Selemat Datang ke Penang..

Day 30,31

There's this attraction that keeps pulling me back to Patong..it's just wierd. although it's sleazy, crowded and touristy, I kinda feel abit "at home". haha. maybe because Ive made many friends there, with the people working there.. and mainly, it's the beach. I love running on the beach there. It's not too short, and the crowd is also quite cool since I won't be alone.

A big prob there is the accomodation.. I mean the super overpriced accomodation. esp. since it's the high season now, all the prices are jacked up real high.
Had to spend 1 hour plus walking around trying to find a decent place within my budget. the average "cheapest" room was at least 1000baht ($42). and sometimes that's only a fan room, with shared shower.
thank gosh I managed to dig out a cool room to rent. it was 500 baht! with my own hot shower!

had another free ski ride from my ski-shop friend! super fun! haha. it's really cool how people are so friendly to everyone.

I think Im quite thankful I have been quite lucky so far. Made a few backpacker friends, and heard of "horror" rip-off/cut throat scams. esp. if you are a caucasian...

some of them had their money stolen from the guesthouse, when they were sleeping in the room!!! the camera caught some old lady going into each room to steal. it's quite wierd actually if you think about it.. how can she even dare to go in when it's not empty...

some were forced to pay ridiculous cover charge after drinking their ass off at the clubs.. or they couldnt leave the place.. (Im avoiding pubs and clubs since I don't drink anyway..)

some were "persuaded" to buy and tailor clothes while they were half-drunk..

lots more.. you just gotta be careful..and this time..Im lucky to be an asian here.. haha.

Day 32, 33

Set off to Penang from Patong. Had to apply for a tourist visa @ the Thai embassy in Penang, so I can stay for 2 months without leaving the Kingdom.
Mini-van set off @ 730am... it was initially a really "lok kok" van.. covered with layers of dust, and very "squeaky".. I was gonna "cry" thinking of the 10 hours trip in that thing..
half hour later... this "ang mog" man shouted at the driver to drop him and his wife off immediately. declared to the entire van that it is a "CRAPPY BUS" and " I DID NOT PAY FOR THIS!" poor driver was stunned and didnt know what to do.
I mean I know it's quite a crappy bus but you really dont have to behave like an abnoxious big shot. shouting and insulting is just NOT polite in Thailand.
Anyhow, they got off... and ten minutes later, the rest of us were transferred to a much better van. cool.
transferred bus 4 times (Phuket, Hatchai) before we finally arrived in Penang at 9.30pm... that's 12 hours of ride..my ass hurt.
and the worse thing was... I OVERSTAYED AGAIN AND PAID 500BAHT FINE!!!!
it's the 2nd time.. not a good record.
I honestly thought the visa expired on 5th Jan..but it's actually 3rd. I better watch out before they throw me to "Bangkok Hilton"-jail.

Checked into a backpackers' place in Chinatown of Penang. It's owned by a Chinese family who was surprised when I spoke Mandarin to them. costs RM 35 (S$17) per night, and I think it's considered exp. for a backpackers' place. Aircon but common shower and toilet.
Chulia street's like a backpackers' place, lotsa guesthouses, and services for tourists.

In fact, it's really easy to find a shop that does your "visa" stuff for you. Instead of going to the embassy yourself etc, they get your passports and documents necessary, get them done and return to you at the end of the day.. for that you pay a fee of Rm20-Rm50. realised i was over-charged quite a bit. Why issit that Chinese are usually the "profit-oriented' ones and tend to overcharge...
Walked around and check the place out, realised Chinatown and Little India here are just almost side by side, so it's pretty cool.
The last time I was here was almost 10 years ago.. still pretty cool. Lotsa shophouses.. and more shophouses.. very history-rich and cultural place. definitely recommended for history geeks.
nearest and probably one of the few shopping complexes is Pranglin Mall.. it's like a Sim-Lim Square mixed with Far East. Beside it, is Komtar Mall which is honestly quite wulu. Very quiet and dead.
One thing cool here is that after being in Thailand for a month, it's funny seeing signboards and words written in Mandarin, and hearing people speak in Madarin and Hokkien. With the old shop houses and kopitiams, it feels like Ive been transported back in time into the 70s.
Food is cheap here too, esp for those of you into chinese food like wantan mee and prawn mee, it's almost everywhere @ RM 2.80- RM 3.50 (avg. $1.50)
but.. thailand is still cheaper in terms of food and drinks really.

Vegetarian wise....Im glad to realise it's quite easy to find vegetarian eateries.. in fact, Penang's a veg. paradise in Malaysia. Many chinese and taoists live here, so there are lotsa veg food around.
You can get them in Little India too.
On that note.. I had quite a horrible experience.
was walking down a lane back to my inn..when I smelled smtg bad.. It was drizzling so I just kept walking.. the smell got worse. out of curiousity.. I turned to the side to see what the shops were selling... and I saw a HUGE PIG hanging down from a hook @ it's nose ... totally skinned and butchered. it was the top half of the body!! i almost threw up.
it was almost my size!

a lot of blood in the shop and i didn't dare to look somemore, so I kept walking .. then I realise... the ENTIRE LANE was filled with "BUTCHERY". More pigs hanging from hooks.. I almost fainted..
I think they need to put a warning sign on both ends of the lane.. "Not for the faint-hearted, vegetarians and muslims"
Nothing against that, since it's their work, and it's part of the process to your "Bak Kut Teh" etc.
But from some one who has a soft spot for animals (alive, not dead), and who doesn't like the idea of dead stuff.. it was a total nightmare..
honestly, I think if everyone has to hunt for their own food, more people will be vegetarians.. haha.

alright, time's up. that's RM 2 for an hour of internet.
will update when I get back to Thailand.

Selemat Jalan..