones).

Look at how my fellows smiled from ear to ear with those loots…

There were foot rugs, bath towels, cotton pillows, tall glasses and throw pillow cases for one ringgit each but each member was limited to 2 pieces of items per purchase only.

I failed to get hold of the towels for myself but handed them to my friends. Nonetheless I was happy with what I got : RM1-comforter set, 2 pieces of foot rugs, a couple of purple satin-throw pillow cases all for RM 1 (PhP 14) each and a RM 30 (PhP 420) rollaway mattress in blue, 76 cm x 196 cm.

And this photo should have captioned with, “Manong tindero, pwede pa bang dagdag diskwento?” hehehe (“Salesman, can you give us additional discount?”)

When I spotted this King-sized (my current bed in the penthouse is actually King size) comforter with bear face-print, I immediately got hold of it for I know my wife, Tina more than our son, Gabby will be delighted for this; right, honey?

I bought that too-cute-for-words-comforter set (with King sized comforter, fitted sheet, 2 pillow cases, 1 bolster case) for only RM 119 (PhP 1666) from its insanely original price of RM 919 (PhP 12,866).

I could just imagine Tina screaming, “Ang cutieeeeee!” once she sees that bear-face-printed comforter.

My colleague-friends and shopping buddies for this day : doc gen, doc roy and doc jane (standing), public health specialists and a pathologist respectively…

Doc Gen even bought linens for her staff at DOH-Leyte and comforters and rollaway mattress too for her kids…

The faces of happy customers!

Those awesome items and the fun company of my fellow lecturers certainly made my weekend!

How’s yours?

————————0

Feb

BIRTHDAYS ARE MADE OF THESE

By docgelo 18 Comments

Categories: EVENTS, FOOD & MORE FOOD! and MALAYSIA
Tags: acms, aucms, balloons, birthday cakes, birthday party, birthdays, cakes, celebration, cupcakes, doc gelo, docgelo, party, party hats, pastries, penang, penang malaysia

You know there’s a birthday party when there are…

Balloons…

Party hats…

Gifts…

Cakes…

And more cakes…

Venue dressed to the nines…

The Guests…

And of course, the celebrators!

25 February 2011, Friday, Waziria Medical Square, Kepala Batas, Penang, Malaysia. A few months ago, the institution that we’re working at came up with an idea to gather its community at the end of each month, outside its classrooms, conference halls without any lectures and meetings and office works but to party for our colleagues who were born on each specific month.

It was the very first time for the Faculty of Medicine to sponsor and host (I was one of the emcees) this monthly birthday celebration. With only less than a week to plan, we prepared almost everything, rolled up our sleeves, did multitasking even the blowing of balloons for the love of our jobs. *bow!*

What made this birthday party extraordinary?

How often would you see medical doctors who are educators as well from different countries unite in blowing of balloons? hehehe…

(from L-R) Dr. Mila from Myanmar, Dr. Vivian from the Philippines and Dr. Phoo also from Myanmar

How many companies celebrate their employees’ natal day all at the same time? How many times have you spent your birthday in a foreign ground with celebrators from various walks of life, cultures, religions and colors? How frequent can you experience a potluck party of food from different nationalities? (oops, that reminds me I forgot to capture the spread at the buffet table!) Occasion with elements such as these doesn’t happen even on a yearly basis.

I must admit, I enjoyed it!

What’s your most memorable birthday celebration?

——————————————-o

PS : Of course, nothing beats special occasions spent with your family and loved ones.

Feb

CONFESSIONS OF A DIM SUM MONSTER

By docgelo 15 Comments

Categories: FOOD & MORE FOOD! and MALAYSIA
Tags: butterworth, butterworth penang, chinese, chinese cuisine, chinese food, dim sum, dimsum, doc gelo, docgelo, dumplings, food, hakao, hakaw, malaysian food, penang, penang malaysia, siopao, steam basket

Admittedly, I love to eat, who doesn’t? And few of my favorites are basically Asian dishes, obviously because of my roots. Other than Filipino food, I like Japanese! Sushi, sashimi, tempura and teppanyaki which I have tasted as authentic as it gets when I was in Tokyo for 2 weeks last year. From Pinoy and Japanese gastromic delights, I also love Chinese food! Yang chow fried rice, Peking Duck, some Schezuan dishes and yes, dim sum and dumplings!

Can you honestly differentiate a dim sum from a dumpling? Certainly, I cannot until this post (or perhaps when I blogged about them few years ago). It only proves that I haven’t started dwelling in the food that I eat the way a righteous foodie should be. (google translate : I only love to eat but too lazy to read!).

“Dim sum is a Cantonese term for a type of Chinesedish that involves small individual portions of food, usually served in a small steamer basket or on a small plate. Going for dim sum is usually known in Cantonese as going to “drink tea” (yum cha, 飲茶). (Sourced via Wiki)

“Dumplings are cooked balls of dough.They are based on flour, potatoes, bread, or matzoh, and may include meat, fish, or sweets. They may be cooked by boiling, steaming, simmering, frying, or baking. They may have a filling, or there may be other ingredients mixed into the dough. Dumplings may be sweet or spicy. They can be eaten by themselves, in soups or stews, with gravy, or in any other way. While some dumplings resemble solid water boiled doughs, such as gnocchi, others such as wontons resemble meatballs with a thin dough covering.” (Sourced via Wiki)

As an expat for 7 months now, I am still in the process of absorbing everything in my new ground and that includes diversity of everything. Penang celebrates the presence of its 3 predominant races -Malays, Indians and Chinese. And indubitably, with their religions and cultures, food also varies and offers quaint appeal to everyone’s taste buds.

I have been keeping my love affair with Chinese food long before I decided to work here in Penang.

And so I heard that there’s a cheap but authentically great dim sum place tucked in Butterworth called Orient Precious Restaurant, which is actually an upscale side street eatery (or in Pinas we call it, “turo-turo“) but to me and the rest of my fellows, a haven of irresistible dim sums. However, I regret the fact that I passed on the first chance to sample them for I didn’t join my colleague-friends who came in troop (15+ of them!) when they dined there last week. It was because I was waiting for a Skype conversation with my family.

Sunday came and a suggestion from my housemates was raised that I should try it and come with them. And so I did. But luck wasn’t on my side because we found out that Orient Precious Restaurant is closed every Sunday evening.

Last night (Tuesday, 22 February), we decided to go there again and finally, we’re not disappointed.

Here’s my shameless display of what I pig-out :

FIRST ROUND!

After several minutes of waiting for the second serving…

ROUND TWO!

Burp!

Plus, I ordered an enormous Bola-bola siopao as takeaway which I had for breakfast the next day.

Was everything worth my RM 22.60 (PhP 316.40) ? You bet!

That scallop-dim sum in thick soup and those seafood siomai and others which I didn’t bother to ask the names, are so tasteful that it can give the Chinese-restaurant and eateries in Ongpin and Binondo Streets in Manila, or even in Hong Kong a run for their money.

We’re all ready to go but one of my friends asked me to photograph the only pet in sight that evening in that the dim sum place…

Of all living creatures, I hate to see cats in food places that serve dim sum and dumplings, don’t you? If you’re Pinoy like me and you’re familiar with that running joke associating those yummies with those furry pets, you know what I mean, hahaha!

_____________________________o

Feb

ENTICING COLORS OF GEORGE TOWN, PENANG

By docgelo 25 Comments

Categories: ILOVEPHOTOS, MALAYSIA and TRAVEL
Tags: doc gelo, docgelo, george town, georgetown, penang, penang malaysia

George Town or Georgetown,is the capital of the state of Penang in Malaysia. Named after Britain’s King George III, George Town is located on the north-east corner of Penang Island and has 157,743 inhabitants. The Penang metropolitan has a population 1,253,748, the third largest metropolitan in Malaysia by population.

Formerly a municipality and then a city in its own right, since 1976 George Town has been part of the municipality of Penang Island, though the area formerly governed by the city council is still commonly referred to as a city, and is also known as Tanjung (“The Cape”) in Malay and 喬治市 (Qiáozhì Shì) in Chinese.

The inner city of George Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Sourced from Wiki

I considered myself ~~lucky~~ blessed for I was given a chance to work and live in Penang, Malaysia. I and some 23 Filipino doctor-educators became expats here last July 30, 2010.

Penang is more like Manila or its nearby provinces; but the presence of 3 races -Malays, Chinese and Indians with their colors, religions, cultures fused into one city make it distinctly diverse compared to our own country.

Allow me to showcase my humble captures of Georgetown, one of UNESCO World Heritage Cities.

If you’re traveling to Penang for the first time and will not be coming from the airport which is in the Penang Island itself, here are my few travel tips to guide you on your trip.

You need to get off from a train or a bus (which comes from Kuala Lumpur or as far as Singapore or Thailand) in Penang Sentral Bus Station in Butterworth then be ready with your RM 1.20 (PhP 16.80) to pay ticket for the roundtrip ferry ride at the jetty.

This ferries take you from Penang Sentral in Butterworth to Georgetown and the rest of the Island…

I find the 12-minute ferry ride relaxing. I and my colleague-friends usually sit in the first pews in front to grasp some fresh sea breeze. Stress is somehow diminished once I ride the ferry.

Then after you get off the ferry, you need to find your way to explore Georgetown. There are few Informasi booths (Information) located at the bus terminals where you can ask directions and what Rapid Penang bus number you need to take.

Or if you are in the mood to splurge, you may opt to ride teksi cabs which may cost you RM 10 (PhP 140) and up on the meter, depending where you’re going. (note : I don’t recommend taking teksi cabs unless it’s past 10PM in Butterworth where Rapid Penang buses become no longer available). It is best to enjoy Georgetown and the rest of the Island via buses and foot.

You know that you’re in Georgetown already when you see the roundabout at the Queen Victoria Clock Tower…

It is not only the cultures of the 3 predominant races in Penang that is apparent in Georgetown but also the British influence. From it’s contemporary buildings to the centuries-old ones, there’s always something you can appreciate and learn a thing or two from its history without even reading books or just before deciding to get inside a museum. Georgetown is definitely rich in everything! It’s not included in UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites for nothing.

Berhenti means Stop! in Bahasa Melayu…

Then if you must, you may convince yourself to ride the trishaw for RM 30 (PhP 420) per hour which can still be discounted to a lower rate depending on your talent on haggling..

I personally don’t like it for I pity those drivers who take the pedals manually and mostly in their geriatric ages..

One of the streets of Georgetown that is mostly frequented by foreigners and I mean the Americans, Europeans, Australians is Lebuh Chulia or Chulia Street…

Other laterals of Georgetown has more vivid and vibrant colors…

An early morning walk in Georgetown is such a feast to the senses…

Believe me, there’s more of Georgetown and Pulau Pinang that’s worth any backpacker’s adventure. And did I already tell you that the gastronomic delights are almost endless in this part of Malaysia?

So, will I see you in Georgetown? *wink*

————————————————–o

SEARCH & YOU SHALL FIND!

BLOG STATS : THANK YOU!

653,885 hits

SUBSCRIBE TO BEYOND TOXICITY

2013 BEST EXPAT BLOG WINNER MINISTRY OF TOURISM MALAYSIA

photo 8e3a63a6-47d9-4e50-9a84-64493e6bbc6b_zpse91c3a1e.jpg

2012 BEST EXPAT BLOG WINNER MINISTRY OF TOURISM MALAYSIA

photo d5d0d846-97c0-4bc5-911b-231b0211b123_zps280a7c27.jpg

FEATURED IN INTERNATIONS.ORG

2012 BRONZE AWARD EXPATSBLOG.COM

FEATURED IN ExpatFocus.Com

SINGAPORE BLOG AWARDS 2013

2012 ExpatBlogs.Com Nominee

2010 PHILIPPINE BLOG AWARDS

2010 PHILIPPINE EXPAT BLOG AWARDS

photo 229a28d6-1b89-4018-9282-997c17b69b98.jpg

2009 PHILIPPINE BLOG AWARDS, FINALIST FAMILY & LIVING BLOG CATEGORY

BlogMalaysia!

CHAPTERS

DOCGELO @ BLOG NA PINOY

Angelo Nino

Create Your Badge

anong petsa na?

SOME LIKE IT HOT

today’s top clicks

OPINION COUNTS…

	docgelo on JUNE 15, 2013 : ONE OF OUR HAP…
	ewok1993 on JUNE 15, 2013 : ONE OF OUR HAP…
	docgelo on JUNE 15, 2013 : ONE OF OUR HAP…
	bertN on JUNE 15, 2013 : ONE OF OUR HAP…
	Sunday Walk: Going t… on WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE : …
	docgelo on JUNE 15, 2013 : ONE OF OUR HAP…
	pinoytransplant on JUNE 15, 2013 : ONE OF OUR HAP…

get your free blog banner at emilayusof.com

TOKYO 2010

***ANOTHER DAY IN MALAYSIA

***DAYS IN KOTA BHARU, KELANTAN

*2012 : HONG KONG DISNEYLAND

*A BREAK IN SINGAPORE

*ADVENTURES IN TOKYO

*BORACAY'S A PARADISE

*DISCOVERING HATYAI, THAILAND

watzupdoc?!

"Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship." (Buddha)

BLAST FROM THE PAST

BLOGGING DAYS

Posts Tagged ‘penang

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this: