will i am's delayed diary

On the second day, we looked for breakfast at Jalan Sungai Ara. The kopitiam had a long table for us at the side alley. Food came from all over-- roti canai from across the road, wantan noodles ( yummy crispy wantans ) and semi-dry pan mee ( a style that I've not seen before, piping hot and perfect for breakfast ) from the shop, CKT, fried noodles and vegetarian food from another row shops. By the time we finished eating, my back was all wet from perspiration. Such a hot and gummy day. The first touristy thing for us to do in Penang was to go to the Blue Mansion. We were in time to catch the 11:00 AM guided tour. It has always been on my Penang "To Do List" to have a look inside. Our tour guide was Mr. Poh who gave interesting narrations about the history and architecture of the building. The mansion was a place where the famous merchant Cheong Fatt Tze did his business and housed his eight wives. According to Mr. Poh, the mansion was untouched by the war but many i...

Moon Walk Colours , swiped from williamnyk on Flickr. Went home to rest before heading out for the gathering at Petaling Street. Our first stop was at Chan She Shu Yuen Clan Association for a Chinese opera presentation by Persatuan Peminat Seni Opera Kantonis Tsang Fei. Heard excerpts from several of the famous pieces. Interestingly, the troupe leader gave very candid commentaries: "In all the old stories, all the men seem to be scholars. Like it was so easy to pass the exams. And some woman would wronged, and she would have to prove her innocence. The two protagonists would lament on and on. The full scene would be 45 minutes, which I'm sure would be enough to put everyone in the audience to sleep." When the clock struck eight, mum and I moved to the gathering point. Upon walking out of Chan She Shu Yuen, we were given free lanterns and candles. Lovely. The start was a bit slow, with the organizing committee giving their speeches and doing a bit of lamenting of their...

PetalingStreetLantern20111 , swiped from williamnyk on Flickr. Petaling Street isn't exactly my cup of the tea with its haphazard alleys and crowds, but I do admit that it's a photographer's treasure trove of heritage sights. Having read about the Petaling Street Communit Art Project in the Star Metro, I was tempted to go take a look. It was jointly organized by the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall and the Lost Generation Space to preserve the historic value of Jalan Petaling and Jalan Sultan. It has become a priority with the MRT project casting a dark cloud of gloom over the area. Mum was also excited to go as it was ages since she was last there. SK picked us up at 5:00pm and we parked the car at Central Market before walking over to Gospel Hall Church ( stopped to have air mata kucing first ). The church was very generous to have borrowed out their whole compound as the focal point for the activites. Lanterns were everywhere-- Ultraman, Sailormoon and A...