Convocation at Nikko Hotel

This post is dedicated to my very good friend and fellow sickawan Chiaoju. She is now a proud graduate of an MBA. *applause* Stan, Yen and I went to her convocation in Nikko Hotel, since her university doesn't really have a campus in Malaysia (I think). Before that, why is it that my stupid university is taking so very long to approve my thesis! She started before me and finished earlier than me. *sigh* Anyway, we bought her a bouquet of white roses, coincidentally my favourites too! :) The hotel lobby was filled with parents and friends bearing flowers on that day, waiting for the graduation ceremony to be over.

Nikko Hotel lobby

Such high ceiling

On and off, I was texting Chiaoju to make sure we're at the right place at the right time. :)

Dimly lit chandelier

While waiting, of course I didn't miss out the chance to camwhore, this time with the University of South Australia poster! There was plenty of food lined up outside the ballroom, but they were reserved until the ceremony was over, of course. So we could only wait and smell. *LOL*

My shirt matched with the poster!

Finally, the doors of the grand ballroom opened and people starting streaming out in a line. I quickly ran over to the side with my camera ready. Tadaa! Managed to capture a shot of her while walking. :) Congrats dear!

Chiaoju emerging from the ballroom

After another while of waiting, she joined us again for more camwhoring. :)

Chiaoju and witch

with the sickawans

The area outside the ballroom was starting to get really hot and stuffy with people crowding around and walking to and fro the buffet spread. We noticed that the ballroom was now empty and it was so very cooling! Off we went inside to enjoy the comfort of silence and aircon. :)

A happy Chiaoju

The grand ballroom

Chiaoju and Stan

Chiaoju and yen

Oh I love this picture! It's like Do-Re-Me-Fa! In terms of height, I mean. I think I'm actually taller than Stan, but somehow, I wasn't really standing straight so I looked short in the picture. *LOL*

The sickawans

Before we left, Chiaoju's sis asked us to pose with our legs up, and be comfortable in it. However, we were so rigid and serious that we looked funny with the pose! Gosh we probably have turned too old for candid poses like this.

Playing the fool

We proceeded to have super yummy crabs after that, which I will blog about later on. And once again, congratulations to you, dear Chiaoju! We're very proud of you. *hugs*

Tourguiding in Penang - Day 1

A couple of weeks before I moved to KL, my good friends from Beijing Joanne, Zhao Jie and Zhao Lei came to Penang for a short trip. They were actually in KL for a business visit, but extended their trip to have a few days of leisure. Since they were interested in visiting Penang, I offered to be their tourguide for the weekend, with pleasure. :)

The group of them with my mom arrived Penang at about 11am, and our first destination was none other than the famous Kek Lok Si temple, which is well-known even to the foreigners. Luckily for us, the temple was not that crowded that day, and we found a nice parking place easily too. The first view that greeted us at the bottom of the hill was this pond full of tortoises. I believe tortoises are considered as spiritual animals symbolizing longevity in the Chinese community, and I see them almost in all Chinese temples around. There were also peddlers around selling vegetables to the visitors to feed the tortoises.

Tortoises in the pond

The hike up to the temple was filled with stalls on the left and right, selling goods from Penang and clothings. Surprisingly, the clothes and dresses found here were pretty cheap! You'd think that they would charge a higher price since it's a tourist destination, but I actually managed to get a dress here for RM12! Can you believe that? I'll show you the dress later on. ;) After about 15 minutes and lots of perspiration, we reached the main temple of Kek Lok Si and started praying. As usual, places like this are always filled with smoke, due to the burning of joss sticks.

Main temple at Kek Lok Si

Joanne who's a very spiritual person, told us that she wanted to spend more time praying in the temple. In the mean time, I brought Zhao Jie and Zhao Lei (they're married, by the way) to look around.

Zhao Jie and witch at Kek Lok Si

I asked them whether they're interested in climbing up the pagoda and they were enthusiastic about it. So the three of us ventured to the pagoda entrance and paid RM2/person for the entrance free.

Our targeted destination

The pagoda is synonymous to the Kek Lok Si fame and also a signature place of Penang. One look at this pagoda and everyone would know that you've been to Penang before. :)

Pagoda at Kek Lok Si

At the bottom of the pagoda, we took some pictures of the view surrounding the temple.

View of Kek Lok Si

Then we started climbing up the pseudo-spiral staircase up the pagoda. There were 9 storeys in all, and we reached the top greeted by breath-taking view of the Penang island. One side of the view was facing the mountains, while another side of it was facing the city.

View from top of pagoda - mountain view

I prefer the city view in this case, since you're able to have a clear view all the way to Georgetown.

View from top of pagoda - city view

Zhao Jie and witch

Outside pagoda

After we descended from the pagoda, I showed them what the LX3 wide angle could do. *LOL* They tried to take a full-length picture of the pagoda using their digital camera but failed. Hence, my LX3 came to the rescue and we managed to take several shots of the pagoda at the entrance.

Zhao Jie and witch at Kek Lok Si pagoda

After the visit to the temple, we had a short late lunch at the laksa stalls in Air Itam. I didn't take any pictures there as I was already too hungry from all the climbing and walking! Plus I didn't have breakfast before that! *gasp* Anyway, we left to the hotel to check in later on, which was Copthorne Orchid in Tanjung Bungah. I chose that hotel because it was reasonably priced (~RM170/night) and it was next to the sea! This is the view from our room, complete with the sound of waves. :) The beach was just within walking distance from our hotel.

View from hotel room

When night fell, we had a quick dinner at one of the nearby food court in Gurney. A quick dinner because we had to send one friend to the airport to catch a flight. Guess where we went after sending her to the airport? QEII or Queen Elizabeth II! It's this waterfront club/pub/restaurant just by the seaside next to the pier. Very romantic and very nice view. If you're lucky, it would be windy and cooling too. It was my first time there and I'd always wanted to visit this place since I heard a lot of good comments from my friends. Since none of my close friends were 'clubbing kakis', I never had a chance to go there, until now. We found the perfect parking spot just in front of the entrance! Parking fee was RM5 flat.

Church Street Pier

The signature QEII logo, brightly lit and distinct at night.

QEII by the sea

You're about to see the RM12 dress that I bought from the stalls at Kek Lok Si! I bought it because it had unique batik design that was local to Malaysian culture. Also, my friend Zhao Jie was attracted to the design and bought an exact one in a different colour.

witch at QEII entrance

Look at our identical dresses. :) Which colour is nicer?

witch and Zhao Jie

We also took a picture with her husband Zhao Lei, who was a really shy but friendly guy.

witch, Zhao Lei and Zhao Jie at QEII entrance

We found a table just by the sea, and the breeze was extremely strong that night so it was pretty comforting. We chose to sit outside in the open air just for this reason. Plus, the smell of smoke was also minimal with the cooling wind. I was happily enjoying the ambience and chatting with Zhao Jie when suddenly, rain started to fall. :( No wonder the wind was so strong prior to that. A storm was brewing indeed. We had to move indoors, which was much louder and hence deterred us from chatting. However, I would say the overall environment of QEII was much better than most other clubs in Penang that I visited before. I would recommend this place (outdoors) if you hate the smell of cigarette smoke and stuffy air in most other indoor clubs. :)

That concludes my first day of tourguiding in Penang. We reached the hotel after midnight and slept like pigs to the next morning! *LOL*

Pretty cup cakes

It was my second week at work, and we were all at this training, trying to learn how to operate a freakingly expensive machine. Halfway through the training, during tea break, one of my colleagues brought in a box of cakes. At first, I thought it was the breakfast provided for the training, but then I found out that she made those cupcakes herself! And guess what? They were all customized with names and faces! So adorably cute!!!

Cupcakes galore

To my surprise, even my name was inside, though I didn't even know the birthday girl. *shy* In my defense, I was still a newbie.

Cute cupcake

And mine was pink! Wonderful! We ended up picking our own cupcakes and eating ourselves (literally). *LOL* The cupcake was made from butter so it was rather oily, but it's the thought that counts, isn't it? Happy Birthday girl!

My Farewell Pictures

Again I've been pretty slow in updating. The truth of the fact is that I'm going through some tough emotional stage currently but I'm slowly recovering from it. I'll be absolutely fine, in case you're worried. :) Anyway, I've made up my mind to kick start my blogger mode after resting for a while, but I need to clear some of the backlogs that I meant to write sooner.

Let me start with my farewell pictures just before I left Penang. I'm so thankful and blessed to have so many friends and colleagues who care about me deeply during my tenure in Penang. I really can't imagine how my life would be without having them around. And for this, I would like to dedicate this post to all of them, who have made a difference in my life. :)

Starting with doryfish, my dear friend, colleague and buddy in office! You know you have left a deep deep print in my heart and I always counted my blessings that at the end of the day, I still had you to turn to. We have gone through so many things together, right from the day we met when I was still an intern. We joined the gym together, the yoga classes, swimming classes as well as our part-time Masters. Having you around gave me the motivation and drive to go through the tough periods just because you understood. :) Thank you. :)

Doryfish and witch

Then there's Suzie, a girl who worked in the same company and who also happened to stay in the same block as mine! Just a lift ride away, to be exact. I had such a great time with you, especially when your other half was away in the US. ;) Remember when we used to go for dinners so often and watched HK TVB series marathon after that? It was really fun! Oh, and I must thank you again for fetching me to the airport so many freaking times that I felt bad for even asking. :( If you need anything from me, I'll be there. :)

witch and Suzie

A group picture with the girls during one of the farewell lunches.

witch, doryfish and Suzie

How could I forget the 2 self-proclaimed 'legends' in my company, Farn Hin and Kum Soon? (FYI, they're the first and fourth guys from the left in the picture below) Both of them indeed provided endless entertainment and jokes during the time I was there, especially when they both thought they're the more good-looking guys in the whole company. *cough*

Colleagues from ex-department

Thank you for the amazing farewell lunch, and by amazing I meant the company not the food. :)

Another shot

And dear Doryfish also organized a farewell dinner for me, at my favourite Italian restaurant, Bella Italia! *grins* Thank you so much my dear! I enjoyed BOTH the food and company that night ;) Allan I hope your back is getting better now. It touched me that you would come all the way from Kulim for me, even with your back condition. ;) But I ended up doing something to make you proud of me! ;)

witch with Bamboo, doryfish and Allan

Ah, the 4 sickawans! *hugs* Too bad Stan wasn't around that time. I have known these people right from my university time onwards, and our bond is still stronger than ever. It's true what they say, the friends that you made during your study years will never be the same with those that you made during your working years. And I'm truly glad I met them. :)

Witch with Chiaoju and Yen :)

Another group of friends from school, way back more than 10 years ago! Bamboo and Hamdan. Let's toast to another 10 years eh? :)

My secondary schoolmates

Not to forget my lunch gang at the company, the people that I met EVERY day for lunch. It's funny how you never get bored of certain people even though you meet them every day, and that's because you found the right clique. I miss you guys very much. :(

My lunch gang

Finally, some pictures from company. :) The girls...

The girls

Members of my team :)

IC design colleagues and witch

And Max! Wah, Max if you're reading this, don't you feel so honoured that I dedicated a whole picture for you? *LOL* The truth is I couldn't find any group pictures with you in it. :P Anyway, I know you won't miss me since every time I called you, it was to log a call and give you a problem to solve. *LOL* But I really wanted to thank you for the great support and help you provided to me all these years. I now know how valuable you are, if you know what I mean. :P

Max and witch

Thank you a million to all of you! You all know where I am now, so never feel shy to call or find me if you happen to be around ok?

Edelweiss = noble + white

A few weeks ago, Stan was in Penang and asked for a dinner with the 4 sickawans. It was a weekday but I was more than happy to have a simple reunion with my good friends. After much deliberation, we decided to go to Edelweiss Swiss Restaurant for dinner. Since it was a weeknight, the restaurant was pretty quiet. Even the road outside the restaurant was dark and bordered on creepy. I told myself I wouldn't dare to go to this place on my own. It was just too eerie and all other shops on the same road were closed.

Edelweiss restaurant

The entrance of Edelweiss was nicely decorated with plants and colourful lights, so if you're on the correct street (Lebuh Armenian), you wouldn't miss this place.

Entrance

I loved the interior of Edelweiss. The decorations gave a rustic charm that was somewhat comforting after walking past the deserted and dark road outside. It sort of gave us a warm welcoming feeling with a certain coziness.

Interior

The place was very neat and was decorated with many giant clocks!

Old-fashioned lights

Like this big old-fashioned grandfather's clock that was just situated next to a dining table. If our party were smaller, I would have opted to sit right next to it! *LOL*

Huge grandfather's clock

We started with the order of our drinks. Even though it claimed itself as a Swiss restaurant, I couldn't help but notice a hint of German influence in their food, such as the presence of Pork knuckles, pork belly and also the famous German Paulaner beer. Both Yen and Stan ordered the beer and we were treated to quite an interesting presentation from the waitress herself when she poured a whole bottle of beer nicely into a tall glass, with perfection and style. She even made a 360 degree turn at the end of it, just before the last drop!

Pouring beer with a style

As for me, no surprise that I would order boring fruit juice. I ordered the carrot juice, which was freshly squeezed and without sugar. It was naturally sweet. :)

Fresh carrot juice

Look at Yen admiring his beer. Perhaps he's meditating? Or praying that his glass would never go empty? *LOL*

Yen meditating with his beer

And here's how he looked like when he's done with praying. Very happy and all smiles!

Another shot of overly enthusiastic Yen

Before long, our food arrived! My order was the BBQ pork ribs, which was recommended by the waitress there. It was very aromatic and huge in portion! The gravy was absolutely delicious, and the meat very tender. However, I think it would have been much better if they were to marinate the meat a little longer, because the inner part of the ribs was rather bland. Only the outer layer was tasty and juicy.

BBQ pork ribs

Then there was Yen's poached salmon. I know the presentation was a bit boring, and the fish looked very boring as well, but Yen's feedback was the fish was fresh and delicious. Although the portion was not that big, for him that is!

Poached salmon

As for Stan, he likes to order the most unhealthy dish there is to order every time, and without surprise, he chose the Smoked Pork Belly! Look at the layer of fats on the pork! It came with some pasta and two pieces of sausage as well. I have to say the sausage was amazing! I couldn't figure out what sausage it was, perhaps lamb? And the pork belly was done just right. Even though I'm not the biggest fan of fatty meat, Stan cut me a piece and forced me to chew everything down, and I have to admit, it was not half as bad. :) There was no strong pork smell, and the fatty meat actually went very well with the lean pork meat. Of course, one piece was more than enough for me. :P This dish would have been more suitable for pork belly lovers. :)

Smoked pork belly

Last but not least, we ordered the Apple pie dessert, which came with one scoop of Movenpick ice-cream. The pie would have been nicer if it was served warm. But the ice-cream was heavenly! Ending a meal on a sweet tooth always puts a smile on my face. :)

Apple pie with ice-cream

After finishing our meal, I walked around the restaurant taking pictures, since there were no other customers around. The bar was lovely with the many types of liquors and glasses lining up nicely on the wall.

The bar

And I even spotted something hilarious! On the way to the toilet at the back, I noticed this display on top of a cupboard!

Funny toilet

It even came with its own caption:
Sorry this toilet is "taken"
Pull string gently until the end to verify the above
More toilets around the corner

Before we called it a night, the kind waitress offered to take some group pictures for us. Look at how Yen's face had turned to be as red as a tomato!

Say cheese!

I always look forward to small dinner gatherings like this with my very good and close friends. There is another post coming up on another dinner too! At a seafood restaurant. :)

Overall, the food in Edelweiss fared above average based on our humble standards. We also liked the fact that it's quiet and has the traditional, antique feeling when we entered this place. I definitely would not mind visiting it again in the future!

Group picture

Edelweiss Cafe
38, Armenian Street,
Georgetown, Penang.
Telephone : 04-2618935
Closed on Monday,
Open Tuesday to Friday : 12 noon to 3.00 pm and 6.30 pm to 10.00 pm
Saturday : 12 noon to 10.00 pm
Sunday : 12 noon to 7.00 pm only