To Penang! My schedule is pretty uptight... Day 1 (Friday 27/10/06)

Sigh, since after Hari Raya holidays, i stucked myself in my room trying to finish up Final Fantasy X. So far, i've been leaving the console on while i asleep without noticing. Usually i left the DVD player on until the morning, so i put MP3 cd so it could play songs the whole night.

Yeah, i know it's unhealthy to lower the lifespan of it. It's my habit of listening to songs before i sleep. And it's convenient that the songs still playing when you woke up, and you don't have to bother yourself on the DVD player.

Yes, i'm lazy.

Yesterday i was prepared to go outstation with my cousin brother. Again? Yeah, i thought i'll be stationed in KL, while he'll go alone. Before Deepavali, he caught Red Eyes from his sister. He could hardly see things in his way, so driving should've been a suicidal decision to go alone.

Yet, he's got me. I'm doomed.

On 31st, Dirty 3, an underground Indie Rock band came all the way from America, having a concert on the day itself. Tomorrow, David Tao's concert. My friend just notified me he's a dad now, the baby was born on 1st day of Raya... And, my ex from Taiping, quitted her job at Penang and planned to stay in KL...

What in the world happening to me so swift?

I can't go David Tao's concert cuz i've been saving money to go Redang with my girl during Chinese New Year. I've promised cy i'll go Dirty 3's concert but i'm diverted to Penang's business trip. I'm confused of my friend's relationship with his girlfriend and they have a child now. My ex complaint her parents ignorant to her and wanted to be far away, so KL was her choice... And i found out that she wanted to clear off those sweet but sour memories left in Penang... Oh i see... Oh really? Yeah, i'm making fun of these... My bad, it's her call...

I thought the outstation might postponed till next week, but i'm wrong... This morning, my cousin came in and said,

"I think you better get your things and put in the car... No, wait... Let me think about some other things first... I'll decide later..."

Well well well... I'm sad...

It's Friday, man... Lepak in cy's house... Swimming with my girl and her friends... Meeting my just-become-dad friend... And luckily, i didn't buy David Tao's concert tickets... If i did... (Let's see what my cousin says when i question him this.)

So i went back home to get my luggage and back to my office. Everything's prepared and ready to go. Still, my cousin was busy onto something, which i don't see much busy of it.

And... Off we go... My tears dropped inside my heart. I would never like to go outstation anymore, even i'm given chances to meet pretty ladies... No, and no. Work in KL, stays in KL...

It wouldn't work if i kept in my heart... But still, i'm working for him... Orders taken...

I wasn't sleepy while driving all the way to our first stop, Taiping. Yeah, it's been a while though. It reminds me of working nearly 20 hours per day in a week to setup the shop, during my job in Meikah. The roads widened, flyover has been completed years ago.

We reached the client's place. The boss was a type of person who insults people by jokes. Nothing serious from him, i can live with that. Soon after we've done business with him, he insisted to treat us seafood at dinner time. Well, it's 4pm and we had to wait till 6pm for him to close his shop. You know, it's no fun waiting, i got nothing to do at all... Smoking, eating Halls sweets and ate some bananas bought from the highway.


The boss mentioned that there's a seafood restaurant sells fresh seafood, and their cooking is absolutely great. In reply, i said i've been a place similar to what he had mentioned, they even sell shark meat.

What's funny about it, was the shark's meat really taste like 'Soon Hock's meat. Heh, my bad, shark's meat much, much more delicious, and prices were multiplied of the 'Soon Hock's meat, precisely.

About 6pm, the boss closed the shop, hitched our ride to banks around the town... Yeah, deposites business income. Then, we went back to his shop to wait for his friend to come over and join us.

On our journey, i noticed a river's name called 'Sg Mati'... The boss said, "Come on, it's just a name!" Yeah, it's a name, a bad name, what do you call in English? Or Cantonese? Or Chinese? Or Tamil?

How surprised, the restaurant was exactly that i said before. No, really was the one! The restaurant's in Matang, from Taiping straight till traffic lights conjunction to North-South Highway to left, Matang's straight after the traffic, then it leads to a signboard showing directions to Matang, not so near, or far either.

So the boss picked some nice fresh seafood and we sat, chat a little while waiting for the food to be served. The boss kept picking on me, that i've been here. I knew it was a joke, i'm cool. Also, i asked him about the famous 'Char Siew Pao' and 'Kopi Beng'.

During my job in Meikah, i went with the landlord together with my ex boss and staffs there to try out some nice hometown delicacies. I'm just not sure where the location was.

The boss said it's everywhere in Taiping, next to KFC, the food court, usually people called the place 'Siang Malam'. The stalls open from morning till midnight, and people in town would gathered at the food court just to gamble...

What? Anything could be gamble? Cards? Mahjong? Nah, not even close. It's rain... Huh? Well, rain came every single day at a specific time. I guess it's around 3pm... Me? Nope, i never encourage myself to gamble, i hated gamble.

Some other place did sell those delicacies, till he had mentioned all the places, i only remembered a few... Doesn't matter, my ex from Taiping could guide me more.

We had 'Black Sauced Sotong', 'Spicy Vegetables', 'Fried Kampung "Zim Tao" Fish', and 'Steamed "Hak Chong" Fish'. All together, not even costs all 4 of us RM100. Seriously, a good recommendation for all businessmen or families.

After dinner, we went to a place selling 'Char Siew Pao'. I kept saying there was an indoor basketball court nearby the famous 'Char Siew Pao' i've mentioned. There it goes, the place was exactly the one, again... Hmmm, weren't they trying to pick on me again?

They didn't sell any raw coffee, so i just take away one pack of 'Kopi Beng', while the boss's friend bought much of the 'Char Siew Pao', and treated us one each... Mmm, so delicious, other places considered unmatch to this particular kampung delicacies.

Hence, the 'Kopi Beng' so sweet enough to have myself throw it away after consumed half pack of it... I guessed i ate too much on dinner these 2 days.

I drove all the way Taiping to Alor Setar, took us 2 hours to reach. My cousin's red eyes still effective, so i did most of the driving part.

While we were at town, our route was blocked by a street show. We weren't sure what was going there, then came a few Indians with all pierced metal rods on his body and face. Then my cousin got the idea, they were celebrating 'Gao Wong Ye'... People at the show wore white tee shirts and white long pants. At first i thought someone passed away... My bad, my bad...

The same room we stayed since last time. I cough a little at first, thought maybe in the newt day i might get sick. I didn't sleep that early, i was so attracted to Astro, like John Carpenter's Mission on Mars (i'm not sure the name of this movie anymore...), Frankenstein (quite a good movie) and lastly on AXN, Rally Championship. I preferred watching AXN, and MTV or Channel V but it's not in subscription... Damn, can't enjoy music.


I realised the motel provides free Wi-Fi broadband connection. Sigh, wished i had the HP pocket pc now...

I slept at 3am, never used much time to write some post of my trip. Tomorrow's David Tao's concert, held in Bukit Jalil... Sigh, if i did buy the tickets... Damn, even i didn't buy, i felt regretful...

Dinner in Boston... Nah, it's a restaurant's name, remember? (Saturday 21/10/06)

My girl was very excited of swimming lately. She wanted me to buy a swimming trunk cum goggles to go with her, at MPSJ, Kelana Jaya. It's an indoor swimming pool whereby swimmers won't be worrying of the weather.

But i did worried. Cuz it rained and i can't even go out just to buy the damn swimming trunk. Pudu Plaza never sell swimming gears, and i doubt Shaw Parade sells it too. But Times Square a little bit way too far to walk during rain... I'm in vain, perhaps we'll go for it next time.

So she came, and we played some games till dinner time's reaching. Her mom went to Mentakab earlier to attend her cousin's wedding, and she'll be joining her mom on Sunday, along with her dad. So, he dad's alone at home...

I suggested that to bring her dad to Klang for a taste of...

Zhi Hun Gen...

Mmm... Delicious, and it's been long time since last year... Why? Hardly could plan with someone could join us for this far trip. Her dad doesn't mind us bringing him far, as long as the food's tasty, and affordable.

I've mentioned this food before in very early post. After all till then, i never get a chance to take a good shot of the food.

Anyways, we drove back to her house to pick up her dad and headed to Klang. We reached at 6.45pm and the restaurant wasn't open. Until it's opened, the crowds came more and more, cars by cars passing in front of the restaurant, and the parking spaces were limited. I'm lucky enough to find a spot nearby the restaurant, that was a bonus point to impress my future father in law.

And so, we're the 5th customers, taken order and we were well prepared if the food served longer than we expected. Due to my previous post, i've mentioned that me and my girl waited more than an hour for the food to be served. Perhaps we won't have to wait that long, or i'll get little points then.

About 20 minutes, they came with the food. Her dad was antonished by the looks of 'Zhi Hun Gen'.


"Was it 'Kuey Teow'? Or emm... It looks like 'Asam Laksa's noodle or something..." asked my girl's dad.

"I wasn't sure what it's made of, but i'm sure it's delicious. The looks... It's like kind of transparence, like 'Lou Shi Fun' sort of noodle." I replied while chewing the food.

Her dad was a nice, decent man. Though he would asked some funny questions, i've no doubt of his curiosity. He's just like my old passed away uncle in law which i lived with him and his family since i was born until i left with my sister to Bentong when i was 11. Sadly, i can't repay him back. I was born later than anyone who loved me most, and i hardly could boost my career to treat them well. I cried many times since his funeral. Just to say, her dad was just like my uncle in law...


And he could be someone like my uncle in law, that i could treat him well, just to repay what i need to.

Back to Boston restaurant... Yes, not only 'Zhi Hun Gen', a dish of steamed 'La La' (fuck, i don't know how to call it in English.) and a special chef's ideal dish called 'Har Gou' (spiced shrimps with black sweet sauce, i made it up cuz it's not stated in English, duh...). The 'Har Gou' was a disappointment, so salty! The portion was huge cuz it's me, i made a mistake to order the size of the portion... Well then, nothing really happened about the salty dish, everyone was satisfied.


After fetching back her dad home, i stayed awhile to do some auto download stuffs, and we headed back to our 'Love Nest' and...

It's all about the PS2's Final Fantasy X... Yeah yeah, i'm a lamer, brought my girl back and played console games, and the game released long years ago and i just get started... Seriously, most of our hobbies and interests were in common.