Makeover for our Penang Icon : KOMTAR

I'm sure most of us in Penang will went pass Komtar at regularly in our daily lives and activities. Recently, did you noticed the heavy construction there at the empty lot in front of Pacific Supermarket? I'm sure you won't miss it since the project is so huge that it took quite a length of times to complete it. Well, here it is....next month you will see a brand new draw over there...The Komtar Walk!

PENANG’s most famous landmark the 65-storey Komtar is set to regain its place as a premier attraction on the island with a new draw - the RM10mil Komtar Walk, which is expected to be ready by next month.

Shedding its image of neglect, the Komtar complex would be buzzing with locals and tourists alike once the project dubbed the “One-Stop Dinning Place” opens its doors.

Komtar Walk, which covers a 155m-long stretch parallel to Jalan Dr Lim Chwee Leong, is a food and beverage hub being developed by Pacific Hypermarket & Department Store Sdn Bhd.

The attraction is expected to create a spinover of activities in the heart of George Town by linking Upper Penang Roa (the state’s clubbing central) and Prangin Mall.

The company’s design manager Ooi Wooi Yaw said Komtar Walk’s layout was designed to be a breezy, hip and happening relaxation spot for Penangites and visitors to unwind.

“It’s mostly open-air to allow for a lot of wind flow but the Walk will also have a lightweight roof supported by contemporary steel structures to protect visitors from the rain and sun.

“The roof itself will be state-of-the-art with tiny LED lights embedded and the portion leading up to the new Komtar en-trance will be higher (than the rest of the roof) towering 15m above the ground,” Ooi said.

He added that out of the 19 new outlets, five single-storey ones will stand in a single structure at the foot of the overhead bridge facing the outdoor carpark.

Hmm...let's hope this Komtar Walk will really bring back the shine to our state icon. Of course let's also hope the management will keep the place in check to keep on attracting people there...

Botanical Garden new attraction: Tram Ride!

If you happened to visit our Penang Botanic Garden recently, did you notice there's a new attraction there? Well, apparently while I was coming down from my weekly hike from Penang Hill last Saturday, upon reaching the bottom of the hill (using the tar road beside the Botanic Garden), straight away I noticed there is a new tram in the garden. This tram is exactly the same we see in Taiping Zoo or even Disneyland HK to ferry tourist around the garden for those who are lazy to walk or have difficulties to travel around the garden but still wish to tour around. Turned out that this is the new move by the state government to promote the garden and boost up tourism in the state. Good move!!! Read the article below from The Star:

IF all goes well, the Penang Botanic Gardens will soon have a new attraction - an environmental-friendly mini-tram to take people for a ride around the green enclave.

Tram operator Richard Wong told The Star that four mini trams would run at the oldest botanical garden in the country from Wed-nesday for a month-long “trial run”.

It is learnt that the tram ride will be launched by state Tourism, Culture, Arts and Heritage Committee chairman Danny Law on tomorrow.

Children having a feel of the tram.

“If public response is good, we may continue operating at the garden on a profit-sharing basis with the state. It is still pending discussions,” Wong, who is the managing director and chairman of Aqua Bike Malaysia, said.

“The trams can ferry a total of 100 passengers if all are running at the same time. Two of the trams have been specially decorated with orchid motives for the Penang Floral Fest.

“This will be the first tram ride in the Botanic Gardens since the garden was opened in 1884. We are expecting a lot of visitors,” he said, assuring the public that the trams would not pollute the surroundings.

“It travels very slowly. In fact, people will probably be zipping past it.

“The 1,300cc engine runs on unleaded petrol. The head of the tram is imported from Japan and the coach is made locally.

A family of tourists from Thailand admiring the tram during the Floral Fest.

“The tram is small and will only occupy one-third of the path so there will be plenty of walking space for visitors,” he said.

The company also operates the tram service at the Taiping Zoo and Sungkai hot water springs resort in Perak and the Terengganu Museum and Islamic Civilisation Park in Kuala Terengganu.

Botanic Gardens agriculture assistant officer Ahmad Razali said the trams were brought in for the upcoming Floral Fest from May 31 to June 7.

“We hope the public will come and enjoy the trams as part of the whole Floral Fest experience.

“The rides will be available from 8am until 9pm daily.

“We will set up a booth where visitors can purchase the tickets for the rides,” he said, adding that the rides would cost RM1 (adults) and 50 sen (kids).

The 1.5km trip will take between 15-20 minutes.

Federer snaps Nadal streak, finally lands 1st title of 2009

World No.2 Roger Federer won his first title for 2009 at the Madrid Mutua Madrileña Madrid Open defeating Rafael Nadal 6-4 6-4 and breaking the Spaniard’s 33-consecutive clay court match-winning streak. Federer served six aces and broke Rafa’s serve on both occasions when he had the opportunity, fought off four break points on his own serve and won 63 points to the world No.1’s 58 during the course of the one hour and 26-minute match.

Tournament top seed Nadal was gracious in defeat. “Roger was much better than me and deserved to win today,” he said immediately after the match, “the surface was faster than the courts I’ve been playing on recently and suited him better.” And the world No.1, who defeated Novak Djokovic in a marathon semifinal on Saturday, said that fatigue had not been a factor in the final. “Playing four hours was not a problem for today,” he said. Federer was delighted to have broken his 2009 title duck. "I thought that I played well - you have to play well against Rafa on clay - there are no easy ways and he's not going to hand it to you," said the world No.2.

"It's definitely good for my confidence, especially beating Rafa in the finals, I'm working hard and doing the right things and it gives me a lot of confidence going into the French Open which maybe wouldn't have been the case a couple of weeks ago. "The No.2 seed said he was pleased with the way he'd adapted his game to take the Madrid title. "I served well, mixed it up well and took all the right decisions today. In the end it looked quite comfortable out there for me, it was a good win for me, so I'm very satisfied. "I've had some bad losses this year in terms of the way I've played but I've felt this win coming for a few weeks so I am very pleased."

C'mon Roger, great job and bravo! Let's hope you can land the exclusive French Rolland Garros title come end of the month :)

Break Out - Extreme Dance Comedy 27 & 28 May 2009

Date: 27th May & 28th May (Wednesday & Thursday)
Time: 8.30pmLocation: Dewan Sri Pinang
Organizer: Korea Tourism Organization & LG Electronicsweb site: www.breakout.co.kr

Tickets: RM63 and RM93
Tickets available at:
1) Switch Gurney Plaza New Wing (04-2295591), Switch Queensbay Mall (04-6465591), Switch Sunway Prai (04-3999591)
2) Axcess Hotline 03 – 7711 5000 or on-line at www.axcess.com.my
3) New Bob Property, Gotlieb Road

Break Out sets to be one of the most expensive stage performance in Penang. This London West End and Broadway performers will amaze their audience with their new concept of non verbal production.

Break Out tells the tale of five clumsy convicts who long to taste the freedom that lies beyond the walls of prison. These five prisoners are inspired to plan a daring escape into the outside world when they received a mysterious and sacred text.

The story is told in a form of a dance that adapts pre-existing dance moves and combines gymnastics, break dancing, yoga and martial arts moving to unparalleled DJ music – a performance as never before.

Proceeds from the Penang shows will be donated to D’Home Mental Health Association, a charitable organization that provides support, guidance and education to family members and care-givers of the mentally ill.

Penang International Dragon Boat Festival 2009

Date: 23rd May 2009 - Malaysia Race Day (schedule)
Date: 24th May 2009 - International Race Day (International schedule)
Venue: Teluk Bahang Dam, Penang
Admission and parking is FREE.
Organizer: Penang State Government

This year, our annual PIDBF will be held from the 23rd to 24th May 2009 at Teluk Bahang Dam, Penang. A forum on "PIDBF 2009" will be held on 22nd of May 2009.Dragon boat racing is one of our Penang State Signature Event. It is among the fastest growing water sports in this region. Dragon Boat Racing has become a very popular corporate and charitable sport, during which friendship, strength and endurance are developed among the participants.

I'm sure this will be another successful and enjoying event. What else more to say...this should be a very colorful event! If you are OK and can deal well with the heat, just pay a visit to Teluk Bahang dam this weekend to find out yourself. I bet lots of photographers will be there too to capture a few shots of this memorable annual event :)

Current BLR rate for banks in Malaysia

I found this article talking about the current bank's BLR rate a few weeks back. With the current economy situation here in our country, it's interesting to say that if you have the cash and money to move around especially for those who are planning to buy a house for personal stay, now it's kind of good time. Just look at the attached picture, the BLR rates for banks in our country is currently at a very attractive and tempting number. I was just thinking it was nice to share this out...hehe.

Now we have our own Google Maps Malaysia

GOOGLE Inc has launched Google Maps Malaysia (http://maps.google.com.my), a new search platform that enables users to find local geographic information on their personal computers and mobile phones.

These include online maps, satellite imagery, driving directions, addresses and business listings, Google said in a statement today.

Google's Southern Asia product manager Andrew McGlinchey said Google Maps Malaysia was an exciting step forward in helping Malaysian users quickly and easily find the local geographic information.

"Google's dynamic and collaborative geographic platform allows consumers to create personal maps and enables businesses to connect with customers through virtual maps," he said.

Users can search for local businesses and points of interest, check out what events or movies are going on nearby, advise visiting friends and tourists on local attractions, research the locations or properties to buy or rent, and even locate dining, shopping or nightlife options, Google said.

Google's Southeast Asia head of marketing Derek Callow said Google Maps Malaysia enabled local users, businesses and developers to contribute and share their information.

"This is a great start and we're looking forward to working with many more Malaysian organisations to enhance the quality, features and usefulness of the local version of Google Maps," he said.