4 Nov 2004 happens to be my friend's birthday. Later at the end of the day, she said the day was one of the more boring ones for her in Penang. If I had a magic wand, I would like to give it to her so that she could find something fruitful for herself despite the apparent boring nature of the day.
We started the day with breakfast in the Kopitiam, the hotel's restaurant on the ground floor. The menu for breakfast was about the same throughout the few days that we were in Penang, but since breakfast is one of my favourite meals of the day, I could contentedly enjoy it anyway.
After breakfast, we enquired for the use of the hotel's internet facilities, and I was up surfing the internet for about half an hour. It was rather disappointing that my friend had not received the email reply that she had been waiting for. Perhaps if she had received one, it might have made her day a little more delightful? I think I must have been a slight workaholic then, I spent quite some time trying to clear some work-related emails.
Afterwhich, I found out that it would take about 40 - 50 ringgits for a one-way trip to the War Museum by taxi. I have heard about the Penang's War Museum before I left for Penang, and I wanted very much to visit it. My friend had some reservations going there, but she obliged to join me to visit the war museum. I am touched by her gesture, at the same time, I was not sure if she went there with me at a great expense to herself. Whatever it is, I accepted her gracious gesture of agreeing to visit the War Museum.
We were quite lucky to get a taxi driver who was willing to take us to the War Museum, wait for us there till we were done with the tour, and then drive us back to the hotel for 60 ringgits. He said it was difficult to get a taxi there, so he offered to wait for us outside the museum. It was indeed difficult to catch a taxi there, and I was very glad that he offerred to wait for us while we toured the War Museum.
My friend definitely has good social skills and she started chatting with the taxi driver on the way. We found out that during the month of Ramadan (the month whereby the Muslims fast during the day), business for the taxi drivers is usually slow. Business would usually pick up on the week just before Hari Raya Puasa. The taxi driver told us that in Penang, the taxi drivers generally do not drive around the roads to look for potential passengers to flag their taxi like what is done in Singapore. Instead, the taxi drivers would usually wait at a spot for passenger to come. Our taxi driver for the day told us that taxi drivers can't afford to waste petrol by driving around the roads to look for potential passengers. Usually, he would have to wait for an hour or two to get a passenger. He said he was lucky on that day, because he only had to wait for about 20 minutes outside our hotel and we hired his taxi for a long distance trip to the War Museum.
I cannot remember how long it took for us to get to the War Museum, but it was quite a pleasant ride. It was good that we got onboard a taxi whose driver could speak fluent English, and my friend had someone to converse with to get some insights of the country's culture.
The War Museum is a military fortress located south-east of the Penang Island. It was built in the 1930's by the British to protect the island of Penang from enemies. It is situated on 20 acres of land, and is constructed on what is now called Bukit Batu Maung.
I am thankful that my friend knew me well enough to request for the VIP guided tour around the War Museum. Being on the VIP guided tour has definitely shed more light about the museum than if we were to tour the war museum on our own. There was an extra cost to request for this VIP guided tour. I had very much want to pay for the extra cost and the admission for my friend and myself, but my friend insisted that we go Dutch.
I enjoyed the tour at the War Museum. We even walked an underground military tunnel which was meant for soldiers to take cover should there be any emergency. I doubt I might be brave enough to venture the tunnel without the tour guide. I must praise our tour guide at the War Museum for being competent and knowledgeable of the history behind the war museum. I have an expectation for tour guide to be able to give insightful information regarding the historic background of the attraction, and he certain had lived up to the expectations. I supposed you could now have some understanding why I say that my tour guide for the day tour on 3 Nov 2004 was more a driver than a tour guide. Then again, maybe it was just me, I have been having high expectations perhaps.
The military fortress that has made up the War Museum has been well-maintained and well conceptualised. Somehow I like this military fortress at the Penang's War Museum than the Battlebox located at Singapore's Fort Canning Hill. The fortress at the Penang War Museum is beautiful and looks much more integrated than that at Fort Canning Hill. We also had a chance to see the canon firing bays, the sleeping quarters, the cook houses, the trenches that form a part of this military fortress during our visit to the war museum. I have no regret to visit the War Museum. I am thankful that my friend cum travel companion was willing to bear with this fascination of mine with war relics. Furthermore, on her birthday.
Just a point to put across, there are mosquitoes breeding in the vicinity of the War Museum, and I would recommend visitors of the war museum to bring insect repellant if they would like to avoid getting mosquito bites. I have quite some mosquito bites, I suppose those were my undesired souvenirs from the war museum.
After the visit to the war museum, we set off back to the hotel. On the way back to hotel, my friend was trying to ask the taxi driver for suggestions to shopping spots in Penang. The taxi driver suggested Gurney Plaza.
Back in the hotel, we took a short rest before we went for lunch. We had Indian food for lunch at one of the eateries nearby the hotel. Then we ventured around the streets of Georgetown. I think my friend would have like it better if there were things for her to shop along the way?
We found ourselves near Khoo Kongsi, a clan house for Chinese of the same clan or surname Khoo. We visited this attraction. It is regarded as one of the most impressive buildings of historic and cultural value in Penang. Indeed it is, the carvings, statues and the paintings that wee found in Khoo Kongsi look so intricate.
After Khoo Kongsi, we continued our journey walking along the streets of Georgetown. My friend started making remarks that she was feeling bored. I wish I could have further understanding how this feeling of boredom had arised.
Along the way, we walked past the Kapitan Keling Mosque, the Kuan Yin Teng (Goddess of Mercy Temple), the St. George's Church, the Penang Museum, and Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion.
The Kapitan Keling Mosque along Jalan Mesjid Kapitan Keling was founded in 1801 by an Indian-Muslim merchant, Cauder Mydin Merican. This mosque is one of the oldest mosques in Penang. I understand that it is crowned by distinctive yellow domes and has influences of Moorish architecture. We did not enter the mosque. I understand that permission to enter must be obtained from the mosque officials, and I suspect that we did not have the appropriate attire according to the standards of Islam to enter the mosque.
I would have visited Penang Musem if not for the fact that it was just 15 more minutes to the closing time of the museum. Anyway, I was contented that I had visited the War Museum, so it was not a disappointment that I could not visit the Penang Museum that day.
We reached the hotel sometime in the early evening, and after taking a short rest in our hotel room, we set off to have dinner nearby. Dinner was acceptable, though not up to expectations. I missed the food at Gurney Drive while having Fried Mee for dinner. After dinner, we adjourned for the hotel.
I had wanted to get my friend a cake or a gift, but she has been declining my offer since Day One in Penang. Maybe I should have gave her a surprise, but I guess I did not want to end up going way against her wishes either. Such is a dilemma not well resolved. Anyway, I think the title of this post might have been an appropriate caption of how my friend could be experiencing the day. Then again, I think she had only experienced it as a boring day rather than a big day. I must have been the one who had perceived it as a big day for her. Afterall, it was her birthday.
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