Friend and sister flew in, within hours, on Saturday midnight and Sunday morning, for a short jaunt in Penang. While they may not be related by blood, these two Sagittarians are definitely bonded by their cosmic ties. So similar are they that both forgot to bring their bathing towels! And while I'd like to think that my house can double up as a BnB, it did provide a 'bummer!' moment when I realised that I only had a spare towel. Obviously, one of them had to settle for something else as a towel and I think now's the opportune time (and reason) to get an extra one (or two) towels.
But fun we did have. We picked up my sister from Bayan Lepas in the early hours of Sunday morning. As the arrival hall was packed with freshly minted Hajs and Hajjahs, it was not difficult to spot a young female traveller with prominent Oriental features lugging a big wheeler around. Minutes later, we were already cruising our way to Jalan Penang for a hearty dose of Nasi Kandar. A heavy breakfast/brunch/lunch at 9.30 a.m. The rest of Georgetown may not be stirred awake at this time but for the Nasi Kandar faithfuls, their pilgrimage knows no boundaries. There was already a long queue for a plate of those Nasi laden with an overload of gravy and whatnots.
Sya will definitely remember this Nasi Kandar outing for one reason. She had what could only be described as a 'Nasi Kandar Accident', a streak of gravy on her otherwise white spotless blouse. The same one that was just lovingly being ironed in the morning before we left to pick up Syazwina. If that happened to me, I would have lost my mind and wail over the death of my blouse. Sya merely took it in her stride. We headed home to store the bags, took a few minutes to check out the list of 'places to go and things to do' and headed out back again.
The quest for the day was to hunt for Penang street arts, caricatures and paintings on buildings that could be both glaringly obvious and mysteriously hidden. Either way, it seemed to be a very fun thing to do, even for locals. Well, fun was thinking about it, not when we found ourselves literally under the scorching sun! Only two pieces of art were spotted before it was decided that a break was sorely needed. That's how we found ourselves, with sweat-trickled backs, at Lebuh Tamil's 'Ais Tingkap'. Syazwina and I ended up sharing an Ais Tingkap, a sweet syrup drink with a slice of coconut flesh. I wasn't really taken by it but hey, I will now know what is 'Ais Tingkap' whenever I hear about it.
A quick hop to Chowrasta was next on the list. Bought bags of pickled preservatives and was about to continue with the art hunting session when Sya proclaimed the death of her sandals. Could be God's way of sparing us from further heat as we quickly made our way to Gurney Paragon. And yes, the mall is not a place for young or novice drivers. The ride up to the multi-storey parking (we finally found a spot at Level 7A) was rather scary, having to drive the car along sharp bends and protruding pillars. Anyway, new sandals were eventually purchased, we almost got a taste of some funky looking desserts (I guess they are pretzels, like those of Aunty Anne's) and ended with some desserts at Ben's. I've to say this though. The trip to Ben's was merely because I wanted to eat in the old St. Jo's building and soak in the distinct colonial feeling.
It was raining cats and dogs when we left Gurney Paragon. The drive along Gurney Drive in that weather brings to mind a scene from the Korean movie, Haeundae. Was scary and the fear was not lessened by the sight of trees swaying from side to side. But we managed to return home, freshened up and waited for GC to pick up for dinner. Now, the biggest treat of the day has to be the dinner venue. The whole jam heading to Batu Ferringhi was worth it when we stepped into Ferringhi's Garden. Set against a secluded garden with a rustic décor, the mouth-watering dishes that came with affordable price tags were only marred by the slow service. Other than that, I have to mightily recommend this place for anyone who wants to enjoy the company of loved ones.
Once the mandatory photographing session ended, we made our way to the Hard Rock Hotel. Sya got her Hard Rock purchases and I discovered how lovely the toilets were. Struck by a sudden (and violent) bout of diarrhoea, I flushed everything out from the system while listening to some old rock tunes. The 40 minutes ride from Batu Ferringhi to our place in Ayer Itam became a monumental feat. I had to will my stomach and bowel to remain calm at every bend and red traffic lights! Luckily no untoward accident happened and we reached home safely past 10.30 p.m.
While I'm at work now, the two Sagittarians are making their rounds around the city area. I wonder how many photo shots will they take.
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