Malaysia

  • Penang,  TRAVEL/HOLIDAYS

    The Rustic Charm of Georgetown

    Why on earth did you booked a train to Penang?” a friend, Doc Gelo, asked me. He was not the only one who asked. Few friends were puzzled over my choice of transportation to Penang. They told me that I could’ve cut the 6 hours journey by half if I take a bus.

    My answer to them was all the same; that it had been more than 34 years since I last travelled on a train to the north side of Malaysia. I need to see the greener side and maybe use the time to plan my 2014 work schedule. I don’t really like to take a bus (the last time I took a bus to my hometown Raub, the driver drove like a maniac) and since the petrol hike took effect recently, driving was not my preference too. Well, perhaps if my husband and son could come along with me, I would’ve travelled by car. Anway, the train cost me only RM68 for a return ticket for KL-Buttwerworth. Very economical. I don’t mind all the 10 stops; it was nothing to compare to the slow train ride I took from Frankfurt to Cologne with 69 stops!

    Accompanied by my so-called entourage—my niece, Wanda and her friend, Ika—we left on Ekspress Rakyat from Kuala Lumpur at 4pm. We got seats facing south while the train moved north. I enjoyed watching the landscape and enjoyed uploading photos and checking-in on random train stops along the way on my Instagram account. When the journey from one stop to another took longer time, I took out my sketchbook. I normally don’t do this because I will feel nauseous. But that didn’t happen! I discovered for the first time that I have an advantage from having a seat facing opposite direction.

    sketchesintrainsmall

    We reached Butterworth at 10pm and later took the ferry to Weld Quay. My friend, Faten Rafie and her husband Azizi Hassan, fetched us at Weld Quay, George Town, Penang. We went for a late dinner at Nasi Kandar Kapitan. We wanted to go for Nasi Kandar Beratur earlier on but had to cancel because we would’ve had to literally ‘beratur’ (queue).

    On the way to the hotel, Faten and Azizi took us around George Town (yes, it was almost midnight but we were up to it) to look for random welded iron caricatures by local artists as well as those street arts by Ernest Zacharevic.

    It was around 1.00am when we reached the hotel. “I’ll be your tourist guide tomorrow,” Faten (Tanjong born and bred) said before disappearing into the night with her husband.

    I woke up the next day feeling excited. Having a room on 15th floor means that I could look at George Town from bird’s eye view. The view of roofs and buildings along Noordin Street were beautiful. I could already imagine doing a watercolor painting of the scenery.

    shophouses2

    Noordin Street, or Lebuh Noordin, is within a city area known today as the Seven Streets Precinct and it is the only street in the precinct to be named after a Muslim, in this case Habib Marican Noordin, the Indian Muslim merchant who was one of the benefactors of the Kapitan Keling Mosque, and who built the Noordin Family Tomb. *
    *Ref: http://www.penang-traveltips.com/noordin-street.htm

    Faten took us to Padang Kota Lama esplanade area and we had lunch at Hameed Pata Special Mee (noodles) situated just besides Fort Cornwallis. The noodles was super delicious! Combined with coconut milkshake, it was a lunch that worth all the fat I gained.

    We didn’t go inside Fort Cornwallis as I had been there on my previous visit few years back, so we went straight across the open field to reach the Town Hall and City Hall. Both buildings were built in 1880 and 1903 respectively. The white City Hall is the largest of the two, but Town Hall painted in yellow and white is arguably the most handsome one.

    halls

    From Padang Kota Lama, we went to 179, Victoria Street to reccee the place where The Borders Children’s Program would be held the next day in conjunction with the George Town Literary Festival 2013. I had to see how to get there because I was one of the invited children’sbook illustrators for the event. I wouldn’t want to miss it because I could’t find my way there.

    After discussing with The Borders representative, we later went to China House café to have coffee and cakes. I love the place, the interior is beautiful. There were crayons and paper table cloth and next thing we knew, Faten and I (as well as Faten’s niece, Najah Zahry who joined us later) doodled and scribbled on it.

    doodle1

    After coffee, Faten and I went to discover the nearby area looking for more street arts, cat arts, old buildings and many more. My entourage went elsewhere with their Penang friends; the teenagers were happy to be away from two middle-aged women. Faten and I walked for hours discovering Victoria Street, Armenian Street, Acheh Street , Cannon Street and Kapitan Keling Street.

    window

    A set of windows from Syed Alatas Mansion which was built in 1860. The mansion was once known as the Penang Islamic Museum. I wanted to enter the mansion but it was closed for renovation.

    It was a great walk and I mostly had a blast capturing photos of of windows (another hobby of mine when travelling). The windows were all oh so beautiful! The mossier and the older, the more beautiful.

    “I surprisingly took 252 photos for two hours walk, I must be crazy!,” Faten messaged me on WhatApp chat on phone when she reached home that evening. “Haha, we are equally crazy, I took 275 photos!” I told her before saying goodnight and making appointment with her again the next day to give me moral support at Victoria Street.

    My head was spinning as I thought about my presentation the next day. I am the Glossophobia type. I rather people see me draw than hearing me talk. Previously I had the fear of drawing in public but I overcame that two years back when I was given a big panel to draw at Illustrator Lane during Children’s Literature Festival 2012.

    I was about to sleep when Wanda texted me “Ngah, do you want anything from Nasi Kandar Beratur?” I quickly replied, “Yes, one nasi kandar for me!”

    *This is the unedited version of the article I wrote in my column Em’s Diary in Gaya Travel magazine, issue 8.6/9.1.

  • Penang,  Travel illo,  watercolor

    George Town, Penang in watercolor

    I am so lazy to write. Well, actually I am all out of words. I wrote a 4-page diary on this for Gaya Travel magazine and wouldn’t want to repeat the same thing here. But I will share the watercolor paintings I did for the upcoming article.

    shophouses2Row of houses at Noordin Street.
    townhallPenang Town Hall.
    cityhallPenang City Hall.
    windowWindows of Syed Alatas Mansion.

    The diary article that will be featured in gaya Travel magazine will be out in January 2014. I will make sure to give away 5 copies to those interested.

     

     

  • mixed media,  moleskine,  Penang,  TRAVEL/HOLIDAYS

    I am in Penang!

    The Borders will be having Children’s Program during the Georgetown Literary Festival and I will be showing a presentation of my sketchbooks and later sketching activity. The event will start from 3.30pm – 5.00pm at 179, Lebuh Victoria. My new books will also be on sale. Do come!

    Below are random sketches from my Moleskine sketchbook. I will upload good resolution soon.

    Penang1Penang2Penang3Penang4

  • food,  Kuantan,  Pahang,  TRAVEL/HOLIDAYS

    Great dining experience at Simba Hill Gourmet Hall, Bukit Gambang Safari Park

    Really, I am not into blogging about food but I have to blog about this one. Love the food and the place!

    gourmet hall

    We were so hungry and this was the first restaurant we saw and just went inside to look at the menu. Once inside, I was mesmerised by the interior design. I think it’s beautiful.

    gh1Diners can throw a view outside to see white lions.

    gh2Beautiful lion print and original paintings to decorate the wall.

    gh3More paintings and tables at one corner.

    After admiring the hall, we ordered the food. We had Mushroom Soup with Garlic Bread, Prawn Aglio Olio and Black Pepper Steak.

    gh4gh5gh6

    gh8

    gh7The food was superb! I commend the chef for the taste and the presentation. If you plan to visit Bukit Gambang Safari Park, you must drop by this Simba Hill Gourmet Hall and dine here. I am not paid for this but I truly want to share the experience.

    Simba Hill Gourmet Hall opens from  2.00pm – 10.00pm and serves western-style, local delights and vegetarian food. The Hall can serve up to 200 person where it is the best place for functions or birthday parties.

    You might hear roaring lions while dining. Be ready, this is what this safari-theme restaurant is offering. Roarrr!!

     

  • Family travel,  Malaysia,  Perak,  TRAVEL/HOLIDAYS

    Bukit Gambang Safari Park

    Bukit Gambang Safari Park is really a good place to take kids and I am glad that my son, Yassin, suggested the place. We really had a blast and will revisit the park when it fully opens next year. Currently, the safari park is on it’s pre-opening stage and offers ticket at a cheaper rate since March 2013.

    Yassin-and-lion-statue

    Sprawling across 138 acres, the Safari Park currently has four areas that we can visit: Wild Savannah, Simba Hill, Foreign Village and Night Jungle. Other areas under construction are Forest Land and Land of Predators.

    Wild Savannah

    First region we visited was the Wild Savannah which is only accessible by taking a tram. This is an area where animals roam freely and we were advised not to open door or windows for safety purpose.

    Wild Savannah is divided into few areas and those we visited was African Savannah, Tropical Rainforest and Australian Outback.

    We spotted these animals:

    NyalaNyala.

    WildebeestWildebeest.

    zebraZebra.

    ElandEland.

    impalaImpala.

    emuEmu.

    tigerTiger.

    Simba Hill

    After making rounds around the region on a ram, we were sent back to the station. Later we went to Simba Hill by foot. By escalator, actually, hehe. Simba Hill is where a couple of rare White Lions reside. White Lion is a rare colour mutation species in the lion family. The DNA – recessive gene causes the colour of the lion range from blonde to near-white. These lions may live up to 20 years and weigh up to 250kg for males and 182kg for females. These lions spend up to 20 hours per day resting and the remaining time is left to feed or walk around.

    white lionFemale White Lion. The male was sleeping somewhere.

    Foreign Village

    Later we walk up the Hill and reached Foreign Village. This area is divided into small areas like Petting Kingdom, Malayan House, Saddle Castle, Farm House and many more.

    Here we interacted with animals like Llama white kangaroo, Alpaca, Llama not to mention ‘kampung’ geese!

    Malayan-House

    Malayan House – Replicating the Malaysian typical ‘kampung’ house environment.

    geeseJust outside the Malayan House, we were able to see the ‘good old day’s’ animals which are not often seen in our concrete jungles.

    llamaMe interacting with a Llama at Petting Kingdom.

    Swiss-goatPretty Swiss goat at Farm House. It was smiling for the camera 🙂

    cuddleAnother Swiss goat that likes to be petted.

    horseYassin petting a horse.

    And that was all. We did planned to go for the Night Jungle but after having dinner, Yassin fell asleep like a baby. We will take that trip another time as we got a set of free tickets for next visit.

    If you like to visit Bukit Gambang Safari Park, here are some useful information:

    Tickets:

    Adults: RM38; Children: RM18 (with MyKad/MyKid)

    Adults: RM68; Children: RM48 (without MyKad/MyKid)

    * FREE Admission for children below the height of 90cm

    Operating hours:

    Daily operation hours: 2.00pm – 10.00pm daily

    Night Jungle: 6.00pm – 10.00pm daily

    Website: Bukit Gambang Safari Park