I was at the DVD Paradise Pearl of the Orient (aka Penang Island) over the weekend for an infectious diseases conference. I thought it was a good meeting as we were updated on various issues in ID. The program was so packed the first day that we only finished at around 6.30 pm, leaving little time to enjoy the facilities in the Bayview Beach Resort at Batu Feringghi where the conference was held.

Thankfully the famous road side Batu Feringghi DVD paradise night market was a mere stone throw a way. Country bumpkins that we are, we actually took a cab the first night to the night market, not realising that we had to alight even before the seats were warmed! And Penang taxi drivers are living barracudas because the guy wanted RM6 for a half km ride!!! I heard a ride to town would cost half my EPF savings.

Anyway, the first night, we just popped into the nearest restaurant we saw, which was the ‘The Big Wave’ restaurant. You could almost see the disdain on the mamak waiter’s face when we merely ordered a plate of fried rice, a plate of tandoori chicken with butter nan and 2 glasses of sky juice! No sea-bass or lobsters for us! The portions were dismal (I swear they served tandoori crows) which filled about 1/3 of our oesophagus on the way to the stomach. Sigh. And the bill was an obscene RM20!!!

And then the shopping began! I’d rather not elaborate on what DVDs we bought but they were going for RM 4 a piece! Heck I could get 3 seasons of Desperate Housewives for a fraction of what I pay in KL for one season! But good sense prevailed and I did not buy any serials at all. Still, we spent quite a bit buying for others (friends tumpang to buy this and that lo).

The next day’s schedule was equally packed but I decided to skip some paediatric-related lectures in order to get some sun! The hotel pool was glorious and packed with ang mo langs (caucasians). You have to play “spot the Asian” there to find a fellow Malaysian!

The second night, being a bit wiser now, we decided to walk to the night market. It was a good walk and we did more DVD shopping. The many DVD shops there just overwhelms you and one wonders where are the law enforcers which, thankfully, are no where to be found! Heh heh!

Most of the DVDs we bought were excellent (we have a portable DVD player you see) but we had to exchange a few of them. I wasn’t really interested in the other stuffs on sale like hand bags (I wonder why the latest fashion in women hand bags are those made with cloth that resembles the cloth on my kitchen table studded with Pirates of the Caribbean style buckles! Poverty of idea I suppose), T-shirts, toys, little knick-knacks, paintings, art and craft objects etc etc. It was also hot and humid which makes jostling with other tourists very uncomfortable.

For dinner we decided to try some more local: Fried Kueh Teow and Oysters washed down with Ice-cold Coffee and Tea. The bill was RM13 and it was totally satisfying! The oysters were a little intimidating initially to eat coz they looked like marbles but they were delicious.

The hotel was only so so. The kettle and the phone didn’t work; the air con was not cold enough and we had to pay for using the sauna and steam room as well as internet. I am a bit miffed with hotels like these which, in my opinion, are behind times. I rather enjoy some hotels which provide free internet and free passage to all their facilities. The 4 days of being ‘internet-less’ was torture!

Anyway, I must say I had a good time there, learning, relaxing, resting, reading, shopping, and eating sans the kids.  I came back 2 shades darker and 2 kg heavier!

Wed, 110407 @ 0800; post call and feeling so tired and there’s a long day ahead. I need some (more) sun and fun.