Well, it is a rather relaxing trip. We had kinda enjoy this short visit. We had set off with her colleague, which we had stayed over at her house, to JB Checkpoint. From there, we hailed a cab to the JB's airport. And we proceed to take a plane to Penang, which was less than an hour of flight.
Penang, Penang.
There we are in Penang within a few hours from Singapore. :)
Her colleague's brother picked us up at the Penang's airport. And we went to fetch the colleague's little boy and mum. After that, we went to a coffee shop to have our lunch. We sit in an open area and under a big tree. We eat some simple fried Ban Mian. From there, we are driven to a Queensway shopping mall, aka the longest and biggest shopping mall. From there, Dear and I wonder around the mall. The mall was rather low-in-traffic. There isn't many people in the mall. But I like it. Not so noisy. Not so crowded. We could just feel free to wander around in and out of the shop without shoving and pushing around. :) I like the relaxing feeling. I kinda put everything behind my mind and just walk around.
In the late afternoon, the colleague's brother came and drove us around to visit the various 'places of interest' of Penang. One of the place we went to was Kek Lok Si, which was situated on a hill. We stop by along the way and went to eat Penang laksa along the street. After we finished our meal, we walked back to our car. Upon getting into the car, I saw a middle-age man walk up to the colleague's brother. He say something to him. Then the colleague's brother gave him some money. After getting into the car, I was curious and asked him what was the man doing? And he told me that guy say "CNY is coming soon... ", hence, he gave the man money. Well, he say the man might be from the area-thugs. After that, we stop at a place and walk up the slope and past some shops. Dear and I made some 'hurried-purchase' as the Kek Lok Si was closing soon, as I do not want to disappoint the colleague's mum who also wanted to pay a visit to monastery.
Well, after the visit... we also went to a beach. And from there, we travelled to the 'mainland', where their house is located. The colleague's brother told us that every day the Penang's people would made a trip and cross the bridge, for 1 hour journey, to the 'mainland' to work and the 'mainland''s people would vice-versa. hee... .. So I ask, "Why?". He also do not why is it so. Hee.... ..
When we had reached the 'mainland', we stop at a coffeeshop to have our dinner. Oohhh... it was a hearty meal. Large serving of sambal kang kong, hot plate tofu, braised pork, herbal chicken and a mixed vegetable soup, with rice, for 5 adults and 1 kid. And the whole meal was less than Ringgit $60.00.
The next day, I suppose I may have made a mistake by not going back to Penang, as I thought we may have wasted the time spent on the journey to and back to the mainland again. I thought it might be a bit rush to go there in the afternoon and back by evening and the time spent was not worth it. So the next day, my dear and I practically 'stick' to them the whole day, I kinda felt 'embaressed'. We were not their relatives and didn't pay them, yet we were 'with' them the whole day. :p In the afternoon, we went to a supermarket to walk around. Yeah, walk around the supermarket and the surrounding area. Haa.... coz 'there isn't much to move around to visit'. Haa.... It would be a bit boring for some people, but I had made the wrong choice to stay in the mainland.. so what to do? We just walk around then.... .. take it as a form of relaxing and cut off from your usual stuff. After that, we went over to the colleage's grandpa house. It was in a rural area. And I got to see the process of making the assam (a kind of food ingredient) from the fruit to the shredded pieces. Haa... A man was shaving the assam from a beach-like-shaver, then left the shredded assam to dry in the open air, under the sunny sun. Haa.... ..Ohhh, they have rambutan trees in their land. Oh yes, they have land! Real land, big piece of land. After plucking the rambutan from the tree, de-shell the rambutan, eat it... and throw the seed into/around the stream (at the back of their house)! Haa.... De-shell, eat and throw. :) I wonder if one were to taste the stream's water, would it have a rambutan favour taste?
At night, we went to a place of pasar malam and hawker centre. At the hawker centre we order some food, char kuey tiao and satay... good price :) and the food is tasty. The colleague recommend us a drink. She say it is called 'buay-long-long'. Huh? I thought what an interesting name. Haa... So I go up to the drink counter and told the man... (hestitately, coz I dunno if it is the 'true' name of the drink and the name sound weird)
I say, "2 buay-long-long drink"
The man look at me, "What?"
I repeat, "2 buay-long-long"
The look hard and frown at me, "What??!"
Gosssh... I thought I must have say the wrong drink name. Luckily, the colleague's brother came to my rescue and told them the correct name. Which I couldn't remember. It turn out that "buay-long-long" is the drink name in JB, but over there, they used a different name. :P So same drink, but under different name at different places.
Hee... but the drink is great and refreshing!!! So next time when going to JB.. coffee shop, I might wana try to order "Can I have buay-long-long drink".... hee...
The next day, before we take the flight back from Penang to JB, we visited the Snake Temple. After that we set off to the airport. And off we fly to JB .. ... .....
The whole trip was relaxing.. ... .. it is great. Although there isn't lots of very exciting moments, but I still enjoy very much of it. Spending the time together... walking around... ... put everything behind... ... lots of stuffs are cheap... .. looking at other people's lifestlye.. .. I didn't buy lots of stuffs for myself.. ... My gifts are the photographs and the moment that my Dear n I spent together. :)
