boon's log 4406.02: Week of festivities...

Just a few days after our Hindu friends celebrated the festival of lights (Deepavali) and our Muslim friends celebrated Hari Raya Aidilfitri (The festival marking the end of the fasting, Ramadhan month), our Chinese Buddhist friends / community in Penang (and most possibly, around the world) celebrated the Nine Emperor God Festival yesterday (actual day).

I decided to take my camera out to one of the Famous Nine Emperor God Temple along Burmah Road, Penang on Sunday. There weren't as many people as I expected it to be. Though I am not a person who condone to idol worshipping, but I am enthralled and attracted by the colors and the richness of the culture. As much as I know, it's a Chinese festival to celebrate the return of the nine Emperor Spirits from heaven to earth, who are worshipped as one deity - who represents health, wealth and prosperity. The festival falls on the ninth day of the ninth moon in the Chinese lunar calendar. Anyway, here are some of the images that I managed to snap in the heavily-smoked-temple, from the burning of incense...




While I was there, I was not that entirely surprised to see that I was not the only one with a camera. I saw a couple of AngMoh ladies with Point&Shoot and SLRs running around taking photos inside the temple.




I tried not to take photographs of the idol-figurines, as I know the "worshippers" may not really like it. So I just took images of the surroundings. Inside the temple, beside being smoky, it was also hot(!). I guess it is also from the countless candles that are being lit. Also, there was a furnace that is situated INSIDE the temple. Man, was it hot in there.


Entrance to the Nine Emperor God Temple along Burmah Road

Behind the temple, there is an open space where the worshippers can "hang out" and take a break from the smoke and heat. it's amazingly comfy at the back. Here's an image of some good ol' friends just taking a breather...



Apart from being a much celebrated festival, the Nine Emperor God Festival is also a major attraction to the tourists as well. Unintentionally, it helping to rope in additional resources.

Well, after a long break for ~9 days, it was back to work this week and it was sure hard to get those lazy bones working again. Spent most of Monday cranking up the engine to get it going - I had to take up to 3 cups of double shots to get my brains to align to the real-world (!). Well, things seems to be catching up today. Hope that I can last through out the week...

boon out...

boon's log 4306.01: Deepavali, Raya and the Haze

Belated Happy Deeps to all my Indian friends and all who are celebrating the Festival of Lights and a Selamat Hari Raya to my Muslim friends!

A couple of us were at Mithz's and DM's place on Saturday in Taiping, as what we always try to do when we are in Malaysia. It's always good to be able to meet up at Taiping and enjoy Mrs Maniam's delicious Curry Chicken. Except that this year, DM decided to take the helm in fixing up the Curry Chicken. Of course it is not as good as Mom's , but close enough :) Way to go, Mr. D!

Also met up with friends that I've not met for quite some time - Jee Meng, Peter and Jackie. JM has dropped out of blogosphere due to office IT regulations... just hope that he will be able to join back soon. Pictures are in DM's camera. Will see if I can post 'em when I get 'em from him later.

'twas great catching up with everyone, which included a short road trip WHICH also included picking up dudes along the highway! Go Spike! And for the record, the new abode is excellent! En suite for every one of the rooms! Fantabulous... fantabulous. We've got "all-year round passes" from Mr. Maniam. :)

Oh and about the haze. Well, since everyone seems to be blabbering about it, here's my share... here are some pictures taken across a span of time.




Haze, Haze go away...

Seems like the forecast for clearer days (as published in the newspapers, weeks ago) came a little late (at least for Penang, it was a promise realised only today, after the heavy downpour on Saturday through Sunday). However, the haze's gone, not without a price - floods. And when there's flood in Penang, there's havoc also. On Saturday evening, for us to clear the jam starting from Yeap Chor Ee through Greenlane to Jelutong, tooks us more than an hour (what normally would have taken us 10-15 minutes). CY told me that somewhere around Union School, along Greenlane, the roads were reduced to a single lane due to flooding... Well, you win some, you lose some. Not sure how long the clear weather's gonna stay. I hope the situation will get better...

time to catch some zzz's...

boon out...

boon's log 4206.04: Fancy some... er... Dead Man's Biscuits?

Not joking. We were on our usual 30-minute walk around Tesco the other night and we bumped into this latest biscuit by Julie Biscuits. It's called the

Lagenda: Tan Sri Dr P Ramlee Collector's Edition


Lagenda: Tan Sri Dr P Ramlee Collector's Edition

Err... Collector's Edition? What other editions are there? Seems like another "bright idea" for marketing biscuits, don't you think? What has the late entertainer has to do with biscuits? Imagine, Nat King Cole Biscuits or Elvis Presley's Cereals... maybe there are stuffs like that out there, pardon my ignorance. But I still cannot imagine eating P Ramlee's biscuits. Wonder if the family members get royalties for this?

I was telling my dad about this and he had a shocked as well. He just made a passing comment that he's sure that many would not buy this "Dead Man's Biscuits". It does sounds like that Pirates of the Carribean movie, though, doesn't it? "Julie and the Dead Man's Biscuits."

If anyone has actually tasted this particular can of biscuit, please let us know - we would really appreiciate it of you provide some feedback as to how it tasted and was there any "special feeling or special encounter" after consuming the biscuits...

boon out...

boon's log 4206.03: Marketing Gimmick (Follow-Up)

I just decided to drop by the Proton website to look at how our Gen.2 1.6 MME Edition is doing, 2 months after the launch and the big number of cars sold is...

(drum roll please)



20 units of our Gen.2!

1. So, our worry about the number of cars sold not being updated has been addressed.

2. we are selling at an average of 10 of these Gen.2 1.6 MME per month.

If I am not wrong, Nissan sold ~40 units of their Sentra with Nismo body kit within 2 weeks of their launch.

boon out...

boon's log 4206.01: Chocolate, but not really...

YYC came over last Thursday and presented me with this intriguing little candy-like candy. Err... "What the hey?" you say?

Check this out:

Chocolate, but not really...

In case you cannot read what's on the wrapper, it says:

"Chocolate Flavored Coating Wafer with Cream Chocolate Flavored Filling"

A what?!

It's "Chocolate Flavored Coating Wafer with Cream Chocolate Flavored Filling".

Beats me, man. But I just left it in its nicely wrapped state and have yet to open it. Must be one of those "You've been Punked!" moments.

OR

maybe it's one of those marketing strategy to con you into eating it and con-ing the mind that it is not really chocolate you are eating. Just flavored Chocolates! So, it takes the guilt away from eating Chocolates.

Wonder what's next, huh? I guess the possibilities are infinite, ain't it?

1. Prawn-flavored Prawn Mee (for the cholesterol-minded people)
2. Nicotin-flavored / tobacco flavored Cigarette (takes away the worry of cancer...)
3. Pork-flavored (or beef flavored) meat (again, for the elevated cholesterol folks)
4. Beef-flavored Big Mac?


waitaminute... that makes Dopey (our dog), a dog-fur covered dog with dog filling!!!

boon out...