Chinese New Year (薪年快乐), Monkey Beach and Penang Hill with a Singapore smoker.

Everything happening in Penang right now has something to do with Chinese new year (薪年快乐 xin nian kuai le = Happy new year). These pics are in Campbell Street. These lads are dressed as Bruce Lee but I'm unsure what they're doing exactly.

This is MILO, a malty/chocolaty drink found in Thailand and Malaysia. Look at the queue.




These two jokers were cracking some gags. However, these particular one-liners would've been lost in translation to most Europeans. Superb outfits.

A deafening drums of the lion dancers taking a break.



There was free scran available to aid the festivities. There was even the famous 海南鸡饭 Hainan chicken rice.

Although the queue to eat this stuff was a force to be reckoned with. There were an unbelievable amount of people here.


Be warned, the police don't take too kindly to bribes (on the surface anyway). Bribery is huge all over Asia but Malaysia is at least trying.

My Rikshaw complete with clock, umbrella and flowers.




AWAS is Malay for Danger/Careful. However, we had some other ideas:

Asian Women Are Sexy
Austrian Wanker Armin Sucks
Afghan Wanker Attacked Steve
Armin Whips Angeles Slut
Angeles Was Artistically Satisfying
Anally Wounded Astronaut Screams
Australian Women Are Seagoats
Ask Why After Sex
A Welshman Acquired Sheep
Always Wet At Scotland
All Weasles Are Stupid
Ashington Women Act Suicidal
Allerdyce Was Absolutely Shite

Taipei-based Tigran will not believe a street named after his beloved country:


Making a movie at this Chinese temple. Can you see Jackie Chan?



Nasi Lemak and Teh Tarik. Trianglular packages of rice and small spicy fish wrapped in banana leaves.


I bet Eric Clapton would struggle with this.



On a jungle trek to Monkey Beach near Teluk Bahang.





DANGER - in 5 languages??



Grey skies but still feels like paradise.









It's very bright and I get head-aches constantly squinting my eyes. The Chinese lass there kindly lent her bug-eyed specs. On women they look sexy. On me they look..........well.


Another walk up the steep jungle track of Penang Hill.





This time with Xuli from Singapore. It took us 4hrs to do the 5km. Xunli's a great laugh but a very very slow walker. She stopped every 100m to smoke roll-ups. Her catchphrase was 'So fucking steep!' This is my slowest ever ascent of anything! One bloke using crutches passed us!



The slow stroll up gave me the chance to photo some interesting botanical featrues like this curly-wurly tree.



At the top we were rewarded with this city-scape. 






A little later. I think it looks even better at night.


We took the train back down and went for some food. I was proud of Xunli and felt she deserved her Sushi, Hor fan, Satay and other bits and pieces. We got lost in Penang and I asked Xuli for her map. She handed me a map of the country - hehe. It's like a map of Europe when you want an A-Z of Newcastle.


Fancy a game of pool? Watch out for the chickens.


The lad is Connor from Dublin. I first met him in Kunming Sept '06. Then again in Manila Feb '08. Finally here in Penang Jan '09. Weird. He works as a Science teacher in Shanghai.



This morning Armin has gone to Langkawi and Xunli has gone to Hat Yai. I have a 1530 bus to KL. Tonight I'll sleep in the airport before hitting the Philippines tomorrow. This is my 7th visit to the Philippines. If the job in Linfen goes OK, I plan to meet Armin again in July.

Lofty ambitions? New years resolutions:

1. Become fluent in Chinese
2. Start Yoga
3. Quit smoking
4. Ease off alcohol - learn to drink wothout smoking.
5. Meet a compatible female

18 days in Angeles? What to do?