Disregarding the fact that I constantly get bitten to death (well, almost) by mosquitoes and getting nagged my ears off whenever I come back home at wee hours of the morning, being back in Penang has never been better!

Why did I leave Penang in the first place? Guess it’s because the industry I’m in beckons me to the big city KL.

If not for that, I doubt I’ll ever leave this pretty little island.

Melancholy aside, I’m back. Not for good, but for this Chinese New Year. 

Took some time to watch the sunrise with buddies. We literally went crazy, crazy, crazy till we see the sun.

0615HRS

Waiting by the rocks at Gurney Drive

Would you rise already, dear sun?

I can see some beams coming from the distance already

0645HRS

Getting brighter and brighter by the minute!

So pretty by the sea, ain’t it?

Keep rising!

And rising!

Almost there..

0700HRS

It has risen!

I also took some before and after panoramic photos of the sunrise.

Yay! I successfully stayed up till the morning light. 

Of course, that wouldn’t be possible without great company!

Myself & I by the rocks haha!

Surprised? Yeah there’s two of me.

After sunrise, it’s straight on to breakfast!

Headed to Toh Soon Cafe (多春茶座) located at the backlane of Campbell Street off Penang Road.

Campbell Street arch

The wait was long as it is a very popular spot for breakfast, patronized by both the young and old.

I didn’t mind waiting for a classic breakfast but one of the waitresses was so downright rude.

She raised her voice at me, snapped, gave me a dirty look, rushed through my orders before I knew what she was talking about and walked away before we knew what we were ordering.

What on earth? I don’t owe you anything, woman.

But apart from the dreadful service and the unpleasant atmosphere, we got what we wanted:

The charcoal-barrel burned buttered toast with softboiled eggs

Yeah I know it looks pretty easy to make, I can even do the same thing at home.

I reckon it’s the local popular culture that somehow made it a must to come here for breakfast.

We hopped to the next breakfast spot, ‘Ah Lai Cafe Under The Big Tree’ along Church Street Ghaut, just off Beach Street

How many traditional/authentic Chinese coffee shops with zinc roofs are quite like this anymore?

I guess its the novelty that people come for, apart from the classic breakfast sets

Buttered toast!

Their speciality! It was toast with a folded sunny side up egg, cheese & sliced sausages!

Dressed up, dolled up and I’m ready to go!

Went crazy on Chinese New Year clothes shopping this year.

I think I bought like <10 items? Can’t wait to wear ’em! 

Ended the long day with our favourite pints of Hoegaarden & Kronenbourg 1664 Blanc

at Eurodeli, Gurney Plaza

The next day! Clad in my favorite Jack Daniels baby tee

Headed to The Twelve Cups at The WhiteAways Arcade along Beach Street

Mr.BFF wanted to recommend me their mille crepe cakes seeing that I love cakes!

Ingenious decorations on their white-washed brick wall!

We had Hokkaido Chocolate and Coffee Chocolate

*Highly recommended*

I loved The Twelve Cups. It was very quiet, cosy and quaint. 

Admiring the local street murals/wall art

PSA much? 

Happy girl got her Milkshake Factory fix! I am easily pleased like that

For a healthy dinner, I recommend Nando’s half (or quarter!) Chicken with Fino Sides of Spinach & Potatoes

There are grilled vegetables, corn on the cob and others too which are just as healthy!

The daily grind at gym

Went about town gallivanting and enjoying the street art & murals

I bet this fella is wondering who I am riding pillion just like that. Sorry, bro!

One of Penang’s very popular iron/metal structures!

Outing with buddyKen at China House.

Chocolate Marquise! OMNOMNOMNOM

Chocolate Pistachio! OMNOMNOMNOM

Yes, if you didn’t know, my weakness is chocolate. Heh. Heh. Heh. Sinful, cocoa indulgence.

But ironically, I’m intolerant to it. Not many know about this, considering the copious amounts of chocolate I consume!

Back to KL I go!

Couldn’t help taking a photo of the wondrous Penang Bridge

So… why did I drive all the way back to KL only to return to Penang two days later? 

For an important event that I was invited to make my appearance – AS A ZOMBIE!

How could I refuse? 

I’m your worst nightmare

The very first instalment of the famed Zombie Run – Malaysian edition!

*Here the Link to the article*

Tired. Early morning breakfast at Old Town.

Excuse the zzz face I didn’t shower and just hopped into the car LOL don’t judge me

Lunch at DOME with a friend whom I’ve not seen in almost a decade

Random car shot LOL

BabyChivas takes the wheel!

Breakfast one morning with Mr.BFF at my usual brekkie spot, Antipodean in Bangsar!

Salmon Omelette for me and Big Breakfast for him!

OOTD! My new zombie apocalypse tee

Late dinner one day

Best part was, we were the last customers of the day! 

So it was easier to have my meatballs come with boiled potatoes and broccoli instead of the usual french fries.

Okay that’s all for this week! 

For those who are already on holidays, have an awesome long holiday! And for those who will be bracing the traffic back to your hometowns, drive safely!

Lastly, to the clever ones that are returning back home by plane… SO SMART AH? 

Much love,

Jessicat

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The Sunday Times is a weekly series; published every Sunday night to recap the highlights of my week, capture what piques my interest and to briefly highlight my recommendations for to-go and to-eat places!

Some of the photos in this edition are posted instantly on my Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr & Facebook

Do follow to get instant updates and pretty photos of the sights & sounds all around me!

My weekend went swell… it was a blast in every sense of the word!

Thanks to Hennessy Malaysia, I flew down to Penang on Saturday to attend Hennessy Artistry Penang.

At one of the many Hennessy bars during the press conference in the afternoon

As I've announced before in this blogpost, Hennessy Artistry is back with a bang this 2012!

The aforementioned party which I had the pleasure of attending, marks the very first of its trilogy of parties this year! 

We arrived the airport as early as 9 o' clock in the morning, boarded the plane by Malaysia Airlines and had a pleasant flight towards Penang. Touched down safely just before noon.

Lunchtime at Blue Reef Fish & Chips @ Straits Quay

The grilled Chilean Sea Bass aka Cod with Prawns was delicious! 

We were then ushered to Straits Quay Convention Centre for the Press Conference session along with a Meet & Greet with the artistes of the event. 

They were Taiwan Mandopop boyband Lollipop F, UK Grammy-Award Trance DJ Andy Moor and our very talented local acts DJ Ramsey Westwood, DJ Ernest C and singer/vocalist Suki Low.

This way to the venue

At the Hennessy Artistry photowall!

TheJessicat wears:

Blazer by Cotton On

Black Studded shoulderbag by Guess

Heart Sunnies sponsored by Online Store : Friendly Fashion

Leopard Tank sponsored by Online Store : Friendly Fashion

Dark Grey jeggings by Forever 21

Neon Pink-Rainbow kicks by Nike

Had a sneak peak into the venue before anyone else.

The moment I stepped in, I was in awe! 

Loved how they transformed the convention hall into such a posh bar-lounge to mingle about 

Heaps of tables, chairs & lounge sofas for guests to chill with their fave Hennessy drinks

Guests will have their photo taken at the Hennessy 360 Camera platform!

Love it! So much fun 😀

That, my dears, is only the beginning!

For behind the curtains is the stage, many bars, lounge sofas, podiums and more located within the enormous party zone capable of hosting more than 2000 party-goers.

Patience, pet!  Patience! 

The bar boasting Hennessy's signature long drinks : 

Hennessy Apple, Hennessy Berry, Hennessy Ginger & Hennessy Soda! 

I had my fave Hennessy Apple made by the Hennessy girls manning the bar

Dear Hennessy, congrats on your lovely new bottle again! 

Before we knew it, the MC of the event, MTV VJ Rich, ushered us to gather around before he welcomed the artistes of Hennessy Artistry Penang 2012 to the venue! 

Richard Herrera aka MTV VJ Rich. He's a bit of a looker, is he not? 😉  😉

We had the opportunity to speak to them and find out what they think about this party.

Questions were posed and from there we got to know the stars a tad better 🙂

Owodog from Lollipop F answering a question from the floor

Did you know that the 'F' in 'Lollipop F' represents their FOUR members? 😀

Now we do.

Local DJs Ernest C and Ramsey Westwood sharing their sentiments

Suki Low and Andy Moor listening attentively

Candid shot! Suki Low in smiles

After the press conference, I told her how I watched her grow since her victory as a 16 year old girl in 8TV's One in a Million reality TV show. She seemed rather surprised and bashful about my knowing of her since way back then! 

I was excited to watch her perform ever since her debut in 2006.

DJ Ramsey smile for the camera!

Rams and I 

Ramsey, a fellow Penangite, is a friend of mine since teenagehood

Looking forward to watch him play tonight as (let's be honest) I've never watched him play LIVE before! 😛

Andy Moor. My eyecandy of the night!

I couldn't believe I was sitting about 2 feet directly in front of Andy Moor.

I've been listening to his works and remixes for a couple of years now and this British trance & progressive music DJ/Producer is nothing short of talented!  Take a listen to his tracks, it's really good 😀

I asked Andy a question : What will we partygoers be expecting from you and your set tonight?

To which he answered : I'm very excited about tonight. Expect a whole lot of groove.. and energy!

Andy Moor and I  My day (life) is complete 😛

Here's a group photo of all the artistes of Hennessy Artistry Penang 2012!

Cheers! Tonight's gonna be a good night 😀

Managed to steal a photo with MTV VJ Rich before everything was over 😛

When the Press Conference was over, we were left all pumped up and excited to partyrock on tonight with free-flow of superb drinks by Hennessy, a stellar line up, good music and many familiar faces! 

You know there's always a good party with the world's leading cognac, Hennessy VSOP, around!

We were then chauffeured back to our crib for the night, G-Hotel along Gurney Drive! 

I took a short rest, had a piping hot shower and began dolling up for tonight's event.

My room

Dubbed Penang's Most Stylish Address, it was a pleasure to have stayed in this seafront hotel that comes with a breathtaking coastal view. Except though, rather unfortunately, it wasn't the most breathtaking view as I had imagined due to the low tide of the sea.

Bummer! 🙁

My workspace for the weekend. 

Had only very little time to bask in the comfort and spaciousness of my room during the day, a little bit during the night and the morning after, but I made sure I did! :D

But my love for my King Sized bed knows no boundaries! 

Giant mirrors too. I approve! 😀

Now excuse me, while I put my best foot forward for tonight

Just before the event began, we had dinner at Hisago Modern Japanese Restaurant @ Straits Quay

I had cod again, but with Soft Shell Crab Maki and Sashimi this time!

After a satisfiying meal at Hisago, it was time to turn up the party dial!

Hennessy Artistry Penang 2012 was just about to begin…

Stay tuned! 

As we speak, it's raining cats and dogs in a really nasty thunderstorm.
 

I can remember back in primary school,  when a bolt of white light shot across the sky followed by a thunderous sound roaring in the distance, we would all crawl under our desks clamoring in fear.

And right now, I can almost feel that fear coming right back to me.
 

Looks like we're in for a stormy week
 

Bad time to go holidaying in Penang Island folks, BAD TIME. 🙁
 

Doesn't help that thefockers and I are going on a cruise which embarks from Penang this weekend!

Already booked and paid for *gasp*
 

Dang! That was just about the loudest thunder I've ever heard O__o
 

Mom and dad have been telling me that the sky has been dark by 6 in the evening – which is very very strange – and that insane thunder and lighting would be heard all day. And the rain? Merciless.
 

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_ruxFJFUow
 

Here's a rather lengthy 4 min video of the heavy rain along Gurney Drive yesterday,

but you can always fast-forward it like I did 🙂
 

Penang is where I come from, of course it matters! I hope and pray that my little dear island doesn't sink in due time! T__T
 

I don't mind a little rain, heavy rain or flashfloods- it's only natural.
 

But hazardous thunderstorms & waterspouts which *may* cause lives if it hits the land?

Sigh. Not very nice at all.

My only wonder is why isn't there isn't any trace of hard news of any sort on the mainstream news wire like  New Straits Times or The Star Online? Strange. Did they miss out such an important bit of a natural disaster?
 

Anyways, saw some interesting viral YouTube videos on the tornado/waterspout caught LIVE in Penang and decided to compile them all here. Credit goes to respective owners of the video

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umEPJsa-G0g
 

Daddy and daughter are cutely hilarious in the background audio
 

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drA45DOmXIk
 

Run for your lives!!!
 

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQK5beslzEs&feature=related
 

Excuse the swearing at the end of this video LOL
 

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmO-PeuMfog
 

I recognize this place relatively well hmm..
 

all locals & frequent tourists would recognize Gurney Drive anytime

Will keep you guys updated should there be any more videos okay!

Here are some rather interesting excerpts and responses from a forum thread regarding this matter
 

yeah, from the looks of the videos above, the winds can be pretty menacing 🙁
 

My mom told me what the kazana guy said too
 

Could 2012 be approaching faster than we all thought? Damn.
 

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCWd21ortdk
 

The 2nd half of the video has much more action

("commentators" are totally freaking out, badly!)
 

Malaysia is lucky enough to be freed from the Pacific Ring of Fire  which encircles natural disasters like tornados, earthquakes, volcano eruption and the like. But but this? and the Tsunami that hit Penang in 2004?
 

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFpcDC3KHzA

It's a must-watch!

("commentators" freaking out terribly in Chinese)
 

the Gods must be angry at mankind. All bow down to Mother Nature's fury!