when in Penang...

Went to Penang Island (Pulau Pinang) during the last school holiday...it was the first visit for the kids....so what did we do?
...hmm nothing much..cos it was mostly raining for the 3 days 2 nights we were there....(rain is Good...i love it when it rains :)

so it was a no brainer we should 'explore' some indoor activities at Queensbay Mall instead...err.. window shopping mostly...

 then...

we watched Snow BlaWhite and the Huntsman (yawnnnn...).. while the kids...

 spent their time here...*____*

oh ok ok...i almost forgot ...( rewind )...going to Penang Island would not be dramatically authentic if u don't do the ferry ride... which u however, would have to spend at least an hour wait before the ride...this probably happens during school holidays though...because of the long queue.

my BIL, laith and my nephews...

which we did when we arrived from Butterworth...good thing we were using the good old GPS to find the Ferry terminal or we'll just ended up crossing to the Penang island using the bridge instead... but then again ..

 

crossing the Penang Bridge is another must do thing when visiting Penang...the total length of the bridge is 13.5 km (8.4 mi), making it the longest bridge in Malaysia and the fourth-longest in Southeast Asia. so that'll be a good general knowledge for the kids n hope that they learn something during the trip too.

the little island that i'd imagine would be perfect for our weekend getaway cabin... only to be squashed by mehubby lil comment : "it'll only be wiped out when the tsunami comes..." errkkk...scratch that! :(

on the 1st night in Penang, somehow, we managed to get our tired butts out to the Batu Ferringhi Sidewalk nite bazaar. unfortunately, no photos cos i wasn't really in the mood to take pictures that nite :(

it was kinda fun though cos u really have to haggle hard to get the price down to the locals' rate if u don't want to pay the tourists' rate that is. yes, this market catering mainly, though not exclusively, to foreign tourists . so us locals, we haggle and we haggle hard! :) oh but make sure after the haggling u buy the said item or u'll be cursed left, right and center...if u know what i mean. :)

ok on food...when in Penang, try eat their famous Char Koay Teow, Rojak Buah, Pasembur and Laksa Penang... 

 unlike yours truly~ she had Soft Shell Crab Bento at Queensbay Mall Foodcourt! hahaha...

but, but, but...

i did try their famous Nasi Kandar Line Clear though..

to those unfamiliar what nasi kandar is :  here is an explanation taken from Wikipedia

Nasi Kandar is a popular northern Malaysian dish, which originates from Penang. It is a meal of steamed rice which can be plain or mildly flavored, and served with a variety of curries and side dishes.

The word Nasi Kandar, came about from a time when nasi (rice) hawkers or vendors would kandar (balance) a pole on the shoulder with two huge containers of rice meals. The name has remained and today the word Nasi Kandar is seen on most Tamil Muslim or "Malaysian Mamak" restaurants and Indian-Muslim stall meals.

The rice for a nasi kandar dish is often placed in a wooden container about three feet high, giving it a distinctive aroma. The rice is accompanied by side dishes such as fried chicken, curried spleen, cubed beef, fish roe, fried prawns or fried squid. The vegetable dish would usually be brinjal (aubergine), okra (lady fingers or "bendi") or bitter gourd. A mixture of curry sauces is poured on the rice. This is called 'banjir' (flooding) and imparts a diverse taste to the rice.

Started way back in 1930, Line Clear Nasi Kandar is one of the oldest nasi kandar outlet in Penang. It is located on an alley at the Chulia Street (Lebuh Chulia) and Penang Road (Jalan Penang) junction along the way to Chowrasta market.

 the one with the red hat and shades is the famous rather annoying server is the whistleblower who would blow the whistle every after he finishes serving  a customer( or a group of them ) and shouts "Line Clear!"  to indicate that it's the next customer in line's turn to be served. the waiters would occasionally glide by ur table and ask" Line Clear?' with a thumb's up to denote "do u have anything else to order / do u want anything while i'm here... to order or to complain?" (just my interpretation though...only God knows what they actually mean...:D)

 the Fish Head..with teeth and all..."Haiyak, Piranha, Run Away, Run Away..!!!"

that's a pretty Big prawn hey!

the before and after Nasi Kandar 'Line clear' at 10pm pic of Wawa.

i've been to Penang a lot of times but i 've never had Nasi Kandar before. to me, it's just way too much gravy for my liking and too spicy for me to actually enjoy it. oh well, we all have different taste buds don't we...:)

Next must visit place is the Chowrasta Market, famous for it's fruit pickles. Fruit pickles are fruits preserved in heavy syrup or brine.  there are also spicy ones when chilies are added.
Penang is famous for its pickled nutmeg, mangoes, guava and papaya. other local fruits such as kedondong, salak, asam kelubi and cermai are also equally yum-yums as pickles.

varieties of pickles

take ur pick

cherry pickles

and more pickles

dried Strawberries

fresh nutmeg

didn't get to bring the kids to the beach, didn't get to eat their famous Char Koey Teow, Penang Laksa or  their Rojak buah, did not get to do much sightseeing... but we did have a swell time in Penang.

there my long post of the month..phewhh...

till we meet again...Ta!