Chinese New Year at Sang Kiang association

Chinese New Year is a must-see in Penang where Ang Huah is probably the person who can show you most interesting hidden gems. Today on the 16 Feb I really had the chance to experience something special and unexpected.

After taking pictures of the famous popiah skin maker at Chow Rasta St and a small popiah breakfast, I was heading back to the Tune Hotel to check and download my work. Suddenly I heard the drumming of a lion dancer and I had a look. The lion dance performance impressive and very funny, the premise well-groomed.

Later it turned out that it was the Sang Kiang association, a group of people who would like to trace back their roots and maintain their original culture. The lion dancers showed an excellent choreography, made a lot of jokes and farces and threw oranges at people to catch and again I was hit by one on the head as I tried to take a close-up picture. Their performance was long, teasing and funny while at the end they had to catch the salad, tore it apart and took their ang pau or red packet with lucky money.

The San Kiang association was a group of people of Chinese heritage who would like to maintain their culture and language. Meanwhile I have carried out so much research that I know that part of my ancestors came from the Hokkian area. As I told them that my family came from that area, they suggested to trace exactly from which part of the Hokkian area I came as the area itself was quite vast. Well, I pretended to understand a bit of Hokkian and most of the time I just smiled and said either kam sia(thank you) or Gong Xi Fa Cai. Thinks may become difficult when somebody invites me for more intimate relationships and I just answer with a smile, kam sia(thank you) or Gong Xi Fa Cai(Happy Chinese New Year):-) However, most of the members were friendly and some ladies even called me "sister".

There was free food consisting of noodles, rice noodles, fried and white rice, chicken, fish, vegetarian dishes, fresh fruit and drinks such as juices and water. There were plenty of music shows and games for young and old. The Ang pau after I won the Hula Hoop game was the highlight of the day and again I forgot to charge the battery of my camera.........And the free food of course but bringing non-Chinese CSers would have been a less good idea perhaps.

In due time I thought I could make a lot of contact with local Malaysians in the hotel as well as foreign international tourists. I enjoyed Penang very much without any help of the Penang CSers.

Kuala Kangsar

Today I drove back to Penang but not without visiting the beautiful city of Kuala Kangsar. Just the scenery between Lumut and Kuala Kangsar was embedded in tropical greenery consisting of mangrove, banana trees and many other beautiful exotic flora. Unfortunately I forgot to charge the battery of my camera and there are not many photos of this beautiful place.

Kuala Kangsar is located in the middle of beautiful hills and forested areas. The combination between ancient royal architecture and nature is something that nobody should give a miss. The government put much effort in this city, a for Malaysian standards perfect walkway with beautiful plaster, all the heritage sites marked with illumination, man-made gardening all over the heritage walk.

I would recommend anybody to stay here for at least one night to do the walk in the morning or evening when it's illuminated. Kuala Kangsar is not yet well-known among tourists and therefore it is quite a local town with very cheap food prices. The tourist information is not too well organised and don't even provide maps. A very friendly library worker took the effort to draw a little map for me. This only happens when places are not swamped with visitors......

Lumut

Lumut itself has more to offer than meets the eye. For somebody who needs to chill out for some time and likes to get away from tourists, it is worth to stay for a couple of days. The ferry to Pangkor Islands goes every half hour.

The Lumut waterfront is very pleasant to walk and the park is suitable for jogging until the yacht club. Here you have a beautiful view of the islands and have a cup of coffee. There are a couple of small beaches too among others Teluk Batik. The mangrove forest is very interesting for trekking and there is some other forest where you can climb up the hill.

Dr Ridi from Couchsurfing
Last but not least, I was lucky that the only Couchsurfer in Lumut, Dr.Faisal Ridi, showed me around town. He invited me for a couple of drinks and dinners, insisted in paying my bills. I felt that Faisal would be a good friend to me despite the short intervals that we met which was interrupted by phone calls about patients from his hospital.

Not only that he works in a similar job like mine as a medical doctor, but we also clicked on a very personal level. A warm-hearted man and family father, knowledgable in medicine and traveling but a person who has never forgotten about the human sides of life. Definitely another Couchsurfer that is a must-meet in a rather unknown destination like Lumut

Pangkor Island and food

Tan Eng Kien, the only Couchsurfer from Pangkor Island
I have decided to choose my accommodation in Lumut because it was good value with higher quality compared to Pangkor. For RM 60, I had a 28 m2 room with fridge, TV, phone and balcony with waterviews right next to the jetty. This has been neceesary for me due to my work on the computer and business calls. During the day I enjoyed the tasty food on Pangkor, enjoyed the beaches, jungle treks, culture and historical sites. But everything would not be as memorable without Tan Eng Kien, the only couchsurfer who was a real local fisherman's boy from Pangkor

Kien is a warm-hearted, lively, interesting and interested guy who is enthusiastic about nearly everything, especially his future studies in Australia. He showed me around the island and then invited me for lunch with his family. we met only for a few hours because we were both tired and I actually knew the island quite well already. His mother did not speak much English, so I tried to converse with her in my basic Hokkian and some Malay. This was another experience with food as communication with other cultures without much verbal interaction. She saw that I enjoyed her delicious home-made dishes and naturally knew that I liked it. There are two jetties on Pangkor, one is the main jetty marked with"visitors" and the other one with"villagers". Kien and his family lived in the village which was not too far from the beautiful temple Foo LIng Kong, a must see, apart from the laksa and rojak in the neighbourhood


Sentimental feelings coming up in my heart as I visited the Dutch Fort. How can two different types of blood, one is Dutch(leave out the English within myself) and the other Malaysian?

The Dutch Fort on Pangkor reminds me a lot of my own Dutch Malay(si)an heritage
Foo Ling KOng temple on Pangkor Island. Beautiful architecture with miniature Great Wall
Pasir Bogak beach, my favourite on Pangkor. Unlike Langkawi, the Island is small and easily explored in 2 hours. I go there primarily for nature, beach and exercise which is very relaxing


Dutch Ford on Pangkor Island with forest background, a piece of colonial history amidst tropical nature
Foo Ling Kong temple lies amids lush tropical rain forest and gives one a feeling of piece. And few tourists know that this beautiful temple surrounded by a beautiful Zen-like garden with breathtaking views on the water is just 5 min walk from the Sungei Penang Kecil jetty.
Me eating nasi lemak with fish curry in a Malaysian coffee shop or kopitiam. Food is incredibly cheap and good value. Many locals are having breakfast while sitting and chatting around the table. You get a good feel for local life
Mee or Chinese noodle maker. The actual work is carried out by mostly foreign workers. I had to chase them to be able to make the pictures. For them it is sometimes hard to understand that people would like some photos. Anyway, when I would live here, I would certainly buy their noodles
Me on the beach on Pangkor Island. Teluk Nipah is quite clean but I find it too touristy, including the food

Health projects on Pangkor Island

Final health counselling by a health worker from the local department of the Ministry of Health

Students taking blood
All results are written on forms
The students can put all the theory they have learnt into practice and collect experience with patients. For rural communities, free health checks and counselling is of great help.
First check is BMI or Body Mass Index
Free health checks by students of biomedical science Shah Alam

Thaipusam Penang 2010

NOt for the faint-hearted: Chinese Kavati carrier with mouth piercing

Meditating or fear?
Pierced hooks are attached to the ropes and Kavatis(offerings). The hooks placed into the back of the devotee
Devotees are carrying Kavati or offering attached to piercings into his body
Poking a large spear  through the mouth. The family and supportes always chant 'vel, vel, vel' during this procedure and the pilgrimage walk to the temple. Vel means spear and was used by the God Lord Murugan to combat evil spirits