A quickie weekend getaway

Travelling into Southern Thailand is like crossing the border of Mexico in the US. That is how close we are with Thailand. We have three points of entry into Thailand; namely Padang Besar, Bukit Kayu Hitam; both on the North and Rantau Panjang in the East Coast

This is the Bukit Kayu Hitam Checkpoint 

After Immigrations and Customs are done with we drove passed a giant gate

Crossing over to Thailand, we were surprised to see the old Sadao Checkpoint closed .

No idea when it happened, but now replaced by this newly built checkpoint which caused a bit of a confusion while driving through both times going and returning for lack of direction/notice board.

I like to think that this is only temporary until it is completed(hopefully) for it is weird that the only checkpoint noticeable shared the same route both ways and  it seem a bit too small to cater to holiday crowds when it does happen. I can just imagined the long queue and hours of waiting to just get through it as with the last checkpoint which seem triple in size compared  to this new location.

I was only told of this trip by DH one week before we took off to Penang-Tailand : Dannok-Hatyai

on a four days three night  before June ends.

Due to the close proximity, it's not surprising that South of Thailand has always been our weekend gateaway, especially more for the people in the Northern states. They can simply hop over for a day's shopping and food indulgence trip.

Revisited Penang - We spent a night in Penang Island and this round we visited the Temple of the Supreme Bliss aka Kek Lok Si Temple is said to be the largest temple in South East Asia and arguably one of the most famous in Penang. Located on a hill regarded to be geomagnetically significant .

 Day light view 

Construction began in 1893

The pagoda was completed in 1930

 Magnificent Night view

 Goddess of Mercy on the pavillion overlooking the sea

standing at 30.2m

Walking on foot gives you a good walking exercise via a pathway sandwich by stalls and stalls offering souvenirs. Walking up the steps give you a different perspective and one can just leisurely stroll along, it was the only pathway up to the temple once a upon a time,  that afternoon we simply drove up to the pavillion car park. 

The mystical secret garden of Penang, inspired by the Pandora world of Avatar is located on a hilly piece of land just next to our fave Pearl Garden Seafood Restaurant which was turned into a neon like fantasy dubbed Penang Avatar Secret Garden

 One need to wait for night fall before the garden is light up

Revisited Hatyai - Once again we visited the Hatyai Municipality park which is located on hill top overlooking the city. Actually this was our meet up point with some friends who choose to explore by train and later engage a van to transport them into the city. Thereafter once in the city, it is pretty easy to get around with their Tuk-Tuk.

The Standing Buddha overlooking the city below

Sharing the same location with the Standing Buddha, the 535 meter long cable car is the first of it's kind the country and stops at the Brahman Shrine where the Four Face Brahman and Erwan shrine is located

The Asean Night Bazaar - Hatyai or any part of Thailand has always been a shopping haven, other than the sleazy nightlife; this bazaar  I have yet to visit for the much talked and heard about was on my must visit list. Consisting of two storey, the stalls are neatly lined with food on the upper floor .  Items are pretty much repetitive from lane to lane compared to the ' Old Market' that houses a bigger varieties of goods . We missed the Greenway Night Market which is located just a stone's throw away. Oh Well! there is always a next time.

You can read more of my past trips to Southern Thailand , if it interest you

Thailand - Danok-Hatyai

Thailand - Hatyai

Thailand-South

Thailand-South 

Thank you ladies for visiting and leaving me your comments. Hope you enjoy reading another travel journey of mine. Next post I may have a little crafty pursue to tell.
Have a good rest of the week everyone.

Travel, Food, Applique and Swap Partner

April began with Tomb Sweeping Day, a day family members gathers and go to the graves to cleanup and offering prayers. It's a yearly affair . A week after, hubby decided that we should make a trip back  to my birth place;  Penang Island , nicknamed Pearl of the Orient. It's located way up North from where I lived now. Penang Island is connected to the main land by it's most iconic transit, the Ferry crossing the Straits of Malacca that was operational since 1894. Today we have two bridges connecting to the mainland and the third bridge with an underground tunnel is on it's way.

I missed the sea ! Simply can't wait to get my feet in the sand ,

smell the salty breeze and

listening to the waves.

Sunrise by the beach

A relaxing morning by the sea before we start our day food hunting 

and doing what needs to be done

The Reclining Buddha Buddhist Temple

This Thai Buddhist temple has a history dated back to Queen Victoria

To me, it has been there like forever

 It was a short trip of one night and two days, yet we managed to squeeze some time for an Afternoon Tea at Eastern and Oriental Hotel. Sweet of hubby who is not a fan of Afternoon tea was very obliging and not complaining. LOL

Sinful indulgence by the sea at a place called Tanjung Tokong is this platter

This restaurant has been in business for as long as I can remember and was badly hit by the 2004 Tsunami . How lucky were we when we were told that this platter is the last lot for the night since we did not make any reservations   

Crafting venture - Sue Bonnet Applique pouch began sometime late March.

I received this as a gift from hubby's classmate who now resides in Hong Kong when we first met on a trip years ago.  I felt intimated with the applique and thus it's been sitting at the bottom of my stash cabinet for a very long time

Having this as a kit made it all the easier. Actually I was initially very blurry as to how to begin with. It took me a day, thinking hard before I finally realized that the fabrics from the kit are actually  replica of the pattern on the photo with the template provided. Gosh! sometimes the brain is just not in the head. Anyhow, imagined that I applique on the wrong side of the fabric , TWICE !!

Froggy must be in the house somewhere !

Still full of doubts !

At this point I am not too sure if I am doing right since the size is rather small and fit only one hand. The kit is from Hong Kong is somehow written in Mandarin, a language I can't read and not much of a diagram as to how it was done up , so I ended guessing a lot  and look it up in YouTube on how to sew a pouch and ended up hand sewn the entire pouch including the zipper.

The sewing mojo must have been aroused , I made a couple of  'No Binding Coaster', when I stumble on Monica's tutorial while searching for the Sue Bonnet finishing know-how . It's really easy , a great way to use your 5" charm packs and I am pretty sure this will  make an excellent gift.

Link to the Tut : http://itsjustsewing.com/binding-free-coasters-hotpads/

MUG RUG - another sewing venture for a sepecial lady and a no binding coaster

Can you imagine meeting your swap partner ?

Call it chance or coincidence ! but we made it happen

Wren was my 10th Mug Exchange swap partner hosted by Stephanie .

It was a delightful afternoon meeting Wren over lunch and coffee.here in my homeland.

Two strangers from a swap, meeting for the first time

and chatted like we known each other for ages.

If we told the people at the next table that we just met for the first time,

I think they would not believed us !

Thank you Wren for a lovely afternoon.

Thank you Stephanie for drawing our names together .

The Birthday Exchange Gifts

Embarking on a journey with partners in craft, as   Barbara J  define it, is an unpredictable voyage of discovering our level of relationship that are unparalleled to anything that we encounter on a daily basis.  We had so much fun. We didn't kill each other, we debate almost at anything and laugh at everything. We've thankfully managed to keep it all fun and sweet.

I'll begin  with the hostess gift, Jess W
A wonderful wool applique sewing kit in prim design by Maggie Bonanomi. Gorgeous pile of fabrics and a cute Owl measuring tap
She picked the Red Work Pincushion from me - Mai Borderie

From Margaret, I was given a color choice of Blue or Red and no questions asked.. Well, when in doubts, intuition tell me to go for red. I have no regrets. A lovely sewing pouch, With thy Needle design which came with a pillow pincushion and pins

She picked the Palm Pole Spring Design Pincushion of a bird from me

June, amazes me with gorgeous detail stitching and beading. From her, it's a biscornu by The Sweetheart Tree. She enclosed a strand of Dinky-Dyes Thread and a pincushion kit
She picked the Sewing machine and garland pincushion

Barbara's choice are based on  Women Author from the olden days depicting characteristics of the recipients.  What did she thought of me ?  Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen and excerpts from The Bookshelf design by LHN,  made into a stitching pouch, quilted and cross stitched. It came with the book of  the same title and Mes Fils went home with her

While Jackie is never a part of this Birthday exchange,  I always ensure she gets a little gift from me. However,  this year, she surprised us each with a meticulously stitched Bionic Gear Bag. We had to picked ourselves and yes, we snatched it off her hand before she could say 'picked'. It's strange somehow, some hands were extremely long and quick on that particular day, LOL !

"Bionic Gear Bag"

Standing next to her, I wasn't even thinking. I grabed

 the most striking color  of navy blue and red trim

I stitched her  Collection privee Coeur de Brodeuse 1B - Tralala.  

My box each contained a Bees Wax and a packet of trimmings that matches their pincushion color as closely as possible.

On our second day, we were treated to a superb Peranakan Tanjong Malay cuisine at Jawi House.

I like to term this as fusion cuisine

Desserts

Here's to another year, hope this is just the beginning and not the last, the moments we will hold so dear to our hearts until next year perhaps ?

Nada Lama Coffee House - Hotel Equatorial were we stayed for 2 nights and 3 days.

The Northern Exchange

It's reveal day.
After months of procrastination, I finally decided to finish my design into pincushions inspired by the CD pincushion. It's been months of  indecisiveness  and pondering for ideas. It ain't easy to have come to this conclusions for the ladies, I first thought of stitching everyone with one design, but that wouldn't be fun and I might get bored stitching 6 times since I want one for myself. Then I thought I should match their individual taste, and that is a hard decision to come by. What" IF" my choice was wrong? What if they don't like what I have stitched ? What if....it was endless..

But decide I must or I will not get my gift done.  I began stitching sometime in October, that is until I completed one and was about to start on the 2nd piece when my mind played tricks on me again. So here's what I have finally decided upon. I told the girls not to have too high expectation with my finishing. Nothing to "WOW", all five different designs.

1)    Sewing Machine & Garland ; Magazine - Creation Point de Croix

2)    Red Work : Mai Broderie (Omitted the Mai and replaced a sewing machine) Broderie

3)    Bird : Magazine - Palm Pole Spring Design

4)    Mes fils  :Design by Tara         

Collection privee Coeur de Brodeuse 1B - Tralala

This was a Thank You for Jackie

My Cards for the girls are all of the same materials and embellishment's
only a slightly different layout. The lady is actually a bookmark and removable from it's slot

I made the girls picked their gift box . which by now I have no idea which pincushion are in the box. That's my point, so that I don't get labelled bias and played favorites, not that the girls are of such person. LOL  but this is an added  fun and mystery for the girls too as there are no clues for them to choose, it's sheer luck if they gets what they like, I hope.

and it was chaotic, they just snatch the box like hungry wolves, but it was truly fun, there was so much laughter and watching their expressions , priceless 

Our hostess Jess served us tea and the most yummylicious Chocolate Mango&Strawberry Cake

I must say I fell in love with her red teapots

and I had two cups of tea, left Masala Chai Tea made by BJ with ingredients brought all the way from her home and Black Tea

Our journey to the island,  Pearl of the Orient aka Penang Island where we had the Sun, Sea and Seafood . The Island of Penang is located northwest, an island well known for it's fascinating fusion of the East and West. If you find the name familiar it's because you could have read me posting about this island before.

Here we are at the front of  Odeon Cinema built in the early 20th Century

now known as an Interactive Art Gallery Museum

It brought back memories of  long ago for me , my school days going for movies on  some weekends with schoolmates in the late 70's

Then (above)

and  now, The cinema or theater was closed down sometime in 2004

 

Long regarded as the food capital of our Country, Penang also entices visitors with its beautiful coasts and scrumptious cuisines. Seafood was the ultimate choice  for dinner and we headed to Sea Pearl Restaurant. This was the Tsunami coastline in 2004.   It was dark by the time we arrived so no pictures of the sea or sunsets.

Penang embraces modernity while retaining its tradition and old world charm. These reflected in it's harmonious multiracial populace and well-preserved heritage buildings which led to George Town being accorded a listing as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. 

Old Charm, a Peranakan architecture

Once a residential grandeur turn hotel

A Peranakan (Straits Born Citizen) one can always associate the clan with its intricate Golden carvings on door panels

Mother of Pearl in-lay Opium Bed

Street Food - Local dessert "Cendol" Penang Road most popular

The dessert basic ingredients consist of coconut milk, cendol (a worm-like jelly made from rice four with green food coloring ~ usually derived from the pandan leaf), shaved ice and gula melaka (palm sugar). 

and assortment of Kueh

Nyonya kuih are bite sized treats we have over tea or during breakfast. They can be sweet or savory. Even though they are small, they take a lot of time and effort to make. 

Hand made kuihs are the best. Nothing can beat these little gems. Sweetened with palm sugar, garnished with grated fresh coconut and colorful to boot, most people simply succumb to their charm. 

Pai Tee (Top Hat)

My favourite treat. Great things do come in small packages,  Alluringly gorgeous in presentation. Pai Tee are virtuous snacks that showcase clean flavors and brilliant combination of fresh ingredients–it’s undeniably one of the most inventive and vividly luscious Nyonya creations. Making Kuih Pie Tee is no small feat as it requires ample amount of patience and time. With its aesthetic so crisp, delicate, beautiful, the results are well worth the effort. The two-step process starts with the making of the cases or “top hats” with a metal mold, follow by the cooking of julienned jicama, carrot, and chopped shrimp. These ingredients are then assembled to form these eye candy treats. It's such a delicious  munchies.

Rojak literally means  fruits salad but unlike the western salad, this  comes with a thick black sweet and spicy sauce garnished with pounded groundnuts . It  is certainly one of the main favorite among locals . Sold in almost every part of the island from hawker stalls up to a more fancied restaurants,

We had a little lesson/demo on Sashiko Embroidery from our hostess,  Jess . We had marvel at one of her pieces some time back and it was so sweet of her to provide us with a little kit. Mine is on the far right, the sweet pink rose. Three of us completed ours after a little persuasion to let us take it back to our hotel for the evening, the blue piece was partly done but wanted a share for the show and tell. I won't name but you know who you are, if you are reading this, LOL

What did I received ? It was simply amazing and fantabulous.   I'll reveal in my next post. 

This is getting a bit too long.

Thank you so much to all who had commented in my last post, truly appreciate that you came by and glad you enjoyed my ramblings.

Take care everyone !