Coffee Indulgence Trail ... In Penang (Part 1)

"Jaime, I want to do a coffee trail ... with our own budget", Vincent .. my Project Penang team leader told me one fine morning.

I looked at him with surprise as actually I had that in mind but not focusing on Penang per se, but was in fact reserving it for something BIGGER as in a special project showcasing Penang as a gateway to the northern region Peninsular Malaysia tourism using coffee culture as the bridge. This will of course need the participation of Kedah and Perak MOTOUR Offices.

"So tell me Vincent ... when you said coffee trail, what do you have in mind?' I asked curiously.

"Oh the usual bloggers meet-up, focusing and highlight the local kopitiams and local coffee," he answered.

"What if I tell you that you don't only drink coffee. You can even eat, buy, make or do body scrub with coffee?"

I guess,for the first time Vincent was totally overwhelm by so much coffee info that morning. Personally, this is what we had wanted to do. I mainly outline the structure of the itinerary but it was really Vincent who did the negotiations and meetings with the outlet owners. And so today, we saw the birth of the first (maybe the only) Coffee Indulgence Trail in Penang.

After getting ourselves "dizzy" from all those caffeine ... from cheap to expensive ones... it is decided that the trail will showcase the old and new coffee culture in Penang. The concept details I had shared in the Coffee Talk entry. We also invited the Penang Tourist Guides Association and Deputy Consul General of Japan in Penang to join the program as we had made it into a trail and we wanted to know if we can turn it into a tour package based on these themes:
(a) Traditional Local Kopitiam - Kong Thai Lai Coffee Shop
(b) Modern Barrista and Western Style Coffee House - Light House Coffee House
(c) Scrumptious Coffee Lunch Set - Santorini Cafe
(d) Relaxing Coffee Scrub and Massage - Danai Spa
(e) Buy a Cofffee Home - Coffee Tree

First Stop: Kong Thai Lai Coffee Shop @Hutton Lane,

We started our trail today with a breakfast of local Hainanese coffee with butter and kaya toast and 2 half boil eggs at the Kong Thai Lai Coffee Shop at Hutton Lane. This cafe is among the few coffe shops that still maintain the old kopitiam style that has been passed down from one generation to another generation. In this case 3 generations.

The late Tan Sri Dato' Loh favourite table in the shop.

The coffee shop is also a favourite of the former Sugar King, Robert Kuok.

 For your information, this was also the favourite coffee shop of Tan Sri Dato' Loh Boon Siew, the famous Penang tycoon and the first sole distributor of Honda motorcycles in Malaysia (MotorKing). It was said that the late Tan Sri offered to buy the coffee table from the coffee shop owner but the offer was turned down.  Another Malaysian tycoon who also frequented the coffee shop before is Tan Sri Dato' Dr Robert Kuok Hock Nien, the former Sugar King and 33rd richest man in the world (according to 2010 Forbes list).

The owners, Gary, Eddie and their family members decided to maintain menu (which is just coffee, butter and kaya toast and half boil eggs) as well as the interior deco of the coffee shop to maintain its heritage value and originality. The shop opens from 7.30 am to 5.30 pm and close on Sundays. However, for this program, Gary and his family members were kind enough to open the shop for our sake. Thank you so much!

Local kopitiam usually used medium dark roast coffee and coarsely grounded.

Traditionally, local coffee-style in kopitiams (coffee shops) are served either black (kopi-o) or with milk (kopi), either hot or cold (peng). I used the term local coffee-style and not local coffee as many thought the coffee that they used were also planted and processed locally when I used the term local coffee. Penang doesn't produce coffee and many coffee beans that are used in many of the coffee shops were imported from Brazil but processed locally.

Gary demonstrating how to make coffee (photo by Joie Koo)

When we asked what make Kong Thai Lai coffee so aromatic and special, Gary delightedly shared with us some important tips in local style coffee making:
(a) the water that we used must be very hot;
(b) keep the tap water overnight before boiling it;
(c) heat up the cup with hot water before serving as local-styled coffee is best drink when hot to maintain it's aroma.

Unfortunately ... I couldn't dig more about the coffee powder secret. Got special recipe he said.

Hiroko learning how to make coffee from Eddie (photo by Joie Koo)

It is interesting to note that while western style coffee barrista will take every precaution to avoid the coffee to be in contact with air during preparation to maintain it's taste, local style coffee "barrista" did quite the opposite. Like holding the coffee strainer high up when pouring the coffee into the cup. It is said that the "kopi" will taste better if it is in contact with air.

Next: Find out more about local style and western syle coffee in Coffee Indulgence Trail ... In Penang (Part 2)

29.02.2012

Hari ini memang hari yang sangat istimewa. Sesiapa yang lahir hari ini hanya akan mengalami "penuaan" sekali dalam empat tahun. Hebat kan? Penulis pernah berangan nak kahwin pada tarikh ni ... jadi setiap kali tarikh itu tiba ibarat pengantin baru sekali lagi hahahaha (sayang tak pernah jadi kenyataan pun).

Maaflah sebab penulis mengambil masa 30 minit daripada waktu bekerja untuk mengarang nukilan ni. Bukan apa, hari ini penulis ada mesyuarat sepanjang pagi jadi tadi pening sikit lepas baca agenda. Biar terurai sikit kekusutan di minda ini. 

Okaylah, di hari yang istimewa ini penulis nak berkongsi tentang hasad dengki. Kenapa? Sebenarnya topik ini bermain di minda penulis sejak pagi tadi ketika menghirup teh tarik mamak yang telah diadun dengan "resipi tambahan" dan menjadi kegilaan warga kota di pagi hari (hahahaha). Kenapa hasad dengki makin menular di kalangan masyarakat kita sekarang ni? Adakah tuntutan kehidupan yang semakin mencabar? Adakah sebab terlalu taksub dengan pangkat dan kekayaan? Adakah disebabkan harga minyak bakal naik lagi? Adakah disebabkan NKEA tidak mencapai sasaran? Atau saja-saja nak merasa hasad dengki sebab nak tukar mood? Hahaha ... apa-apa pun, manusia sekarang semakin pelik.

Macam-macam cara dan kaedah orang melaksanakan perasaan hasad dengki ini dengan jayanya. Ada dengan kaedah moden dan canggih (sebar fitnah melalui laman sesawang, rangkaian sosial, forum internet dan media massa). Ada yang melaksanakan dengan kaedah yang dramatik dan penuh suspens (buat demonstrasi jalanan, upah pembunuh upahan, simbah cat atau asid). Ada pulak yang menggunakan kaedah yang tradisional dan penuh mistik (hantar penuju, santau, sihir atau letak tangkal). Tak kurang juga yang melaksanakan perasaan ini secara psikologi (tahan kenaikan pangkat, mengaibkan rakan sekerja, menambah beban kerja).

Kadang-kadang penulis tertanya. Adakah sesiapa yang memiliki perasaan hasad dengki ini setelah melaksanakan segala kaedah di atas akan mencapai kegembiraan, kenikmatan atau kepuasan yang didambakan? Tidak takutkah balasan di akhirat nanti? Atau benarkah teori Charles Darwin iaitu "survival of the fittest" dalam The Origin of Species? Atau manusia pada zaman ini memilih untuk tidak mengakui kewujudan Tuhan atau Yang Maha Kuasa?

Nasihat penulis - bersukacita lah dengan segala yang telah dikurniakan dan diberikan kepada kita setiap hari. Kegembiraan adalah ibarat nasi kosong dengan kicap yang mampu membangkitkan selera yang tak dapat digambarkan dengan kata-kata (tak dapat nak fikir perumpaan lain). Sentiasa beringat ... tak semestinya ada hari esok untukmu.

V For Vagina

Wow... Even i find it so hard to say the V word ( though this is the formal English term for female genitalia). And just imagine having to express the V word or better known as cibai in Hokkien for almost 2 hours .. Telling a story about it or trying to relate to it openly without sounding vulgarish, embarrased or put off by it. I am a mature adult of 21 (hehehe) but still I feel akward being asked to shout Cibai so loud and openly. Virgin gitew auwww...

Ticket with the complimentary pantiliner.

We had that priceless guffaw moment when Vincent came back with the tickets and lots of pantiliners along with it. I am sure he had seen sanitary pads, but pantiliners ... this might be new and ackward for him. I asked him ... "u pakai kah?"

Anyway kudos to the Neighbourhood Performance Group under the direction of Choong Seong Wei for nailing this very difficult topic about Understanding Cibai through their theater play named The Vagina Warriors in Penang Performing Arts Centre (Penangpac). Neighbourhood Performing Group may be the new kids on the block in our local performing arts scene but based on the group profile in the handouts, the group has been around since 30 August 2010, consists of members from various background including journalists, teachers, writers, theater performers, undergraduate students from all over Peninsular Malaysia and even Taiwan.

The Vagina Warriors was inspired by Eve Ensler's (a playwright and performing artist) The Vagina Monologues that deals with women's experience with sex, love, tenderness, embarassment, cruelty, pain and pleasure, also women empowerment, relating it to vagina. Eve Ensler interviewed over 200 women from different age groups and various backgrounds whom bared themselves about vagina to write the first draft of the monologues.

The Vagina Warriors by the Neighbourhood Performing Arts Group were written to explore and address these 9 issues:

(1) The taboo attached to vagina, and why the Hokkien Chinese swear and curse "cibai" so as to degrade or smear their opponent's reputation. The actors did question on why vulgarize the vagina and why vagina was deemed as filthy when it is a life giving organ.

(2) Menstruation - physilogically, superstitious beliefs and taboos attached to it. The actresses brilliantly expressed the dilemma faced by women in conservative society such as menstruating women as bad luck or excuse for the husbands to sleep with other women. The best part would be how they associated menstruation with women supernatural power, they can bleed so much but still not dead. Therefore men, fearing this superpower, banned women from doing religious activities or pantang this and that.

(3) Menstrual cycle - physiological and emotional aspect of it. I love the part when the actresses "talked" or shared their mentsrual experience .. When they first had it, "leakages" experiences, PMS, dilemma in getting MC when experiencing bad period pains, vaginal hygience and ordour problems, followed by development, usage and disposal management of sanitary pads and tampons hehehe. Best part was the roti parody ... The difference between sandwich bread for breakfast (regular pad for regular flow) ... Thin breadstick best with mushroom soup (pantiliner for vaginal discharge) and thick and long French loaf for night snack (long overnight pad for night protection).

(4) Rape - condemning the impact of war, racism and society in controlling, oppressing and forcibly victimising the female body. Tagline from this segment "Rape only needs an erected penis from a male, and he alone decides the move ... not the female for the vagina is not an enclosed organ"

(5) Clitoris - what is it? Why is it a forbidden area? Why was it such a taboo? The actresses also explore orgasm (why many women faking it to please their partner/husband), female masturbation and is a female yearning for a climax considered adulterous? Well to be honest, I was quite uneasy when the actresses were enggaged in "mild" lesbian act, panty pulling and the moaning sound in the background (mastubation). I like the line when "I don't want to turn 70 but still have to cycle" (some females reach orgasm through cycling oppssss).

(6) Female genital mutilation - the so called adulthood ritual cruelly practiced on young girls in Africa. Well, this was also graphic ... though not through their acting but the lines! I cringed on my seat when the actresses describe and relate to the genital mutilation stories.

(7) Virginity - a relook at the misconstrued coitus bleed of a virgin in light of possible physical injury or damage. Yes, this one I have to agree. Women nowadays are very active, many are also involved in physically challenging activities.

(8) "Women" who are born in a male body - exploring the transgenders yearned for womanhood and "what" that truly make them one. Had a great laugh when 2 actors went downstage and seduced some male audiences. Hehehe

(9) Childbirth - vagina as the exit and extension of life. A little contemporary dance movement to display labour pain and childbirth. This part was a bit touching and funny when the "mother" refered to nurses and "misi" and tell the story that she felt her baby want to come out but the doctor asked her to suck it in, her concern that her baby might drowned inside her if she couldn't deliver.

The Vagina Warriors played to a half-filled Stage 1 yesterday. Most were teenagers. Glad to see some blond, brunnettes and grey heads among the crowd hehehe. This is a local production and seeing that quite acceptable numbers of crowd, I couldn't help but feel proud. The younger generation of Penangites are so lucky. My siblings aged 32-24 tak pernah jejak kaki pun ke Istana Budaya.

I enjoyed the play so much, seriously though I have to swallow my embarassment on so many intimate issues that I would definitely won't share it openly with anyone, let alone another woman. However it was easier to understand and relate to compared to Someone Who'll Watch Over Me. They mixed their languages and dialects in this play - some lines were in English, Mandarin, Malay, Hokkien and Manglish. I find that was the strength of this play ... universal issues, the Malaysian way of interpreting it.

Looking forward to more plays from the Neigbourhood Performing Arts Group.

Coffee Talk ...

I went back to my sanctuary in Ayer Itam just so that I could type this entry. Hahaha .... had been quite excited lately because 2 of my special projects had moved on to the next level. One of it has got something to do with coffee.

Let me start first by explaining what inspires it. Among the tourism industry players, I am much closer or much in tune with the tourist guides in Penang, especially the more senior ones. Though they can be sooooooo vocal, but one assignment in 2010 brought us closer together, in a sense that, both organisations later understood each others job better. Well, it's human nature ... no one wants to admit they are wrong or weak kan????? Myself included.

But I learned something from that assignment as well. To introduce or to get people to trust in the product, we have to go through many trials and errors (try and error). It is always chicken and egg story. Many tourists guides in Penang complained to me that the tour packages offered by their 'towkey" (travel agency) were not interesting or creative enough. But talked to travel agents they said the products (attractions) and facilities were not interesting enough or the not enough facilities (or tourist guides demand so much). Talked to the attraction owners they said ... travel agents not bringing enough tourists to their place so how are they going to upgrade or maintain it. So get my point?

Therefore I decided to focus on Free Independent Travellers (FIT) and domestic tourists/ excursionists as a catalyst for these tourist attractions. If travel agencies and tourist guides giving me so much problems, better focus my energy to FIT. Having said that the attractions or products must also be wel-maintained, good and unique enough to attract tourists. Some places, I noticed ... truly under-promoted, unnoticed or in a dire need of fresh coat of paint. Budget Travellers Guide to Georgetown and Discover Autocity Juru program confirmed that. Lack of signboards, attraction owners were not commercially inclined (some people do it for passion or hobby - no intention to make it big) ... and some deserved to be repackage.

So when Vincent asked for my approval to do the Coffee Trail for our Penang Bloggers ... I asked him, "Just bring them to visit kopitiams is it?" He shrugged ... "Yeah?" Automatic some wild ideas crept into my already "wild" thinking hahaha ... yes, my mind is like a jungle now, so many ideas (and wildest imaginations, unhibited)... stored haphazardly!

I explained to him ... coffee is not just for drinking ... we can even use it for cooking and beauty. Let's explore more about coffee. So that day, Vincent, myself and KK had a wild brainstorming on this Coffee project. So finally yesterday, myself and Vincent came out with an itnerary - each with a special Coffee theme.

Photo from chrisau.wordpress.com

Drink coffee - savour the traditional Penang kopitiam black coffee (kopi-O) with traditional toasted bread (u know the one still using the charcoal oven)

Photo from http://blog.omy.sg/jaimeteo

Eat coffee - savour the taste of Coffee Chicken Chop or Oriental Coffee Chicken wash down with Vanilla ice-cream in coffee syrup.

Photo from myskinconcierge.blogspot.com.

Beauty coffee - give your body a good polish with the Coffee Body Scrub.

Make coffee - learn how to make good cup of coffee and some of well known coffee treats - cappucino, expresso, machiato, latte etc.

Blend coffee - blend your own coffee from selected coffee beans.

Photo from http://duckies-food-blog.blogspot.com

Gift coffee - Penang Coffee is great as a gift.

To be honest, last Friday ... I spent the whole day evaluating the coffee products and places. Sampai i mabuk coffee. Pening ... pening ... too much of coffee indulgence! Will update on this after 11 March 2012 ... stay tune!

Someone Who'll Watch Over Me

When I was told to lead Ministry of Tourism Malaysia office in Penang, I somehow got mix feelings... excited and nervous. Penang is my dad's birthplace and we often spend the holidays there but somehow I felt like going back to a strange city.

I had 2 main things in my mind then ... repackage the attractions and develop Penang Arts and Cultural Scene. Branding and packaging prove to be a very, very tedious work ... lots of networking, lots of negotiations, lots of patience, lots of rationalising and lots of eating hahaha. With different political parties ruling the State and Federal government certain things didn't progress smoothly.

But I will forever remember this law principle during my Ministry of Housing days that "the contract should be complementing, not contravening to the Act". So I decided that I should not be competing, but complementing my fellow competitors but in doing so, I will do it with style ... just like the Blue Ocean Strategy. With the Penang State Tourism inclining towards cultural, I focus my energy into arts ... any form of arts - especially the modern and contemporary ones. 

Recently the performing arts scene in Penang has become more vibrant with the opening of Penang Performing Arts Centre last year in Straits Quay, Penang. The art centre was built through a partnership between E&O Berhad and The Actors Studio (Malaysia). E&O has contributed a lot to the music and performing arts scenes in Penang. During Penang Tourism Action Council time, they sponsored close to a million for the Penang World Music Festival. 

To "mencemar duli" my first play or show at Penangpac, I decided to watch Someone Who'll Watch Over Me directed by Joe Hafsham yesterday. It was actually restage after a successful run in Kuala Lumpur.

The play deals with three men, an Englishman, an Irishman and an American who are taken hostage and held in a filthy, windowless cell in Beirut.  They are unsure of what the future holds for them. Will they see the light of day again? Will they see their families again? These are questions they do not have the answer for. As they fight to survive and stay sane, they escape into their fantasy worlds by shooting films or reliving Wimbledon, they provoke and taunt each other, they comfort each other and simply hang on…

After watching this play last night ... I asked Vincent, my projectpenang leader and good friend ... "Are you going to blog about the show?" He looked at me bewildered.

"Honestly, I quite blur about the show."

I couldn't blame him as I myself couldn't understand or couldn't get some of the lines, cracking my brain to digest and translate from American to Irish to English. To a certain extend, I suddenly found myself not that "open-minded" on reference made about God, religions, countries or race. Maybe because "lama sangat bekerja dalam suasana yang sikit-sikit isu sensitif". Hahaha... okay I was tempted to watch the play because of the review plus I miss indulging in modern and contemporary performing arts again. Seriously, I miss miss miss to be in the "cultured society" again hahahha

Next week, Vincent, Doris and myself will be challenging ourselves and see how open-minded we are about VAGINA issues. The Vagina Warriors, a drama play inspired by Eve Ensler's feminism master piece "The Vagina Monologue", aimed to knock down stereotypical thoughts about feminine, gender and sexuality, despite the fact that Malaysia is a conservative country where Patriarchal practice is just too strong to abolished. To be performed by the newly formed Neighborhood Performance Group wish to bring up unconventional ideas about VAGINA. 

Hmmmm ... interesting.