'Sakura' in Penang

春天花会开...鸟儿自由自在... [歌:春天花会开 唱:任贤齐]
这 几天我国-马来西亚 (Malaysia), 洲属-槟城 (Penang), 地方-Bayan Baru的几条街都开满了红及白的花朵. 看似日本的樱花移民到大马来了. 每年的三月都会出现这种美景...恰好也是樱花盛开的时候. 昨天放工我也用我的手机...跑去和它拍了几张. 由于手机的摄影功能没那么好, 所以upload我同事forward给我的照片. 这美景吸迎很多人停下车拍照留念. 我不懂这树叫什么名. 您懂吗? 与我分享吧...!

Recently, we can see such beautiful view around the Malaysia. All these pictures was took at Bayan Baru area ( State: Penang). Look like Sakura, isn't? Yes, I feel like I'm in Japan now. This will happen on March in a year... I think blooming period is very short. Its flower will be gone after 2 weeks and turning back to its 'original' where only green leaf . This view attract a lot of people stop by and take a photo. Me... of course I did too... I took few photos with my mobile phone's camera but the picture quality is not as good as those using SLR camera as showing below. So I upload the pictures which forwarded from my colleague and share with you guys. Anyone know about what tree is that? I have no idea. Please share with me...

图1 - 整条街开满了'樱花'呢 'Sakura' along the street...

图2 - 是不是很有在日本的feel 呢 Feel like in Japan???

图3 - 这就是白色花朵的样貌 Blooming white...

图4 - 这就是红色花朵的样貌 Blooming red...

图5 - 这是它的花蕾 Flower buds...

Updated-16 Mar 2009: Received more and more email regarding this...

Updated-20 Mar 2009: Even posted by the tourism of penang government website. Now I know what this tree is... called Tabebuia Rosea in scientific terms.

Visit http://www.visitpenang.gov.my/portal/latest-news/1-latest-news/554-sakura.html

PhuketTrip-Day6

Day 5 - 27 Feb 2009, Fri.
"Goodbye Phuket"

时间过得真快。最后一天在Phuket了. 唯一遗憾的是没去到Diving。来这里的主要原因是去潜水的，没想到公司遇到经济风暴。预定了的飞机票不能取消，哪只好取消去潜水的活动。省得就省嘛。看，我这次都没有买很多手信。只买了几个soap carving给同事。自己家人都没有买， 真不孝。

这天， 我们只是到附近走走。。。走到去Kata区。 再走走Karon沙滩。好多红毛人晒太阳。哇，真的很晒。 只有他们才能够这样做。我们蛮有眼福，几个红毛women脱光光晒太阳。。。veeveeeeit..! 但大多数是属于Aunty。可想像aunty的身材吗？ 哈哈！

收拾了东西，12noon...我们就到楼下checkout。到附近的小食档吃点东西。等等等。。。等到将近2pm车子才来载我们去airport （4pm的飞机）。其实我们可以在hotel room逗留到两点多，只要问owner就可以了。 不用白白浪费时间在楼下外面等我们的司机来。。。又晒又热。

Phuket Island...拜拜咯！有缘再见。

Kata area

Karon Beach.

'Fly' back to Penang lu...

Souvenirs - soap carving 100 Baht each

PhuketTrip-Day5

Day 5 - 26 Feb 2009, Thu.
"James Bond Discovery Tour (sea canoe), bought from travel agent - 1200 Baht"

This tour was started a bit late. We woke up around 9am and van already arrived after I just came out from guest house not more than 10 minutes. We did not expect driver will come on time or earlier. I ran up and informed my friends that van was ready. We were the 1st group in the van.

From Karon to Phang-Nga Bay around took us 2 hours... long journey. 2 hours can bring me from Penang to Ipoh already. The 1st station we visited was Suwankuha Temple (Money Cave). We thought this place is located in one of the island... need to take boat or what. Never think that this is in the mainland. This tour guard very cute. She call JING JING. Jing jing means girl in Thai language. She told us don't call her only 'Jing'... because Jing means money. So must call her Jing Jing or Pretty... haha! Monkey cave... of course got a lot of monkeys. The monkeys were visible as soon as we stepped out from the van. Visitors can buy some bananas to feed the monkeys from the stalls. You will become a Monkey Super Star if you holding a bunch of banana, they will come forward to you, surrouding you... Inside the cave, there has a few big Buddha statues in gold...color. Went in further, we can see the 'bat cave'. To me... who from IPOH, of course all of these were nothing for me! :-p

After that, we traveled to Kasom Pier by longtail boat and do some sightseeing at Phang Nga Bay National Park. I think we were only the Asian on the boat. Can see that Phuket is the favour of western. Think to have my own motel and rent to the travellers... as my retiring job.

After around 30 minutes, we arrived Koh Panyee (Sea Gypsy Island), a Muslim Fishing Village. We can see a Mosque, but I don't know where is the entrance of this mosque. No time to explore. There has quite number of same type restaurants. Where we had our lunch was called Panyee Restaurant. Since this village is floating on the sea, we may think that their wash room is simple and crude...maybe smelly. If you think like that, you are totally WRONG! Their sanitation of wash room better than our local 3 star hotel... don't play play ahh. The foods were nice: tomyam, fried chicken, fried prawn, fish, vegetable, fried egg... yummy! Tell you, this table only had 4 of us and 1 family... father, mother & daughter. I think they are from Rusia. Their daughter never touch any foods on the table, only drink Coke. Her mother only eat a bit... her father better, can try and eat the Thai foods. I think they not use to eat Thai foods. Pity them... empty stomach whole afternoon. But, good for us. We almost 'sapu' all the foods...hahaha! Don't order any pork or beer ohhh... remember, people here is muslim. After having lunch, we 'window' shopping at local panyee market which only behind the dinig area. This market is link with other restaurant.

Next activity - sea caves canoeing at Talu Island! This is the main program of the day... to me. This trip too many peoples. Not only our trip, still have trips from other. Can see a lot banana boats... some areas/ways were narrow expecially after entering to the cave... cannot stay there longer because other banana boats are coming in. There also has a boat selling some soft drinks and coconuts. Actually we can request caiquejee to let us rowing since we gave him some tips.

After 20 minutes sea conoeing, we arrived James Bond & Koh Ping-gan... 1974, James Bond movie "The Man With the Golden Gun" was captured here. This island is very small. The entire area surrounding this island with its signature rocky pinnacle is indeed spectacular. There also has few stalls which selling souvenir and drink.

After visiting James Bond Island, again, we took 2 hours journey back to our hotel. After arrive our hotel, Alfonso and me moved like a rocket, change to the swim suit and walked to the beach... Sunset coming so fast, we only swim for 15 minutes and stayed at beach saw sunset.

This is last night in Phuket, so we went to restaurant and ordered western foods. Staff here was nice. I tried to order honey lemon juice since I had sore throat. No honey lemon juice in their menu. Anyway, they tried to make 1 cup of drink which can 'softening' my sore throat. This dinner spent us >600 Baht... only one set of steak, bear, soup and 1 small cup of my drink. Why only 1 set main course? because I already eaten 1 plate of local chao kwei theoy when we walking back to hotel after swiming.

After that, we went to massage. This time we took Foot Massage... only 300 Baht/hour. This massge include 45 minutes for foot, 15 minutes for hand, shoulder and head.