View from room 2609, Berjaya Penang Hotel
Most times I visited Penang with my wife, sometimes when taking foreign or local tourists around. Her interests would influence where we visited. For example, Chew Jetty, Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, Pinang Peranakan Mansion, some antique shops in Lebuh Chulia and so on.
This time, my fourth brother and his wife and my second sister-in-law arranged to stay at Berjaya Penang Hotel, courtesy of Berjaya Corp, as shareholders. They came to pick me in BG and I acted as driver and guide. My frequent visits served me well enough to earn some praise and gratefulness from them. But I pointed out that it is like a half-blind leading the blind, and had my wife knew about what they thought of me as a guide, she would have laughed it off. The hotel as I remembered it was quite hidden and difficult to find. I can still remember noticing it when we visited the Midlands One-stop shopping centre next to it, when my youngest daughter was only 8 and Backstreet Boys were just a new band who visited, sang and danced to some pre-recorded tunes and signed autographs on posters.
Anyway, I found the hotel by the way I knew and that is, from the roundabout at one end of Gurney Drive and driving along Jalan Bagan Jermal. But on the second and last night, having night vision problem, I got JBJ with Kelawei confused and ended up somewhere along Jalan Scott and Jalan Cantonment. My brother's Garmin GPS was put to use but being new to it and proud me refused to stop to let it get the system right first did not help much. In fact, I brought along a well used map which I have just checked, could have solved it but it was the darkness which put me off from referring to it.
The first morning, after buffet breakfast at hotel (even car parking was free), I took them to Bukit Bendera but found it closed for repairs. Then it was Kek Lok Si next but they declined going in, probably because they are now Christians. Then I showed them the way to Balik Pulau to taste the famous Assam Laksa. They have just opened and we ordered two bowls and two empty bowls to share and taste. My brother and I are not keen on Assam Laksa, so it must have been quite insulting to the stall operator for four persons sharing two bowls. But it was also to do with us having just had a full breakfast. Then I took them to Mr. Fong, the silversmith who was quick to show us the write-ups on him in local as well as foreign papers or magazines. When asked for discount, he was really upset and kept saying it is not worth doing it anymore. I can empathize with him on that, when some people did not differentiate between craftsmanship and mass productions using machines. I told my guests that I am going to show them part of the round the island route by going clockwise via Pantai Acheh, Teluk Bahang, Batu Ferringhi. But being more used to coming from that side, I drove along the road next to the assam laksa stall and the road seemed narrower and unfamiliar. This is where the GPS helped when I did it the second time, and was told to make a u-turn back! I joked that if not, she (recorded voice) would give me a slap! So it was, I had to go back to the round about and take the second exit.
My relatives' style of touring suits me more than my wife's. They could easily skip Butterfly farm, and many other places of interest which could take up more time and more walking required. We stopped at the hawker place in Tg. Bungah but the hokien mee which my brother had in mind was closed. Then we decided to have lunch at Prangin Mall thinking it would have more to offer having read the write-up but was disappointed. After lunch, we headed for Queensbay Mall and visited just a part of it. We had a drink at Arena food centre and enjoyed catching up on our extended family news more than anything else. Heading back, I took a wrong turn and got on to the road going past USM and got caught in a traffic jam. That was what caused our problem in locating our hotel at night.
This time, my fourth brother and his wife and my second sister-in-law arranged to stay at Berjaya Penang Hotel, courtesy of Berjaya Corp, as shareholders. They came to pick me in BG and I acted as driver and guide. My frequent visits served me well enough to earn some praise and gratefulness from them. But I pointed out that it is like a half-blind leading the blind, and had my wife knew about what they thought of me as a guide, she would have laughed it off. The hotel as I remembered it was quite hidden and difficult to find. I can still remember noticing it when we visited the Midlands One-stop shopping centre next to it, when my youngest daughter was only 8 and Backstreet Boys were just a new band who visited, sang and danced to some pre-recorded tunes and signed autographs on posters.
Anyway, I found the hotel by the way I knew and that is, from the roundabout at one end of Gurney Drive and driving along Jalan Bagan Jermal. But on the second and last night, having night vision problem, I got JBJ with Kelawei confused and ended up somewhere along Jalan Scott and Jalan Cantonment. My brother's Garmin GPS was put to use but being new to it and proud me refused to stop to let it get the system right first did not help much. In fact, I brought along a well used map which I have just checked, could have solved it but it was the darkness which put me off from referring to it.
The first morning, after buffet breakfast at hotel (even car parking was free), I took them to Bukit Bendera but found it closed for repairs. Then it was Kek Lok Si next but they declined going in, probably because they are now Christians. Then I showed them the way to Balik Pulau to taste the famous Assam Laksa. They have just opened and we ordered two bowls and two empty bowls to share and taste. My brother and I are not keen on Assam Laksa, so it must have been quite insulting to the stall operator for four persons sharing two bowls. But it was also to do with us having just had a full breakfast. Then I took them to Mr. Fong, the silversmith who was quick to show us the write-ups on him in local as well as foreign papers or magazines. When asked for discount, he was really upset and kept saying it is not worth doing it anymore. I can empathize with him on that, when some people did not differentiate between craftsmanship and mass productions using machines. I told my guests that I am going to show them part of the round the island route by going clockwise via Pantai Acheh, Teluk Bahang, Batu Ferringhi. But being more used to coming from that side, I drove along the road next to the assam laksa stall and the road seemed narrower and unfamiliar. This is where the GPS helped when I did it the second time, and was told to make a u-turn back! I joked that if not, she (recorded voice) would give me a slap! So it was, I had to go back to the round about and take the second exit.
My relatives' style of touring suits me more than my wife's. They could easily skip Butterfly farm, and many other places of interest which could take up more time and more walking required. We stopped at the hawker place in Tg. Bungah but the hokien mee which my brother had in mind was closed. Then we decided to have lunch at Prangin Mall thinking it would have more to offer having read the write-up but was disappointed. After lunch, we headed for Queensbay Mall and visited just a part of it. We had a drink at Arena food centre and enjoyed catching up on our extended family news more than anything else. Heading back, I took a wrong turn and got on to the road going past USM and got caught in a traffic jam. That was what caused our problem in locating our hotel at night.
Penang have changed not like 70 or 80's. Used to be less traffic and 2 way road now become 1 way. Now if you miss a turn and you have to take big detour, so much for sight-seeing.
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