Kampung Life in Penang

Hi,

My house in Penang is situated next to a Malay kumpung, called Kampung Bahru.

Previously, the roads are sandy and not tarred or concrete but the attap houses are getting modern and most of the residents have motor-bikes or cars. There have been progress and standard of living has improved too, I suppose.

But one of the things that remains unchanged is the roosters and hen are let loose and they like to hang near our house.

There is also a nice playground just next to our house too. When I was a kid, it was a badminton court and I played in it many times.

Well, I have left Penang for a long time and until recently, I would only stay a night or two at our own house in Penang as my family & I would take it as a short holiday too, and stay at one of the beach resorts like Holiday Inn or Golden Sands Hotel.

During my recent trip, I stayed at my own Pg house for about 6 nights to help care for my parents.

So what is kampung life in Penang?

Well, the free and roaming roasters may start to crow as early as 4am and not stop until 6am..!!!

The motorbikes and cars are still returning home as late as 12 mid-night. Similarly, adults and children may hang around the playground until late at night too!

So sad to say, I seldom sleep until mid-night and I can hardly sleep past 5am every morning...!

The crowing of the roosters was really a killer..! Sigh.......

I even recorded their crowing on my mobile to be used as alarm. Also, to let my Dad listen to it as he said he could not hear them....( he is deaf without his hearing aid, actually.... )!

But my wife and son seem to have no problem during the few times we sleep there....?

Only my Mum agreed with me as she was also woken up daily too.

I do not mind if the roosters start crowing at 6am but 4am......sigh......

Once it was as early as 3:30am..... I could not believe it..!!!

And once they only started at 7am as it was raining....?

Anyway, there is no way we can do anything as this is kampung lifestyle.

David

Penang Recent Developments

Hi,

In my recent trip to Penang, I took a few photos of Georgetown in Penang that may interest you.....

This is the new Penang Times Square; just completed and the retailers have not moved in yet. The tower blocks are for residence and we almost bought one....

I have not visited it yet but took this photo from inside a bus.

This is the interior of the Rapid air-con bus, similar to one of our SBS bus. My fare to the city is only RM1 or about S$0.45 only.

The Penangites also paid tribute the Michael Jackson in Prangin Mall atrium but I missed it.

This is a lovely street scene taken from the Prangin Mall car park, using my Sony Ericsson mobile.

So if you have not visited Penang recently, please do so as there are budget flights to Penang and the fare can be as cheap as S$60 both ways on promotion otherwise it may be about S$100-120.

So what are you waiting for...?

David

Mum in LWE Hospital

Hi,

I have to make another adhoc trip to Penang as my Mum was warded in LWE hospital after feeling discomfort in her chest.

I flew back on Thu 2 Jul and returned on the following Wed 8 Jul; about a week to help my Dad look after my Mum.

Glad that my Mum has been discharged and resting at home now.

Here is a short slideshow of her recovering at the LWE hospital.

During her stay in LWE hospital, she made a new friend. This young lady was visiting her aunt, who was placed opposite my Mum in the ward, and started to talk to my Mum as we have just left. Also, I think she noticed that my Mum was feeling very cold and went to have a look at her and she found out that the temperature has been set to 16C by mistake.

Here is a photo of Ai Nee and my Mum.

Ai Nee brought some cheer to my Mum as she was very chatty and a very interesting person as she is now married and living in Japan.

My thanks to Ai Nee.

I will be flying back to Pg on Tue 14 Jul again to accompany my Mum for her follow-up medical appointment.

David

Hair For Hope - Children's Cancer Foundation

Hi,

Jason missed the school participation on Hair For Hope to support the Children's Cancer Foundation as he was on MC.

His Form-teacher smsed him to go to his barber to get a hair-cut No. 1 before he returns to school if he still wants to be part of the Hair For Hope project.

Jason also did it last year. ( Check it out at http://pcwthoughts.blogspot.com/2008/06/close-shave-for-cancer.html )

So we just went to his barber and get the hair-cut No. 1.......

This is how he looked like when we left the house.

Well, no change of mind now.....

Finally, I am glad Jason could still smile and it was for a good cause.






















We are proud of you indeed...!

Loves,

Mum & Dad


P.S. Pls visit this site for more info on Hair For Hope - Children's Cancer Foundation http://www.ccf.org.sg/hfh/

H1N1 Or Common Flu

Hi,

Upon arrival from Penang on Wed morning, I found Jason sleeping on the couch instead of being school.

I was told that he is sick so I took him to a nearby clinic. Since he has fever, I asked him to wear a surgical mask and I wore a N95 mask. We walked to the clinic instead of taking a bus since it is just one stop away.

Jas was given some medication and 2 days MC.

But his fever did not subside and went up to 39+C in the evening so I called the H1N1 hotline and asked for advice. I was told to go to a clinic that has been certified H1N1 readiness (PPC) or call for an ambulance to go the hospital to test for H1N1.

Since he has no contact with known H1N1 patient or returned from those high risk countries, I decided to go to Raffles 24 Hours clinic since we went to their Bedok clinic earlier.

We got a taxi and wore our masks but we also asked the taxi driver to wind down the windows and told him of our situation.

In short, the doctor asked us to continue with the given medicine + one more tablet to fight the fever. No mention of H1N1 test.

Jason took a few cold showers and then we have him wrapped up with 3 towels; one around his forehead, neck and across his chest and armpits. See the photo below, he looked like a ninja.

The fever finally subsided on Thu night and we were so relieved but Jason was still weak and still has a slight cough and stuffy nose, so I did not let him go to school.

But on Sat 5am, Jason woke up with the urge to vomit and felt terrible. Unable to vomit, he told me that it looked like gastric so I managed to find some gastric medicine and gave him a tablet. Thanks God! It helped and he felt better and slept till noon.

We decided to return the the Bedok clinic to seek further help with the latest problem.

The GP told us the gastric was likely due to the additional medicine + the antibiotic. So she gave us some medicine for gastric and continue with the antibiotic this weekend.

We were a bit scare as Jason has never had fever above 39+C and for 2 days. We wanted to go to test for H1N1 virus but then thought it may not be wise unless necessary.

This will be the challenge we will be facing whenever we fall sick; H1N1 or just a common flu..?

I was scared too as I have to fly back to Penang to take my Mum for her hospital appointment next Tue so that was why I wore a N95 mask and it was not comfortable to breath in it.

I was also comforted by an article I read in the New Paper this morning regarding how a family handled the a similar situation when their daughter fell ill.

So key to it is not to be bugged by the bug but stay health to fight it.

Take care!

David

Tribute to Michael Jackson - King Of Pop Music

While it is sad to hear the death of Michael Jackson, but then it may be better for him since he was in so much trouble especially financially according to the news.

At least, we will all remember Michael Jackson as the King of Pop Music and his famous moonwalk dance and songs like Beat It, Billie Jean and many more.......

He was unique and was one of its kind..... but I like him more before he started to change his looks from black to 'white' and started to behave unusual too....

Here are a few video clips of Michael Jackson - King of Pop Music :









Michael, You may be gone but your music and dance will remain with us forever.

Reat In Peace.....

David

My First Budget Flight To Penang

Hi,

The budget airlines like Air Asia, JetStar, Tiger,..... are now flying to Penang so good for me as I always fly back home to see my parents.

Surprisingly, they are very competitive and you should check all their schedules and pricings on the Internet.

I was a bit worry about their strict rule on having one hand carry bag not more than 7kg and I decided to pay online $2 for check-in luggage of 15kg, for this particular budget airline.

However, I noticed that they are not strict about the hand carry luggage when I flew but then I would not dare to take a chance as 1 kg could cost me S$8, so I was told by the Call Centre and their T&C.

So I weighed my luggage at home and flew with 5kg hand luggage and 8kg check-in luggage.

So what are the differences between a normal and budget flight?

Firstly, the price is the main factor but it is wise to check the prices when you do your booking online. For example, I wanted to return on Tue but it cost me more than if I left on Wed instead so I decide to stay one more day in Penang home.

Do not believe the prices advertised in the papers!

My budget flight left from Changi Terminal 1 and not the budget terminal. We get to use the aero-bridge and walked right into the plane.

Since it it a budget flight, do not expect frills and definitely no pampering on you by the flight crew though they were smiling and nice.

Upon entering the aircraft, I can feel that it is simple and no effort in having a nice decor; ie the seat are black in PVC or cheap leather. Space between you and the front seat is same though you can pay more for some of the spacious seats! You can see their pantry and the cockpit too when the door was left open.

It is a smaller aircraft; 3 seats on each side of the plane. The seats were a bit hard, no pillow for the head or lower back but tolerable.

No hot towels to wipe your face or hands. No meals unless you have ordered on-line or prepared to buy it in flight. One bottle of mineral water is around 4 or 5 Ringgit.

No newspapers but I always bring my own so no problem.

But upon arrival in Penang, no aerobridge so we have to walk down the plane onto the tarmac and then up to the arrival hall so quite a bit of walking and not convenient at all. Guess they are saving on airport costs...?

For short flight to Pg at 1.5 hour flight time, I can accept this budget flight.

I just read the papers and rest with my eyes closed or meditate.

I will be flying back to Pg again but on another budget flight so let's see if the standards are the same.

For those who can accept it as a transport from point A to point B, I guess it is ok as it is definitely cheaper than normal flight but the timings may be restrictive; eg one flight a day only.

I strongly advise you to go to all the budget airline sites and do a booking to see the schedule and prices before confirming your flights.

Happy flying....

David

Penang Trip To Visit My Parents

Hi,

My wife and I made a trip to Penang to visit my parents especially my Mum who is recovering from a mild stroke that occurred last month.

Glad to say that she is doing well though still a bit weak and need a walking frame to help her move around the house.

We also got a wheelchair for her too.

We managed to buy some good durians during the trip too.

Well, I will be back again to take her for her coming doctor appointment.

More to share with you about this Penang trip as this was the first time I flew on a budget flight to Penang.

David

What I Bought At THe PC Show

Here are a few of my buys at the recent PC show.

This notebook cooler is now selling from S$10 to 18 at Funan IT Mall today!
I got it for $4 only at their hourly sale; a bit of luck as I was at the right stall at the right time!

Why I like it?

Besides getting it at such at low price, the 3 fans are quiet and there is also a bluish light too. My wife is using it now and I hmust look out for it at the next show....



This is another good buy; cordless mouse at a price that I was happy with.


I like the smaller receiver and that I can keep it under the mouse when I am not using it. There is also a button to switch on and off at the bottom of the mouse too, I can save the battery life though I forgot to switch it off a few times.

David

PC Show 2009 11-14 June 2009

Hi,

I went to the PC Show on Fri afternoon and spent about 3 hours there. The crowd was not so bad as it was a weekday though it was school holidays.

Upon entering the Hall 4, I happened to passed by a stall selling PC accessories and there was a hourly special and I bought a notebook cooler for $4 when the usual selling price is $10. I was happy with the buy as there are 3 fans and there are quieter. Should have bought another one too...ha....ha.....next IT show...?

I was also shopping for a notebook for my wife's friend, a basic notebook but not a netbook or entry level one at the same time. I was given a budget of $1K.

So I walked around and collect all the relevant brochures and look at the display units too, as the look and feel is important too since you have to look at it daily.

I also managed to buy some Canon 4R photo paper too at a special price.

The best buy of the day was a cordless mouse with a very short receiver; a A4Tech model and within my budget too.

I also saw a lot of gadgets that I would have love to buy even though I may not really need it...ha...ha..... eg. electronic photo album display going at $79.

After I got home, I sieved through the notebook brochures and shortlisted 3 notebooks for our friend and I contacted her as the Acer model was giving $100 rebate during the show only.

The following morning, our friend changed her decision and now wanted to buy it for her son instead for his school project, so different requirements. I immediately told her to get a HP model instead as it is similar to the one I bought for my wife in Mar and it was a very good deal at $1300 with high specifications.

After checking with her son, they agreed on the HP model and I returned to the PC show on Sat afternoon and ordered one for her. It was much crowded then as it was a weekend.

I do not see any recession as I see a lot of people buying items that are of need and heavily discounted, I suppose.

It was reported that the PC Show has yielded $52.1 million and attracted over 1.16 million visitors over the four-day event.

So until the next IT show in Sept......

David

P.S. IF you somehow missed the show, you can visit this site for more info on the PC Show
http://www.bootstrike.com/itfairsg/pcshow2009/