A Chowrasta Market Walk Before Chinese New Year

It was a sunny Sunday, waking up early in the morning is really really unwilling for most of us as a young adults and for the teenagers too especially in the weekend. I accompanied my mother to Chowrasta Market to make her shoppings for ingredients needed for the traditional dishes that were to be cooked for Chinese New Year eve. There is no much changes in the market as compared to years ago which was my very last visit since then. For your information, Chowrasta Market is Penang's famous wet market located nearby to Komptar on Jalan Kuala Kangsar.


As usual the stalls are set up on the roadside along the street selling different categories of things.


Photos compilation of the partial things that are being sold in Chowrasta Market and some were meant for Chinese New Year.

Things are being sold in Chowrasta Market is almost the same as the other markets in Penang. The only difference is the feeling you got shopping in this market comparing with others. As for the photos posted above, some of the things that were being sold are meant for the Chinese New Year. In the first photo, they are known as "nian gao" considering good luck after eating them. They were made from glutinous rice and are popular during the Chinese New Year. Decorations for Chinese New Year were being sold in the market as well. On the fifth photo, the famous wan than mee which was once in my grandmother's neighborhood has moved in along the street of Jalan Kuala Kangsar.

After spending hours shopping for Chinese New Year dishes' ingredients in Chowrasta Market, finally I get to go home hiding myself under the roof from the searing sun at noon. The Chowrasta Market, were there for more than 10 years. It is one of the place where I grew up following my mother there during my childhood.

Will this market continues its tradition and business in the upcoming years in the future? I hope it will still continues.

Town Steamboat Restaurant Gathering With High School Buddies

Two buddies of mine who went to Australia and Sunway in Kuala Lumpur to further their studies last year had came back during the Chinese New Year. We had our gathering as dinner in Town Steamboat Restaurant together in the evening. It was an awesome dinner gathering that all of us had the chance to talk and had our dinner together. Again, laughters from jokes and silly pranks with actions has made the entire restaurant even more lively!


The Town Steamboat Restaurant located opposite the UMNO building in Macalister Road was our perfect stop for dinner gathering.



Xiang Foong, Shane, Chawin, the Blogger, Xiang Foong again and Maxie. Five of our noisiness created the lively restaurant.


Fried oyster of that day cooked by Master Foong! What a creative idea!

Funny pranks were pranked on both Shane and Maxie. The first one was Chawin, Xiang Foong, Maxie, and I went to the toilet one-by-one then we called Shane who has just arrived and started eating and told him through the phone,
"Shane, eh! Sorry we suddenly have things to do and need to go home immediately. Chawin's fetching us back. About the bills, please help all of us pay.. We will pay you back soon. Sorry, so sorry..."
Pity Shane, he was stunned and do not know how to reply my prank and replied only
"eh..! eh..! EH!"
through the phone before we returned back to the table and told him it was just a prank.

Unconsciously, again Chawin and Xiang Foong followed me to buy newspapers down the street. We left the table without telling them. At first Maxie suddenly texted me "Where are you?". Well, we ignored the text message and continued walking back. As soon as we reached outside of the restaurant, we started to spy on them. Maxie was looking around and started to panic slowly before calling us. I told him through the phone call from him with a very serious tone,
"Max, this time's real.. No more pranks. Chawin wants to go back now and we have no choice but to follow him back.. Sorry dude."
He asked me with a puzzled tone,
"What!? Where are you guys now?"
I answered,
"We're in the car right now. On the way back."
He replied me,
"Please no more prank.."
I said to him,
"No. I'm seious. Sorry man."
With a saddening voice, Max replied,
"Okay...."
And I hang up the call then we walked back to the table and surprised both of them and burst out laughters with tears rolling down the cheek. It was too funny! We continued chit chatting until 8 something and headed to the nearest Internet cafe for a few rounds of games especially Left 4 Dead. Maxie kept spawning witches and tanks with cheat codes. Suddenly, he shouted,
"Woi, 那个 Tank 不是我 spawn 的!"

It was an awesome night we had as gathering during the Chinese New Year fever. So awesome! I wonder what will we be doing this coming month of June this year when three of them Shi Jie, Shane, and Xiang Foong will be back again for holidays.
Amigos, let's make these coming hang outs more interesting with finger crossed!

My High School - Chung Ling High School

Time flies, speeds, teleports, and passed by with the blink of an eye and a heartbeat, it is about 17 months I graduated from Chung Ling High School. A month or two was my last visit back to my high school to accompany my friend to collect his SPM certificate. Nothing much has changed despite the addition of the fences for the indoor basketball court near the school canteen. Recalling the cherishable memories with my high school friends in every single corner doing craziest stuff we ever did as I walked by. Oh gosh! I miss the laughters, actions, and all kinds of jokes they said in those years.

My high school, Chung Ling High School! I am a Chung Ling boy too!

The corridor I used to walk to both the canteen and the basketball courts.

The Chung Ling High School's bell in the middle of the field.

No one is allowed to ring the bell in the school as student during my time even until today. If you did, you will get a big dimerit for doing so. Well, it will be a great opportunity to ring the bell for once when I get back there soon.

The school's garden and the 1st form and 2nd forms' block.

The outdoor basketball court that is located way back behind the school where the sciences' labs are located after the canteen.

Let's talk about the canteen, I favorite meals were the Wan Tan Mee, Koay Theow Th'ng, French Fries, and some fried snacks. Having half of the day in the school, the canteen break for us is very very important even though we ate in the class quietly. Well, whenever you bring anything such as biscuits to the school, never leave your container unattended to prevent the biscuits from "gone missing" (well in somebody's stomach I would say) because there is only one reason you will hear from your classmates, "Sharing is caring ma..!" Right–! Random happenings will happen unexpectedly especially in the class. The dirty jokes they told even the teachers' were teaching in front of the class making the entire lesson more interesting and full of laughters.

These are my cherishable memories in the high school. What about yours?