If you see faulty meters like the one above around Penang, DO NOT PARK !!! BUT, you can also park there .. at your own risk Note that if you park on a lot with a faulty meter, you can be summoned if a City Council officer is around. They are usually dressed like “Men in Yellow” and with Black Sunshades. They usually do their rounds around the city on their ‘Men in Yellow Kapcai’ a.k.a small motorcycles like Honda Cub, Yamaha Cub and etc.
You wanna ask why? Why? Because the “Doc” said hor, you have to pay the parking fee when you park on a parking lot. If the meter is faulty, you should not be parking there. Go park somewhere else. Hallo Doc, you think there are a lot of parking lots or spaces around Penang? Do you know how limited the state’s parking spaces are? If you want to promote Penang to be a tourism spot, I think you need to do something about it.
And further information on parking, there are a number of places around Penang that are haunted by parking attendants. They’ll haunt you like green ghost. The moment you reached a parking lot, parked there and got out of your car, you’ll see one in front of you asking “Berapa jam ?” (How Many Hours?).
Parking fees wise, not all the parking fees for all the places around Penang are the same. Some charge RM0.30 and some charge RM0.40 for every 1/2 hour of parking time. And for most of the places, parking fee is on a EVERYDAY basis from 9am - 9pm. So, don’t be suprised, ok ? Also, certain places charge parking fee on a ‘per entry basis’.
Lets face it, taking an airplane is the fastest way to get to any destination that is too far to drive. There are some people who love to fly and then there are some that absolutely hate to fly and would do anything to get out of it. There are some strategies that you can do to make your air traveling a more pleasant and smarter way to travel.
What to pack
The worst part of traveling by plane is the deciding what to pack. You should always try to pack lightly and only take what you are going to need. You have to remember that you are going to have to lug around your luggage and you do not want to hurt yourself every time that you do just that.
Make sure that you take enough underwear for the entire time that you will be there. You also want to take along at least one outfit for everyday. Take the clothes that you will be most comfortable in and that are suitable for the climate where you are going. If you are going on a business trip, then make sure that you bring clothes that are suitable for your business needs.
Motion sickness
If you get sick easily while riding on an airplane, then you may want to think about bringing along something to ease your pain. The most important thing to remember is to take any medicine for this before you start to fly. Most of the drugs used to help motion sickness are designed to stop it before it starts. If you forgot to take the medication, there are always bags handy if you feel like you are going to be sick.
Arrive at the airport early
When you are taking a plane, the best advice to you is to get there early. There is so much security at the airports that you are sure to get held up and there is a chance that you may miss your flight if you do not give yourself enough time. Allow lots of time for any possible delays that can come up at any unexpected time during your air travel time.
Pack some fun
Flights can be boring if you are traveling alone or with children. One way to avoid boredom or nervousness is to pack some fun things to do. Crossword puzzles, books, hand help games and even headphones are a great idea. This will keep your mind occupied and if you have little ones that need to be kept quiet or calm, coloring books are a big help for them.
I just read about the storm alert via Star Online. So depressing …
Instead of Santa is coming to town, here comes the thunderstorm !
Normally, in Jan, Feb and March there will be lesser rain in Penang. But now, we were informed to be prepared for severe storms !
KUALA LUMPUR: Seven states in the northern and east coast regions of the peninsula have been issued with a yellow alert warning of thunderstorms and strong winds over the weekend.
A “tropical depression†(or cyclone) is also expected to hit Perlis, Kedah, Penang and Perak in the north, and Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang in the east.
Since I am staying in apartment, I guess I should not be worrying too much.
Here are my flood preparation checklist for singles :
Buy more instant noodles.
Buy more canned food.
Finish the laundry and make sure sufficient clothes for the next 3 days.
Rent or buy more DVD to pass time.
Don’t rely on ASTRO. Bad weather, the signal will be poor.
Get some rubber boots. Phua Chu Kang type will be great.
The Queen Victoria Memorial Clock Tower was built to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria by local Penang millionaire Cheah Chen Eok in the year 1897.
It was to commemorate Her Majesty’s sixtieth year of reign. The clocktower stands proudly at sixty feet tall having each foot signifying each year of the Queen’s reign.
It’s located next to Fort Cornwallis in Georgetown. You’ll not miss the clocktower as it’s one of the significant landmark visible when you are touring around the Fort Cornwallis’ surrounding area.
The Queen however, never visited Penang, nor has she live long enough to see the clocktower commemorated in her name completed. The Queen passed away in January 22, 1901 before the clocktower was completed. The clocktower’s construction was completed in the year 1902.
The 9th day of the New Year in the Chinese Lunar calendar marks the day where the Chinese Hokkien sect will offer their prayers to the Jade Emperor of Heaven.
This day also heralded as the New Year of the Chinese Hokkien sect. At about midnight of the eighth day of Chinese New Year, the Hokkiens will start to offer their thanks giving prayer to the Emperor of Heaven. Offerings will include joss sticks, fruits, cakes, roast pigs and so on. But the most important and most significant offering would be sugarcane.
Based on the Chinese folklore as passed down from the old generations, the Hokkiens somehow angered one of the Chinese sect in China which wanted a revenge by killing all the Hokkiens. The Hokkiens went into a sugarcane plantation for hiding but the pursuers continue to chase after them. Fearing for their life, the Hokkiens prayed to the Jade Emperor for his mercy and help. Miraculously, heavy rain poured on earth which extinguished the fires started by the pursuers and caused them to leave. The Hokkiens were safe then and it was the midnight of the 8th day of the Chinese Lunar calendar. Therefore, the day is celebrated with prayers of thanksgiving.
Sugarcanes are seen tied on each side of their praying altar on this day as a sign of gratitude to the plant which offered them the protection they needed at the time of danger. The Jade Emperor Festival is celebrated on a grand scale in Penang. You should drop by to Penang during the Chinese New Year time to witness this unique celebration.
When you are in Penang, one of the attractions that is uniquely Penang is the Penang Ferry services. Before the Penang Bridge was built, the ferry service was the only link which connect the mainland of Butterworth and Penang Island.
It’s a mode of transport that was heavily used by the mainlanders as well as islanders to commute from the island to the mainland and vice-versa. Nowadays, with the Penang Bridge around, the utilization of the ferry service is not so heavy as it was before.
With the government’s initiative, you’ll notice that most of the ferries has been beautifully and brightly painted as a project to beautify the ferries. You’ll never miss them when you pass by the ferry terminal near the Weld Quay area.
If you are driving to Penang, besides the Penang Bridge, this is an alternative route for you to go over to the island. An alternative route where you can stop your vehicle on the ferry and get down to enjoy the blowing sea breeze and a relaxing break prior to reaching the island to continue your trip around Penang Island.
Fried Hor Fun is a popular Cantonese dish in Penang. It’s also popular among kids as it is not spicy and usually comes served with gravy. It is also known as Char Hor Fun or Sar Hor Fun.
The dish is made up of Hor Fun which is a type white and flat noodle which is similar to kuey teow. The hor fun is usually fried with soya sauce and black sauce prior to serving. You can also request the dish to be added with vermicelli as a variety.
For garnishing, most of the stalls will put in a couple of prawns, char siew (grilled sweet pork), fish ball slices, porks and vegetables. The dish will then be served with a soft and smooth gravy. Personally, I would recommend an egg to be added to the gravy. The egg will further smoothen the texture of the gravy and enhance the fragrance of the dish.
Barbecued Fish or more popularly known to the locals as ikan panggang is another favourite dish available in Penang. The dish can be served together with rice or just eat it on its own.
Usually, a varieties of fishes or squids are used for the barbecued dish. Among all, the most popular fish would be stingray. Somehow, the taste of stingray goes perfectly with this dish. Barbecued stingray is very popular among the locals as well as tourists.
Usually, the fish will be wrapped in a piece of banana leaf. The fish will then be barbecued together with the banana leaf on charcoal fire. The banana leaf wrap will enhance the fragrance of the dish. Once done, the barbecued dish will then be served with a specially prepared chilli sauce.
So, if you are a fan of spicy food, you definitely have to give the Barbecued Fish a try.
This post has nothing related to travel tips or guides in Penang. It’s mainly for local Malaysian readers. I just thought of posting this as I feel that it’s post-worthy.
Anyway, starting Jan 2nd, Employees Provident Fund (EPF) contributors will only have two accounts instead of the current three. The EPF contributions will now be channelled into Account 1 (70%) and Account 2 (30%). Current EPF contributors will have their account 3 savings incorporated into Account 2.
Therefore, with the new restructuring, EPF members will have an increase in their saving for retirement (Account 1) as well as having a larger amount for housing, education and withdrawals for medical reasons (Account 2). And for those who make their withdrawal from Account 1 before the dividend for 2006 is announced would only be paid the minimum dividend of 2.5% on the withdrawal amount.
Note that if you park on a lot with a faulty meter, you can be summoned if a City Council officer is around. They are usually dressed like “Men in Yellow” and with Black Sunshades. They usually do their rounds around the city on their ‘Men in Yellow Kapcai’ a.k.a small motorcycles like Honda Cub, Yamaha Cub and etc.
Penang, Travel Tips, Faulty Meters, Parking in Penang, Parking Attendants
