Sunday, February 27, 2011

Chap Goh Mei

This took place about 2 weeks ago.

So we just got back to campus thinking there will be a test but found out that it was canceled at the last minute. Hence, out we go through the campus gates straight away.

1st thing we did when we reach Penang Island was to savour a bowl of herbal soup. Situated in Sg Pinang Food court, it looked just like any other stall except it's a tad bigger. We ordered a black chicken herbal soup. It wasnt too shabby albeit the soup was seriously black in colour.



We then went to try 'Kou Lou Sah hor fun.' Now i've known this place a few years back. My dad brought me here but i kept forgetting to introduce this place. Coincidentally, sue searched online for good 'Oo chian' Fried Oyster and it was located at this very same stall.
Unsurprisingly we ordered both at the same time. =)
 

Since it was about 4pm and we had a planned dinner at 7-8pm. We needed to do some walking! But we had to find the location of the restaurant first.. We parked on king street and just started walking as 'The Sire Museum' is located on King's street.

We walked the whole street but couldn't find it. Something smoky caught our eyes. It seems there are some procession or event up front. Since we needed some digestive help anyway we walked towards it.

We saw lots of people gathering infront of the Kuan yin temply and there was a structure with holes erected in front of it. Next to it was a chinese association building and then we saw it. We are in our very first Chap Goh Mei festival in Penang!
 

Stuff like this, you dont get to see it in kl. And having been to Penang countless times, this is the first time that i got to experience.
There was also a street food section where people where invited to hawk their wares. We noticed a 'Char ke' stall which was frequented by many people. Alas, we were still full.
Having planned to catch a movie at 9pm, we chose to forgo that to play audience to this celebration.
There were flag throwers and cute little girls selling 'Kam' which is mandarin oranges.
You buy the 'kam' and throw into coloured holes of the hole-y structure i mentioned earlier. Each colour bears a different wish. If i remember correctly, Blue-Career, Yellow-Wealth, Green-Health, Red-Family.
Took me 4 times to get my orange into the hole. Sue was being a showoff.
We found out there will be a lion dance perfomance at around 9.30-10pm by the main troupe of Penang. Promises to be spectacular. Since people were gathering inside the Chinese Association for the opening ceremony, we continue our search for The Sire Museum and have our dinner.
I whipped out my bb and using google maps found out that the restaurant was located a few meters from where i parked my car. But if we did find it earlier, we wouldnt have seen the Chap Goh Mei festival. Blessing in disguise i guess.
Free bread! Woohooo, we all like free stuff.

Sue had her mushroom soup. Which wasnt one of the best but it's one of the good ones. Being not creamy, we could really taste the mushroom and feel the texture of grinded? Blended? mushroom.

Sue ordered a Salmon with Croissant. The salmon was generously served and it was fresh. What more could u ask for from a RM28 dish?

I ordered lamb cutlets with mushroom sauce. It was D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S! Having not eaten lamb for quite some times now. And i dont know why. This lamb is just the thing that tempt the gluttony in me for lamb. I dont need to describe it, just take a look for yourself. And it's cheap to, about RM38 if im not mistaken.

After that Sue dragged me to cam whore around the restaurant.


Once she was satisfied, we rushed back to the temple to watch the Lion Dance. Alas, it was almost over when we reach. Oh wells, there's always next year.

Friday, February 18, 2011

The Racist That You Are

                I’ve never participated in a student election before hence I was like a frog under a coconut shell when I was exposed to the reality and cruelty of one today. It’s not that I didn’t have a chance but rather I wasn’t really interested in politics. Nevertheless I think if I did run for something I’ll probably get one in a million votes, from my mom from way back in kl.

                The way I see it, there was stereotype evident in every sector of the assembly, with the Chinese one side and the Malays in the other. We keep trying to persuade ourselves that we are united and above the race issue. We are not. It’s not that we were born racists it’s just that sometimes we get afraid and that sometimes we are hard pressed against the wall.

                The man with a plan and the correct choice of words wins. That’s politics. Let’s face it, people of the masses wouldn’t know if you are capable or not from the look of your face but If you can persuade them that you are, then you’ve got them hooked. The person able to speak the best with a mastery of language wins. I probably should then I speak 5 damn languages. VOTE FOR ME BITCHES!

                People pretending to be your friends will be your friends until the last minute. I don’t much fancy this racial bias but I can’t say so for the rest of them. I mean to support someone just because they have the same colour whilst rejecting another who might be more capable is just lost in me. But what do I know rite? It’s just politics.

                You might say, oh this is just a student election it doesn’t matter. But most of our current leaders graduated from some university somewhere, doesn’t it make u wonder that things might have manifested from something that doesn’t matter?

                Looking at Egypt and the present situation in the Mid east you cant help but wonder when can we as a proud multi racial country break the mould and truly vote for a capable person and not just to protect something or ourselves. Sorry ISA I aint inciting anything please don’t catch me.
                Coming back to the assembly, what I saw was awfully sad for our country. The racial divide begins from the speaker’s stand with the Chinese on one side and the Malays the other. The Indians, I love your curry but you’re the minority of the minority in this campus. Don’t hate me, you know that is true.
                Kudos to our Civil School. Where every other school has a no contention seat, we gave the people a choice. There were 2 candidates, both being fine speakers and having a great plan of their own. It would be rather tight if I were to make a choice but I would in the end choose the person that I trust most that I believe to have caliber and not because he share my skin or my eyes. Us Chinese, we are born to be branded as small eyes so live with it.

                I am gonna go local(meaning im gonna talk bout my Civil school) and rant for abit now. If you are not willing to read further please click the X on the top right corner. If you get angry after reading this, I am no longer in campus. If u agree with what I say, just smile. If you’re the ISA, I am with Petra now in the UK, burning Malaysian ringgit on Southampton beer.

                Ladies and gentleman, my fellow friends, I hope you will not follow the footsteps of your forefathers. Be brave, be intelligent. Prove that are worthy of the title of an undergraduate with aspirations and brains to achieve that. You need to realize that things are much bigger than they seem an that you might be the snowflake that causes an avalanche wiping everything in it’s way.

                You dumbasses should read a little more and grow from that cocoon that you are in. You might be from the north or from the south it doesn’t matter because what matters is your mentality and your mentality is that of a lioness.

                Am I saying you’re not a human? Maybe I am, because all a lioness wants to do is to rear her cub into a big strong lion. She don’t care if her fellow lioness starves or shit. All she cares for is herself and her breed. AND THAT’S YOU! Reflect and think if I am accusing you wrongly?

                You people flaunt that one civil and one Malaysia crap at me. You wear the shirt every week and you promote that ONE shit. What I see and I feel is that you people are just doing what’s convenient for you. You profess that you’re are not racial bias and that you feel truly in a family of civilians. Yet when the time of tribulations come, you disappear from sight. Don’t flaunt that bullshit at me when me not wearing that shirt feels as homely with Malays and non-malays alike. Keep that bullshit where you keep other bullshit, in your cupboard.

                It’s time to break the fucking mould. Grow up, be mature. It’s no longer he’s black and he’s dumb. Or he’s white and he’s rich. It’s about who you are inside. If you truly believe he is capable vote for that bitch! Don’t vote for another just because your friends are pressuring you or that you fear your seniors. Heck if any fucker dares to even points a finger at you aggressively, I’m sure the whole batch; malay, Chinese and Indian alike gonna be infront of you.

                Sorry, I shouldn’t flaunt this family stuff. You probably don’t believe in unity because all you believe in is race. It’s time to make a difference, it’s time for change. If we as the future leaders do not change our racists and lop-sided mindset, we will be in the same path as our forefathers. And I would very much hate to see that.

                So fuck me and fuck you racists bastards and bitches.

Oh, and for being racist, you might not be able to comprehend my post completely. Oops?