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Conclusion

This saga is over. The journey is done. Its hard to begin, and its even harder to end. A big thanks to all who have read this. It has been a fun adventure, as I grow each day of the trip more so than I would at home. I hope to visit many other places in the coming years

-cssounders

Berkeley Day 21: Aug 26

Tearing down the Bay Bridge westbound towards San Francisco, we were driving over what we would kayak under later. City Kayak is located on Townsend Street off of the Embarcedero, adjacent to the At&T Ball Park. Suiting up is rather easy, as the worker was pretty helpful and friendly. The San Francisco Bay waters are choppy at some parts, especially towards the center and away from the harbor, so it is best to have some experience, and if not go into a double kayak with an experienced person. The Mc Cove route behind the At&T Park would be great during games to watch a little bit and maybe catch a home-run. Drawbridges are rather low on the McCove route, so caution should be exercised.

Other routes within the rental area are down south to another harbor, or up and around two poles of the bay bridge. Ask for a map, as the routes chosen are well picked and useful. If you have been on the bay a couple times, you can try to venture farther, even to Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island, which should take about 3 hours round trip. The water looked exceedingly rough near the islands, but it seems doable with some strength. Going under the bay bridge is especially beautiful, as you can see as far as Berkeley, San Francisco, Alcatraz, Hayward, and almost Fremont into the distance. Water is surprisingly salty, making the hands very crusty, so gloves are advisable.

No words can describe how pristine kayaking on the bay was. You just have to try it out. Low romantic fogs rolled in hovering around buildings and filling the maze of streets in San Francisco. Large tankers rolled up over the bay charging towards the kayaks at full speed, even though through illusion they look as if they are in a standstill. Riding the surf on a kayak is an awesome feeling, gliding effortlessly towards the sun with the current.

After a tiring kayak experience, we headed to Telegraph Hill where Coit Tower lays. Parking on Sansome and Green, one can easily walk up the stairs to a total 0.3 miles one way to the Coit Tower. The view is slightly obstructed by the trees, but it cannot be denied with views of all over. Hiking up is well worth it, giving you exercise and a good view.

Dining at San Francisco, especially seafood and clam chowder is supposedly renowned. A place where there is bound to be something to eat for everyone is Pier 39, next to the Bay Aquarium. An abundant amount of shops, dessert places, and restaurants line the pier, giving off vibes almost equivalent to Monterey. Even on a Wednesday, this place is relatively busy, giving off a festive feel. I had fish and chips which were really good, while my dad and sister had a chowder bowl and a strawberry crepe.

It has been a tiring day, with two physical activities packed into one. Going home to Seattle tomorrow. One month of traveling all over. Thanks for reading, can't wait to go again.

Berkeley Day 20: Aug 25

Since my dad and I stayed up watching a particularly interesting tv show, we woke up for breakfast,slept through lunch and got up at 5 pm. Picking up my sister from her apartment, we walked over to the Farmers Market on Martin Luther King Jr. Street and Derby, southwest of campus. This one is rather small, and not as big as the flea market down the streets that opens on weekends, but this one has a good selection of fruits, some bread, one cheese stall, one honey stall, one expresso stall, and one thai food stall.

Subsequent to waiting for my sister's meeting to be over we headed to a corner Thai Noodles Cafe for a late dinner. This place is open til 130 am, and gains plenty of business for just that reason, as other area restaurants are usually closed. The food has big portions and is served on clean white plates, and if you go, be sure to look at the specials. However, one feels a little over-encouraged to stay in the restaurant when the door hesitantly opens then slams shut, or when waitresses keep on saying "yes, yes". Upon arriving, some decide which table is better to sit at, as one wall is dirtier than the other. The floors could use some sweeping, and one should ignore the cleanliness factor if they are a germaphobic. Remember, I came from Malaysia though. This is like five star-literally. Beverages are served in classy tall glasses, giving you the illusion that you are drinking more when you are not. The restaurant is a mix of old and new, with 70's neon lights lining the dirty wall, while a deep wood covers the kitchen at waist level. Maybe a mixed bag for some, I definitely like this place. It's on Shattuck Ave, slightly north of campus. Tomorrow is kayaking around the San Francisco Bay. Yess

Berkeley Day 19: Aug 24

Being very tired from staying up again to watch Slumdog Millionaire, I groggily woke up, and then fell back asleep again until about 2. A costco trip with my sister and her roommates in Richmond was the next thing we did. Costcos are big wholesale warehouses if none have been there. Things are cheap per unit, but you have to buy a lot of something to get the good unit price. Most of the time, some people have trouble finishing all of one product.

After going back to finish Slumdog Millionaire, while my sister and her friends ate at the Ethopian Restaurant, while my dad and I ventured for a thai restaurant for dinner. Through some wandering around, we found Neecha Thai on West Grand Ave in Oakland, a short drive on East I-580. The setting was very nice, with plants along one side, a clean, tiled floor, and spotless tables. Lighting is set to a dark brown, spurring a warm feeling. The menus are set up pretty nicely, but have almost too much text, and just aren't up to par with the environment. Portions come as enough for one person, usually coming with a salad or rice depending on the dish. Food was tastefully presented, and the taste was all the better. Parking is free after 8 pm, at a public lot at the back. Neecha Thai was filled with customers, even at 9 pm, and looked much more busy than the Thai Restaurant one block down.

Berkeley Day 18: Aug 23

Since it is near the start of the school year, for the University of California, Berkeley, foot traffic and all traffic is considerably up. My sister wanted to go to Caltopia which is an expo for Berkeley businesses. The expo is great for getting free stuff, competing, and just having fun. Soon, it was time for my sister and mom to go back home from the Oakland Airport. I'm staying bit longer until Thursday to stay with my other sister who goes to school at Berkeley.

After the airport, my dad and I had lunch at Panda Express. It was pretty good, with friendly, but a little pushy people. It seems they want you to order certain things. This one is on Oakport Road about two miles north of the airport.

My sister really wanted to shop at Union Square in San Francisco. Over here is the Powell Street streetcar, American Eagle, Gap, Apple, etc. There are plenty of street musicians playing their hearts out, homeless dancing around, drummers playing on overturned trashcans, people walking out of theaters, giddy teens and worn out parents walking to the Westfield Shopping Center. Unfortunately Union Square is ignored by shoppers, where newly paved grounds actively discourage loitering. Mean-spirited city planners built them that way lest visitors get too comfortable and forget to shop around at the several department and chain stores.

Driving back to East Bay, I slept at the hotel while my dad and sister went running to the Berkeley Marina. At around 9 pm, we headed to dinner at House of Curries on College Ave at East Berkeley. This restaurant is a chain with 4 locations, 2 in Berkeley, 1 in Alameda, and 1 in Oakland. House of Curries is significantly cleaner than other area Indian restaurants, although its bathroom could use some work. I got a classic Chicken Tandoori and Naan, which were both super flavorful, although the chicken was almost too burnt. The menu is simple enough and contains curries with meats, seafood, and veggies. It's almost one and I am wide awake. This is actually almost fun, being able to stay up all night, which I don't, but have the ability to do so. Night.

Berkeley Day 17: Aug 22

One of the worst things about travelling is jetlag. Feeling those effects, I woke up on Saturday morning at around 5 am, after going to sleep at 2 am. Dragging myself to breakfast at holiday inn at around 6, I was greeted with a barrage of people at breakfast. Crazy people.

Unfortunately for me, I seemed to be the least tired, so the rest of the morning and afternoon was spent staring at my sleeping family. Catching up on the blog, sitting around, and doing other boring stuff kept me entertained. When everyone woke up, we headed to Ikea, where my sister wanted some random stuff including hangars, envelopes, and my other sister found other miscellaneous items. My sister found Mufasa and Barbar (two stuffed animals obtained, 50 cents a piece). We all ate a a snack at Ikea, which is actually pretty good. Their menu showcases on bright signs, swedish meatballs, sandwiches, pasta, cakes, soup, corn muffins, all very cheap and good for a snack. Still feeling jetlag, I had trouble trying to eat everything, but finally managed to down my corn muffin. The only thing about Ikea is that you have to bus your own dishes, but seeing as no one is ever lazy in this world, that shouldn't be a problem..I walked out seeing cluttered tables, as if a high speed foot chase had taken place. Maybe people are lazy. Duh.

The next stop on our errands trip was Sports Authority to find some clothing and shoes. Staff are generally hit and miss, as most are probably under payed unfortunately. However, the signs are very good, so you don't really need the workers, except to pay. Surprised that it was almost 9 pm, we rushed to the Noodle Theory restaurant on College, right on the boundary between Oakland and Berkeley. Most of us ordered appetizers, but there was also a salmon miso ramen and some spinach noodle in miso soup. My chicken potstickers were very good, serving a big portion of 6 rather large potstickers, even if it was at a steep price of $9. The restaurant is built for parties of two or four predominantly, and has a nice, small setup, making it feel like a small town cafe. If you aren't entertained at the person sitting across from you (which in some cases you probably should be interested), then you can watch the chefs deep fry and cook lots the food.

That night I finally got to watch Slumdog Millionaire, which was a very good movie, with a nice layout of the movie, switching between present and past. Some of it can be complicated, as with all movies, but it's easy to get the main idea. I had a pretty decent sleep, but it was not too deep, as it felt like a nap in Malaysia time. Glad to be back in the U.S., but also miss Malaysia.

Berkeley Day 16: Aug 21

So where'd my creative spark go? What happened to the titles? Well. Blogging takes a lot longer than I expected, but its fun. I'll change the titles soon.

One of the coolest things about traveling is that you can actually technically gain time. After staying in Hong Kong for two hours, it was time for the onward flight to San Francisco. We left at 3 pm and then arrived at 11 am SFO time. Totally disoriented, zombies piled up on the customs officials.

Rental car lines were terrible. Winding back and forth, the building was packed with more tired zombies. However, thanks to my dad we get to cut the whole line and just go straight to the car, which saved us probably and hour. A deep blue mazda 3 greeted with us. It's a little bit small, but it looks cool and has really good fuel mileage. For lunch (I still don't know why we had lunch), we went to Chinatown in San Francisco and went to of all places Penang Garden Restaurant. My family chose it. (Cause we really go for repetitiveness)

The restaurant is actually very clean and outfitted nicely to give you the idea that you are in (Penang). Ironic. After coming from Malaysia, the food was actually surprisingly good here, especially the Beef Chow Fun. Although we did not get desert, if you want to go there, you should get the fried banana. It's monstrous and really good.

While the rest of the family slept, my dad and I needed to feel that we were at home, or in California. Driving, 10 miles down 880 to Oakland, we reached a n In n' Out burger. While the panda express next door seemed pretty good, we wanted fattening American stuff. Sleeping was tough. Right now everyone's asleep around me. And I'm the only one up. And I can't drive. It's 11 AM Pacific Western Time now. That's all for now.

Penang Day 15: Aug 20

It's been quite a trip. I can barely remember myself at the beginning.
Crazy. This is the last day of Malaysia in my blog.

Waking up from dreams, we immediately went to my cousins restaurant
nyonya breeze. The environment inside is one of the cleanest in Penang
with strong air conditioning and classy stools around marble tables.
Ordering was pretty much the same including the really good nyonyan
fried chicken. Satay as an appetizer was the worst dish according to
me. Others would say it's the best. Chicken satay is basically roasted
chicken with special sauce on a stick. Malay satay is notoriously dry,
cooked a bit more, and leaner. Chinese/nyonyan satay is wetter, dipped
I. Sauce immediately, and fattier. Nyonya breeze has the latter, which
I really don't like. Of course we didn't tell my cousin that.

A mad shopping (yay...) dash was made to Prangin Mall. The last day we
all stocked up on good deals and bartered for lower prices. The art of
bargaining is very entertaining and some people even have strategies.
After spending the entire afternoon there we went to meet my uncle and
cousin for one last time.

The destination was visited a couple days earlier. The steamboat
restaurant on macalister. This time was not too different except he
addition of satay. Dim sum was as always very good. I dared to venture
into the bathrooms and they were actually pretty good for Malaysian
standards. We all stayed at my grandmas house for the night before
leaving the next day.

Waking up early (again!), we drove to the airport after saying a sad
goodbye to my grandma. Lifting off on CX 692 to hong kong, I reflected
on all that had happened this trip by reading my own entries. I can't
believe that i actually recorded all the days. It's definitely been
worth it. Whether fir people, food, culture, friends, shopping,
favorable exchange rates, or just travelling itself, this journey was
by far the most worth it and most memorable for me.

Penang Day 14: Aug 19

I love snorkeling of course. I just don't like waking up early.
Unfortunately I had to wake up to go snorkeling early that morning.
Boarding the iffy boats which can't help but get some people nervouse
for the safety record of the boat, we headed to pulau payar an island
more than half way from Penang and lamgkawi. Upon arriving you notice
a huge floating, covered platform. Between the platform and the shore
is the swimming area. Don't go towards the eastern or northern part of
the island. It's roped off, but over there are steer cliffs and deep
waters making a great home for sharks.

Life jackets are available as well as flippers, snorkeling masks, as
well as other miscellaneous equipment available for purchase. The
platform is definitely showing it's age, with two bathrooms at the
back and creaky shower/changing rooms (no soap or shampoo). If you
don't like squat bathrooms or dirty ones, I suggest going to the one
on the boat, which they dock later on. The platform has a main
gathering area with tables for your bags and also a kitchen on the
ground floor. A short walk takes you up to the sundeck. I would
definitely not recommend staying on the platform, as snorkeling is soo
much better. After all you are paying about 350 Malaysian ollars,
about $100.

Don't expect a whole coral reef down here, as the corals seem to groan
against the stress of daily visitors and the lapping water. Most are a
bit brown on the surface, but with many jagged textures. Going into
the water is easy as here are stairs leading to a level surface with
benches where you can push off of. After pushing off, I am always
amazed at the amount of fish. All different colors swarm around me,
while bigger, darker fish lure around on the bottom. Around the
platform is the deepest, about 30 something feet, but never fear, the
closer you swim to the beach, the shallower it gets. Heading towards
the beach, you can search for an underwater anchor which I have found
both years that I have come to pulau payar. Among the corals is so
much life, including sea urchins with huge spikes, and strange blue
LEDs on them? It looked like it, although I am no scientist. Not that
LEDs are science.

A bell rings for lunch on the platform. A seemingly impressive buffet
lines a couple long tables. Fried rice, soup, meats, fish, etc. Are
usually pre packaged and overcooked. Other stuff seems questionable so
it is best not to take it, as you really don't want food poisoning
while snorkeling. The lunch is actually dissappointing, as one would
expect a little more from 'malaysias first reef platform'. Drinks were
also limited to some diluted coffee, and foul tasting water. Lunch
aside, this place is an awesome place for first timers. Boats can
carry you to the beach, if you want to beachcomb, and you can also
watch shark feeding, although I didn't see any shark this year, for
good or for bad depends on your opinion.

After nice showers at the g hotel, we headed right next door to gurney
plaza. If you could rate the shopping malls in terms of price,
fanciness, etc. Your list would would be queensbay first, gurney plaza
second, prangin mall third, and komtar fourth. Gurney plaza is nice
and pretty clean, and we went to the chicken rice shop again and got
the same family fiesta. My sisters stayed at My grandmas house while I
stayed with my parents at the hotel, as I wasn't feeling so great. The
next day would be the last full day in Penang...

Penang Day 13: Aug 18

Even though all the other cities we have visited our nice, there is something better about Penang, which I feel a closer tie to. This is the city where half of my family grew up, and according to my father it has surely grown into a large metropolis. Culminating our drive from Singapore on the Penang Bridge, we hurriedly made plans with aunts and uncles for a dinner at the same New Town Steamboat Restaurant (see previous posts). However, they were closed on this Tuesday (be weary of some restaurants around here being closed on Monday or Tuesday).

Instead, my uncle wanted to take us to a restaurant called Hainan Town on the jetty with a great view. Since we had a large party, we had our own private air-conditioned room. Although the restaurant was very empty at first, the place started filling up around 7, and consistently until about 9 was fully packed with people from all over including foreigners. We ordered a set meal which included plenty of dishes including fried chicken, fish, prawns, spring rolls, lo bak (pork), mutten (lamb or goat) mixed vegetables with noodles, bean sprout. The set was pricey, costing RM 350. However, the food was not that great either, as we all preferred my cousin's restaurant whose dishes were "more sharp and spicier" according to my aunt. Fair enough, but one thing about Hainan Town is on a clear day it has a great view of the jetty/marina and the Straits of Malacca.

Sometimes I wish we could stay here longer, or just stay in cities longer. However, part of me just a little tiny bit of me likes the idea of home. I want to try to stay in Malaysia the whole summer some time, but who knows..

Singapore Day 12: Aug 17

Sad to see the Singapore skyline recede in the glowing afternoon, we
crossed the almost abandoned border checkpoint into Malaysia at around
2. Driving pretty much nonstop to Kuala Lumpur the midpoint between
Singapore and Penang, we stopped there for dinner with relatives and
my cute cousins. We all got to see my newest cousin who is six months
old and so cute.

Exhausted from the journey I was happy to see my grandma scarfing down
three plates of spicy pickles dish at dinner. Although I was slightly
annoyed at my sister that she ordered pretty much everything
vegetarian seeing that she is one, it was allright with the fish with
mint.

This is probably one of my shorter posts, but this day was filled with
driving which does not have too much significance to most people. The
drive was pretty good with a lot of rain and thunderstorms which are
always fun for me. Anyways, goodnight.

Singapore Day 11: Aug 16

If Singapore is not the best airport, I am not sure what airport is.
Three terminals each progressively more impressive as the number of
the terminal rises. The food court at B2 of Terminal 3 is very
impressive and is always packed, even at 2 am for a snack. The
swimming pool of Crowne Plaza is well decorated with cement blocks
filled with trees. These blocks can turn into a hazard sometimes as
they are classily black.

Singapore's roads are well organized and clean. To meet my mom's
friend again, we drove to the East Coast Park. Over here a rescue/
recovery was underway for a stranded swimmer. There is a bike trail
that borders the park along the coast. Bikes and people can walk
separately on their respective paths. Although initially against my
agreement, we rented two tandem bikes for my two sisters, my mom's
friend's daughter, and me. Starting off was-interesting. I switched
with my sister to steer and we went between two light posts and a
ditch. My sister said "We are not going up that hill" And I stupidly
said "Yes we are." After awhile we got synced together and we biked
along the beautiful coast line looking at the sea full of ships.

After a tiring bike ride, we went to a japanese restaurant for lunch
on the East Coast Park. Serving plenty of sushi, teriyaki, and udon,
there should be something for everyone-even non sushi eaters for me. I
had the tonkatsu udon which included chicken katsu and gyoza. All of
the food was good, although the food was a bit too much bathed in oil.
My sisters and friend all had about 15 plates of sushi. The prices
ended up being way lower than expected which was a pleasant surprise.
Only negative, was that the bathroom didn't have toilet paper..

Saying goodbye to people is not fun, but we will probably see these
family friends next year hopefully. The next day was going to initiate
the journey to Penang, Malaysia. The trip is coming to a close super
fast with less than a week unfortunately. After Malaysia is the bay
area again, but leaving Malaysia is going to be tough. So many things
happen here quickly.

Singapore Day 10: Aug 15

Supposedly, the cleaner version of Malaysia, Singapore is also a growing country, and a country who pays couples to have babies. That's a different story though.

One good thing about the Crowne Plaza is it's just a short elevator ride to the mall at the airport, giving us access to food, grocery stores, and shopping all downstairs. After visiting some relatives, it was time to visit my mom's close friend from college.

Dinner with them was at a slightly dirty Chinese Seafood restaurant, with hairs in drinks, rats, and a big "B" on the wall for Singapore food hygene. However, hygiene aside, the food was brilliant. Even if bathrooms and water don't work. And the tables were wobbly. Without that, the food itself was excellent, with butter prawns, garlic crab, sweet and sour pork, black peppered beef, and claypot tofu. Everything was full with Singapore energy. This restaurant is just off Pusir Panjang road, next to a Danish pastry store. Even though it was a "B", I would give it an A for food, maybe not hygiene, but you get used to that around here.

Rushing back to the airport to get my sister from college, we finally saw her. Everyone was together now, with my energetic sister, which was of course great. After talking with her for hours, we slept late in the middle of the night. I fell asleep to the soft hums of a gliding airplane, while seeing the lights of an endless sea of ships and the ever growing Singapore night sky.

Melaka, Malaysia Day 9: Aug 14

Most of this day was spent at Melaka, prior to the final journey to Singapore. My dad and I visited the maritime museum as well as the Malaysian Navy Museum, while the rest went for culture museums. Melaka has a very interesting history of Portugese, Dutch, and British influence, all trying to establish Melaka as a prominent port.

Finally before saying goodbye to Melaka, a river cruise was in store for just RM 10. On the cruise, you traverse through the river that glides on the western edge of the city, going near historical Malay villages, shopping districts, wetlands, and Monitor Lizard homes. We saw a grand total of 6 Monitor Lizards. The boats are actually pretty clean and comfortable, and while the river is a bit grimy, it is a great way to see a lot of the city. If you want to get off at a memorable stop, just ask the driver, who will let you off at one of the many other docks on the riverside. On the journey a bunch of Japanese tourists thought some monitor lizards were cuter than others. This provoked a whole ship-wide argument at the back of the ship about which Monitor Lizards were cuter.

Since everyone liked the clean hawker center, we of course had to go again. So for a late snack, more satay, chicken rice, lime juice, etc. was consumed. At the back is a halal section, for Muslims. Finally, after a tiring day exploring the corners of the old town of Melaka, we departed for Singapore, what should theoretically be a short drive.

One great thing about Malaysia is the rest stops along the highways. Since the expressways are tolled, going into the cities is a little bit inconvenient, and rest stops are erected along highways. Some rest stops are boring, while others are stunningly big, fancy, clean, and travel friendly. Tapah is one of my favorites, right before Kuala Lumpur, but on the drive to Singapore we passed another nice one which I have forgotten the name. Containing plenty food stalls, grocery stores, fruit stands, bathrooms, fast food chains, one should not go hungry.

There are two bridges into Singapore, the Tuas one and Woodlands one. The Woodlands was chosen as our route, which was a routine bridge, except for the large pipes along the bridge. These pipes carry unpurified water from Malaysia to Singapore in which Singapore purifies it and sells it back to Malaysia. The border crossing was modern, and pretty efficient except the long immigration forms. Driving into Singapore is a little strange, as you have to get an Autopass card which enables you to park, drive, and exit Singapore. Money is held in the card, and deducted with a scan of the card. Efficient, but confusing.

After another 30 minutes of driving, we reached our final destination-Crowne Plaza Changi Airport to pick up my sister the next day.

Melaka, Malaysia Day 8: Aug 13

Days have accumulated with no blogging. However, most of the time internet was either inaccessible or I just didn't have the time. I'm writing out a couple tonight. Thanks for reading.

Waking up rather early for a swan boat ride on the Taiping Lake Gardens, we all were greeted with disappointment that it was closed. Heading down the green North-South expressway, E1 to Kuala Lumpur, we visited my aunt who lives in Petaling Jaya. At PJ, they have really good chasew bows, and many other pastries at shops. Kuala Lumpur is a dense city, needing one hour to get from north to south in little traffic. An annoying thing about Kuala Lumpur is all of the tolls. Pretty much each expressway is tolled, and most of the highways.

Melaka is a UNESCO heritage city, and was dependent on the ups and downs of colonial powers. Overtaken in port, agriculture, and tourism by nearby Singapore and Penang, Melaka used to be a dying and failing city. However, tourism has really helped turn this place around. Tour buses line many streets. The Eye on Malaysia is also in Melaka, as well as a lot of museums.

After a lengthy sprint from Taiping, the drive finally ended in a surprisingly busy and traffic filled one way town. Old colonial buildings such as churches met our pleasant Holiday Inn.

Dinner was at a very clean hawker center just to the right of the main brick road heading East. This was the first time on the trip that I had satay, and it certainly did not disappoint. Some travel just to go to a hotel that is a mirror of home. Others for food. Or others just for the plain experience of a different, unique town, like Melaka.

Taiping, Malaysia Day 7: Aug 12

The ultimate destination of the roadtrip is singapore and back. At Singapore we will visit friends and pick up my arriving sister from Berkeley. Driving from Penang to Singapore takes about eight hours nonstop. The trip will be broken up into segments. The first segment was Taiping.

Leaving Penang a bit after noon, the drive across the bridge took approximately 20 minutes to get to Butterworth, the mainland. Penang is an island and has a bridge connecting it to the mainland, with another one being built. The drive to taiping is relatively short, taking about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Even though notorious for rain, it was not dashing down when we arrived. Yet. The town of taiping is decently sized with the lakes just down the road from the main city. A string of lights snakes it's way through the main street, charming off a friendly, touristy feel.

After checking in to the hotel (also check out my hotel blog including ratings and reviews of each hotel, along with a flights blog), we had an early dinner at the hawker store or coffeeshop right next to the lakes. Business had yet to pick up yet, but food was pretty good with dried wonton and chicken rice for me. The chicken rice was dissappointing and seemed very fake with plain rice with some sauce over it and mainly bony chicken, whereas the dried wonton tasted good but the chawsew was dominantly fat. Eating was done again after exploring the lake and the giant slides, wide enough for five to sit side by side comfortably. Heading downtown supper was eaten at KFC. Again pretty friendly staff at KFC.

The next stop is Melaka, a former Portugese settlement, the first on Malaysia. Melaka is visited for food, views of the water, and ancient buildings. The day stop will be Kuala Lumpur to visit my grand aunt. Driving time from taiping to Melaka nonstop is around 5.5 hours. Goodnight, it's been a tiring day.

An additional note is that drivers here are very eager and impatient. A small little motorcycle took on a refrigerator truck while a two seater talegated our suv. Much more impatient than Penang

Penang, Malaysia Day 6: Aug 11-Dried Wonton, Peculiar Parking, Fish Balls (Ew), and Massage Chairs

Today was another day of no rains. Penang for now is over for this section of the trip, as Taiping, Malaysia is the next destination for tomorrow. About an hour's drive south in good traffic, but up to two hours if traffic persists over the Penang Bridge. Yesterday I heard from a couple people that they are building another Penang Bridge, slightly north of Bayen Lepas, at Batu Muang. Penang really really needs a traffic solution.

After hanging out at my grandmother's house for awhile, hawker food in the form of dried wonton and white fun noodles was consumed for lunch. Dried wonton is a Penang specialty, basically taking wonton noodles and putting them in a dry soy sauce. Although slightly overpowering with salt, the taste is great. Searching and Kuala Lumpur, or Ipoh, or Singapore for dried wonton is usually fruitless, as it is most well known in Penang.

Subsequent to staying at the air conditioned hotel waiting for the clock to arrive at 6, my family, aunt, and cousin had dinner at a place on Macalister Road, near Komtar, and also near Nyonya Breeze (my cousin's restaurant).

The restaurant is not for luxurious types, or types not willing to experiment. In fact, it's for exactly the opposite. Floors are usually covered with a slight grit, kitchens look uncookable. Food is left in the bug wilderness open air. But never mind (la). It's an experience.

Going to find parking on Macalister Road is no easy feat. While going up Madras Lane, we thought we found a parking spot. However a big gas can covered. In Malaysia that means don't touch. Although not legal, this is pretty much like a mama wolf claiming property. With gas. I watched and silently pitied while laughing at the car behind us who moved the gas can and parked. Later on, there is probably a 100% chance of their car being key scratched. At a red light two cars passed cigarettes to each other. At a bread stall, in the middle of Macalister Road (a main road) a car skidded to a stop to buy his bread in the middle of traffic. Later on he walked across the street to by some Iced Coffee. His car was in the middle for a good 20 minutes. Motorcycles weave in and out of cars, as if on a ski course. One second of hesitation while driving and you are honked. Such happenings can be cllasified as only in Asia or only in Malaysia.

Last year while driving to large limestone caves near Ipoh, we saw cows charging up the road towards us. A big bus overtook us and went right through the cows. Still they charged. Apparently if you kill any cow, the locals will come charge your car with anything they have. Sticks, stones, cow bones, etc. Don't hit cows. I was reminded of such with the gas in the parking spot incident. Some people here are very very protective of their objects-even gas and parking spots.

Sitting down at the partially covered, outdoor New Town Steamboat Restaurant, one should immediately notice large uncovered gas tanks. These are the supplies for the steamboat. For goodness sake, please don't smoke anyone. Immediately workers filled divided pots with half spicy soup and half non-spicy for lack of better words. The food is set out like a buffet, including vegetables, plenty of pre cooked dim sum, fish balls (which I kept on mistaking for tofu, resulting in a gruesome bite), meats, noodles, rice, and finally bread with Kaya (Malaysian jam often filled with coconut). Eating environment is a bit hot, but the atmosphere is quite charming, with multiple conversations going on, steam tossed at your face, and aromas swimming towards your nose. Despite the big explosive gas tank next to me I began to start to like this place.

My like grew, as the variety of the food for a flat fee of RM18.50 grew. Drinks were also on the house, resulting in a more favorable view of the place. If one can stop thinking about hygene, and really enjoy the atmosphere, one should love the New Town Steamboat Restaurant. My favorite was grilling the corn on the foil provided over the soup. Creativity is useful in steamboat, as it will be more fun.

Later on my family got to try out massage chairs at my aunt's house. I absolutely loved it. Especially the neck. However, it is a little creepy how much it feels like hands sometimes, and when it gets to your head, you wonder just how strong this chair could be. Technology is evolving too fast even for me, as I think these things might one day become stronger than humans. For a massage though that I definitely wanted, I enjoy these chairs.

Off to Taiping, Malaysia now-the wettest place in Malaysia, and boasting the famous lake gardens which used to be mine pools.

Penang, Malaysia Day 5: Aug 10-Drains, Lanes, Canes, and Surprisingly No Rains

**A couple pictures are up! More to come. Click on 'older posts' to see posts with picture, or click on the items on the sidebar on the right.**

One of the key parts I have left out is the weather! Nights have been twirled with thunderstorms and lightning while days contain rains mostly, but today there were surprisingly no rains. Having finally caught up on the blog, from now on, each thing i write is current to the day I write it. Hurray. Thanks for reading.

Waking up late as usual, my dad and I had to take my grandmother shopping at famous Campbell Street. Kind of the Pike Place Market of Seattle, Orchard Road of Singapore. Just a bit dirtier. Drains line the small lanes. These lanes are not your average drains though, these are giant sometimes 5 feet deep drains. Hold on to your kids.

Anyway, lunch for me before had been Kentucky Fried Chicken, a good old American fast food chain serving unhealthy stuff around the world. The one and only note about this KFC, was the staff was some of the best I've seen at a fast food restaurant. Since my fish burger took a bit longer, we all got complimentary small cups of coke, and each customer was greeted with a couple lines of unique conversation. Impressive.

For fruit, although there are plenty places to get it at Penang, I highly recommend the fruit shack/stall one street after Campbell Street, driving northwest. The guy is very friendly and fruit is at a cheap price for good fruit. Steamed corn is a bit plain, but very healthy and good.

After hanging around at relative's houses a bit, it was time for dinner. Queensbay Mall, along the eastern coast of Penang, just a touch south of the Penang Bridge, is stereotyped as being expensive and 'no good la'. Well, let's see.

As in most places around Penang, with the hot and humid weather, trotting into an air conditioned blasted room really puts one in a good mood. However, as the night wore on, the air conditioned got colder and colder and really uncomfortable. Picky? Yes. But seriously, Malaysians seem to either hate air conditioning or love it with an obssessive burning passion.

Paddington House of Pancakes is located in the South Zone on the first floor. Business seemed poor, but the colors of the menu are not poor. Never ever, have I seen such a menu. It seems to be more in place at a Borders across the hallway. A giant hardcover book thuds onto your table. I flip a page, flip, flip, flip, and flip some more. If reading the word 'flip' gives you a headache, well then you probably shouldn't go to this restaurant. Dishes can be called out in a 'chicken sausage with salami with egg with potatoes with american pancakes with tomatoes' in a blur, or a simple '406'. (406 is what I ordered and is actually what i stated there.)

Now the exchange rate between the Malaysian Ringgit and US dollar is decent, mind you, but people who live on Penang are stingy, so I am told. In that case, then Paddington's House of Pancakes is a big rip off for Penang standards. Dishes with fish cost 30-40 RM, while specials cost around 20 RM.

Even though the menu can give you a headache, it serves an abundant amount of choices. I never knew pancakes could be flipped so many ways so to speak. Crepes with sugar, crepes with salt, pancakes with salt, pancakes with sugar, buckwheat (?) (Russian Pancakes), Dutch pancakes, French Pancakes, Moroccan style crepes, Chicago styled pancake burgers. What a thrill. Reading the menu is a feast enough for me, as large portrait pictures entice you with larger than real life sparkling reflective entrees. I would buy one of these menus if I could; they are a masterpiece. However since they are soo big, some occasionally zoom in by sugar or salt, chicken or pork...or beef or fish or salmon or tuna or lamb or (fill in your country's meat). Thus zooming in encounters a slight problem.

One has the right to be slightly dissappointed when the food comes, as the pictures as usual look better. And bigger, as my aunt loves to point out. Have nothing to fear, just take one bite and instantly your mind will immediately try to justify the prices. Chicken sausage was the only bad thing, slightly undercooked for my taste, still a bit runny, but potatoes, salami, and pancakes were flawless topped off with a rich gravy. Dessert platters also look enticing, and a special on the menu is suitable for up to 10 people. 10 scoops of ice cream, with mini pancakes, with more pancakes and of course the complimentary scoop of syrup. Overall a great place, if you are willing to foot the bill.

One last thing is during the afternoon we looked for a cane for my relative. We went to a store close to Gurney Drive called PMS (yea), standing for Penang Medical Supplies. People were rather unfriendly and quite rude actually. Wouldn't recommend it.

Getting pretty tired now, so I shall sign off now. Gotta wake up early to meet someone at 11. Grr. Waking up early is hard. 'Night

Penang, Malaysia Day 4: Aug 9-Can do la, Ferry routes in a swimming pool, and Hawkers

Now, I haven't talked much about Malaysia culture or style. This little happening should explain a little bit about the 'can do la' attitude.

Waking up rather early to swim (ok, fine 10 am), I found a 4.5 meter deep pull filled with a border of standing room only. Kids on holidays filled the pool. However, since they didn't know how to swim half of the pull was empty. Except for the occasional ferry of kids. They took life saver inflatables and used them to kick kick kick across the pool. One inflatable could take a 'driver' and two kids. The driver's a kid by the way, using his feet to kick. Once the kids got across, the ferry boat driver would turn around, leaving the passengers clinging to the wall.

Multiple amounts of these shuttles occurre, and boy was it comical. Not wanting to be the only one able to swim and having to save a bunch of kids, I left. Mothers fully clothed lined the pool on lounge chairs snoozing. Just the accident waiting to happen. And using life inflatables to create a little water taxi was completely Malaysian.

Meeting my aunt for lunch, we drove half an hour to downtown Macallister Road, where on a side street is Nyonya Breeze a restaurant which my cousin part owns. Going in one is immediately put in a good mood with a clean atmosphere and strong airconditioning. Dishes had were pickled fish, sweet and sour fried fish, a creamy shrimp dish, fried chicken, potato leaf soup, and customary rice. Each dish was bursing with defined flavor, pleasing the taste buds. Service can take a little bit long for impatient people, as the restaurant flows with people from all races and cultures.

The hotel was made the immediate next destination, as my sister started feeling a little bit strange. Dinner was without her with relatives, while my dad and her stayed at the hotel, at Eastern Wishes, a Chinese/Nyonyan/Thai restaurant. A huge fish was served in the middle with chicken, lo bak (fried pork), broccoli, and egg dishes on the side. The fish was only average without much flavor which seems to be the style around here, expecially when steamed. The sweet and sour chicken was a blessing to the taste buds and was the best dish for me.

Afterwards was spent going to the hawker stall next door for banjangqiu(?), which are fried thin crispy pancakes. The hawker stall was next to B-suites, and filled with life. Hawker stalls are really a thing that I miss in America, as there is something about the quickness, and just a bit below health standard hawker stalls that define Asia, and especially Penang. Gurney Drive is occasionally mentioned as the hawker place in Asia, along the Northeastern coast of Penang.

Trip is sadly 1/3 done, which is very dissppointing. However, home will be nice for sturdy water heaters, non bug filled corn, etc. Like hawkers, there is something you gotta love about Malaysia and the 'can do la' attitude, and the beautiful, burning red sunsets that drop behind the rolling hills of the mainland.

Penang, Malaysia Day 3: Aug 8-Shopping, Sucking fish heads, and Terrimikasu (sp)

**Pictures should be up in the next couple days.**

It was time. For a completely new thing that had never been done before in this trip: shopping. No, we had been shopping pretty much every day since we arrived, actually everyday. But alas, my grandmother needed supplies from Tesco, a Costco type warehouse store. Tesco is what you would expect from a giant warehouse store, with cheap prices, and lots of products ranging from ping pong balls to boxers to coconut oil.

The highlight was lunch at the Chicken Rice Shop, with my family ordering a RM90 Family Fiesta set meal containing 12 things. Fish balls, salad, rice, chicken, assam fish, sprite, fruit cocktail, tofu, vegetables, chicken soup, and some other miscellaneous item. Pretty worth it, with great service, and even better food. Chicken rice is amazing here. The atmosphere is pretty clean and family friendly, so this joint is highly recommended.

Dinner was with relatives at a Chinese seafood restaurant just a bit north of Bayen Lepas. The name I have forgotten already, but the food was pretty decent with a whole fish and chicken wrapped in leaves as the highlights. In Asian/Malaysian style, adults at adjacent tables suck on fish heads til they're bone (or brain), and let out a burp. Chicken was extremely crispy, while the fish was nice and tender. Not bad food, just a bit pricey for Malaysian standards.

Well I have to go now, but thank you for reading. Hope all is well in Seattle, Bellevue, Redmond, and to all who have read this far. Terrimikasu.

Penang, Malaysia Day 2: Aug 7-Bundles of cash, "Western food", and Nokias

After sleeping in, my family decided it was off to another mall this time, Queensbay Mall, which was fine for me as there are American brands that I buy there at a cheaper price. A food court serving mostly Malaysian food and Thai food in a cleaner environment than the outdoor hawkers was hit for lunch. I obtained a Chicken combo which included roasted chicken, chicken rice, tofu, and vegetables. Paying for food is slightly strange, as you order, go to the cashier in the center, and then come back with a stamped piece of paper and get your food. The food was a little bit dissapointing, chicken a bit cold, vegetables a bit too hard. But for RM9, about 3.5 US dollars, its pretty worth it. A pretzel was consumed outside the premises of the food court from Auntie Annes.

Quiksilver, Gap, Levi's, etc. are just a few of the brands around here. Prices are about 5-10 dollars cheaper than the U.S. in general, but to pay you have to bring out wads of cash, as 2 tshirts priced at $15 american cost a bit more than RM100.

After visiting relatives, dinner was at 9pm, because relatives always take longer than expected. This time it was Prangin Mall again, on the restaurant directly above Wong Kok Kitchen, called Homestyle Grill. Still feeling some stomach problems, I had chicken crisps, which were actually extremely delicious. Crispy breaded chicken. However, my family did not like there food, as msg was too strong, and western food was a poor imitation.

For communication purposes, my dad got us a cell phone here in Malaysia. It's the most basic Nokia: the 1202. Cool features include a smooth keypad that is dust resistant, a flashlight, multiple profiles, multiple phonebooks, and an easy grip back. Very basic, but is pretty fun to use with added small touches. Hope all is well in Seattle, and for everyone who reads this.

Penang, Malaysia Day 1: Aug 6-Pay per use toilets, and even more "

The concept of time is fascinating. Being a 3 days behind on my blogs as of right now really throws me off. I will do my best to recount my first half week in Penang, Malaysia. Thanks for reading.

Now 15 hours ahead of Seattle time, breakfast was consumed in the form of oreos. Comfort food. The morning was spent shopping at Prangin Mall, next to Komtar, the tallest building in Penang. Komtar is a sad story, who got overshadowed by Prangin Mall, not by size but by amounts of business. Komtar is dirty and even a little dangerous at some parts, no matter what some tourbooks say of Komtar being a 'must see'. A 'must see' for bugs and dirt perhaps and also pay per use toilets, but not much else is a 'must see'. (Prangin mall also has pay per use toilets too tho. Keep that spare change.)

Lunch was spent at a Hong Kong restaurant, called Wong Kok Kitchen. It's pretty easy to find on the third floor, near the center of the mall, and very visible. Menu contains rice, noodles, chicken, etc. Coming from the U.S. conversion rates are very good, making food cheap. Portions a little bit small, but it wouldn't be a problem to get two portions. BBQ chicken with noodles in soup is delicious, with the meat actually being almost 100% meat. Service was very attentive, much more so than in America which made me a bit uncomfortable, but that is the style around here. Overall, a great place to try for visitors and locals. There is also a small bakery case towards the left of the entrance serving some of the best egg tarts that I have ever tasted.

When the sun went down, so did my stomach. Dinner was skipped lying in bed, suffering through jet lag, as it was 2am at home at that time. I slept until about10 the next morning.

Berkeley Day 3: Aug 3-Packaged food, Redeyes, and Red sunsets

The wonderful joys of pre packaged microwaveable holiday inn express breakfast are actually highly recommended, no matter how sarcastic that sounds. You can read up on that on the hotel blog later.

The penultimate dash for Malaysia was a flight to Hong Kong at an ungodly hour of 120 am. I decided I needed to rest more than go out personally, but my family and my sister in college had a farewell dinner until next week when she joins us at an ethiopian restaurant which i can't seem to find the name of. It started with a cafe, but unfortunately I'm not completely sure with the name.

Now, Ethiopian food without silverware (no silverware allowed sign on front door), sounds odd, but I was open to this as my sisters love going to exotic places and the places are usually not too bad. The cafe/restaurant is well outiftted to give you a tropical feel. Some tables are glass and have all the seeds they cook with on the inside of the table which is fun to sit at. I ordered chicken berberi which is a barbeque type chicken. Very spicy, but good. However, I was dissapointed with the high prices and small portions, but seeing as Ethiopian restaurants aren't exactly as common as most, this cafe was entitled to charge high prices. Berberi Chicken came with three small pieces and costed approximately $12. Although extremely critical, I thought servers came waay too close to customers. I did not necesarily want to smell their breath while they served me water. Pretty decent experience, but I was left hungry afterwards.

A trip to San Francisco and the bay area cannot be complete without going to the Golden Gate Bridge. Parking at the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (while driving along the Marina Blvd west of the Fisherman's Wharf bear right at the fork of 101N and Mason Street, and head west on Mason Street to Crissy Field.) From here it is about a half mile hike towards the actual bridge. Besides the famed bridge, there are old military batteries built during the civil war for fear of an attak from he Confederacy on display. If you take the Battery Trail towards the bridge instead of the main trail, you can go under a battey tunnel which has very low clearance and is super cool to see. Walking across the Golden Gate is easy, with a dedicated path, but watch out f or the abundant numbe of bikes. This is truly an amazing part of San Francisco, and beautiful as the sun lunged its way through dark clouds making one last hoorah before giving into the pitch black sky. Humbling. Now it was off to the next destination: Penang, Malaysia-a stark contrast from 60 degree weather.

Berkeley Day 2: Aug 2-Salty crepes, Singing drains, and Cash only

After sleeping in after the concert, and the long drive home across the San Mateo bridge, lunch was spent at crepe dvine on shattuck and vine north of campus. A great place for brunch, this outlet serves crepes with everything you can think of. Ham, turkey, mushrooms are some of the toppings. Don't forget to try yummy desert crepes too, complete with ice cream. Wait is very short and made fresh mind you, and the only complaint is that this place is so busy, that some tables are a bit dirty. Otherwise food is very worth it coming with a salad, or ice cream depending what type of crepe you want.

Besides telegraph ave, college ave is also a great place for shopping.However, seeing as shopping Isnt exactly my main interest, my family and I went hiking which was a bit more remarkable. Locally known as the fire trail, this place offers a grea dirt jogging trail or even biking, with stunning views. My sister told me of a story of when she was running at the fire trail.

A guy was finishing up a jog, rushing back to campus, when he heard some subtle singing. Thinking it was his imagination he kept on going. Still the singing continued the next second, so he stopped and looked around listening intently.
"Anybody there?"
A shaky response followed in the form of a yes.

Within minutes, police were on the scene. Apparently a women had lost her way in the dark, and ended up in a manhole. Being there for nearly 24 hours she yelled, then talked, then finally resorted to singing. She was stuck in the manhole, so they had to get a crane of sorts to pull/dig her out.

Anyways, tired and hungry my family and I trudged to an Italian restaurant on college ave with an exquisite name, which I have forgotten. for five people the wait is long, so you might want to make reservations. The restaurant is very small, with two stories. Cash only, which seems a bit odd for a place where prices can add up. Portions are huge, and for five people we only needed two dishes and an appetizer. Calamari was not fried and seemed more boiled and rubbery, which I do not like. The main dishes were vey flavorful, but not warm enough. Linguini pesto with pine nuts with shrimp and penne arrabiata. Linguini pesto had tiny tasteless shrimp which was dissapointing, and penne arrabiata had a great firey taste. Overall food that was very near perfection and some of the best I've tasted. Bread was also great with a nice dipping sauce of olive oil, thyme, parsley, pepper, garlic, and a touch of vinegar. With two great meals I had no trouble finding slumber that night.

Berkeley Day 1: Aug 1-Samples, $5 Water, Screaming (out of pitch) girls, and In N' Out

Having been to berkeley a couple times before to visit my sister in college, i expect traffic, honking horns, and general berkeleyesk chaos. Such should be said for driving down 880 south to the san leandro costco. Eating samples at costco is usually fun and comical. Having a stingy person behind you telling the robotic worker very unenthusiastically cutting meat, "ah! The pieces so small!", can be best defined as entertaining. Hence they call it a sample. But whatever.

Driving back up the lovely 880 which could make some weak stomachs feel sick, i decide to be adventurous and head to a ghanian restaurant where my other sister has been before. Authentic art, and nude art too: viewer discretion advised, line the restaurant walls. Boasting the only exotic western african dining in the baya area, and calling itself tropical paradise, one should love the atmosphere. However the atmosphere is slightly degraded when you see dusty chairs in corners, and printed oit menus from some place like menu.com on scratch papaer. But alas the food is wonderful. If you are willing to wait. Like a long time. Seriously, since everything was "fresh", making getting water take approximately 40 minutes and food taking around the same. Most. Foods come witha tomato based rice, which seems weird at first, but my tastebuds warmed up to it after awhile. I ordered some chicken breast dish which was garnished with a powdery curry. Some spinach was tossed on the side, whch was very salty but actually very good. Other dishes my family got were fufu, potato dumplings, vegetarian stews, and salmon salads. Maybe not completely exotic, and more catered toward the local flavor, everything was actually very delicious despite the wait.

The fray. Repetitive songs. Calming songs. Piano rock. Uplifting. Not pump up music. I actually love the fray when I'm in certain moods. This time in mountain view, the fray was also hosting jacks manneqin. Overall a great concert with a great environment, even if girls screaming their lungs out break your cup of coke. No, that did not happen but it felt like it should. The fray part was more lively and popular, but jacks manneqin was also decent. Food was a rip off to say the least. $5 water. $9 hot dog. Oh, and hot dogs are tiny. I shouldve planned ahead as my parents went to an in n out before picking my sister and I up. And they payed a quarter of the price. If you go to California and need something to eat and like burgers and like fat and like salt and like all that unhealthy crap, then go to in n out burger and contribute to an American past time.

Note: Due to being on a plane for so long to malaysia and jetlag, these blogs are a bit behind. I am actually in malaysia right now at an internet cafe. I will try my best to catch up as soon as possible. Please keep note of the dates in the title. Thanks.

Berkeley, California Intro

Most San Franciscans would love to think that the east bay is merely a suburb, and that they never need to cross the bay bridge or take the under water bart. However berkeley is far more than a suburb. San francisco would be incomplete without Berkeley.One of Berkeley's most important and famous landmark is the university of california berkeley. With over 30,000 students and multiple nobel peace prizes, this sets the stage for what used to be a very politically active place during the civil rights movement in the 1960s. The alleyways and greenways still fume politics, but not as openly before. To completely experience the city, read the bumper stickers, and get out of the car into the intense urban blocks of telegraph ave immediately south of campus. Blazing kites wave near the marina, couples eat a romantic cash only dinner, and joggers stare equally at san francisco from strawberry canyon. They should stare equally at San Francisco, as San Francisco does not deserve to overshadow Berkeley, which is a crucial player in the culture and life of San Francisco.

Selamat Datang (Welcome)

Packing up the few remaining essentials, and electronics, i am about ready to go. Blogging should be frequent throughout my stay in Malaysia. However, before heading off to Malaysia, I am going through the Bay Area for seeing my sister. All of my posts in San Francisco and Malaysia will be kept in this blog.

I forgot to mention the purpose of this trip.
Malaysia is to visit my many relatives there. Vacation is made out of it for my family and i.
I hope this will encourage you to go to Malaysia and travel in general.