2013 Year of the Snake

Char Koay Teow

2013 Year of the Snake

Chinese New Year 2013 - 10 February

In 2013, Chinese New Year Day falls on 10^th of February

      The Year of the Snake, 2013, in the Chinese calendar, is symbolized by two elements – with water sitting on top of fire.

     The ancient Chinese believe that having a Snake in the house is a good omen because it means the family will not starve...... more at myMalaysiabooks.com

Visiting Penang for the Chinese New Year?
Must try food of Penang:
1) Char Koay Teow
2) Hokkien Mee /Penang Prawn Mee
3) Chee Cheong Fun
4) Laksa
5) Mee Jawa.............. many more at myPenang

Also checkout the many Chinese New year cakes and cookies:
1) Kueh Bunga
2) Kueh Kapit...........
............more at myFood domain

Best Penang Food

Penang is sometimes referred to as the Food Capital of Malaysia - esp. reknowned for her Hawker Fare. Read more at:

• Malaysian Food and Recipes 
• myPenang 

Prawn Curry

Bo Lang Chai by Pusat KOMAS

An almost forgotten history of Penang's Clan Jetties video entitled, "Bo Lang Chai" which in Hokkien dialect means "forgotten", literally it means "no one knows". It's a historical video about the tremendous hardship of the early Chinese migrant workers struggling to make decent living a century ago video a Chinese puppet show in Hokkien dialect.
        It really brings home how poor Chinese people from China were, duped into working almost like slaves to build up Penang and promises of land by the then British government were never met until today 100 years on.


Bo Lang Chai (Forgotten) from Pusat KOMAS on Vimeo.

Heritage Hotels Penang

There are many hotels in George Town offering affordable accommodations. Some are modern high-rise while others offer visitors a unique traditional or old Penang experience.

• Hutton Lodge  Experience unique colonial-style living in a restored guesthouse located in the heart of the George Town. At 17, Jalan Hutton, just off Penang Road, it is ideally located within walking distance of George Town's many tourist attractions.
• Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion,    This Chinese house with Straits Settlement designs dates back to the 1880s and is a winner of the UNESCO Asia Pacific Award in 2000 for conservation. Compare rates for Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion here

Search and compare rates of other Hotels in Penang HERE

About Chowrasta Market

Penang to get heritage experts to preserve Chowrasta Bazaar
By K. KASTURI DEWI - Friday March 19, 2010 ; The Star

THE state will engage heritage experts to carry out a study on how to preserve the heritage value of the more than century-old Chowrasta Bazaar in Penang Road.

Komtar assemblyman Ng Wei Aik said the state was also holding talks with Think City Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Khazanah Holdings, and the Penang Municipal Council on methods to revive the building, which is having some structural problems.

“Plans to redevelop the bazaar this year could not be carried out due to insufficient funds. The council’s allocation of RM1mil is not enough and the state has to look at other options to raise the money.

“If options are made available for the re-development of the bazaar is feasible, then work on the project could start next year,” he said when contacted yesterday.

Plans to redevelop the building began in 2002 and there were proposals to relocate the traders at the bazaar to Jalan S.P. Chelliah.

However, the idea had been scrapped two years ago due to long-standing problems such as objections by the traders and insufficient budget.

Built in 1890 by George Town municipality, the front portion of the bazaar facing Penang Road was rebuilt in 1920.
Source: The Star

Penang Hill tram

Latest News: Tram to Penang Hill to stop for 7 months

• 4WDs start plying Penang Hill 05-03-2010
• Penang Hill’s funicular train to stop for 7 months 20Feb-2010

More on Penang

• Where to Stay in Penang
• Where to eat in Penang
• more at myPenang.my

Chinese New Year in Penang

HAPPY YEAR OF THE TIGER!!
The year of the tiger begins on 14 January 2010 and ends on 2nd February 2011.
Penang is a great place to spend the New Year and enjoy great Chinese / Nyonya food.
Checkout some great New Year recipes and what to do this new year:

• Enjoy some great New Year cookies during this period. Some great New Year recipes to try at ...... http://food.mymalaysiabooks.com/ - kueh kapit kuih, ribbon cookies, kueh bahulu, etc.
• Where to eat in Penang at: myPenang
• Where to go in Penang, Malaysia or at myPenang
• Where to stay in Malaysia

What's in store for the Year of the Tiger:

The Year 2010 is the Year of the Metal Tiger, which begins on February 14, 2010 and ends on February 2, 2011. In Chinese feng shui, Metal is the destroyer of wood and so they are on the destructive cycle and have conflict relationship. It means that the year 2010 may not be peaceful and more international conflicts are expected. .................

..... more at Chinese Celebrations HERE

Preparing for Chinese New Year

If you are looking for some typical hone-made Chinese New Year Cookie Recipes, check out at http://food.mymalaysiabooks.com.

Kueh Kapit / Kuih Kapit or Love Letters

Kuah Bangkit / Kuih Bangkit

Kuih Bunga /Kuih Bunga

Ribbon Biscuits - Ribbon Cookies

About Penang in myPenang.my

Check out this new website (still new) on Penang .. a collection of local knowledge on Penang, such as, history of Penang, where to go, where to eat.....

Where to eat Char Koay Teow / Char Kway Teow

• -- 82, Lorong Selamat and Other coffee shop along Lorong Selamat, George Town
• -- Ah Leng Char Koay Teow, Jalan Datuk Keramat, opposite former Federal Theater , George Town
• Ping Hooi coffee shop, Lebuh Carnavon and Lebuh Melayu junction, George Town
• BB restaurant, opposite Hawker centre, (Sunshine Square area), Persiaran Mayangpasir 2, Bayan Baru
• ....more at http://www.mypenang.my/

Month of September and October 2009

The Month of September is a month of celebrations and festivals in Penang

3rd September - Hungry Gost Festival

The festival, which started on Aug 20 and ends this Friday, is celebrated by Chinese the world over. In Malaysia, the Chinese, notably those from the Hokkien community, celebrate this festival in a big way. The 14th day of the seventh lunar month (which this year fell on Sept 2) is especially important as it is widely believed that the gates of hell are opened and the dead are allowed to roam the earth on this day......read more at the star : Hell-bent on pleasing the dead

(more about other Chinese Festivals and Celebrations)

20-21 September - Hari Raya Adilfitri

This is the first day of the month following Ramadan (a month of fasting and abstinence for Muslims). The celebration begins after sunset on the 29th day of Ramadan when Muslims break their daily fast. If the crescent appears, the next day is declared Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

17 October - Deepavali

Deepavali (or Diwali) is the Festival of Lights which celebrated during the 7th month of the Hindu calendar (usually October or November). Hindus adorn their homes with dozens of lights or oil lamps, called vikku, to signify the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness. It is celebrated as the day the evil Narakasura was slain by Lord Krishna.

more about Religious Observations in Malaysia HERE

Make coexistence our guiding light

Make coexistence our guiding light - Tuesday September 1, 2009; The Star

THE controversy over relocation of a temple in Shah Alam shows how racial tolerance may have deteriorated since colonial days and how far apart Malaysians have become.

Those who are ever-so-fiercely territorial about their religious space should learn from our forefathers and take a walk around Jalan Kapitan Keling, Lebuh Cannon and Lebuh Armenian area in the heart of George Town.

Jalan Kapitan Keling, which is often referred to by tourists as “Street of Harmony”, is a very good example of religious tolerance and harmony.

Here we have three 19th century places of worship located within 200m of each other – the Masjid Kapitan Keling, the Goddess of Mercy Temple and Sri Mahamariamman Temple, one of the oldest Hindu temples in Malaysia. Along Lebuh Armenian and Lebuh Cannon we have the Acheen Street Mosque, flanked by the Yap Kongsi temple and the Khoo Kongsi.

To the people of George Town these places are their pride and their show of religious tolerance is to be greatly admired and applauded.

The coexistence of these religious places of worship, and acceptance and tolerance of the generations of people who have worshipped there since the 19th century, should be the guiding light to Malaysians today.

MY MALAYSIA, George Town.

Heritage Hotels in Penang

• There are many hotels in George Town offering affordable accommodations. Some are modern high-rise while others offer visitors a unique traditional or old Penang experience.



• Search and copare rates of George Town hotels - Hotels in George Town
• Hutton Lodge Experience unique colonial-style living in a restored guesthouse located in the heart of the George Town. At 17, Jalan Hutton, just off Penang Road, it is ideally located within walking distance of George Town's many tourist attractions. Check rates at Budget Hostel and Budget Accommodation page
• Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, 3* This Chinese house with Straits Settlement designs dates back to the 1880s and is a winner of the UNESCO Asia Pacific Award in 2000 for conservation. >> Compare rates for Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion here
• Eastern & Oriental Hotel (E&O), 5* Fondly known as E&O, this grand hotel has a seafront location in the city. The brainchild of the Armenian Sarkies brothers, who were also associated with the Singapore Raffles Hotel, this historic hotel with a colonial flavour dates back to 1885. - Free search and rates comparison HERE

Penang Hill.

Penang Hill is one of the oldest highland resort in Malaysia. At about 830 meters above sea-level, this is the highest point on the island. This first hill station was established in 1800s. Most visitors can hike up or travel by a funicular railway cars which started in 1922.

You can hike up along tracks that start at the ‘Moongate’. There is also a jeep trek near the Botanical Garden.

More on Penang at:

• myPenang
• Penang Food
• Best places to stay in Penang

Latest News on Penang

New RM60mil train system for Penang Hill ready by next July (Saturday August 15, 2009 - The Star)
KUALA LUMPUR: The RM60mil project on a new funicular train system for Penang Hill is expected to be completed by July next year.The new system – which is safer, low on maintenance and cost effective – is able to fetch up to 80 people per trip in about 10 minutes non-stop............more travel news here

Heritage boon for state

Tuesday July 28, 2009 - The Star Publications

Heritage boon for state
MORE tourists are visiting Penang after the listing of George Town as a World Heritage Site in July last year, said state Tourism Development and Culture Committee chairman Danny Law Heng Kiang.
He said 6.3 million tourists visited the state last year compared with 5.2 million in 2007.
“The increase in tourist arrivals is encouraging. We hope the figure will touch 10 million tourists annually during the Visit Penang Year 2010-2012,” he said when launching the Art, Craft and Food Fair (ACFF) at Dewan Sri Pinang on Saturday..... more HERE

Learn about:

• Penang
• Heritage Hotels in Penang
• Penang Food
• Where to Eat in Penang

Where to eat Penang Chee Cheong Fun

Chee Cheong Fun - Broad flat rice noodles served with a sweet sauce

• Kedai Kopi Genting, Island Glades, Lorong Delima 6, off Jalan Yap Choy Yee, morning till late afternoon


• Stall at New Lane (Lorong Baru), near Wisma Central, from 6:30pm


• Stall along Lorong Swatow


• Stall at Lorong Macalister, morning


• Seow Fong Lye Café in Macalister Lane, off Burmah Road.

Beating the Wonder Trail - The Star

By CHRISTINA CHINPhotos by RONNIE CHIN

PENANG Island’s beautiful coastline stretching all the way from Batu Maung, Pantai Jerejak and Bayan Bayan Lepas to the clan jetties, Esplanade and Gurney Drive in George Town and Tanjung Tokong, Tanjung Bunga, Batu Ferringhi and Teluk Bahang can be developed to become the latest tourism attraction for Penang.
Pantai Jerejak assemblyman Sim Tze Tzin, who said this shoreline was currently under-utilised, has proposed the creation of the Great Penang Trail.

.....more on Penang

Chinese Clan Houses in Penang

Visitors to Penang should visit the many clan houses in George Town, such as the Khoo kongsi, Ooi Kongsi, Lim Kongsi, Cheah Kongsi, Tan Kongsi, Yap Kongsi, etc. Some of the clan houses display the histroy of the clan in Malaysia.

Penang Noodle Dishes

Rich in cultural heritage, Penang, Travellers to Penang must check ut some of the heritage noodle dishes of Penang

Penang Hokkien Mee - Yellow noodles served with prawn and pork soup, garnished with egg and prawns - a specialty of the Hokkiens of Penang.

Penang Laksa - Rice noodles in spice, sour fish flake light gravy. This noodle dish popular in Penang and the northern part of West Malaysia.

more on Penang food at: Penang food

Malaysian Food Recipes at myFood domain

Year of the Ox - 2009

2009 is the year of the Ox which is also known by its formal name of Yi Chou. 己丑 . The Ox belongs to the earth element and is the second of the 12 animal signs.

In the Hsia calendar, is symbolized by two elements – with earth sitting on top of earth. The Chinese calendar year goes on 60-year cycle. 2009 is the 10-th year in the current 60-year Cycle.

2009 is Year 4706 in the Chinese calendar.

More on

• Chinese Year of the Ox
• 2009 Calendar
• Holidays in Malaysia and Singapore 2009

... more at myMalaysiabooks

Moon Cake Biscuits for Mid Autumn Festival

The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon/ mooncake Festival, dates back over 3,000 years to China's Zhou Dynasty. The Festival falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, in the Chinese calendar (usually around mid- or late-September). This year it falls on 14 September 2008.
Mooncakes are cakes or pastry-like tarts traditionally eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Moon cake biscuits, flatter than the mooncake, are also commonly made of the same pastry crust and are are shaped into figurines or animals. These biscuits may or may not contain any fillings


Plain Mooncake Biscuits
Ingredients
Golden syrup:

• 1.2kg sugar
• 1 litre water
• 1 lime, squeeze out juice
• 1 tbsp maltose

Mooncake biscuit dough:

• 300g superfine flour, sifted
• 200g golden syrup
• 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• ¾ tbsp alkaline water
• 50g corn oil Egg glaze – (combined)
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp water
• Pinch of salt
• A little thick soy sauce (for colour)

Method.... all in myHome Recipe ->>> Chinese Cakes and Cookies

Read about the Mid Autumn Festival at myMalaysiabooks ->> Chinese Celebrations