Guess where my favorite Gola sneakers took me this Sunday morning?
We started the day at around 7:30AM by riding the college shuttle service bus along with some of our International pre-medical students who are also members of the Catholic faith in a 30 minute ride to St. Anne’s Church in Bukit Mertajam, Penang Malaysia.
The church is beautifully located at the foot of a mountain thus, lush greens serve as its backdrop.
It’s so comforting that we now know the place of our Catholic community in a predominantly Muslim and Hindu country. One of my colleagues even found her Iglesia Ni Cristo church here.
After we heard our first ever Holy Mass in Malaysia, our service bus driver took us to a Chinese restaurant where they serve PORK!
After our 9 days of chicken, nasi lemak, and mee goreng, it’s was indeed an excitement for us to see this stall serving pork in a Halal community. For only RM 4 (PhP 56) per plate with rice, we have another reason to wake up early every Sunday morning other than to hear mass.
A set of lechon kawali with asado sauce, rice and cold milo all for RM 6.50 (PhP 91).
Pork craving satisfied! 🙂 Looking forward to next Sunday! 🙂
Our service bus took us back to the station in Kepala Batas then we headed off to Penang Island via public bus. We took a bus for only RM 2.40 (PhP 33.60) from Kailan, Kepala Batas to Jetty in Butterworth where we had a 15-minute ferry ride to George Town.
We could have opted to ride the cab (teksi in Bahasa) from our place to Penang Island crossing the longest Malaysian bridge that serves as one of the landmarks of Penang, but it would cost us RM 35 and up; besides, riding a ferry in Penang isn’t that bad; it’s not congested and properly operated; it’s like our local RORO (roll in-roll out) back home where vehicles and people alight the vessel.
We arrived in George Town in Penang Island few minutes past 1PM. We took another ride via Rapid public bus to Queensbay where Jusco Mall, one of the largest malls in Penang was waiting for us to shop.
Can you resist a month-long storewide 50 to 70% SALE ON ALMOST ALL ITEMS? Teach me how! 🙂
Since we’re scheduled to move in to our permanent accomodation within the next few weeks, I prioritized buying some necessities like pillow, boltser, bedsheets for my queen-sized bed, some chips to nibble etc.
I bought 2 sets of bedsheets, one Nouvelle 250 thread count for only RM 29 (406) inclusive of queen-sized fitted sheet, 2 pillow and 1 bolster cases and a 330 thread count Momoji linen set originally priced at RM 149 down to RM 29.8. Now that’s a good buy or what?!
My colleagues and I cannot wait for the 30th of the month to have our first earned-Ringgit. It’s definite that after we send our remittances to our loved ones back home, we’ll surely buy more essentials for our new homes.
After eating Nasi Lemak, Nasi Goreng, Mee Goreng and other spicy Malaysian and Indian dishes, Sunday was a time for me to give in to my simple indulgence.
If you’ve been reading this blog for quite some time now, you’re surely familiar with my love affair with sushi. Imagine my smile from ear to ear when I saw a huge stall in Jusco Mall foodcourt that sells cheap but delightful sushi; didn’t think twice and bought one set for RM 8.80 (PhP 123.20).
It’s comparable to the authentic ones I’ve tasted in TOKYO last March.
Unagi set I had the last time we went to Jusco Mall, RM 11.80 (PhP 165.20).
Several hours of walks inside Jusco mall while my fellow medical educators were watching movies for RM 10 (PhP 140), I found another craving…
AIS KACANG, their version of our local halo-halo, I enjoyed for RM 3.70 (PhP 51.80).
Although, ice was finely shaved, I like our halo-halo more because this has more nuts that sweets. I miss leche flan, ube jam, rice crispies in our halo-halo.
Final sweet temptation I had that day was a peach-mango flavored frozen swirl yogurt topped with almond flakes from Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf; this one’s a bit pricey at RM 11.90 (PhP 166.60).
I may have been a glutton again yesterday but that’s because I made my taste buds ready for another spicy week ahead.
Now I’m missing my family again as I remember we usually go to church every Sunday and eat out together. Thanks to Skype for melting my homesickness away.
How’s your weekend?
Enjoy the rest of the week. God bless, everyone! 🙂
beyond toxicity @ docgelo.com 
another week for you Doc. The church is beautiful simple but good for meditation since it is located on a mountain. the pork asado looks yummy as well as those janpanese food you ate. seems that food there normally costs Php 91.
i think going to these places will be our regular Sunday habit.
and yes, food in penang is quite affordable than in pinas. imagine buying a nasi lemak set for only RM1 or PhP 14? how cheap is that? i don’t think there’s a carideria back home that sells rice with egg, chili dilis and chicken (with ayam or chicken RM3).
drop me a line whenever you find time to visit penang.
i know photographers like you will find it not difficult to fall in love with gurney drive, george town and the rest of penang island. thanks!
what a lovely weekend. i thought you did fine by using public transport to go to georgetown. it pays to know how to get around the places like locals do, cheaper that way too and another thing to chalk up to experience.
well now that you asked. i had a lovely weekend myself. drove out to sonoma coast some 2 hours from home with my husband and visited two state parks (for the price of one), had a heavy breakfast that really filled us up for a small price (we’ll make this local hangout ours too after a great meal) and sunday we had sushi and a movie (inception) – i loved both the sushi dinner and the movie afterwards 🙂
i really appreciate that we’re guided on our first week on how to do-what in penang; been to few places mostly in penang island, and have seen where to buy essentials. knowing how to commute is so important to a newbie OFW like me; it takes RM 11K to buy a pre-owned car here and around RM 50K up for a new one. So i guess, i’ll settle for reliable penang public mode of transpo first to earn and save and save and save more. 🙂
i’ve watched inception too with my wife and our son the day before i left manila.
yay doc parang field trip kayo ah hehe 😉 nagutom ako sa froyo! 😛
korek, dyan. parang field trip lang.
yung fro-yo ng CBTL dito (im not sure their version in manila) only had artificial peach-mango syrup. 😦 i’m biased with fresh fruits on my fro-yo.
wow, that’s nice. may catholic church jan. are there many locals who are catholics?
food is good indeed. i realized pinoy food lang ang may less spices (and i super appreciated that). ang baho kasi nila. hehe
surprisingly, chyng ang daming catholics na locals at migrants too, from india, and other asian countries. we’ve met a pinay married to a malaysian inside the church. medyo may ilang pinoy din naman. we’re looking forward to meeting others every sunday.
and yes, kahit MD-faculty na BABAEng taga-you-know-where, may amoy! di kaaya-aya. “take my breath away” ang theme song ko pagmay ganoon! LOL 😀
wow! that was a well spent weekend doc gelo 🙂
it was indeed, elna.
thanks for the visit here. 🙂
now i believe i can exchange adobo, sisig and menudo for these food doc even for a year. hahaha… i like the church and its area. beautiful.
you’ll love penang island particularly george town, one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Cities. i promised to go back there to capture some scenic spots soon.
so when are you leaving for tokyo?
From the prices you quoted, it looks like I can eat with a full stomach and still pay cheaply. baka tataba ka dyan ha Doc Gelo!
I can imagine your excitement waiting for that first paycheck and your first official remittance as an OFW.
your USD will go along way here in penang,dennis.
i appreciate affordability of foods and other stuffs here but am still gradually embracing spice in most dishes.
and yes, we’re all counting the days to the 30th for our first salary and remittance to our families. *excited*
Naubos niyo ba, Doc, ang lechon kawali/roasted pork? Mukhang napakataba.
I love the location of the catholic church!
pikit-mata sa cholesterol, ubos ko ang plato ng lechong kawali! 🙂
it resulted from too much craving for porkie, doc rj, haha 🙂
…st anne’s church is really beautiful.
That sushi looks gorgeous! It’s great that you have something to look forward to on a Sunday! Keep up the exploration and take us all around Penang.
Thanks for visiting Norwich Daily Photo and leaving your comment. Come visit again tomorrow!
my craving for japanese food was indeed satisfied by munching on those sushi. yum! 🙂
anna!!! 🙂 welcome to blogging world. let’s rock penang! 🙂
Doc, parang wala kang ginawa dyan kung hindi mag good time ah! Shopping, eating at exploring! 🙂
Gaano ka katagal dyan? Sorry ngayon lang ako ulit nakadalaw, busy sa school.
how’s schooling in UP, rico?
…we’re grateful that we’re having so-far-so-good times in penang. we have no choice but to enjoy every minute here. 🙂
oh wow! you guys are already in Penang! I am going with another blogger at the end of August and tour around Georgetown! I also can’t wait for Friday night and try all the street food 🙂 any recommendations? 🙂
Hi Hanna!
docgelo here; thanks for swinging into my blog & leaving a comment.
I’m on my 15th day in Penang; still adjusting to every positive changes that have been coming my way. What’s great with my stay here is the company of fellow Pinoy MD-lecturers from across our country; we try to blend well with the other colors of course.
George Town is in Penang Island and we’re staying in Penang Mainland. Since I still don’t have a ride here, it takes a few public rides of bus and ferry of more than an hour and a half but everything seems a fine adventure for me.
I highly suggest you go to Gurney Drive on a Friday or weekend night. There are malls, hawkers and bay area awaiting for you there. It only takes RM 30 – 35 taxi cab fare from George Town (which is right after ferry ride) to Gurney Drive. The possiblities are just endless. Be ready with your ringgits for so much gadgets and shopping stuffs to buy, haha!
I also suggest for you to go to Jusco Mall in Queensbay. Sale is until Aug 31st.
I wish to tour you around only if my schedule permits me do so. Our work is from 8:30am to 5:30pm and would take me hours to get to Penang Island after work. But who knows, we might bump to each other soon.
cheers!
-gelo
nakaka gutom naman ang mga litrato! i should try that too once I visit Penang!
as i always say, you have the license to drool, hehehe.
hey doc, i’m back! not in wordpress but in reading your posts again 😉
i’m glad you visited st. anne! it was such a treat when my friend drove us all the way to malaysia mainland just to visit the cathedral. he is hindu but he is very much respectful of the christian faith and he promised to take me church bec it was a sunday then… we took the ferry going there — as in sinakay namin ang kotse sa ferry, then drove back. it was a long way back via the great bridge.
looks like you are enjoying penang a lot 😀
so nice to have you here again, anne!
sorry i have not yet seen the photos you sent to my email. perhaps this weekend.
…yup, alam ko yung ferry na parang roro..pwede tao at cars. glad you experienced it din pala. wow nakasimba ka din sa st anne, i love that church, we all do. kaya lang medyo lalayo na yung permanent place namin dun; but the school i’m working with provides bus shuttle to that church every sunday morning for the 8AM mass; we just don’t know yet if the service bus will fetch us from our place.
wish to enjoy more of penang this weekend and beyond.
thanks for visiting again my blog. 🙂