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| Only TFL bags for this trip. I'm my own supporter! =)) |
An ex-colleague wanted to set up an ice-cream parlour in Penang.
So off we went on a 3-day trip, back to her hometown for a feng shui audit of her new shop.
Not a leisurely trip for me but still, thank you to the readers/customers who told me to enjoy myself & wished me happy holidays! =)
It was kinda deja vu because last July, I went to Penang via the same airline, same flight, stayed at the same hotel and even dined at the same restaurants.
I could even remember my way around the shopping centre, even though it is my 2nd time there.
Almost felt like I never left Penang.
I stayed at G Hotel, a seafront hotel located along Gurney Drive, for the 2nd time.
It still feels as good as the first time I stayed there.
I like hotels with contemporary settings like these.
Such spaciousness, high ceilings and ample seating space for whoever and whatever is such a breath of fresh air from the usual hotel lobbies.
If I am the doorman of G Hotel, I will find working here so relaxing.
Imagine facing the sea and such vast amounts of sky everyday!
真的有夠爽！
During check-in, instead of the normal welcome drinks, we were served yam and vanilla ice-cream.
It's G Hotel's way of being different from the norm.
This time round, we were lucky.
The hotel was out of seaview rooms and we were upgraded to an executive suite.
The biggest bonus is there is a living room, that's great for morning exercises & my daily chanting homework.
We did sit-ups on the L-shaped sofa and the boys did various styles of push-ups in the living rooms.
So much fun!
If only I have this kind of space in my own living room.
I was quite smitten by this baby pink iron from the hotel!
It irons my work clothes really well.
Plus it is the heavy kind of iron.
The one I have is the ultra-light kind, with steam function.
Steam function is great but I can make do with manual spraying of water, like how my mum does it with her vintage iron.
I think heavy irons are best for combating creases.
Should have asked the hotel if I can buy it somewhere somehow.
It's not often I get to see heavy irons in such a sweet shade of pink!
Even the ironing board of the room is of better quality than the one I have at home!
Sturdier and thicker ironing pad!
Gaaah!
Looks like the fridge in my home.
But a lot better.
Auto top-up of Coca-cola EVERYDAY!!
This is like the Coca-cola vending maching that I have been fantasizing about!
But I was a good girl and didn't touch a single drop of Coca-cola for that 3 days.
Can't drink while on serious business. Haha! =D
G Hotel provides free Wifi in the room.
I wanted to work in the living room but we realised that Wifi is not at every corner of the room.
So there I was, huddling my laptop, traipsing around the living room, trying to detect Wifi and hoping there would be an electric plug as well.
Gave up after half an hour and realised that I can use wired broadband access at the work desk, where plugs are aplenty. -__-
The chair was slightly low to sit in. I was all hunched up from reading the mails.
I missed my huge work table at home.
You can see from the photo I packed Ice Mountain along for the trip.
Sensitive me can't drink mineral water or distilled water like those provided in most hotel rooms as these drinks give me sore throat.
Only Ice Mountain, "pure drinking water".
The view from the living room.
Look! There's even a wispy strip of cloud wafting its way through in front of the mountain!
Look! There's even a wispy strip of cloud wafting its way through in front of the mountain!
For 2 days, I woke up to such a view.
I wonder how it is like for the Penang people to see the mountains every day.
I would love to have such views of the nature from my home's windows!
師父常告訴我：“學佛之人要常看山﹑看海﹑看天空。”
“我們要學習山的堅固 ﹑海的深度和天空的寬闊。”
“多看大自然，讓自己的心能夠放開一點，看事情不要那麽計較, 凡事不要一直耿耿於懷。”
這幾天沿路開著車，都會看到檳城的山脈在背景的不遠處。
整個檳城的島嶼仿佛就是被這些雄偉的山環抱著。
如此的景色，我至今仍然懷念。
我很喜歡看山。=)
Bought one packet from Watsons at Gurney Plaza in case I get dizzy from the car rides.
I need not have, because I was too busy gawking at the mountains to feel giddiness.
But still, I like pastilles. =))
Another reason why I chose G Hotel over others is there is a mall, Gurney Plaza, right next to it.
The 2 buildings even have a sheltered walkway.
This mall is managed by CapitalLand (yeah, the one from Singapore), so you can expect to find many familiar shops insides.
Here's some that I recall:
Basement - Cold Storage, Watsons, Guardians, Eu Yan Sheng
Ground Floor - Charles & Keith, G2000, Aldo, Vincci, TopShop, TopMan, Mango sale outlet, Body Shop, MAC
Second Floor - Popular, Sasa, Padini Concept Store, Factory Outlet Store
There's also a Parksons departmental store.
Food wise - Nandos, Manhattan Fish Market, Dome, McDonalds, Sakae Sushi, A&W, 籠的傳人 (it's like Din Tai Fung), Chillis, Kenny Rogers, Big Apple Donuts, Coffee Bean and many many more.
And there was one that left quite an impression in me.
Winter Warmers Coffee & Tea House.
A place for leisure chit-chats in an English setting.
I hearts the English floral-themed setting.
The wallpaper, the table cloths, the curtains with their dainty tie-backs, the quaint pendant lamps, the tea ware...so romantic.
But The Husband doesn't think much of it.
"Quite normal what", in his words.
-___-
So you can mimic the same ambience at home.
But sometimes, it's just not the same, isn't it?
Boy, I would love for my home to be done up something like this if not for more practical reasons.
I was expecting to find only tea and the usual finger food like fried chicken wings, french fries and calamari on the menu.
But no, Winter Warmers actually has quite an extensive menu!
Just the teas alone, I think there's at least 30 types for you to choose from.
Their floral teas are caffeine-free and available in both hot & cold versions.
My ex-colleague makes it a point to visit Winter Warmers at least once whenever she's back in Penang.
She is in love with their afternoon tea set and adamant about ordering the set for 2.
Because if you order the afternoon tea set for one, it doesn't come in a tier like this.
Everything would be assembled onto a plain white plate instead.
She insists, "What is afternoon tea without THIS tier?!"
Hahaha! I agree!
For girls, it's all about the mealware!
Even a cup of hot water get served in such a gorgeous teacup, complete with its matching saucer.
My Naraya tissue pouch looks good with the setting, doesn't it? =))
The Husband ordered a pot of Jasmine tea.
I thought it would be like those Jasmine green tea.
I was quite amused when I saw what was inside.
Real Jasmine flowers!!
I couldn't help but laughed to myself when the Husband lifted up the tea strainer.
It was just like the garland of Jasmine flowers people used for offering!
Chilled rose tea!
There are even frozen cubes of the rose tea in that jug.
Must be very refreshing & uber-cool to drink from that tiny champagne glass!
Hot rose tea served with a small jug of honey.
Before placing the teapot down, the waitress poured a bit of the tea into the teacup.
Only for this hot rose tea, I realised.
So kay-po me peeped over to see why.
A little rose bud and a slice of green lemon!
I wonder why though.
But it's definitely a nice touch!
很詩情畫意！
I feel like I can write a whole romance novel if I burrow myself in this tea house for long.
This tea house serves yummy piping-hot waffles, baked potatoes in casseroles, pasta, sandwiches, scones and cakes.
The cakes and scones on the afternoon tea set are very...erm, normal.
I don't think it's worth ordering.
But the waffles, yes!
The baked potatoes, yes yes!
Presenting to you, baked potatoes with ham, lots of cheddar & mozarella and crotons for toppings!
Boy, it was good!
Pity they are not using USA potatoes (yes, 我吃的出！) and the potatoes were in big cubes.
Can be tongue-scorching hot to bite into one.
I don't fancy frozen carrots & peas but this is really my favourite!
Now I have 1 more dish to try recreate at home.
But first, I must go stock up on a few casseroles.
One best thing about dining in Malaysia is I never look at the prices on the menu.
It's always much more affordable than Singapore.
I remembered 3 of us having a main course each plus sushi at Sakae Sushi last July and the total bill only came up to S$30+! =D
I'm not a fan of teas but I really like Winter Warmers very much.
In Penang, there are only 2 branches. One at Gurney Plaza, while the other is at Queensbay Mall.
I prefer the one at Gurney Plaza. Smaller space area.
Such places are not meant to be big like fastfood chains.
Pity sometimes the noise from the crowd sorta spoils the delicate ambience in the tea cafe.
Hopefully there will be more of such places in Singapore.
I will surely bribe my way through for a Tian Fen Lan photoshoot there. Hahaha!
I am not a shopaholic person when I'm overseas. In fact, I am never one even in Singapore.
But here's sharing with you my best buy from Penang!
And it's not tau sar piah!
I am not a shopaholic person when I'm overseas. In fact, I am never one even in Singapore.
But here's sharing with you my best buy from Penang!
And it's not tau sar piah!
I was so delighted to find the dishwashing liquid at Gurney Plaza Cold Storage that I grabbed 2!
The Husband even asked if I wanted 3. =D
I have been using this dishwashing liquid since last July when I first bought it at the very same place.
I couldn't find it at the Cold Storage around my place recently.
This is really a gem! Only about S$3 for one bottle.
It's biodegradable and of plant-based ingredients.
Concentrated and low foam to reduce water usage.
Gentler on my skin than Mama Lemon. Has a delicate fragrance.
The packaging bottle & pump are recyclable.
Free from hazardous chemicals.
And it's NOT TESTED ON ANIMALS!
Now you understand my loyalty to this dishwashing liquid!
I know, I'm a closet housewife at heart. =))
I didn't buy a single thing for myself in Penang, just this!
=DD
The Husband even asked if I wanted 3. =D
I have been using this dishwashing liquid since last July when I first bought it at the very same place.
I couldn't find it at the Cold Storage around my place recently.
This is really a gem! Only about S$3 for one bottle.
It's biodegradable and of plant-based ingredients.
Concentrated and low foam to reduce water usage.
Gentler on my skin than Mama Lemon. Has a delicate fragrance.
The packaging bottle & pump are recyclable.
Free from hazardous chemicals.
And it's NOT TESTED ON ANIMALS!
Now you understand my loyalty to this dishwashing liquid!
I know, I'm a closet housewife at heart. =))
I didn't buy a single thing for myself in Penang, just this!
=DD
Along Gurney Drive, where G Hotel is, I saw many construction going on for condominiums.
Heard the selling prices was about a million ringgit for one unit.
What a nice place to stay in, I thought to myself.
If only I can afford a seaview condo like this.
I won't mind flying in to Penang every now and then for it. It would be my holiday villa.
But then again, my ex-colleague's sister's condo was broken into, despite the 'high security' the condo managment promised.
=/
I couldn't stop staring at this when I was at Straits Quay.
The clear blue sky, the mountain range in the background, the huge foyer space,
the endless spinning of the hundreds of colourful wheels in the smooth breeze.
很有意境。
Reminded me very much of what my Buddhist teacher taught me.
“做人要開心點，每天都是新的開始，每天都有很多事情得感恩，哪有空去庸人自擾？”
I like the Penang that I have seen.
Looking forward to be back there again, with the mountains. =))
Metta,
欣雨 Xinyu
