This is the latest happening in Penang.
Bring along your kids and I am sure they will like it.
It is located in mainland, JURU - Auto City.
About 15 minutes drive after Penang Bridge exit.
It will be one of the stop along North-South Highway.
More photos in the next posting…
Been sometime since the blog was really updated. Well, we were busy due to work commitment. Anyway, I’ll introduce a new dish this time. It’s locally known as Yong Tau Fu.
The name of the dish is mainly referring to the tofu which is usually served together with vermicelli, rice or other main dish. But as time passed, more and more varieties of side dishes are introduced. Most of the side dishes will usually have fish cakes as the main ingredient.
Customers can choose from the varieties of side dishes and the seller will then cook those together in a clear chicken soup. Then the dish is usually served with rice, vermicelli, noodles and etc.
I read about the coverage on Star Online.
If you are a Penangite, you MUST visit this website and take a look.
Listen to our authentic Penang Hokkien dialect and see how much it is difference from Hokkien dialect in other part of the world.
Check it out now … John Ong’s Penang Hokkien - http://penanghokkien.com
We will be celebrating CNY this coming Sunday 18 Feb 2007.
Due to workload, it is quite tough for us to post more write up and photos this month.
If you have any photos on how people decorated their houses with red lanterns, lightings and any kind of deco, feel free to share with us. All photos will be creditted accordingly.
Hope we can make this a better site …
Today marks the full moon in the Tamil month of Thai which usually fall in Jan or Feb. Pusam means the star is at its highest point during the festival. This day, the Indian community of the Hindu faith celebrates the birthday of Lord Murugan with a test of faith.
Usually, prior to the celebration, devotees will cleanse themselves by fasting and also prayer. On the day of the festival, devotees will undertake a pilgrimage along a route with a various types of burden known as kavadi.
The simplest form of kavadi comes in the form of carrying a pot of milk on top of the devotees’ heads. There are also a more ‘daring’ acts of flesh mortification which is even more daring than any acts you can find in the popular Fear Factor program on tv. It includes acts like piercing the skin, tougue, cheeks with vel skewers. There also also those who carry a portable altar up to two meters tall which is usually beautifully decorated with peacock feathers. The altar is attached to the devotees through vels which are pierced into the skin of the chest and back of the devotees.
It’s believed that at the point of time when the devotees are carrying the kavadi, they are in some sort of trance which they do not feel any pain from the piercing and you’ll notice that one don’t bleed at the wound where the vel is pierced. And miraculously after the festival, no scar is left behind by the vel at all. It is said that it’s the faith in Lord Murugan that void off all the pain from the piercing.
In Penang, Thaipusam is celebrated at the Hindu Temple near the Waterfall Garden. Devotees will throng the temple surroundings starting at about a week before the height of the festival. You’ll also get to see a lot of kolam which are paintings painted on the roads along the temple vicinity.
Besides the Hindus, some of the Chinese community in Penang will also take part in the celebration by offering coconuts, bananas, flowers & Indian joss-sticks. A lot will also break coconuts along the route of the procession as a sign of gratitude to Lord Murugan for the safe health they had the previous year. You should witness this annual event when you are in Penang because it’s one of the most breathtaking festival you can find here in Penang.
Penang, Hindu, Thaipusam, Kavadi, Waterfall Garden, Lord Murugan
Traveling can be expensive. Sometimes there is just no other choice but to travel and it may not be something that you want to spend a lot of money on. There are some ways that you can save money while traveling and still have a comfortable and enjoyable trip.
How To Save Money By Flying
If you have to travel remember that holidays are the best days to fly. Thanksgiving is a great day because hardly anyone will be flying that day. The day before and the day after a holiday are the worst days to travel. These are the busiest days of the year to be on a plane. Pack light when you are traveling. Extra baggage could cost you time and money and you can save by packing a little less and you will save a lot more.
Personally, I use Air Asia for cheap air fair. You can check out the deal here if you want to go other states in Malaysia.
Take A Train Instead Of Flying
Trains are a great way to travel because they are usually less expensive than a plane. They are also less crowded. When you decide to take a train you will save money that can be used for other things on your vacation.
Here is the link to KTM or known as Keretapi Tanah Melayu.
Bring Your Own Snacks
When you are traveling either alone or with your family, bring your own snacks. This will save you time and money when you get hungry. Sometimes with the hustle of traveling we forget to get ourselves something to eat. This may cause an all of sudden sick feeling for you. By having some snacks on hand you will save yourself the trouble of feeling sick. This will also save you money. Snacks on coach flights and sections are not free and can be expensive in some cases.
Driving In A Car
When you are driving to your destination, there are some things that you can do to save yourself money. Remember to not drive too fast. Driving fast can cause your car to use more fuel. It may also get you a speeding ticket, which will cost you a lot of extra money in the end. It is better to stay at a steady and safe speed while you are driving. Also bring your own food. Make up some sandwiches and bring along some sodas and water. This will save you money and time by not having to stop for food.
Another good piece of advice when traveling by car is to take turns driving with someone. Make sure that you have another safe driver for times when you need a break. You can sleep while someone else drives for a while and then switch back and forth when a rest is needed. This will save you the expense of paying for a room and get you to your destination sooner.
Penang, Travel Tips, Travel On Budget, Save Money By Flying, Take A Train, Bring Own Snacks, Driving
I came across this dessert at the Penang TESCO food court which I found to be pretty nice. I think this will be a typical kids’ best friend. Kids just love sweet and cold desserts. It’s mainly consist of shaved ice and some sweet syrup. There’s some nata de coco at the bottom of the ice. The dessert is covered with peach halves. I think this is something nice to have as a replacement of your typical drink after your lunch/dinner.
So, you guys can give this a try the next time you go shopping at Penang TESCO 
Locally known as ‘Pan Mee’ or ‘Thit Pan Mee’. The dish is wide available in most of the food courts or hawker centers around Penang. This is one of the very few dishes of local food in Penang that you can find served on a hot plate.
The noodles used here is ‘Yee Mee’. I recalled once when I took a Japanese friend around and introduced this dish to her, she told me that the ‘Yee Mee’ is known as ‘Eh Hu Mien’ in Japanese which is very similar to ‘Yee Fu Min’ in Cantonese.
Well, anyway, the Yee Mee is usually deep fried to crisp prior to cooking. The noodles will then be cooked together with a special sauce on a hot plate. After a while, additional sauce and also some chiken, mushrooms and crab sticks will be added to the hot plate. When the hot plate gets really hot, you can see that the sauce looks like hot volcano lava with bursting bubbles all over the hot plate :p
You have the option of adding an egg into the dish if you like to. Once ready, the dish will be garnished with some fresh vegetables and served. A point to note is that the dish is a little spicy due to the dried chillies used in the sauce.
Penang, Penang Food, Hot Plate Noodles, Spicy Food, Pan Mee, Sizzling
If you are in Penang for holidays, Bukit Tambun is one of the place that you should not miss especially when you are a fan of delicious seafood.
Located over on the mainland Butterworth along the North-South Highway, Bukit Tambun is a very popular place in Penang which is famous for its seafood. “Cheap And Fresh Seafood”, those are the words that got into my mind when it comes to Bukit Tambun.
One can choose from a varieties of shells and clamps, prawns, fishes, crabs, lobsters and the list goes on. And the restaurants here offers a varities of tastes and serving methods like deep fry, stir fry, steam and so on. One only needs to ask the recommendations from restaurant owners and they will be happy to recommend to you what is nice. After that, all you need to do it to wait for the dishes to be served and enjoy.
So, if you are into seafood, do put Bukit Tambun in your place-to-go list to try on the fresh seafood they have available in Bukit Tambun, Penang.
Penang, Penang Food, Holiday in Penang, Penang Seafood, Bukit Tambun, Cheap And Fresh, North South Highway
Besides getting some tips on how to save your money & also deciding on where to go, there are also couple of things you need to do prior starting your trip.
Deciding what to pack
When you are thinking about what you are going to pack for your travel plans, there are some things that you should keep in mind. Think about where you are going first. Are you going somewhere that is warm and sunny or is the location cold and snowy. You want to make sure that you pack clothes that are suitable for the weather conditions.
Also think about how long you are going to be there. You will want to make sure that you pack enough clothes for everyday that you are there. Chances of you washing clothes while on vacation are probably pretty slim.
Make arrangements for home
If you are planning to travel out of town for a certain amount of time, you may want to have someone check on your home and take care of a few things for you while you are away. If you have pets you want to make sure that someone comes and feeds them and checks in on them for you. You may need someone to water your flowers or even get your mail for you while you are away.
Penang, Travel Tips, What To Pack, Travel Planning, Home Arrangement