Only in Penang

Where else in the world will you see an expatriate mother fetching her child home 

from futsal, strutting confidently down the road, while a family of Malaysians looking 

helplessly lost in the middle of Penang?

Amusing sight don't you think?

Granted that the lost family was definitely from outstation, but still...

Now imagine Mrs Expatriate offering directions to these poor Malaysians.

*grins*

Don't you just love Penang? 

I know I do.

*hearts*

Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining but Sometimes If You're Lucky Enough You'll Find Gold :)

Good Morning Penang on a Friday morning!

It's things like these that make waking up wee early and travelling across

the sea every morning to get to work that wee bit more worthwhile.

That and the fact that I need to earn a living. :P

The Impromptu Holiday Series: The Misadventures of a Food-filled Holiday

These days, the thought of riding a long-distance-bus to anywhere would almost certainly gives you goosebumps. The accident toll is simply too high and loud to be ignored. Yet, it is still one of the more time and cost efficient ways to travel.

By plane?
Too expensive, especially when it's a last minute thingy.

By train?
Waaay too slow, unless you're departing from Ipoh which now has a relatively fast train to KL.

By bus?
Moderate in price. Moderate in travelling time.

So the least you could do is choose a better bus company I guess. In this case, we chose Aeroline. 'We' being me and my family. Yes, it is pricer than other bus companies but it arrives straight to the area (shopping centre) or your choice, 1Utama, Sunway Pyramid or Corus hotel for those heading to town. Sis is studying in Sunway College, so arriving at Sunway Pyramid is really a convenient thing for her especially with our aunt living in Subang Jaya as well.

So off I go on my way down to meet Bobby.

Except there were only six passengers in the bus, plus an attendant and the bus captain. *psst* When you pay RM60 for a trip down to KL by bus, you don't call him 'driver', you call him 'captain'. Ada stail, ada kelas, ada uniform, okay? :)

And you see what I discovered?!

A POWER POINT!

Which means I can have my laptop on throughout the bus ride, Yes?

NO!

Nonono. It's not that the power is not working. It's just that I was tooo dizzy to function myself, let it be my computer. One, because there's way too little passengers on board on a weekday, the entire bus was shaky with the empty seats swaying left and right with no weights on them. Two, obviously I haven't ride on a coach bus for a loooong long time. Probably since my university days. O_O

To be honest, I kinda freaked out a little because there was a time when I used to boast my high 'bus tolerance'. While my friends were all commenting on how uncomfortable and tiresome a bus ride can get, I gave the comment a shrug and said it was nothing. 5 years later, I'm getting 'bus sick'?!? Wait! It's been 5 years already!

*dies*

Maybe 4.

Okay, 4 plus.

*sigh*

The RM60 bus ride is inclusive of a meal-on-board and a cup of hot drink (though I'm pretty sure you can ask for more if your kiasu-self wanna make the most out of your money :P). They also provide you with a headphone set that you can plug in to the side controller to either listen to music (about 4 different genres) or watch the movie airing on screen.

Not bad eh?

Except I totally made a dork out of myself by attempting my "smell-before-drink" ritual whenever I am having a cup of coffee. One bump and one shake later, and my drink was all over me. Luckily I was seated so far away from the other five passengers that not one noticed, or at least I hope no one did.

*Wipes frantically*

Now, if dizziness and stained top are not misfortunes enough. Guess what? My camera battery ran low! Like WOOT?! I charged it overnight just to find out that it didn't actually 'charged' at all? I'm supposed to take awesome pictures tonight man.

*sad face*

Not exactly a good start to a holiday.

So when I finally arrived at Sunway Pyramid, I took the liberty to cheer myself up while I was waiting for my godmom to pick me up. With a handbag over my right shoulder and a computer-bag-turned-laggage-bag on my left, plus two boxes of tambun biscuits in my hands, I stepped into Fullhouse@Sunway Pyramid and had myself some Creme Brulee.

At a whooping cost of RM12.00 after tax.

-.-;;

Perk-me-ups certainly don't come cheap in KL. Oh and just before I left, the nice Mr Waiter-in-Charge actually pointed at the boxes of tambun biscuits and asked me where did I get them?

"Are they bought from outside?"

"Umm... no. They're from Penang."

"Oh."

Hahaha... and so I smiled, carried my laggage bag which was nicely tucked into a corner beside my seat earlier (hiding the fact that I'm from outstation) and walked off.

*phew*

I know. I know. What about the dinner, right?
We're getting there. :)

Too Hot Too Function

HAHAHAHA.

That sound kinda dirty.
Not quite but kinda.

=P

Argh! And now that I'm home I kinda wish I was in KL.
It's so much coooooooler there.

"Us KL peeps are cool."

"Well, us Penangites are hot!"

@__@

Forgive me.
I think the weather is frying my brain.

No News is Not Good News

Mah, I got to "gao tai" a bit here because Someone expects an update here after a weekend. *bows* Gomenasai. But no update last weekend because I've been up to something. *grins* And no, I won't tell and no, you will never know!

Hmmm... and this post is pretty pointless like this.
So let me dig out some evidence of pure procastination
to make up for it.

*points to the date of the photo*
I'm kinda hopeless in this blogging thingy, I know.

*sigh*

Stressnya!

Not Me! Him!

*points below*

Though I envy him for his "courage" in doing that in public.

*points to the date of the picture*

Am so "update" with my post these days.

*beams*

I think I can even catch up posting the photos I've
taken few weeks ago.

Wait me. Wait me.

XD

The Before, The It and The After

One week later, Hiyashi reminisces the happenings over the few weeks of the event.

Pre-election
Election is coming! Well it was coming at that time! *grumbles on confusing tenses when blogging late* First time voter ME! I admit I was a tad too excited about it. I try my best to hold back my excitement but you can easily see that little sparkle in my eyes that so easily gave me away.

One night, around this pre-election period. At home, in front of my notebook... the following conversation took place.

Hiyashi : *click click type type*
Dad : Try coming home earlier these two weeks.
Hiyashi : *looks up* Eh?
Dad : Election period.
Hiyashi : Oh.

Ah. See how short and punchy my dad is. My mom probably would have gone on and on about how dangerous it is and if possible get someone to drop me off at the jetty instead. But my dad, well my dad likes to keep it short and simple. And it works way better that way I tell you. Because when a man with few words speaks, it means it’s important. It matters! And us young ones listen. *grins* But a mom's gotta do what a mom's gotta do and I don't blame her.

Anyway, I never managed to leave office early for those two weeks after all. *sigh*

Election Day
Half-working-day day. Meaning I got to leave office before 2.30pm to give myself enough time allowance to vote. At 2.00pm, my cell phone beeped. Message reads: “Be back by 3.30pm or we’ll go first.”

There you have it. My dad. So I quicken my pace and left the office around 2.30pm with a complimentary ride from the Easter Bunny. Zoooom! As I sat at the waiting area, a storm headed our way. It rained and the wind was strong, even under the shades, us anxious passengers were getting wet by the minute. Finally the ferry arrived. I thought it was pouring over at Butterworth side, too but it was not. Instead I brought the rain over, trailing behind me right from behind. The newspaper the next day reads that many have said that the rain was an omen of the political tsunami set to hit Penang. *shrugs* I must say it’s a nice metaphor though.

The voting process itself was surprisingly easy. *blink blink* and I was done. I thought I might have missed something because it was just too fast. All that excitement for the last two weeks for something that lasted two minutes. -.-;;

Post-election
As the results were slowly finalised on Sunday, the oh so familiar conversation took place again.

Hiyashi: *click click type type*
Dad: Come home earlier tomorrow and Tuesday.
Hiyashi: *this time without looking up* Alright.

And this time, I did manage to leave office slightly earlier than usual. It was not that bad on Monday or Tuesday. Instead, it was Friday that turned out a wee bit frightening. Rumours of riot taking place, bus service on halt, people from the mainland side urging to return home. Wooot?? Should I leave like now??!!

Apparently my dad was dubious about it being such a biggy deal but to be on a safe side. *cough cough* Remember the old saying of "better be safe than sorry"? Well, I was urged to come home early today and no play play. Early means early, and so I left at 6.00pm.

For the first time I felt a tinge of fear and wariness as I walked alone amidst the crowd, up to the ferry terminal. This isn’t good I say, I hope things will eventually settle down and come to a close for this political crisis because I don’t want to go to work feeling that little thud at the heart now and then. Because this sure wasn’t what I was voting for. >__<

Note: Gah. Finally I got this done. Now I can blog all my randomness again. *phew*

*sings* This is the way we...

...go to work together-gather.
together-gather... together-gather...

*grins*

Lots of people in front of me. Obstructing my view.

That's how it should be.

Sabishii... 寂しい。。。

Empty seats greet.

Late schedule meet.

Friends are asleep.

No one to beep.

It was a lonely ride to work today.

Editing Nostalgia

This is bad. I have no idea what to blog about today. I finally have some extra time under my fingers to sit down and slowly type an entry but here I am without a slightest idea what to babble about.

What to do? What to do?

I go into my list of posts and dig out a draft post. That's what I can do. HAHAHA...

Therefore today's post is going to be...

'My' Old Bus

Yup. I use the claim "my" very loosely. Buses that take me to work every day are called "My Bus". As most of you probably know, RapidPenang is currently on its quest in improving the public transport of Penang.

Gone are the days where I sat stinky old buses to work. And that is if I'm lucky enough, then I actually get to sit. Worst case, usually on the way home, I practically can wave Hi to the vehicle beside as I squeezed dangerously close to the stairway up the bus. >__<

That does not mean I don't value the old bus. Afterall, that old bus gets me to work and back everyday for slightly over a year.

Slight Gratitude and Appreciation is definitely called for.

But...

Now I have OPTIONs!

Once in awhile, as I wait for the bus to take me home. I silently hope its the new bus that comes. But whenever it's the old bus greets me, I'm more than happy to get on.

Hey, at the end of the day I just want to go home, okay?

But just the other day as I sat there on the old bus... I feel nostalgic. Ya.. sappy I know. Feeling mushy over an old stinky bus. But I did, and that's when I took the photo above.

Old and worn but rest assured KGN-HIN Bus, you'll always have a place inside my heart. The memories we share will always remain dear to my heart.

And so this post is a tribute to the old stinky bus
I hate to love so much.

Note: Original draft was saved on 19 Nov 2007 at 10.07pm.