22 Penang : Wat Chaiyamangalaram, The Reclining Buddha

I blogged about the Reclining Buddha at Wat Chaiyamangalaram, a Thai temple in Penang about four years ago. If it was impressive before, it is more so now.

Back then, the dragons and serpents at the entrance were painted in matte gold. Today, it is adorned in coloured glass tiles lending it an air of royal grace and strength.

The Serpent Guards at Wat Chaiyamangalaram

The Back Of The Serpent, Wat Chaiyamangalaram

I'm skipping straight to the photos since I've already written about this place before. Within the main building lies the famous 33-metre long (108ft) Reclining Buddha.

Reclining Buddha in the Main Hall at Wat Chaiyamangalaram

Reclining Buddha, Wat Chaiyamangalaram, Penang

Some of the other statues outside the building.

Wat Chaiyamangalaram, Penang

The Guardians of Wat Chaiyamangalaram, Penang

Mythical Statues at Wat Chaiyamangalaram, Penang

The Grounds of Wat Chaiyamangalaram, Penang

Entrance to Wat Chaiyamangalaram, Lorong Burma, Penang

Entrance is free. If you have not been here for many years, it's time for a revisit!

Wat Chaiyamangalaram
Address: 17, Lorong Burma, Pulau Tikus, 10250 George Town, Pulau Pinang.
Telephone: +6 016 410 5115

16 This And That, The Stuff We Get

Would you believe that my plastic Chinese New Year tree of pink and red blossoms is still up? I am reluctant to take it down because I love how it brightens up my home. Not that it isn't bright enough with yellow and orange walls, and no curtains to block the sun out. It's thoroughly cheerful but I figured more is better? Lol. Minimalism is obviously not my thing.

Anyway, we received this gift from a business associate recently. A classy men's briefcase out of a James Bond movie? Not so. It's a wine case - a complete set with glasses, wine and accessories. Since I have never owned one before, you can imagine my excitement - like a kid opening up a shiny new toy. 

Wine Case

Wine Case with Accessories

I'm not big on alcoholic drinks. I cook most of it off in meat dishes, like a can of beer in braised pork or half a bottle of wine in a stew. That's how I use up all the alcoholic drinks in my house, rarely enjoying it as is.

The next time I go on a road trip, I will bring this case along complete with bottles of sparkling grape juice. Livening up my holiday, non-alcohol style! ;)

Then, I got these awesome 100plus golden bowls that came with a spoon each from buying F&N canned drinks. We bought two cartons of sarsi and two cartons of orange at RM13 each to give away to relatives for the festive season. I'd almost walked away without knowing about these free items. It was by chance that I bumped into a salesgirl who told me about it.

So I loaded two lovely sets into my shopping cart and told hubs that I was going to enjoy bubur cha cha the Datuk--Datin way. Bubur Cha Cha is a soupy coconut based sweet potato, taro dessert.

100plus Golden Bowls and Spoons

There you go, I'm practically hopeless at resisting cool stuff like these. High 5 if you're like me!
 

22 Penang Eats

There's good food in every corner of Penang island - at least I think so. And I'm really glad I don't live there because you'd never find me cooking in the kitchen then. Haha!

These are some of the yummy food I've enjoyed over a couple of trips there. I didn't note down exactly where or which stall we ordered from so forgive me for leaving out accurate location details.

Macalister Road's Char Kway Teow. Good wok hei (that wok charring taste) here. The Chee Cheong Fun is delicious too with silky strips of rice noodles and thick gravy. Couldn't shake the image of rat glue out of my mind though.

Char Kway Teow (Fried Flat Rice Noodles)

Chee Cheong Fun (Rice Noodle Rolls)

Bali Hai Restaurant on Gurney Drive is one of our favourite dim sum hangouts. I love the place because of the ambiance. The waterfront view and sea breeze makes the experience of eating here so satisfying.

Bali Hai Restaurant - Dim Sum

Bali Hai Restaurant, Gurney Drive

Hameed Pata's Mee Sotong. This is the stuff of legend in Penang. Fried noodles paired with super spicy squid that's guaranteed to draw out beads of sweat. I consider it a great achievement to finish a plate of this.

Hameed Pata Mee Sotong, Fort Cornwallis Food Court

Edgecumbe Road's Fried Noodles. It was ok-ish. Satisfying but not something I would purposely make my way here for.

Fried Noodles, Edgecumbe Road

The pork belly and pickled veggie dish at a hawker stall in a shop along Jalan Burma. This was served with plain rice and an egg on top. It's the kind of meal that says comfort food, Asian home-cooking style. I totally enjoyed this one.

Pork Belly with Pickled Vegs

Finally, the famous Penang Road Teochew cendul! An iced jelly, coconut dessert that will always be the perfect thing to have in Penang because of the humid weather.

Penang Road Teochew Cendul

What's your favourite Penang food? For me, Batu Lanchang's jelly fish pasembur (not pictured here) takes top spot. I'll try to take a pic of it one day.

19 Penang : Gurney View Inn

With a waterfront view, Gurney Drive is one of the most happening places to hang out in on Penang island. It's a stretch of road known for high end condominiums and pricey hotels. There are many eateries offering authentic local food along it, modern shopping malls and even a local products center for the tourists . Across the road is a promenade lined with trees and tiled benches.

Gurney View Inn, Penang

Nestled between impressive tall buildings is the hidden gem that is Gurney View Inn - a small, cheap hotel for budget travelers. It was RM130 per night for a family room. A surprise find considering the expensive hotels along the stretch! Housed in the same building is a Thai restaurant on the ground floor.

Gurney View Inn - Entrance

I was pleased with the compact sized room - one single bed, one double bed. Bath area was clean with nary a hair nor mould. An old rickety aircon kept us cool at night. The bonus was the unobstructed view of the waterfront. 

The only thing that would have been a put-off was the worn out peeling wallpaper, but hey, we're not fussy people! A comfy bed at a reasonable price to lay our head and within walking distance to several tourist attractions is a dream thing for us.

Gurney View Inn - Family Room

Gurney View Inn - Family Room

Check-in was quick and efficient. Arriving hours early than recommended check-in time, I was prepared to be turned away but the hotel staff was kind and accommodating, and we got our room after half an hour of waiting.

Gurney View Inn, Penang

There is a smoking corner right behind the reservations counter.

Smoking Corner at Gurney View Inn, Penang

The view from our window.

Gurney Drive, Penang

Gurney Drive, Penang

A short walking distance away behind the hotel is the famous Thai reclining Buddha temple and a Burmese Temple with an impressive Golden Pagoda Bell Tower. If you're into wet markets, the famous Pulau Tikus wet market is a street down.

To summarise, this is a good place to stay because it's convenient to get around. I saved on taxi fare. It's near several tourist attractions, has great scenery and food is abundant. I loved the sea breeze walks and having my cuppa at Mr. Pot, a roadside cafe that sits under a big old tree that looks out into the blue of the horizon.


Gurney View Inn
Address: 75, Gurney Drive, Pulau Tikus, 10250 George Town, Penang
Telephone: +6 04-226 1668

11 Two Weeks Into Woof Woof Year

If it were possible for blogs to collect dust - FuuuUuuhhHh ..*cough-cough* .. that's how long I've been away. Life happened and it happened interestingly. Weeks were spent spring cleaning and redecorating the home.

I took my sweet time too, having read at least fifteen books in between, my hands unable to put any down once the first page is turned save for food and the occasional cuppa. It was difficult trying to disconnect myself from tales of vampire romance and sword wielding unearthly creatures.

Then there were meet-ups with close friends and relatives to pass on CNY goodies. We caught up with what's going on with each other. There was the traveling - seven days in Penang! I'm now back in KL and ready to rumble.... at least I think my washing machine is,looking at the pile of dirty laundry I have to do.

Penang Island

I thought to ease into the New Year with some quiet time but phlegmy cough and a runny nose made me miserable for a week. Miserable, but not wholly uncheerful. That didn't stop me from tidying the home and cleaning up the mess left by my partying pigeon buddies - and boy, did they party!

These are some of the food I enjoyed in the early weeks of the Chinese New Year (CNY) celebration. It began with an eight-course Reunion Dinner at Baview Hotel.

Prawn Dish

Reunion Dinner

On the first day of CNY, mee sua (longevity noodles) in herbal chicken soup is a must for us as it is a symbol of longevity. MIL never fails to cook this. It's a family tradition that has been practiced for decades. Long live Sharon!

Mee Sua in Herbal Chicken Soup

We headed out to catch the lion dance after that. It is an auspicious thing for us, all about ushering in good luck.

Lion Dance

Tong Tong Chiang

Days later, MIL treated the family to her famous 'kiam chye boey' - a sour, spicy, moreish stew made from leftovers. Roasted pork belly, roasted duck, chicken, mustard greens, dried chilli and preserved plums cooked in a huge pot until the flavours come together in a rich gravy best savoured with rice or noodles.

Kiam Chye Boey (Mustard greens, leftover meat stew)

To summarise, CNY is mostly about food, friends and family for me. So there you go - my first couple of weeks into The Year of The Dog.

20 Eats : New Year Lunch At TGI Fridays, The Curve

It was a slow moving New Year's day for us. We had returned home late from a countdown party. No one was keen to leave the warmth of blankets and the heavenly feel of a soft mattress that early.

I pulled myself out of our cosy bed, reluctantly greeting the late morning sun and checked on my pigeons. Then I sent everyone New Year greetings and switched the TV on, lying comfortably on the sofa as I pondered on life. Haa..kidding. I was too much in a state of inner peace to be thinking about anything other than Lets-Not-Do-Anything-Today.

There was a tingle of newness in the air as though I'd stepped into another life. It was already late afternoon when we decided to lunch at TGI Fridays. Hubs was asking, "Is there a word for lunch and tea like 'brunch' is for breakfast and lunch?" I don't know. Anyone?

TGI Fridays, The Curve

I settled for a chicken dish with turkey stuffing on the side and cranberry sauce. The Christmas menu was still available then.

Roasted Chicken with Cranberry Sauce

Hubs went with fish and chips.

Fish and Chips

We shared a bowl of mushroom soup.

Mushroom Soup

TGI Fridays is a great place to hang out with besties for long hours. Cosy ambiance, cheerful staff and comfy seating. Love.

TGI Fridays, The Curve

TGI Fridays, The Curve

It was nice coming here on New Year's. Now a fond memory - my first meal in 2018. Do you remember what you had on 1st Jan?

TGI Fridays
Address: The Curve Mall, 6, Jalan PJU 7/3, Mutiara Damansara, 47800 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

19 Eats : Steam King Seafood Restaurant, Kota Damansara

Eleven days into 2018 and it's full steam ahead workwise until the next holidays for many people. But that doesn't mean the festivities is over, at least not in my case. It doesn't help that my Birthday falls in January and that Chinese New Year is looming.

Anyway, Hubs and I celebrated with a delicious meal at Steam King Seafood Restaurant. It has a typical Chinese eatery ambiance with tables draped in red tablecloth and chairs wrapped in bright yellow covers. Hubs and I were their first customers that evening and we had the place to ourselves. The chef had just arrived.

We ordered one of their best dishes which is Seafood Beancurd Curry. Slurp-worthy, tasty, I was ladling spoonful after spoonful onto my half plate of rice. It is one of the yummiest curry soups I had tried!

Seafood Beancurd Curry

Sweet potato leaves stir-fried belacan style is a Malaysian classic. I enjoyed it thoroughly of course, having had this countless times and never finding fault with the aroma and flavour. It's a taste we've been familiar with since young and is considered local comfort food.

Belacan Fried Sweet Potato Leaves

We also ordered a plate of Stir-fried Spicy Lala. Now this is us getting greedy! That's three dishes on the chilli side for this gloomy weather.

Spicy Fried Lala

Yet we couldn't resist adding another after drooling over the Creamy Butter Chicken  pic in the menu. Was this good? Yes! 

Creamy Butter Chicken

The meal came with a complimentary bowl of steaming hot ABC soup. Five dishes for two people? Mmm..

Steam King Seafood Restaurant

Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable meal and we went home satisfied.

18 A December To Remember

Out of all the months in the year, December is most magical for me. Peace, joy, love, all these words sum up the general atmosphere. People seem happier - school is out, holidays are in. This means lots of family gatherings and meeting up with friends.

I hung greeting cards we received on our Christmas tree this year. It's a nice feeling, this warmth that creeps up on me every time I look at it. The holiday season was not as hectic for me this round. I was most efficient having spring-cleaned my home in November and getting all the decorations up. I'd also gotten the presents wrapped and sent out!

Christmas Tree

My aunt and cousin flew in for a visit a couple of weeks before Christmas. We had a fabulous time shopping, catching up and teasing one another mercilessly. 1Utama and The Curve were the first places we hit. My aunt's luggage was filled to the brim on the first day itself. We felt very proud of her ..haha!

In a bid to avoid crowd and queue, we woke up at 5am the next day just to take my aunt to the legendary Big Bad Wolf book sales at Mines Convention Centre. I got ten books for myself. The rest were for my nephews. With the ones I purchased earlier from Popular Book's RM5 sale corner, I figure it could last me a year. I read pretty fast and have a habit of not putting a book down until I'm done. That's why I make sure I don't start on a new book until I've done my chores and run my errands. Also, my eyes need a break!

Big Bad Wolf Book Sale

Books I Bought

Pavilion Mall is always stunning at this time of year so aunt and I headed there for a look-see. Lucky us came across a LINE pop-up store at Tokyo Street corner - they were giving out free gifts to anyone whose Birthday fell in January. My aunt and I qualified! We showed them our MyKad, the LINE app on our phone and voila, we were given a cute tee, a bag and stickers. My aunt found it unbelievable - "So easy to get free things one meh..."

Christmas At Pavilion, KL

Free LINE Merchandise

My aunt went home, there ended her adventures in KL. Then came the Winter Solstice Festival. This year, I made a different version of 'tangyuan' (glutinous rice ball). I rolled some up with organic moringa powder - it turned a lovely shade of green. We enjoyed it with honey chrysanthemum tea.

Moringa Tangyuan

When my cousin informed that she would be popping by my house one Saturday, I decided to bake her a cake. I woke up early, whipped up a batter for butter cake and kept my fingers crossed as it went into the oven.

It was wrapped prettily and passed to my cousin. She buzzed me later asking for the recipe, saying that they loved it so much. Sigh ..best day ever.

Butter Cake For My Cousin

Christmas day itself was a quiet affair. We skipped doing the 'open house' thing this year. Hubs and I were feeling the after-effects of too much celebrating. It was nice to just chill at home. The feasting and festiveness hasn't ended and we both needed the break.

Rest Is The Sweet Sauce Of Labour~ Plutarch

12 Heralding The New Year With Music And Fireworks

Happy 2018 my wonderful friends,
I wish you a year filled with joyous moments,

And if you're hit with life's twists and bends,
I wish you strength and perseverance.

May you be blessed with all things good,
May your days be warmed by love and kindness,
Let no negative situation ruin your mood,

Do what you need to find your happiness.

Release the chains of hurt and regret,
Live a life of adventure and cheer,
Remember these wise words - forgive and forget,

It is the secret to feeling better. 💝

Happy New Year! 

~ Sharon D.

Ten, nine, eight ...one, boom! Fireworks lit the sky. I stood rooted to the quiet spot, mesmerised by the flowery display of light above. I wasn't the only one I realised. A group of firefighters had their hands in the air with their mobile phones on video mode. It put a smile on my face to see that. Sure wish I'd thought of taking a photo of them!

You must be wondering how I found a 'quiet spot' in such crowded place. Easy, just stick to the men in orange uniform by the roadside. I'm not sure about other places but being a regular countdown attendee at Publika Shopping Mall, I'm experienced enough to know where to stand for a great view of the fireworks and that debris can get into your eye if you're not careful. Best to have your glasses on.

A short video on the fireworks I oohed and aahed over:

Hubs and I actually started our adventure at 9PM, heading to the food court first for a meal. We explored the outdoor mall area only after that, maneuvering through crowds patiently and finally settling on a spot near the stage where live music was playing. A number of the songs were familiar and catchy, suitable for the crowd to join in.

Publika - Counting Down To The New Year

To tell you the truth, whilst I enjoyed the singing, I was really hoping to catch 'Hands Percussion'. I'm pleased they left it as the last performance of the night just before the countdown. They had the crowd at first drum beat. The energy was fantastic!

Amazing, huh?

Hands Percussion

I'm glad I still enjoy late night New Year Countdown celebrations. What can I say? Young at heart and still happening. Lol. Watching live performances by various artistes was a great way to end to my 2017. The fireworks were a magical start to 2018. Happy New Year ..cheers to another wonderful one!