Hong Kong was a good break.
We were there for 10 days but we did not go to HK Disneyland, having heard that it wasn’t such a big deal. Moreover I’d been to Ocean Park before so I didn’t want to spend a precious day at a theme park.
Funnily enough, most people go to HK on a whirlwind 5-day, 4-night trip to cover the must-see sights and popular spots. Fair enough.
But to truly understand a country, one must take time. Time is what you have the least when you have money. That is when you most need to get away.
HK, small as it is and dense as it may be, deserves more time particularly if you really want to get under their skin and find out what makes the Hong Kongers such a resilient, smart and quick workforce. They’re like ants, forever industrious and forever moving along speedily.
We had 10 days to explore and literally stop to smell flowers. In my case, I was forever stopping to bend over some osmanthus bushes to inhale the gorgeously sweet fragrance. Osmanthus (or “kwai fah” in Cantonese) is also a herb which you can make into a nourishing tea. You can get dried golden osmanthus flowers even here in Penang at herbalist shops.
But nothing beats the real thing, of course.
And stopping to truly close one’s eyes to smell the osmanthus is something one does not get to do everyday, not in tropical Malaysia where I heard this temperate plant cannot really grow too well.
In my head, I am always the journo with a keen eye for sights and sounds. Particularly when I travel, I try as much to absorb the experience so I can come home and transform these insights into my blog or journal.
Having said that, our trip to Hong Kong wasn’t so much of a break as it was an escape into the novel and new. Sometimes we get away so that we can be refreshed with ideas.
Many famous artists and poets recommend travelling and living abroad for a few years, if only to foreground the familiar. Comparisons, while odious, can be make easily because we humans thrive on differences.
We can only see differences if we get out of our familiar surroundings and stimulate our brains. In a new place, our brains work better somehow.
In an alien land, we start to ‘see’.
And so, this trip – worthy of more than a couple of blog posts – will be a subject for a few weeks at least.
There’s so much I want to share with you, if only to remind myself what humorous episodes we experienced or what culture shocks we had.
I spoke a lot more Cantonese in HK than I ever did in my life.
I started to really value how versatile and multifaceted we are here because we could speak in English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Hokkien and Bahasa Malaysia. (We met a Taiwanese man who was totally surprised we could speak Hokkien. The Hong Kongers we met often looked impressed that we could bark back at them in Cantonese, coloured by our Malaysian accent, nevertheless! And to bitch about the locals while riding the MTR, we used BM.)
In our 10-days in chilly HK where temperatures fluctuated between 14 to 18C and the day was mostly grey and overcast, I appreciated the sunshine a lot more when we landed in hot old Penang.
Heck, even landing on Malaysian soil and handing my passport over to the Immigration officer felt so familiar and comfy. In HK, the Immigration officer just throws the passport back at us, which I find (and I am sure I am not the only one) totally rude! (Hong Kong Tourism Board, you may have spiffy campaigns and great ads but you sure have to educate your Immigration officers on civil behaviour.)
We learnt so much about what made Hong Kongers tick which a 5-day trip would never uncover. It helped that we stayed with a Malaysian friend who works in HK. We had a temporary home for a while.
In travels, one can be a tourist or one can be sojourner. Nic and I do not wish to be the typical tourist, wanting to cover all tourist spots just so we could show off photos of where we’ve been or where we ate.
Travel is a private endeavour because only you and you alone can understand what you see and felt. And there’s really nothing more boring to your friends than forcefully showing them your hundreds of digital photos – they weren’t there and they really don’t quite care. What they cared about are your stories of your travels. The photos are secondary.
A sojourn is one where lots of reflection takes place as the new land unfolds its magic.
In the beginning, all is wondrous and strange. Then one finds one’s way slowly, navigating along, being curious about everything.
In a way, it is like becoming a child again. Everything fascinates, even the grumpy old lady who sells hot sweet potato and hot chestnuts. Everything feels new, like watching with growing interest as the piles of people busily flocked this way and that, while we stood at the kerbside, eating our ice creams.
Come back as our stories get told…
Year: 2010
Impatience in Cramped Quarters
It’s about 14C right here now in Tseung Kwan O, HK where I am currently staying.
My 10-day break is coming to a close soon but it has been totally amazing.
Trips the second time around are almost much better because one already has done the tourist sightseeing and then some. I was here in HK many years ago…way before HK was returned to China. Yes, I was here before 1997.
Age must have something to do with it.
Seeing HK in one’s 20s and seeing HK in one’s 30s is somehow strangely different.
This time around, we took time to explore the hidden crannies, the local haunts, re-discover the pleasure of just walking in spring weather. It’s a beautiful time of the year to be in HK. The weather is nicely crisp and cold, well, cold to me as a Malaysian at least. At 15 to 18C in the day, it feels like air conditioning everywhere I go. The weather drops slightly at night so it’s even colder.
As we’re staying in a friend’s apartment, we feel much more relaxed and with 10 days, there’s really no rush to get out as the day breaks.
And with a super efficient MTR system and a pre-loaded debit Octopus card, it’s really fun and easy to get out and about. The city is also safe and if one knows Cantonese (and though we speak with our Malaysian twang), one gets to do many exciting explorations on foot. And HK isn’t at all about shopping and shopping or all the time about city life.
We managed to catch the HK Sevens on TV when we were here. Rugby is a big deal here.
We started to check the weather report daily before we go out. Temperatures do drop. Wrapping up and layering is a must.
I was so pleased to find tea kiosks and tea shops all over. Drinking soup and herbal teas are another favourite here.
HK people aren’t rude at heart. They’re blunt with no ill-meaning. Life’s hard and tough here so you get lots of impatient folks.
Will share more when we get back to Malaysia.
Until then, cheers from a blustery Hong Kong!
The Quest For That Perfectly Grilled Stick
It’s terrible to be disappointed. And it’s worse to disappoint your friends, especially when they’ve built up this humongous anticipation of what you told them.
A few nights ago, Nic and I took a friend for a meal of satay. We’d brought other friends to this place and they had all loved it.
Granted, it was at its original ‘birthplace’ – this little quaint kampung house smack dab in the midst of a bustling suburb. Sure, the satay was on the pricey side – but the good taste quite made up for it and made us quite forget the price. But the satay was freshly grilled over a charcoal fire. The original way satay is supposed to be made, right?
I’ve never tasted Haji Samuri’s satay kajang so I cannot compare.
But my ideal stick of satay is one that’s a bit burnt or ‘hangus’ with slivers of fat interspersed with lean meat dipped into a gritty kuah kacang with lots of kacang bits. I don’t quite care for Batu Maung satay which is a very Penang style satay where the sauce is on the satay and the satay is grilled with the sauce so you don’t get a dipping sauce. Not very exciting, I must say! It’s like eating a dry stick of grilled meat!
And so when we drove to this place a few nights ago, we were surprised that the satay people had moved to a more hip and urban area.
Fine, I thought. Moving is always happening for businesses anyway. They must be expanding since the old place could not accommodate so many people who’d heard of this expensive satay.
We finally landed at the new place. It looked more like a fastfood joint than a satay place. You walked up to the counter, ordered and paid first. Then you take your seat and the satay will be served.
I didn’t see anyone fanning or grilling satay. I did smell the satay though.
When the satay arrived, we dug in hungrily but unfortunately, the satay was cold. Not piping hot, not warm. Just cold. Like it had been sitting around for a while.
Out of curiosity, we hailed one of the young waitresses over and asked if the satay was grilled in an oven or done by hand. She said it’d been grilled in an oven but the oven used charcoal. She looked a bit worried so we didn’t want to intimidate her any more.
I don’t know about you but authentic satay is truly hard to find. Especially satay that’s grilled to perfection with little burnt bits and a taste that is all about being homemade. I don’t know if the mcdonalisation of satay will be the way of the future. The other problem I had is that the cordial drinks were expensive. Cordial drinks (and one that’s extremely sweet) for three people cost us almost RM15. Imagine that. Our satay outing came to RM70 for 3 people for 25 sticks of satay, 2 plates of rice cubes, 3 cordial drinks and a plate of tomato rice.
Right about now, I just want to try Haji Samuri’s satay kajang and see if that’s a winner. I also heard there’s an Indonesian man selling satay kambing at Chowrasta market in the evenings. Hopefully these two won’t disappoint!
Bird….Day
Thanks for all your kind thoughts, warm wishes and good cheer.
I have been so abundant that I got a sugee cake on the dot at midnight last night, and me in my nightie, sans contacts so it was a bit hard making out who was holding the cake with a single candle on it.
THANKS VERN & MRS HOR! You both are the best neighbours ever!
I’ve been getting calls and lots of lovely messages and if there’s one thing I want to say: thank you.
My cousin called me yesterday to ask what I wanted but I really couldn’t think of anything.
Honestly.
In the end, I said, well, maybe a book or a CD. Well, Vern got me a Stacey Kent CD!
Anyway, it’s fantastic just knowing I have so many caring pals all across the world.
I’m going to go out and enjoy myself today!
3 Hunts For The Mad Ones
Sob and sigh….I won’t be able to make it for the Charis Hospice Hunt this year though last year, we won 4th placing.
Which was really a shock to us four women as we just went for the heck of it.
See what happens when you just proceed to have fun and disregard winning and then out of the blue, end up winning and besting the rest of the professional hunters? Man, it was a priceless moment. We weren’t really very clever but we worked smart and had fun!
This year I won’t be able to join as I’ve got a friend visiting from PJ. She had “booked” me a few months earlier so I can’t leave her sulking as I go out hunting, can I?
So if you are keen to support charity (and I know most Penang folks are), then join any of these 3 treasure hunts.
Closing date is 26 Feb so get cracking and find your treasure hunting partners if you wish to join!
Motoring Hunt Entry Form
· Duration about 5 hours (8am – 1pm)
· Registration fee: RM400 per team, 3-4 pax per team
For entry form go to http://www.charishospice.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/motor-hunt-entry-forms.pdf
Children’s Nature Hunt Entry Form
A walking hunt for children ages 5-12years plus 1 adult.
· Duration about 2 hours (8am – 10am)
· Registration fee: RM120 per team, 2-3 pax per team
Co-organized with Friends of the Penang Botanic Gardens Society
For entry form, go to – http://www.charishospice.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/nature-hunt-entry-forms.pdf
Queensbay Mall Hunt Entry Form
· Duration about 2.5 hours (1pm – 3.30pm)
· Registration fee: RM100 per team, 2 pax per team
For entry form, go to http://www.charishospice.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/shopping-mall-entry-form.pdf
Charis Hospice is a non-profit organization offering free palliative home care services to patients with cancer, irrespective of race or religion.
All registration fees will go directly to Charis Hospice Building Fund.
Attractive prizes, souvenirs and post-hunt meal provided. Closing date 26 Feb 2010.
For more information, call Charis Hospice at 04-826 6757 or 016-452 5493 or email charishp@streamyx.com or click www.charishospice.com.
The event is co-organised by the Lions Club of Georgetown.
Best Buys of Borneo
Shopping in Kuching is quite a tricky thing. Modern malls are becoming a way of life but we tend to go for the other type of shopping when we’re here.
Local foodstuff and pottery are more of our kind of shopping.
First, pottery and ceramics are unique because Sarawak-made pots, mugs, lamps, decor items and vases have patterns which are distinctively Borneo.
We usually buy our table lamps when we are here in Kuching. They’re much nicer and cheaper than Semenanjung. The cool thing is you have the option of checking in your table lamps if you prefer not to hand carry them into the plane. Rest assured that these ceramic factories are old hands are wrapping up your ceramic pottery. The items are packed tighter than elephants in a phone booth and there’s nary a scratch or crack when you arrive at your destination.
Next, food. I like wandering in the aisles of local supermarkets here because by looking at what the locals eat, I get a definitive idea of the unique flavours of this verdant land.
Of course you cannot leave without some famous Sarawak pepper (black pepper and white pepper). You can get them in various denominations – coarse grind, fine grind, whole corns, in a sauce and in whole kilo bags.
You can also get them as pepper sweets which taste very much like peppermint sweets. Nic used to buy me pepper perfume but they smelled like regular cologne. It’s a novelty though.
Then there’s a local herb called Motherwort or what locals call Kacangma. It’s usually cooked with chicken for mothers undergoing confinement to get rid of ‘angin’ but it’s also a dish that many locals love. I’ve grown quite fond of kacangma but I only get my supply of this dried green herb when I come back to Kuching. I found some instant kacangma paste recently but have yet to try it.
Then there’s Sarawak tea. It’s not too bad though I think it lacks processing finesse. It’s not as fragrant as Boh tea but then again we cannot compare Sarawak tea, a lowland tea, to Boh which is a highland tea. It is worth a try though. (Did you know that Boh also has a lowland tea plantation in Bukit Cheeding, Selangor? Hah, betcha didn’t know that. Well it does. I wonder if what we term as Boh highland tea, with the romantic illusion of tea and scones, is actually mixed with lowland tea from the unglamorous Bukit Cheeding?)
And lastly, I never leave without buying some Sarawak laksa paste. Yesterday I saw instant Sarawak laksa paste! Cooking the laksa gravy is a tedious affair so I think having instant paste is godsend. But I also think anything that’s instant probably has MSG in it. Well, I bought some to try anyway.
I also saw some jelly sweets made from pegaga, another local herb. Didn’t buy that because I don’t want to load myself with too many things to carry home to Penang. After all, I still need to buy some kolo mee, kuih more-more, keropok and achar, fish chips and the list just goes on.
I’m Malaysian after all and food is my greatest indulgence!
Excuse Me, So You're Malay?
Was on the plane today for our yearly trip home to visit the in-laws. Yes, Penang-Kuching.
Sat next to Leslie, a German girl who was travelling solo in Malaysia.
Started talking midway during our 1 hour 45 minute flight when she saw me snapping photos of the clouds. Now you know why I love window seats. (We didn’t really get witness a proper sunset today. Sigh!)
When we got talking, she told me and Nic that she marvelled at the way Malaysians live together, all different people, all different cultures.
It was that one thing that captivated her.
Our ability to live harmoniously. Our ability to accept and celebrate each other’s cultures.
She said she missed Thaipusam but she noticed Chinese women wearing sarees and joining the festival.
She loved our true incredible fusion of cultures – like the Baba Nyonya of Melaka.
She was terribly amused how she saw strawberries in the supermarket (she was looking for local fruits) and how locals went agog over them when she took a trip up to Cameron Highlands. “Come visit our strawberry farms!” She was told over and over.
She thought everything was cheap except the beers. 😉
But more than that, her words gave a deeper meaning to what we’ve taken as fluff. As pure marketing by Tourism Malaysia.
Malaysia really is such a unique country, where we are Asians with different cultures yet we can come together to share our festivals. No other place can we find such diversity, such colours of life. And yet we spend time bickering. I still can’t get over the fact that our politicians are STILL talking about us being ‘pendatang’.
Like I was telling Nic, without our hardworking Chinese forefathers, what Malaysia can we speak of? If not for Yap Ah Loy, do we even have a Muddy Estuary to brag about? If not for the Indians brought in to work the estates and build roads, do we even have our roads and highways?
So think about this. Malaysia is built by everyone, who rightly contributed their share.
If not for divisive politics bent on creating artificial boundaries and hates, we’d really be like the Sarawakians here in Sarawak. I used to think they were ignorant of real politics but they’re really the best personification of what Malaysia used to be.
In Kuching, you can see how being Malay-Muslim or Chinese-Taoist or Native-Christian does not matter. They all share the same kopi-tiam table, each respecting one another yet being able to eat at the same table is something you’d never see in Penang. That’s true muhibbah for you. That’s more bloody 1Malaysia than any stupid sloganeering.
Leslie funnily noted, if she’s born in America, she’s American. If she’s born in Germany, she’s German.
“And if you’re born in Malaysia, you’re Malay, right?”
Nic and I looked at each other.
We were too stumped to answer!
The Uncle Thieves
I always believed criminals had a certain look.
Probably drug addicts, scrawny with mean, dour faces. Probably young, in their 20s. Probably people you never want to meet in a dark alley.
Then all my stereotypes of crooks flew out of the window when I was sent this Youtube video of two Chinese uncles robbing a house in broad daylight in Pantai Jerejak near Queensbay Mall. I have friends living in Pantai Jerejak (and last year one of them told me her house got broken in but luckily nothing was stolen but she quickly installed additional grilles and locks after the incident).
The fact that it is so close to home can shatter one’s sense of security!
I am sure the next time you see a couple of Chinese uncles sipping kopi-o in a coffeeshop, you’ll be wondering if they’re part-time crooks and robbers too.
But that is what you read and hear in the newspapers.
Last year, while having dinner at a coffee shop in Pantai Jerejak, Nic and I also witnessed a snatch theft. It was about 9pm and two snatch thefts came along on a motorbike to snatch an old lady’s handbag.
The poor woman was dragged on the road for about 10 meters before her screams alerted everyone who ran out of the coffee shop to help. The two men quickly rode off but not before the police patrol car gave chase.
Well-meaning but futile. A patrol car cannot outchase a small kapchai bike which can zip between cars and disappear into the many roads around this residential area.
The old lady was terribly shaken, her clothes torn and her body bruised. Her granddaughter of about 10 years old started crying, shocked by what she saw happen to her grandmother!
But the high incidence of snatch thefts happening around Queensbay Mall, Pantai Jerejak and Sungai Nibong area is terribly unnerving. I tweeted this to Sim Tze Tzin, the ADUN for Pantai Jerejak. He told me that he’d tell the OCPD. I hope something gets done because all these thefts make residents feel unsafe and vulnerable.
I once saw policemen on superbikes whizzing around Pulau Tikus and I thought, what a great idea. (Pulau Tikus is another notorious area for snatch thefts so be careful when you walk about this suburb.) Policemen dressed in regular clothes with flourescent green jackets on superbikes will out chase thieves on the kapchai bikes.
Something must be done about these daring small-time crooks. Well, I wished we had CSI’s Photoshop version 10 (that’s what Nic always says) as CSI people can always zoom into a video and solve a crime within the day. If we had CSI’s Photoshop version 10, then we would be able to see these 2 uncle’s faces clearly and post their mugs on coffee shops everywhere! I bet then the police will be able to catch them!
So do your part and forward this video link to all your friends, especially Penangites. The more people watch this video, the better as the crooks will not have a chance to rob another house!
Cookies, Cookies Everywhere
I can’t keep this secret to myself any longer as she’s going to officially start selling her cookies soon and with a website to boot too.
I’ve been privileged to move to my new neighbourhood and automatically get new neighbours who are both like friends and family.
It’s been great settling in and making new discoveries about our new neighbourhood. (Ah, the only thing which bugs me is that this middle-class neighbourhood which is 2 minutes’ from Queensbay Mall is a magnet for the damn snatch thieves but more on that later.)
Anyway, she stops taking orders come 1 Feb so hurry and make your orders before she takes a break for Chinese New Year.
I’ve tried many of her cookies (that’s the beauty of being neighbours – we get to be ‘guinea pigs’) and I can personally vouch that she uses premium ingredients and she never stinges! Each cookie and slice of cake is a pleasure to eat because they’re really full of lip-smacking goodness.
Oh, I haven’t introduced her ya? Well, she’s Vern’s mom. Vern’s my blogger friend who became a friend and then she interned at Redbox Studio and then we became neighbours since last November. It’s a story that is worth telling over and over. What a strange way to become neighbours huh?
Anyway, Mrs Hor’s quite the maestro in the kitchen and she is always trying out new and exciting recipes. Her baking foray is due to egging from her children and friends like us!
So let me point you in the direction of yummilicious cookies. But order soon as orders close 1 Feb.
Lest you think I’m partial to her cookies, I’d say I’m partial to GOOD STUFF.
The other ‘baker” I like is my aunt as she makes ONLY pineapple tarts. I always tell clients and friends that these jam tarts are limited edition stuff because they’re made with love and passion and therefore tastes like heaven.
Another equally good baker is my friend Ai Tee. You can find out more about her goodies from this post of mine.
I’ve also tried other so-called homemade cakes and cookies, the most recent being some carrot walnut cake which I bought at a seminar last Saturday.
The lady who sold the cake who was the baker of this cake of course exclaimed how much carrot and quality walnuts she used (“200gm you know and you know how expensive walnuts are but you feel my cake? Dense right?”). I was taken in by the fact that her cake was quite fragrant so I bought a slab for Vern’s mom to taste while I bought a slab of cempedak cake.
But what a disappointment! The carrot cake was tasteless while the cempedak cake didn’t really live up to expectations. The cake texture was dry and after 1 day in the fridge, it was drier and harder! And this from a woman who waxed lyrical about her own cakes and silly old me got taken in and bought them. But I always say, well, I have to sometimes eat some lousy cakes in order to appreciate well-made cakes.
😉
Free Talk for Women Only…Sorry Guys!
As you all know, I’m one of the founding members of WomenBizSENSE, a businesswomen’s networking group set up in 2006.
Anyway, tomorrow, we’ll be having a free talk for not only our women members but open to other women as well.
So if you are female and live in Penang and want to learn from a business coach and get to network with other fabulous women (ah yes, we all must once in a while ‘masuk bakul angkat sendiri’) with tea thrown in, then make a date with us.
Here are more details:
Business Talk @ WBS Meeting, 22 January 2010 (Friday), 2pm to 4pm
We’re kicking off 2010 with a WBS Meeting on 22 January which includes a 90-minute free business talk by Mr Radin Ikram, a business coach and speaker from Action Coach International. Learn more about Mr Radin from http://www.actioncoach.com/radinikram/
Come join us and listen to the 6 pillars of business success which applies not only to women who’ve just started their business but women already in business.
Fees:
RM 5 for non-WBS member (yes, that’s like less than the price of a KFC snack plate!)
Free for WBS member (membership has its privileges!)
How to sign up:
If you are keen to join this event, please email us to book your seat as we have limited seating.
Note:
As we are opening this event to other women, please forward this email out to your girlfriends who are in business or thinking of starting one.
As I have personally heard this talk before, I highly recommend it as it is very useful and full of good tips and ideas. Radin is also a very friendly and engaging person.