Heavy traffic jam in Bukit Mertajam

Bukit Mertajam is situated in mainland of Penang state.

Now, Bukit Mertajam not only as the old town but heavy traffic jam town.

Today mainroad at St. Anne church (St Anne's Annual Novena & Feast Day celebration 22-31 July, 2011) opened at about evening. When I passed through this area, there were still many stalls not yet wrap up their temporary business place but some started to packed. A lot of rubbish and plastic bag on the road and at both side of the road. All the cars moved very slow.
Today also the fisrt day of July according to Chinese lunar calendar. Here many areas celebrating the ghost festival. Many Chinese buy items to pray to the God in the town area. Started to see 2 places had the opera show near to the temple.

Muslim will start to fast tomorrow 1st August, 2011. A lot of Muslim people started to come out to supermarket and town area to buy the wet food, chicken, fishes, beef for the early cooking tomorrow. You can also see some goes to buy the new year clothing already.

So Bukit Mertajam full with motorcycle and cars. Now seldom see people ride on bicycle in the town area anymore.

PC EXPO in penang

The PC Expo in Penang islands is opening in July 29 till July 31 from 11.00am to 9.00pm. It is held in Penang P.I.S.A building.

I went there this morning. There are a lot of people in the building, especially the young people.

There were many stalls which not only promote and sell the IT products and all it's gadgets, software such as the virus protector items , camera, phones also can be seen. For some items you can bargain, even though the price is stated there.
There is also a small canteen inside the building.

I bought a Terabyte Toshiba hard disk (1024 Gigabytes = 1 Terabyte) for RM299.
It worked fine.

Second hand handy phone

This morning when I walked to the market after parked the car,
I was stopped by a man, whom the age was about 30 years old plus.
He wore a not neat clothes and pants.

He spoke in Malay language (formal language of Malaysia),
I don't understand but only a "phone" word....

I looked at his hand, he shown a second hand handy phone in his hand.
Looks like he want to sell it to me.
Afterall it's true because I was told so.

Well ! I guessed he got this phone illegally.
He still sell it in public area.
Another criminal case ?

Keropok ikan parang (Crackers ikan parang)

Recently, I found the "keropok ikan parang" which came from Terengganu state has the best taste. "keropok" means crackers. "Ikan" means fish. "Parang" means a Malay large long knife. Anyway, it is wolf-herring. In hokkien it's called "sai toa yee". Chinese like the fish ball which make by this wolf-herring. It is very famous and delicous.

How to make the ikan parang crackers ? This wolf-herring was cut, clean and blend it, became the fish paste. This paste add with salt, sugar, MSG.

Then it's mix together with the tapioca flour or called as "tepung kanji"or sago flour which called as "tepung sagu". The dough is long and cylinder in shape. This dough is either cook with braising or steaming.

The next process is make it dry and cool down and cut into thin pieces. All these pieces of crackers will be dry under the sunlight.

Prepare the coking oil and fried it. You can see it's expanding from the original size. Cool them and when you eat, it's crispy. Very delicious !

Rainny day

Some of the local people never buy the durians in the rainny days.

It is because most of the durians fans worried that the durians had been forced to fall down from the stalk by wind and rain.
Malaysian eat the durians which fell from the tree.
( the fruit reached maturity on the tree )

Probably the customers will buy the half ripe and half raw durians from the durians seller.
Disatisfaction will come from there !

Sunny days are the best time for the local people to enjoy durians.

Smokers

20% of the population in Malaysia are smokers.
The ministry of health in Malaysia is supporting the free package plan for the smokers to stop smoking.

Some of the local restaurants have the sign board of no smoking but some are not.
Some restaurant just have a sign board to show just not to sell the cigarette to the people who below 18 years old.
Most of the restaurants still provide the ash trays in the way of either per request or prepare on the table.

Cigarettes can be easily get from petrol station, restaurants, supermarket....etc.
Although it is easy to buy from but currently is quite expensive.

On the box of the cigarettes mostly will print the word "AMARAN" means Warning.
You can either see the printed lungs infections picture and also printed the words "Rokok Penyebab Kanser Paru-Paru" means Cigareete Causes Lung canser. infoline : 03-8883 4400 on the box.

Or With the printed miscarriage baby picture and printed the sentence of "Rokok Penyebab Keguguran Janin"means Cigarette Causes Miscarriage. infoline: 03-8883 4400 on the box.

At the side of the cigarette box it printed , "Produk ini mengandugi lebih 4,000 bahan kimia termasuk tar, nikotina dan karbon monoksida yang membahayakan kesihatan" means this product contain over 4,000 chemicles including tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide health hazards.
Also printed, "Dilarang Jual kepada orang Bawah Umur 18 tahun" means prohibitted to sell the cigarette to people under 18 years old.

Well ! All these kind of efforts in campaign, how many people aware of it ?

Renew car lisence

Private car need to pay for roadtax every year in Malaysia.

Our car is just going to reach 9 years old.
It's Proton Wira Aeroback and the value come to this year only remain RM16,000.

The motor car insurance has to pay before you pay for the roadtax.
So this 9 years old car insured with RM328.67.
The roadtax for this year is RM90.

After bought the insurance, you can just straight go to JPJ (Jabatan Pengangkutan Jalan) or Road Transport Department to pay for the roadtax.
The JPJ department service is fast now.

Don't forget to check the paid information on the title deed or the ownership document and also take the LKM (Lesen Kenderaan Motor) or Lisence for the motor vehicle sticker to stick on the bottom left handside of the front windscreen on the car.

Pasar pagi

In the area which I stay, every Sunday morning there will be a Pasar Pagi.
In Malay language, "Pasar" means market. "Pagi" means morning.
This Pasar pagi started at about 6.30am till about 11.00am.

One of the road in the housing area will be close for a few hours for this morning market.
Many temporary stalls are built on the road and make it as 2 rows.
Most of the pasar pagi sellers are Malays in this area.

From here you can buy the sea creatures, chicken, beef, vegetables, fruits, local food products, drinks, nasi lemak, all kinds of local cakes or kuih muih, daily use items, curtains, clothes and cloth...... etc.

The initial morning market is still open everyday in the village (mostly visit by Chinese) but this pasar pagi is only open on Sunday and it's an extra market for the customers (mostly Malays) to choose and to buy the items from.

Haze in Penang

Haze in Penang state already remained for a few weeks.
So far, to wait for the rains to clear the blur vision is not helping so much.
Sometimes the visibility was bad but not in the alarming stage yet.

July 13th,2011 (Wednesday) API (Air pollutant Index) was 51 at 11.00 am for Penang island and mainland is 57 in Perai and 66 in Seberang Jaya.
The visible level is 7 km in Bayan Lepas, Penang islands and mainland 5 km in Perai at 12 noon.

Yesterday API went up to 95 in Penang island and the visible level was only within 2 to 3.5km.
No more fresh air but burning smell air.

Last week, Department of Environment spokeman did told the local people to wear face mask when going out, to drink more water and fruits, less eat the hot frying foods, do less outdoor activities, do not burn anything in open air and have more rest in the house.
Unfortunately, I saw one case of burning of leaves and rubbish on the roadside at Tokun, Bukit Mertajam while I was driving to town last week. Too bad, less care of the environment.

Yesterday Chief minister of Penang did announced that, action maybe taken for those who violate to burn any items in a big quantity in the open air.
He also urged the central government to convey the seriousness of the "haze" matter to neighbour country, Indonesia.
Stop the action of jungle burning for the plantation purpose in Sumatra.

Started to see some people walking to the private clinic because of coughing.

Below was the photo which I took from the famous Penang Hill on 29th June, 2011. The visibility was very low.
When the haze will go away ?

Exportation of Malaysia frozen durians

No doubt, Malaysia durians are tasty !

On May 11th, 2011 Chinese government had officially approved for Malaysia frozen durians to enter the China market.
It was a great news to Malaysian durians traders.

The first 200 tons durians from Raub, Pahang will be distribute to Beijing, Guang zhou, Shanghai...etc, estimated in this coming earlier August.
Malaysia will export the seed and seedless durians.
After the survey, FAMA (Federal Agriculural Marketing Authority) choose to export the Musang King and D24 Durians.
It looks good with thick flesh pulp and tasty too.

FAMA will lead in the protocol for the inspection and quarantine requirements for the durians to China.
It's a tough job because to prevent the durians from spoil, it needs fast actions.
Quality is the trademark !

CCTV

Penang is placing more CCTV in the island and also in mainland, the coverage is more wider now.
In Penang islands, they will put up the CCTV to 71 in July, 2011.
Coming soon mainland in Penang state also will put up CCTV till about 80 too.

The purpose for this is to make criminal case less.
Also indirectly tell the people whom involve in the criminal offences or behaviour, they will always being watch.
Action will be taking accordingly, in order to educate these people how to live in a society or community.

Recently the percentage of the criminal case in Penang is gradually going down.
It's a good sign, because many people lifes in Penang had been taken accidently or purposely, while robbers robbed the local people or foreingers' items.

Traffic light

Whenever you cross the road or go through the traffic light area in town or village in Malaysia,
you need to be extra careful because some of the local people here never follow the rules.

When the red indicator traffic light is on, any vehicles must be stop.
Unfortunately, you still can see local people violated this rules,
some still go through the red indicator traffic light area like nothing happen.

It is very dangerous ! So sometimes you can see accident happened right in the traffic light compound.

One suggestion for foreigner is : When you cross the road or drive the car in the traffic light compound, please do double check for the incoming trucks, lorries ,vans, motor cars, motorcycles, trishaws and bicycles in the traffic light compound.

Durian and mangosteen

Durian is the king of the fruits.
Malaysian believes that 'heatiness' can be caught after taking this fruits.

Whereas mangosteen is the queen of the fruits.
"Coolness' can be obtain from this fruit after consume it.

So the balancing of the condition in the body is there.

The local people likes to eat the mangosteen after taking the durians.
This is one way to cool down the heatiness of the body too.

Punctuality of Chinese Wedding dinner

Punctuality of starting the Chinese wedding dinner always been question ?
The wedding dinner often held in the evening about 7.00pm or 7.30pm according to the invitation card.
Somehow the reality is not like that.

Amazingly, sometimes this wedding dinner will start at 8.00pm, 8.30pm or 8.45pm. Surely you will get hungry if you never put on anything into the stomach earlier. The local people know this habit well.
The reasons for the wedding dinner cannot started on time are such as : each table not yet full with 8 or 10 people, wait for more people to attend, traffic jam, cannot find the location of the restaurant etc.

Better suggestion is, please have some light food before you attend to any Chinese Wedding dinner in Malaysia.

The wedding dinner mostly will finish at 10.00pm, 10.30pm or 10.45pm.

Isotonic drink and durians

Chinese in Malaysia do believe that the salt water can cool down the heatiness of the body.
Somehow this were the experiences from some of the friends.
Do not take the isotonic drink such as 100 plus just right after you took the durians.
It is because most of the people will feel the distension and maybe they will vomit.

The best suggestion from a durian seller was : take a cup of 'Teh O" (black tea or tea without milk), do not put anything either sugar or ice. Drink it hot. We will be fine, not to worry about the heatiness in the body after taking the durians.

Old aged loves

I read from one of the local Chinese newspaper and the first page news title was " all the savings had been cheated " on Wednesday July 13th, 2011.

The first case : A lonely Penang 68 years old guy claimed that he had been cheated by a woman singer.
He lost almost 100K and all his money for old ages use to this woman to buy the second hand Honda car.
Now no strong prove, so he could only made the police report.
He is not only lost the money but also loves.


The second case was the 82 years of old aged woman from Kuala Lumper eagerly find for her 67 years of aged boyfriend (A married man). The man's family members started to feel those harassment.

Some of the Malaysian old people mostly are lonely. They are lonely because the children had been grown up and build the family for theirs own and move out to stay independently. These old people don't have or seldom go out to have a good activities, Often can see some of these old people sitting lonely in the local coffee shop in morning and night. Some old people had been left alone in the house, absolutely lonely if the partner passed away earlier. Some children even don't go back to see the old parents in New Year festival, reason was busy in work.

Old people should create own hobbies such as : listen to musics, dancing, play chess, plant flowers and enjoying viewing flowers, reading and writing, visit to sight seeing place, chat with friends....etc

Looks like Malaysian old aged people need to learn to have a good daily happy life plan for themselves.

A lovely Malay durian fan

The day before, after the lunch, we went to Air terjun Air Puteh Junjung, Bukit Mertajam, Penang.
Before we reached the rear road for car parking area, we saw a Malay guy sitting on the cement block, looks like waiting for something or relaxing.

On the way back, we had a short conversation.
I saw there were 2 small durians in front of the basket of his motorcycle.
He showed pne of the small durians that he collected to us.

Wow ! An orange coloured pulp durian and with good aroma.
He told us, 5 years back the durians produced by this tree was red in coloured but now colour changed a bit to orange colour.
He don't know the name of this durian but he said cannot find any of this type in the market yet.
He then tied back the husk with the rubberband.

We try to request to him to sell it for us.
Anyway, he refused. Priceless !
He said this one he collected only for his wife because it is a rare delicious durian so far he found.
A lovely durian fan.

Durian Type D666

Last 2 weeks, we went to Anjung Indah, Balik Pulau and we ate the Durian D666.
The hawker seller sell D666 for RM18.00 one kilogram.
The fruit we bought cost us RM20.00.

Some said D666 is same as 'Mountain Cat King' or local people called Mao Shan Wang.
Somehow I am going to try Mao Shan Wang some other day.

This fruit was yellow in colour, only had 3 pulps.
The flesh was thick, strong aroma and sweet and then bitter in taste.
The seeds was medium in size.

The durians hawker help us to open this D666 with sharp knife.
We did enjoyed the fruit.
Then we also had been served a cup of mineral water.

Pesta Durian June 2011 at Penang

Recent years, Penang state government held this kind of Pesta Durian or Durian Feast in the Durian peak seasons.
The durian feast is in a month period of time in June.
Durians trees started to produce fruits in May.

Somehow at this time in this month of July, you still can enjoy the Durians at Anjung Indah, Balik Pulau.
The road to Balik Pulau through the coastal side from Batu Feringgi is good.
The view is good too when passed the dam.
You also can see a lot of the Durians hawkers selling the fruits at Balik Pulau either at thier farms or stalls at this moment.
Drive along the road up the hill to Balik Pulau, you can see alot of durians trees. Some of the fruits still hanging on the trees.
Mostly the trees are tall.

We went to Anjung Indah, Balik Pulau in June 29th,2011...we enjoyed ate the durians meanwhile also enjoyed viewed the
beautiful scene from the scenic court yard.
There are others fruits stalls sell other local products and also other fruits, beside durians.
Unfortunately, because of haze the scene from Anjung Indah towards the down part of hill was slightly blocked.

It's really a good trip to Balik Pulau in the durians peak season.

Durian - The King of fruits

There are many types of durians in Malaysia now. Yummy ! Good taste and good quality than Thai durians. Even the flies and ants also like to share this tasty fruit.
The durians should be eat when it fresh. The aroma is less if you put the durians pulps in the container and keep in the fridge.

When durian reaches nature maturity, it will fall from the trees, Malaysian will collect durians under the trees. Follow by either self consumes or sell it.

Strong wind and heavy rain can make the durians fall unnaturally..in this case durians might not be fully ripe. Local people like to buy the durians when the weather is good.

The price for high energy value durian depends on the type, size and taste of the fruits. It can be as cheap as RM1.00 or expensive up to RM200.00. Some hawkers give the gurantee words to the customer. For local people, if found the durians they bought was not good taste or bad, mostly they will go back to complain to the durians sellers. So they will deal again from this point. Durians market price is floating.

Durians are round or oval in shape. The length is about 7-10 inches. Outside of the durian has spiky thorns. Need to be extra carefull when holding them or open them.

There is a thick spinky rind in side durians and have a few segments. Open according to the rind, then you can see the creamy white, yellow or orange coloured pulp. The seeds sometimes are big and sometimes very small.

It's the most nutritious fruits. Contain protein, fat, carbohydrate, minerals and vitamins.

Best suggestion is to choose the durians which is light weight (pulp with light or small seeds), feel the seeds sounds when shaking durians, strong good smell and when touch the pulp, it shoud not be hard.

Some of the local people put a pinch of salt and add with the cold boiled water and mix them in one of the segment of durian and drink them. They believes it can cure the heatiness of the body after consumes durians. It also to prevent the sore throat.

Some believes durians can cure for arthritis and body joint paint.

Anyway some local people also believes that to drink alcohol or taking medicine while eating the durians can cause death. Local people also consume Durians with rice, make durians into dessets, porridge, ice-cream and cakes.