Happy New Year 2012 Countdown at Esplanade (Padang Kota), Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia

Wishing you a very Happy New Year 2012 and may God bless you richly in wealth ,good health, and grant you peace, joy, success and love always in the 366 days ahead.

After dinner at James Foo Western Food, Fettes Park, Penang, Bigfoothill went over to the main annual hot spot for the New Year 2012 Countdown at the Esplanade (Padang Kota), Georgetown, Penang.  The VVIPs including the Chief Minister, the Honorable, Mr Lim Guan Eng and his Exco members were there to grace the occasion.

As we were walking on the street which was full of hawkers and petty traders and the people going towards Padang Kota, we passed by another famous landmark, The Sire-Museum Restaurant known for its Western Foods and fine dinning and a collection of the Chinese Antiques and furniture belonging to the famous millionaire, the illustrious Yeap Chor Ee who arrived from China and worked very hard to become the founder of the only Penang based bank, Ban Hin Lee Bank Berhad which had in recent years been merged into CIMB Bank.

There was a concert held at Padang Kota along Light Street and facing the seafront and next to the Fort Cornwallis which is located right in front of the City Hall building next to the Dewan Sri Pinang on the back and opposite Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), Penang Branch. American International Assurance Berhad (AIA) Gnext training center is right behind BNM at Bishop Street, Georgetown, Penang. The group Bunkface was one of the performers performing at the peak of the concert.  You may like their genre of rock music.  They performed the song "Dunia" which means "World" when I was walking to the Esplanade after finding a parking space at AIA.

Go Penang - Rapid Penang Bus Washing Balik Pulau

Most of us in Penang who have own transportation such as motorcars and motorcycles very seldom take a ride on the public bus services.  With the revamp of the local transportation routes, frequency timetable and regular scheduled trips from the main stations to the depots along major roads on Penang Island and Seberang Perai, the Bus service provider, Rapid Penang has improved the transportation for many who relied on public transport.  The Rapid Penang buses are fully air-conditioned and with wide glass window panel that allow you good sighting of all places as you travel on the route.  This is a plus point for the tourist who can travel in cool environment and have great view.

Balik Pulau Bus Depot for Rapid Penang Buses

The Destinations and Routes Charts

The bus company is owned by the Federal government and they have taken over almost all the routes servicing the Penangites all over the Penang State.  One thing, the seats are more comfortable and the steps and alighting doors are fully automatics with the bus driver having the control buttons to help assist the handicapped - wheel chaired and senior citizens to get on board by lowering the bus body to facilitate them to get into the bus and getting down at the designated bus stops and stations.

Rapid Penang Bus arriving at Balik Pulau Bus Depot from Jetty

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Bus at the parking bay at Balik Pulau Depot with the information board

 Bigfoothill happened to be in Balik Pulau Rapid Penang Depot in the late evening and witnessed the washing and cleaning of the buses that are based at the depot. You can now enjoy clean and shiny seats and standees handles on neat and tidy buses that do not emit thick black smokes.  Even the bus stations and stops have new looks and better waiting seats and roof shelters as the company upgrade the facilities together with the local councils MPPP and MPSP. They practiced the Japanese 5S to help them stay clean and orderly. We can help to lessen the pollutions and greenhouse effects by traveling on common public transports that are efficient and reduce the need to build more and wider roads for private single occupied passenger vehicles and thus avoid traffic jams and reduce our traveling time from one point to the destination.

Friendly security staff on duty

Famous Balik Pulau Durian Fruits

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Red Prawn and Other Varieties Durian

One word of caution from the friendly staff, Mr Nordin, the Security Staff at Balik Pulau Depot especially for those of you who are traveling to Balik Pulau by Rapid Buses for the sole purpose of buying the famous Durians home to eat with family and friends.  Durian fruits are prohibited from entering the bus unless you open up the fruits and take all the flesh and put it in sealed containers to avoid its smell from floating in the bus thereby causing discomforts and unpleasantness to its passengers. If you unknowingly already brought a whole load of it to the station, please finish eating it before you get into the bus or open the fruits to put the flesh and seeds into a air-tight sealed container to carry it home.  Best of all, have a Durian feast and invite all at the station to help you finish eating it in 1Malaysia spirit.

Best way to eat durians is with hands

Some of the buses servicing from the Balik Pulau depot are number 401, 401E, 501 and 502 that go all the way to the Jetty at Georgetown.  Please check it out as there could be some changes to the timetable and routing.

The Chinese Valentine's day -The Final Day Celebration of Chinese New Year of the Rabbit

It is a second chance to date your Valentine in a week as Thursday February 17, 2011 coincided with the fifteenth day of Chinese New Year of the Rabbit.  In the Chinese calendar, it is an auspicious day for the singles to make a wish to marry a good spouse by throwing a orange into the sea off the Esplanade.  If you are in Penang, it the time again to go to Georgetown at the Esplanade near the spot where Captain Francis Light landed in Penang, and old British fortress known as Fort Cornwallis and City Council building are located.

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There will be live concerts and stalls selling goodies which you may want to bring your family, friends and your love one to join you to have fun and carry on the tradition of throwing some oranges into the sea to wish for a good husband in the year of Rabbit , especially for the single ladies.  Single guys, here are your opportunity to survey who is available and who is hot.

For the married couples, save the oranges for yourselves as you cannot throw away what you already found and caught in your hands.

Here are the highlights of the happenings found at the Visit Penang. The Fireworks will be let off there later in the evening.  So bring your cameras to shoot the scenery and displays of colorful fireworks.