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!

This is ridiculous! Time is certainly against me.

I've had 'The Sunday Times' weekly edition published every Sunday for exactly nine consecutive weeks now, it is beyond me how I skipped exactly a month's worth of it!

My last edition was dated 21st October, exactly four weeks ago!

It was before I jetsetted off to Cambodia for a couple of weeks and adjourned to Penang before I could even unpack! Also got into a road accident, sprained my ankle, ran a marathon and brought some lovely Australian tourists around the city.

The past month has been hectic and I apologize for not being timely with the blogposts I promised!

I've decided to revert my approach to blogging back to how I used to be. Timeliness is key. No more pending blogposts for months on end! For now, I shall be kept busy clearing off all my backlog. 

So let's see, where were we?

Dressed up for Halloween 2012 for Zouk KL's Skull Island party with my buddies

So many photos to share! Full blogpost coming soon, I promise! 

Dinner recommendation : Brotzeit German Bier Bar & Restaurant @ Sunway Pyramid

My one and ONLY favorite place for mouth-watering pork ribs! 

Packed my bags and was ready to go. I was then flown to Siem Reap, Cambodia on a fully sponsored trip by BlogFest Asia 2012. 

Cambodia Part One's blogpost is up – here! *click*

The majestic Angkor Wat by the 6AM sunrise

And the golden sunset at Phnom Bakheng hilltop

Nine days was too short! I landed back in Kuala Lumpur before I was ready to say goodbye to Cambodia.

A couple of days later, I was whisked away by Carlsberg Malaysia to their secret annual party held in Penang Island this year 

Carlsberg : Where's the Party 2012 blogpost Part One – here! *click*

Coming back to my little island, Penang, was a good way to get away from the city for a while.

It awarded me the time I wanted to spend with mother; in a familiar space

where nothing else used to matter but the comforts of home 

We're 30 years apart but hardly any visible difference, ey? 

Got to spend time with another one of my unsung heroes in life 

My maid/kakak/nanny/housekeeper/another-mother. Already 20 years working with us and counting!

What's Penang Island without it's heritage trail and food hunting?

I took part in the annual Penang Bridge International Marathon 2012 as well.

Full blogpost – here! *click*

Took a roadtrip down south to surprise godmom dearest with a private birthday lunch

at Indulgence Restaurant & Living, Ipoh's most opulent fine dining mansion 

Fully recommended for memorable functions or romantic dates!

Spent the last two days with Konzy's family who flew down all the way from Australia!

Brought them to some local food delights at NZ Garden Cafe 

I recommend this as a perfect spot to bring tourists as it overlooks our Twin Towers!

Had a lovely time with them! 

I hope they bear nothing but good memories of Kuala Lumpur city & Malaysia 

Attended the finale of Kronenbourg 1664's L'Aperitif Fashion

Celebrating the French art of pleasure at Luna Bar, on the roof top of Pacific Regency Hotel!

It was a night of cutting edge fashion, music, merriment, mingling and oh yes, more Blanc, please!

Thank you, Kronenbourg 1664, for having me 

Spent an afternoon in the city in a food review session at La Mexicana KL

Fully recommended for authentic Mexican cuisine! *Full blogpost coming soon*

AND THEN. I didn't know what hit me. I shall blame it on the weather or my idle immune system LOL.

Without any prior symptoms whatsoever, I fell sick with a very high fever the next day 

The closest thing I can get to sick-person food in Old Town restaurant

Ginger Chicken with Steamed Rice and Hot Honey Lemon juice right before taking my dosage of Paracetamol

(Thanks for the meds, Pammy! x)

Just cut up a large platter of fruits – oranges, apples & pears. Will be needing all the Vitamin C I can pump in to be well for tomorrow night's ball! 

The 'Musical Evening for the Children' fund-raising gala evening of music, food and fun is a philanthropic effort by the A Cut Above group to aid the Malaysian Childrens' Aid Society (MACAS).

The one-night-only performance will see a myriad of Malaysia's best local artistes and celebrities serenading us with their various vocal talents and respective musical instruments as well as a hair-show featuring the Miss Universe Malaysia 2013 finalists and so much more! 

I've always believed in lending my support to charity events, to the best I can. In the pursuit of success, one should always take a portion of it to give back to society. Whether it be in cash, kind or even one's own talent and skills of trade…

We all know charity begins at home… but it doesn't have to stop there 

That being said, have a wonderful & blessed seven days ahead of you, dear readers!

Much love,

Jessicat

———————————————————————————————————————————————–

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!

Just came back from my very first marathon event!

Today's blogpost is a sequel to – this entry.

Just a lil selca of the panting, energy-drained & sweat-laden me at the finish line! 

My first ever 10KM run went superbly well considering the fact that I was running with two injuries – a bike accident last week & a sprained ankle yesterday 

It hurt so bad to the point that I was contemplating whether or not I ought to pull out from the race.

But when I woke up this morning fully energized from a good night's sleep, I knew there was no backing out from this Penang Bridge run. 

Ready to run the 10KM… with an ankle support LOL

After all, I have been looking forward to the Penang Bridge International Marathon (PBIM) 2012 for several months now! Am I really going to chicken out from this? 

No way Jose, I'm still that tough cookie you used to know. And I'm all out for the race!

A power breakfast before my first marathon event : A banana and oats with soy and papaya! 

If you were wondering what happened to my PJ Half Marathon, there was a miscommunication in my participation; found out that I wasn't registered 🙁
So, I'm not gonna let anything get in the way of my will to finish that 10KM again… Not in a million years!

Thus began my foray into the world of marathon running..

Oh no! Human gridlock beside Eastin Hotel as we flagged off!

It was difficult to maneuver my way to the front, where the path was much clearer. 

To get there, I had to weave in and out amongst the sea of people in bright yellow

Whilst running, I must admit that I was, instead of focusing on my run, observing a lot of things around me like a curious kitten in the woods 
There were Boy Scouts and Girl Guides on duty manning the water stations, traffic police making sure we don't stray from our routes and Red Crescent Society members on stand-by with ice-packs and deep heating rubs.

The police shutting off main roads and highways for us!

Among the other things I saw were couples holding hands while running (umm.. what?), loving fathers piggy-backing their tired young sons, kids running in groups, fit Indian men sprinting, a Malay man running in his Baju Melayu, a white-haired Chinese septuagenarian running, several Caucasians and smelt people reeking of the most dreadful body odour, the type that would make you accuse them of smuggling expired cheese in their armpits.

For heaven's sake, please acknowledge the existence of deodorant.. I implore you!

Getting closer and closer to Penang Bridge!

Approaching the middle span of the Penang Bridge encouraged me to push myself further. (Before you reprimand me, I'm fully aware that I shouldn't run with a sprained ankle, much less exert pressure on my injury!) 

I particularly fancied the motivational signboards that were sparsely placed along the race track. It gave me the encouragement to keep running, just as my pace began to slow down.

Included in this enry, are three out of the many aforementioned signboards. Here's one:

Hear hear!

Running on the 4th longest bridge in Asia, couldn't ever have felt more fulfilling 

It just gives you that high you'll never get from anything else 

The accidental sunrise

The above photo is named as such because catching the sunrise this morning wasn't even part of the plan!

You know how I love waking up early to watch the sunrise or hike up a hill to wait for the sunset? This habit (or should I say, effort?) of mine is especially intensified whenever I go out of the country LOL. 

And today, the giant ball of resplendence – in such a perfect circle, no less! – had risen right before my very eyes. Being me, I whipped out my iPhone and started taking photos.

Clocked in 5KM in 35 minutes!

I carried a tiny waterbottle with me but disposed of it after hitting the 5KM mark as they were giving away mineral waterbottles 

Oh and, rumour has it that this year's run will be its last.

Next year's will be carried out on the 2nd Penang Bridge – estimated to be completed by mid 2013 – instead.

 At this point, I was even more fuelled keep going & ran as fast as my legs could carry me 

I finally clocked in 10KM at 1 hour and 10 minutes!

"Made it… at last", I muttered under my breath and gave the beads of sweat trickling down my forehead a final wipe down.

Yup, I felt like a million dollars the moment I crossed that finish line… You bet! 

LOL at the Charlie Sheen motivational signboard!

I guess I'll give myself a pat on the back for today's efforts 

Running with an injury isn't exactly the most pleasant feeling to have, as the burning, painful sensation was throbbing throughout my entire run. How unlucky! 🙁

Oh, really now? How apt for my condition 

Disregarding the pain, my experience as a first timer proved itself to be a very exhilarating one.

I managed to catch sight of very interesting occurrences along the race track; things that I would not have seen had I not partaken in this marathon event.

Received a certificate of participation! 

As I always average at 35 minutes for my 5KM run (part of my usual workout routine), today's 10KM fun run helped me set my benchmark for future races apart from gauging a personal record of my own pace and speed.

Today's unofficial record of 1hour and 10minutes included taking photos and tweeting (LOL!) apart from the ideal running, jogging and brisk walking intervals.

Fellow runners taking a rest after completing the 10KM

I don't know how the full-marathoners do it, to be honest. 

Finishing the 42KM, which takes approximately 7 hours, is downright impressive!

7 hours is the duration I take to sleep but the estimated time-frame they take to finish a full marathon.

At least I managed to finish my very first 10KM at my own pace, within the qualifiying time!

I know I'm a newbie in marathon running, but I'll get to the 42KM one day.
After all, we've all got to start somewhere 

Silly me, of course it'll be like running a marathon.

It IS a marathon in every sense of the word.

As I've always been a fitness junkie almost my entire life, I know you probably won't believe that it's gonna be my first time joining a marathon. 

Don't worry. Neither can I haha!

Okay, that's kinda true but not entirely. In high school, I joined several school cross-country runs and always emerged top 30. Does that count? Probably not. Heh.

Allow me to shamelessly display some of my athletic medals here LOL

I was a 100metreX4 relay runner, a 200metre runner, a high jumper, a long jumper, a netballer & a squash player

Mom sent it to me from home for motivation when I told her was joining my first marathon. 

Sucha sweetheart, ain't she? 

Marathon after marathon – Standard Chartered KL Marathon, Energizer Night Race, Adidas King of the Road, Monash University Run – I bookmarked the website but no thanks to my absent-mindedness, I end up forgetting to register myself for it.

Boo!

So yeah, up till now, I myself, cannot believe that I've not joined a single marathon at all.

Maybe it's also because the thought of the world 'MARATHON' intimidates me.

So… I'm supposed to compete with hundreds of other people for the medal & certificate? What if I don't make it? What if I embarrass myself? What if my friends all go ahead of me and I lag behind? 

Yes, I'm competitive by nature. Sue me.

I don't join competitions for the sake of it. Should I participate in something, I aim to win. 

So I decided to put my competitive nature aside as this is, after all, my first official marathon.

Yup, the PJ Half Marathon ongoing this 30th September!

Thanks to my two friends Prakash & Pamela, I was signed up for this before I even heard of it.

So yes, thank you for taking my popping my marathon cherry! 

This is the route I'll be running on :

Yup. 7 kilometres for my very first marathon.

I keep convincing myself that it shouldn't be thaaaaat bad or scary.

After all, I run 5KM every single time I go to the gym.

So… 7KM should be a breeze, no? Here's to hoping! *crosses fingers*

I began my training today and clocked in 47minutes. I was dissatisfied but oh well, I still have 9 more days till the marathon!

First day of endurance, strength & stamina training!

Adrenalin started to fill me and the next thing I did was to source for other marathons to participate in!

Gee, whizz! I searched the internet with full gusto and found something that I was pretty keen on joining.

Yup, it's the Penang Bridge International Marathon! 

I've been hearing so much about the annual Penang Bridge run year in, and year out, but somehow never bothered to participate. Double boo!

But lucky me, I've already registered myself, as this will be the LAST run on this bridge. Next year's run will be held on the Penang Second Bridge instead!

However, UNlucky me, I was a week late and all the spaces for the 10KM Open Category run had already been filled up 🙁

I was left with no choice but to participate in the 10KM Fun Run instead! No matter.

The route that I'll be running on :

So that's about it. If you hear about any upcoming marathons this year, do buzz me!

Even, better… JOIN ME!  I'm always up for a challenge *wink*