Prologue: It’s already the 2nd week into one month plus my semester break. Sigh good times sure flies!
After a long period of procrastination and seeing how deserted my blog is, it’s time to do a lil update. Let’s us start where did I left of: after the last day of exam. And since there is so many thing to blog about, I will try to minimize the usage of word and let the picture do the talking. So for more pictures of a particular event, please check out my Facebook!
18th November (Wednesday)
Packing up my room before I left for excursion to Kedah with ZhiMui’s. It’ unbelievable how much it added up after 2 year of my university life. Had to sort out between rubbish and essential stuff. In the end, it is still amounted to 4 boxes and a bag to be left in the store for the semester break.
Went out for lunch and a lil relaxation outing with Zhimui’s. Spotted this shop that claims that they are CharSiew King. So let’ see!
As you can see, the whole shop is spanking now and splashed with orange. It’s food however is a total let down and I don’t think it worth to be featured here. Cut space cut space!
Went to P. Ramlee’s house since we had plenty of time anyway and it’s around the corner from where we are.
And that’s his house right there.
Camwhore is obligatory.
The interior of P. Ramlee’s house.
Gallery featuring all the other memento of P Ramlee’s, from his discography to all his film til all his marriage. Too bad photography is not allowed so no pic.
All that glitter in Time Square. Too bad it’s only soft opening and the whole mall is totally deserted. Eerie.
Finally reached Prangin mall. Went around for a lil shopping before chillout at SoyaSoya. Hmm, a twist in soft beancurd presentation, with jelly and peaches and all.
Tada! The whole regalia of what we ordered!
Later at night after doing some serious hardcore packing, I went to Mamu Burger at Restu to buy myself a burger just because it was worth celebrating. This was like only the 2nd time this semester that I buy a burger from here.
19 November (Thursday) To KEDAH!
A shot of Tekun and the sky while waiting for PooBee to pick me up. The sky has been quite moody towards the end of the year.
Our two destination: Alor Setar/Jitra (Ah Han’s home) on the 1st day and Sungai Petani (PooBee’ home) on the 2nd day.
We are here, we are here!!! And due to misleading information (went past some toll…or two…zzz…) by Ah Bui who is snoozing on the bus, we reached Alor Setar earlier than her.
The Sultan of Kedah Golden Jubilee Memorial Gate.
The main water lock across Sungai Kedah, part of the Muda Irrigation Project that help Kedah to become the leader in rice production.
We proceeded to Shabab Perdana Bus Terminus to wait for AhBui. Take photo first! Ah Han and Ah Pheng!
Poobee and Me!
And here’s the people that we are waiting for, Ah Bui! After meeting up, we went to the restaurant that AhHan’s BF working with to have a lunch…and it was on him. Big thanks to him!
A whooping 7th course meal WTF. We didn’t even managed to finish half of it so in the end we tapau-ed the left over for dinner.
Next destination: Muzium Padi! And as you can see from here, the whole Alor Setar is surrounded by Paddy. Any arable flatland will turn into paddy field, even right behind your housing estate or the spanking new Sultanah Bahiyah General Hospital. It was quite amusing in my opinion!
After travelling through meandering country road, we finally reached Muzium Paddy. It was aptly located in the middle of paddy field. It’s everywhere! The main feature of this Muzium is the rotating platform with Diorama as well as exhibits that is all about paddy at the ground floor.
The picture on the rotating Diorama. Looked quite real from a far. And a few more pictures later, my camera is out juice. *sigh*
Group picture courtesy of PooBee’s camera phone. What was not available in picture is the Pusat Sains Negara (Wilayah Utara) located adjacent to Muzium Padi. We all unleashed our inner child and explored all the interactive game over there. After that, went for a lil shopping at Star Parade before proceeding to Ah Han’s home at Jitra to do a lil unpacking, rest and dinner (from all our leftover during lunch). Later at night since we got nothing else to do, we decided to go to the best late night chillout hangout place in the whole Alor Setar…
…which unfortunately have a cheesy name, Bali Bali. Exactly the same name as a foodcourt near USM. But nevermind, it indeed lives up to expectation as the hottest joint around in the otherwise sleepy town of Alor Setar and it’s teeming with people! Had a hard time finding parking spaces until we had to plead for the guard over there to leave a parking space for us.
The joy of drinking by AhPheng and AhBui. Unfortunately the food over there is only so and so. But nevermind, it is to chill out and talk out loud! AhHan’s BF joined us later…and as usual, it was kinda awkward to have a couple among friends who hang out. Especially that moment when AhBui and AhHan went downstairs to listen to live music…with only me, AhPheng and PooBee with her BF alone. It’s so hard to start a conversation! Anyway, we hang around until late night before we call it a day and head back home to AhHan’s place for the night…
20th of November (Friday) Jitra/Alor Setar to Sungai Petani
AhHan’s pet dog. Quite clingy!
AhBui wanted some make up tip so PooBee gave her an impromptu make up session.
Before we proceed to Sungai Petani, I asked the driver for a lil detour to Alor Setar Sultan Abdul Halim Airport just to check out how the airport look like after renovation for the Golden Jubilee. This was taken at the junction one km before the junction to airport. And as usual, the airport is surrounded by paddy field as well!
The roof of the terminal departure point. Like a real good quality airport, the departure and arrival hall is seperated into two levels.
The interior of the terminal. The whole terminal was empty when we are there. Why?
Because they only have 5 departures per DAY. Last flight: 9:20pm To a single destination only: Kuala Lumpur. LMAO.
The arrival: 4 per DAY. Final arrival: 8:50pm. Again, LMAO
Without further a due, we head back down south to Sungai Petani.
Downtown Sungai Petani, the 2nd largest city in Kedah.
We had our lunch at yet another chillout place called Seventeen. It wasn’t that good and the tomyam fried rice that AhBui and AhHan had almost burned their tongue. We went to settle down our bag at a motel right around the corner before we head on to our next destination.
After having our lunch, we headed to our next destination: Lembah Bujang, famous for their historical remnant and relics of old Candi or Hindu Temple.
And here we are, Lembah Bujang!
There were in total four candi excavated over the ground but here are the two favorite of mine. First is Candi Bukit Batu Pahat.
It was located on an open field with lush greeneries as backdrop. It feels almost…Mayan. LOL.
Next is Candi Bendang Dalam which is the top most in the Lembah Bujang ground.
It’s amazing how the the early settlers build it with their bare hand and why they choose to build their temple here in the middle of nowhere.
After checking out the candis, we moved on the the Archeological Museum to check out more excavated item from here.
Old chinese vase from the bustling trade over Straits of Malacca.
Remnants of dugout canoe used by the early settler here.
Perahu Sagor.
After spending our time immersing ourselves in age old ruin, its time to go back to civilization and head back town. Going through the main throughfare of Sungai Petani and they have an HSBC bank branch here. The architecture style is moorish akin to the Sultan Abdul Samad Building in Kuala Lumpur.
The Sungai Petani clock tower.
Train crossing! It was oddly excited for me and AhBui since we came from a place which rail transport has long gone: Sarawak. LOL.
A train!
Since we still have plenty of time to spare, we went to Central Square aka the best mall in Sungai Petani to chill out. Went around, do a lil shopping before we settle down for teatime at Master Choo Kitchen, yet another HongKie style cafe.
We ordered tarts! Egg tarts, cheese tarts and meat tarts!
Group pic, with the help of timer on my camera. We spent hours chir-chatting and gossiping until we went pass dinner time! In the end, we went to bakery to bought some bread as well as bought the most famous nasi lemak in Sungai Petani. I forgot to took pictures of it but let me tell you the portion was a couple of bite size and that’s it! Had to eat a lot of it you ever want to be full!
Anyway, back to room, unwind ourselves and we continue on gossip and chitchatting about everything on the face of the earth while munching on chips and drinking on light liquor. We spent talking until 4 am in the morning! By the time we are done, we are almost like zombie LOL.
21 November (Saturday): Sungai Petani to Penang
Morning people. Again, I was among the first one to wake up (along with Poobee) while the rest of the old people here decided to slack and refuse to wake up. So I took pictures of them! Here’s AhHan and AhBui, getting comfortable with each other…
…and AhPheng, tug into her blanket.
Went for brunch. Here’s kolo flat rice noodle with chopped meat and fish ball, accompanied by barley drink. After that, we went to drop of AhPheng at the express bus terminus first…in which her bus was late hence we spent at least half an hour in the car talking before her bus came. After we bid her farewell, it is me, AhBui and AhHan’s turn to go back to respective places using local bus.
The local bus terminus. Shabby looking with puddles everywhere, but their local bus are so much better than what we have in Kuching. Even though it’s minibus, at least it was air conditioned!
And here’s our bus: Butterworth – Sungai Petani Shuttle by Cityliner. Ticket price: RM 5.
The Cityliner bus sure looks handsome! And not before long after we bid farewell to Ah Han who head back north to Alor Setar, we are on our way to Butterworth before heading back to Penang island.
And only after an hour plus, we reached Butterworth. Georgetown is now in plain sight even though shrouded by rain cloud.
Penang Sentral Temporary Bus Terminus. I wonder when are they gonna proceed with the construction of Penang Sentral.
Penang Ferry from Butterworth to Georgetown: RM 1.20 per person. Change available at the counter.
Passenger deck of Penang Ferry bound for Penang Island.
Penang bridge from a far, the lifeline for Penang Island.
Swettenham Pier cruise terminal, opened not long ago with a cruise ship berthed over there.
Komtar, the towering landmark of Penang.
Pangkalan Raja Tun Uda, Penang Island side for ferry.
Disembarking.
The Custom Building along Weld Quay. Picture taken inside the RapidPenang bus.
RapidPenang bus, now using Scania bus that was equiped with ramp for wheelchair. Luckily the only RapidPenang bus that passed through RST is there when me and AhBui reached there so I boarded this bus to go back while Ah Bui took another bus to go to Sungai Dua. After a bid of farewell, we head back to our respective place…
Just like the day I left RST for holiday, I am back to Tekun again, just for one more night before I go home…
Tekun was desolated with only a few lonely soul staying back for some reason later that night. Just one more night…
22 November (Sunday): GOING BACK HOME YO!
One last breakfast at Istimewa before heading back home for semester break. Too bad my lappie wasn’t with since it was sent for servicing in Penang. Hope I can get it back once I go back to Penang again for my JLPT test.
Packed up ready to go! But right after I reached RST gate something unfortunate happened: the form that I need to use to claim back my computer as well as the purchase receipt…is gone!!! All gone! I have no idea where did it end up to at all. Did I took it out? At that particular moment, I was feeling WTF and FML already. It’s that an omen?
Trying to cure my emoness, I resorted to food: McDonald. To my surprise, Prosperity Burger is available already!
Hmm, peppery beefy goodness that only available during festive season…
The all so familiar Penang International Airport boarding lounge. Run into so many familiar faces here in the airport. Looks like lots of Kuchingite bought their tickets earlier, before the exam timetable is out…
While waiting for our plane to come, spotted MAS B737-800. How do I know it’s an –800?
The distinctive winglet of course!
Spotted another big jet: Cathay Pacific Cargo A747-100. Penang with its electronic industry are frequented by a lot of cargo flights.
At last, our plane is here!
Taxi-ing to the runway for take off. Goodbye Penang!
Takeoff roll…
…and we are off and heading home!
Inside the cabin. Look at the shiny head lol. Bump into a small turbulence for a while but otherwise smooth flight and landed safely in Kuching International Airport. For some reason after the KIA runway extension, the landing procedure wasn’t as exciting as before…and there is some lack of satisfaction for some odd reason. I mean, the plane slowed down way before it reaches the terminal and it glided into the taxiway toward the apron smoothly. Guess had to give away the thrill for the comfort of safer landing.
A sure tell sign that I am back in Kuching Sarawak: Arrival from West Malaysia and Sabah!
Which we need to go through custom due to different custom regulation over East Malaysian. Aside from this tiny hassle, it is still a domestic flight.
The all too familiar airport lobby. Omega Zachary Efron Tate Zince LYH was already waiting for me over and he greeted me with : “You camwhoring sucks!” Home sweet home it is.
Apparently, all of them haven’t had dinner yet so we had our family dinner together. Ohh, how much I missed home cooking. Especially the curry!
And mom made hotdog bun too! Shiny~~
So that’s all for my one last week back in campus and first day back in my home sweet home, Kuching. I am so looking forward to hangout and go around outing and limteh-ing!!!! Expect more photo in the future!!!
Epilogue: In the end, long post is long. Abridged FAIL. And need to move along with translation work with haste!!! Can’t let my holiday go wasted just like that!
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