Events

Annual relay

The Penang Amateur Athletic Association, with the co-operation of the Youth & Sport, Family and Community Development Council, Penang Youth & Sports Department and Penang Sports Council, is organising the annual Round The Houses Relay 2010 at 8am on April 18. The relay will start from Jalan Sepoy Lines in Penang. Closing date for entries is today. For details, call 016-4628260.

World Water Day

In conjunction with World Water Day, a free guided nature tour will be held from 2.30pm to 5pm tomorrow at Penang Hill and the Botanic Gardens. Participants are to gather at Pt 84 (halfway jeep track point) up Penang Hill. Those who need transport up to pt 84 can call to arrange for 4WD, snacks and mineral water at RM30 per person. There will also be a free talk on ‘Clean Water’ at Gandhiji Hall (Waterfall Temple) from 5pm to 7.30pm the same day. For details, call Jasmin (04-2274006) or Parvathy (012-4290923).

Tasty treats at G Hotel

Tasty treats at G Hotel Themed buffet daily at hotel’s cafe

PAMPER your taste buds to a varied selection of culinary innovations at G Hotel’s G Cafe.

Be it the sumptuous spread of buffet lunch or dinner or a la carte menu, there is something to titillate the palate.

Featuring over 80 dishes, the buffet spread is certainly food for thought with its creative and appetising interpretations from across the world. One would definitely be spoilt for choice as the menu changes daily.

For the semi-buffet, diners have a choice of eight main course dishes such as sauteed prawns with capsicum, diced chicken with dried chilli and ginger, battered fish fillet in sweet and sour sauce and wok-fried black pepper beef fillet.

Saturday features Hi-Tea Buffet which starts from noon and on Sunday there is the Family Affair Buffet Lunch. The former is a fusion of Western and Asian delights and the latter presents a tempting array of regional and international cuisines.

The daily buffet dinner is yet another culinary sensation with Mongolian Barbeque on Monday, Flavours of Italy on Tuesday, Healthy Vegetable Dining on Wednesday, International & Japanese on Thursday and Seafood BBQ on Friday.

Saturday is dedicated to the Surf & Turf offering a fiesta of seafood and prime meat barbeque while Sunday is all about Northern Indian Curries prepared by master chef Jayaraj.

Priced from RM72++ to RM88++ per person, the dinner themes are valid this month. The buffet lunch is served from noon to 2.30pm and dinner from 7pm to 10.30pm.

As for the a la carte menu, some of the popular dishes are braised lamb shank, fish and fries, mee goreng mamak, Hainanese chicken rice and bolognaise pasta.

For more information or reservations, please contact 04-2380000 or log on to www.ghotel.com.my

-News courtesy of The Star-

Komtar Tower Run 2010

Komtar Tower Run 2010
6am, Saturday, 5 June 2010
http://www.komtartowerrun.com.my/index.htm

Snake Temple

Snake Temple was built in 1850 in memory of the renowned Chinese monk Chor Soo Kong. The Snake Temple is situated in the small town of Bayan Lepas on the edge of a highway and is famous for the fact that it has pit vipers living within the temple grounds. Legend has it that Chor Soo Kong, who was also a healer, gave shelter to the snakes of jungle. After the completion of the temple, snakes appeared on their own accord. Today, the snake population of the Temple of the Azure Cloud is very small, due to the urbanization of the area, but you can still see them coiled up on the altar tables, and you can touch them, if you are brave enough. Originally, the snakes were said to be rendered harmless by the smell of the burning incense, but today, to be safe, the resident vipers are devenomed.

There is a snake museum beside the temple where there are snakes galore and you can see a staff member occasionally handling an albino Burmese python. Museum admission RM5 for adults, free admission for temple (9am to 6pm). Take Rapid Penang bus 401 or 401A from KOMTAR bus terminal.

-Info courtesy of Wikitravel-

Famed heritage losing its glory

Famed heritage losing its glory

THE history galleries at the Fort Cornwallis in George Town, Penang has been hit by leakages, cracks and regular breakdowns of the air-conditioning system.

The nine gallery rooms were also found to be poorly lit with its paint peeling off. The wording on the information booths inside the galleries were also fading off.

Japanese tourist Ishikawa Akiichiro, 57, who was touring George Town for a day described the galleries as boring.

“I was expecting to find out about the history of the fort from the galleries but it is very disappointing,” he said when met at the fort grounds.

American engineer Michael Dillon, 34, said the galleries could be better improved with sufficient funding.

“Besides the galleries, the fort management can also look into repairing some of the facilities which are on the verge of collapsing such as the fencing around a historical excavation site,” he said.

Another American tourist Jake Lippa, 29, a researcher, said the historical information was good but he decided not to visit the remaining galleries after visiting the first two because it was “simply too hot inside”.

He said although the galleries, which were originally cell rooms, were part of the fort’s rich historical landscape, it could be updated to a certain extent without disturbing its historical significance.

British administrator Corrine Cridge, 27, and her optometrist boyfriend Ben Royal, 24, said the fort management could look into employing a guide who could provide a verbal explanation of the fort’s history instead of merely displaying the information.

However, they said the fort was nicer than what they had expected, adding that they would definitely recommend the place to friends who were keen to visit the place.

-News courtesy of The Star-

Cultural fair

Cultural fair

Island Plaza in Penang is holding a Japanese Fair from 10am to 10pm until Sunday. Activities include drawing demonstration, handicraft, traditional dance and kendo performances. All are welcome.

Heritage boost for Penang

PENANG’S UNESCO world heritage site will soon boast of having the country’s first ‘cultural hotel’.

Property owner K.H. Seah said three pre-war houses along Jalan Pintal Tali would be restored and re-opened as a high-end hotel to be named ‘1881 Chong Tian Cultural Hotel’.

“These triple storey buildings, which have been around for over a century, is located in where I hope to develop as Penang’s Chinatown.

“We want to revive that area and make sure that it becomes a living heritage,” he said in an interview yesterday.


Big plans: The three pre-war houses along Jalan Pintal Tali will be restored and reopened as a high-end hotel to be named ‘1881 Chong Tian Cultural Hotel’.

Seah, who owns a stretch of 13 other heritage houses in the area, said he would refurbish the other premises which he planned to rejuvenate and promote as Chinatown.

“We have Little India and the Malay Kapitan heritage enclaves here but no Chinatown.

“This cultural hotel will be a start for us to create a specific area where everyone can come and learn about Chinese culture,” he said.

Work on the cultural hotel will start at the end of the month and is expected to complete by the end of the year.

Seah said he was hoping to get the Unesco Conservation Award for his efforts, adding that the uniqueness of the cultural hotel was that it would have a library, mini cafe and museum featuring extensive antique collections dating back to the 18th century.

“I am an antique collector and have received many pledges from other collectors to help stock up the library and museum.


Priceless piece: The intricately carved wooden door in one of the three houses will be preserved.

“The library resources and exhibition area will be free for everyone because one of our main objectives is to propagate the Chinese culture brought here by our ancestors,” he said.

Seah and his partners have invested RM2mil to purchase the three lots and will need another RM1.5mil to refurbish the place in accordance to heritage guidelines.

“The interior is termite-infested and there are trees growing within the building causing the structure to crack.

“Think City Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Khazanah Holdings (a federal investment arm), has agreed to assist with the funding,” he said.

“They will meet on Wednesday to decide on how much allocation the project will receive,” he said.

Cultural Heritage Advisory Group member and project consultant Tan Yeow Wooi said the 19th century buildings had many unique features including Venetian windows and intricate Chinese motifs of peonies, dragons and cockerels on the facade.

“There is also a very nice Cantonese-style sliding door with intricate carvings,” he said. — CHRISTINA CHIN

-News courtesy of The Star-