Sights of Penang

So today, because the weather couldn't have been worse, I decided to head out to the heritage area to capture some proof that Penang is the land where time stands still (yes, assuming it ONLY stands still and doesn't reverse).


For those of you who love the street hawker food in Penang, spare a moment to think about how they wash their dishes.


Step 1: God creates chickens
Step 2: Chickens create eggs
Step 3: Eggs delivered to man on a tricycle/rickshaw/whatever-you-call-it
Step 4: Man eats eggs


Modern-day houses in modern-day Penang.


If you're into a healthy lifestyle, there are many nice gyms around in Penang.


Ladies, live in style. Take a trishaw and go to a perm parlour to have your hair nicely done up.

EYCL meal SQ192/28OCT09

Inflight meal in Economy Class on SQ192/28OCT09 (SIN-PEN).

So you may ask... what are the perks of a short 60-minute flight?
1. Just a bloody sandwich and pre-packed orange-coloured syrup to shut you up and in order to fulfill the basics of being a full-service carrier.
2. They don't even bother to turn on the inflight entertainment system (even if it's an AVOD aircraft), and hence you won't get those flimsy plastic pull-your-hair headsets and you can't watch any movies.
3. You spend more time in the cab travelling to the airport, checking in, and then waiting for the flight than the actual flying time.
4. You don't have time to go mess up the lavatory and take away all their toothbrushes, toothpastes and sanitary pads.
5. You don't have time to recline your seat-backs to irritate the hell out of the person behind you.

So now do you see why I love it so much?

Olive-backed Sunbird

Male Olive-backed Sunbird (Nectarina jugularis)

Chickens by the road

Photographed while driving (how skilful) home from the airport. Dedicated to the next generation who may never ever get to see a real chicken...

Barber

People say, Penang is just like Singapore in the 50's or 60's. Indeed!

What the... ?

I was by the runway waiting to photograph aeroplanes and was getting SEEEriously bored (because traffic at PEN is sooooooooo blardy boring). Then all of a sudden, this thing pulled up beside my car and started ringing its bell. Cling cling cling cling...

And no, I did not buy anything...

Black-naped Oriole

Black-naped Oriole (Oriolus chinensis)

Photographed from the window of my apartment in Penang. This particular bird (named Bart by my wife) would visit me and peck at my window for at least 5 minutes everyday!

Oh and yes... it gets a bit worrying when the wife starts giving names to bird visitors and starts talking to them...

Lizard catcher

Yes, that's right. I am so bored in my Penang home that I have started catching lizards alive. And I'm getting pretty darn good at it. This is a close-up shot of my thumb and index finger holding on to a live baby lizard.

And if you're wondering, yes, I felt like eating it. But I didn't. I simply threw it out of the window... and I'm wondering if it managed to find its way back to home sweet home. Sorry mate... hope the landing wasn't too hard.

JCL meal on SQ192/15SEP09

So this is what you get on the short 60min flight from SIN to PEN on SQ192 in Business Class. What crap. It's just an EYCL meal presented nicely. And it tasted disgusting.

SQ191/11SEP09

Climbing to 3,000ft on a right turn after departure from PEN runway 04 on the IKILO1C SID. I was seated at 16K on board 9V-SRI operating SQ191 flying PEN-SIN.

JCL meal SQ192/01SEP09

Breakfast in Business Class on SQ192/01SEP09 (SIN-PEN)

You need culinary counselling if you find this appetizing. Can't they do better than this?

JCL meal MI357/27AUG09

Dinner in Business Class on MI357/27AUG09 (PEN-SIN).

This was my first flight on SilkAir. I can't imagine myself saying this, but I am going to: The food was actually pretty good, and much more appetising than that served on the parent airline!

The French toast was actually warm and fresh. Chicken was tender, and vegetables were fresh and tasty. The cauliflower was actually crispy, unlike the soft unfresh ones on the parent airline. Nice touch made for the butter, and the apply crumble dessert was fantastic!

Don't get me started about why I was flying SilkAir... I'm not entirely happy about it. Not only did I not get to fly on the new long-haul PCL and JCL on the A380, A330 or B773ER, I now have to fly on MI??!!!??!! (&*^&%$$%$#^$%&^%&*(*&^$%#^%#^%$&*^%(*&)*^&%$%^#&%$

Proton Perdana Limousine

The national car manufacturer of Malaysia, Proton, has not just succeeded in making four-wheeled metallic junks such as the Proton Saga and Proton Waja, but has also disgracefully attempted to produce a stretch of their most upmarket model - the Proton Perdana Limousine.

Here's one rotten example seen in the carpark of Penang Airport during lunch today.




No thanks. I think I'd feel more stately on a BMX bicycle.

JCL meal SQ192/30JUN09

Breakfast in Business Class on SQ192/30JUN09 (SIN-PEN).

What's the difference between this and an Economy Class tray meal?

JCL meal on SQ191/20JUN09

Brunch in Business Class on SQ191/20JUN09 (PEN-SIN).

Weird-tasting fish pasta. Weird-looking pink strawberry-but-tasted-like-chocolate dessert. Weird-combination of colourful ingredients for the salad appetiser that wasn't appetising at all.

The only thing I finished completely was the glass of water... that's right... I didn't even bother to ask for a glass of apple juice because I knew they only had some low-grade made-of-sugar-but-taste-like-apple liquid.

Austin of England

A vintage British-made Austin, spotted in the carpark at Penang Airport.

Volvo 144

Another of my shoot-while-driving stunts. Here's the Volvo 144. Looks like a tank, built like a tank.

The driver was very aptly a grey-haired old man who looked pretty amused at my little Canon IXUS 870IS poking out of my window attempting to photograph his venerable Volvo.

I'd gladly trade in my Proton Waja for this solid piece of engineering!

A vintage Morris Minor 1000 with BIG POWER... whoaa... very scared...

JCL meal SQ192/25MAY09

Breakfast in Business Class on board SQ192 (SIN-PEN).

The fish slices, mushrooms, prawns and scallops were edible, but the noodles were as hard and dry as Mamee noodle snacks.

Yucks...

Mini Lorry?

A fine example of a mini-lorry. Oh sorry... should it be the Mini Lorry instead? Manufactured in mass numbers to transport elephants in the early 70's.

What bird is this?

Need help in identifying this bird...

Damn it!!!

Billions of blistering barnacles punctured my tire...

Being mobile...

Yes... a miniature version of National Geographic's Mega Moves...

Mobile hawker

Another from my shoot-while-driving series of photographs.

Nope, I did not reach out of my car window to buy anything. In fact I don't think I would dare eat anything that has probably already travelled 100 times around the island and accummulated enough road grime to taste uniquely Penang!

Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG

Q: How do you know when a rich b*stard is lurking around somewhere inside the airport?

A: When you see this car parked outside the departure hall.

And sorry fellas... I did not attempt to pluck out the big three-pointed star in front.

Maybach at Penang International Airport

I never imagined I would see a Maybach in Penang... but there it was today outside the Departure Hall, waiting for the prince of Perlis.

Brahminy Kite

31OCT09: It's a Brahminhy Kite (Haliastur indus)! Thanks to Joe Quek and his girlfriend for the information!

Ferrari 400

First ever Penang-registered (PHP9933) Ferrari I saw in Penang. This is a 1976 Ferrari 400 2+2 rear-wheel-drive coupe with a General Motors THM400 automatic transmission and a massive front-mounted 4.8L V12. Photographed while driving, and the driver probably got a shock seeing a nutcase stick out a little Canon compact digital to shoot his rare and lovely car.

Banana Tree On The Move

Banana tree on the move. Shot while driving along the Jelutong Expressway.

Penang Bird Park

Brown Hawk Owl (Ninox scutulata)


Barn Owl (Tyto alba)


Buffy Fish Owl (Ketupa ketupu)





White-bellied Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster)