NEW YORK, NEW YORK!

NEW YORK, NEW YORK, so good they named it twice! OH IT's been a busy and exciting time!

WELL HOWDY! How're yall dwin today?

Yes, I'm here in the good old US of A, otherwise known as Amurka, as they say here in the Southern YOUnited States. To be precise, in Raleigh, North Carolina, famous for where the Wright Brothers did their inaugural flight and the history of aviation was born.

We've done so much, and eaten even more, as is evidenced by the ever-increasing waistline and tight jeans. The weather has been kind most times, unseasonably so, I am told, because the famous fall leaves have NOT turned to their usual glorious colours as they should have by now. BUT the past couple of nights have been quite chilly, and last night it was expected to be frosty and 40s (F).

However, the days are sunny and relatively warm at about low 70s, and we are having so much fun here. The US is still cheap to live in - sometime cheaper than Penang! - and here in Raleigh there is so much space that the city really sprawls. Shopping malls are HUMONGOUS, so large you have to drive around from one store to another. That, really, has been my only saving grace - the fact that I have been walking around browsing through all the GOODIES. And goodies there are indeed, wonderful things and knick knacks and CLOTHES ... phew. The only thing holding me back is not so much the money (although there's that to consider of course) but the fact that we are limited luggage allowance-wise. And of course Customs as well!

But let's start with when we arrived in The Big Apple aka New York a week ago - the queue to get through Immigration took over an hour, but we got there in the end, and took a cab in to Manhattan for a flat rate of USD45. By the time you add a tip (mandatory 10-20% here really, which is a bit of a shock for us out-of-towners who just aren't used to it) it's USD50. But the bus or subway in would have cost USD20 each anyway, so it was worth it for the extra USD20 to get us door to door.

We stayed at the Seton Hotel which is on E43rd and Lexington, an old fairly knackered place but at least it was ensuite and very near the theatre district, because we were going to see a show the next night. At USD240 a night, it was one of the cheapest we could get - and no consolation of course but NYC has the most expensive hotels in the world.

Early the next morning we took a walk to Times Square, to have a look around. It was busy, packed and full of bleeding tourists ... !!

The weather was COLD, so we rode the subway to Ground Zero, now a huge site undergoing massive reconstruction. There is a Memorial Centre which sells souvenirs and stuff to raise money for the project, which had photos and films about the terrible incident. It was all very sad and poignant. I bought a small fridge magnet just to add my little contribution!

As for the food, it was actually quite good (why else do you think the old weight is creeping up!!)

We found a small diner on the way to Times Square the next morning and ordered pancakes and bacon for breakfast - and would you believe it came with THREE thick (and fluffy) pancakes, and loads of maple syrup and cream cheese. Umm hmmm it was GOOD ... but filling and fattening. No wonder the average American is overweight, and quite a number of them are massively so. In Malaysia I have to wear L or XL - here I am classified petite, XS or size 4! Everything is disposable of course, from the crockery to the cutlery, cups and plates.

DINNER was at Sam's Place, on 132 E 39th St, a small friendly Italian restaurant just round the corner from the hotel, early as we had to get to the show.

It's run by Sam The Caesar Salad was probably one of the best I'd ever tasted, crunchy, sharp and sweet, and for mains they made me a gorgeous Prawns and Spag, my favourite, and Mac's Tortellini was excellent. They were SO good we gorged ourselves as you can see from the empty plate but hey at USD25 a plate, we had to!

PLOUGH PUB GRUB

I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S BEEN A MONTH since we arrived in UK, and tomorrow we are heading off again - and in all that time I've barely posted anything, shame on me. It was partly due to sloth and partly lack of time as we've done so much during our time here. It has been wonderful, and I look forward to our next trip here although when that will be is another question.

As far as food is concerned, I've eaten for Penang and the world it seems like, and have put on countless kilos ... sigh ... so it's back to the Wii again for hours a day I think. Just can't eat anything without putting on weight nowadays, and worse with this chilly winter weather; one just wants to eat more. Of course all the reviews I've done whilst here haven't helped, and on top of that I've wanted to try various favourite places I used to love when I lived here.

And of course all the DRINK, especially English beer, which although a bit dull and watery - they will KILL me if they read this - is such a favourite here you just have to have it when you're down at the local.

Like the pubs and their good old pub grub, for example, although most of them have gone "upmarket" and it's no longer the old "Sausages and Chips" or "Fish 'n Chips" or "Chicken and Chips", everything eaten with a great big blob of tomato sauce. No, most are much more sophisticated now, and even the ones which protest that they are still traditional offer much more exciting meals like The Plough in Effingham, Surrey.

It's a lovely old place, popular with the "wrinklies" (I think I was the youngest person there - that's an indication of how old the general population is!) because they serve good food in quiet, serene surroundings.

The Beef Pie was excellent as you can see from the empty plate, and all served in more attractive ways now rather than just plonked on a plate with CHIPS.

I also love the way they just write up what's on offer on the board - no need to print up expensive menus, and they can change it at the drop of a hat or in this case a swipe of the duster. And that also means the clients get to sample different food, especially regulars who eat there all the time.

However the Sticky Toffee Pudding, one of the most traditional English desserts you can find, was disappointing, dry with an overpowering taste of toffee. I suspect it was brought in although they denied it.

LEICESTER CITY - MUCHO POINTS!

We've been here just over two weeks now and although we have still another 12 days or so to go I feel, sadly, like I'm coming to the end of our stay here in Old Blighty. It's been a wonderful trip so far, and unlike other trips here the past few years, I've really enjoyed it.

We travelled a lot before ensconcing ourselves here at a good friend's in Chiswick, London W4: arrived in Surrey, travelled to Loughborough, then we stayed in Leicester for two nights, as it was somewhere I've never been to before - the Midlands have always been passed through and never somewhere I really wanted to stay at! But Leicester was interesting, historical and old, although it peed down at times and was quite chilly (wimp, remember?) We even managed a quick visit to one of its many museums.

This famous football city has another claim to fame: their market is one of the oldest in the country, dating back as far as 1200s, and it is also supposed to be the largest covered one in Europe.

It IS pretty big, and what's even more wonderful is there is so much life, despite the cold. The vendors consist of all races: Indians - it apparently has one of the highest concentrations of Asians in the UK and won the Curry Competition in 2007 - English, Chinese and all kinds of other Europeans. Everyone's selling different types of interesting foodstuff including of course their famous Red Leicester cheese.

They all shout out their wares, "Just a POUND! All these bananas for just a POUND!" ... just like in the film Oliver! or My Fair Lady, and the produce is REALLY cheap - honestly, I bought TEN huge peaches which I thought might not be good but turned out to be gorgeous, ripe and juicy, for just ONE POUND. That's less than FIVE RINGGIT mate and worth every sen - or penny, as the case might be.

People complain the UK is expensive and yes, services and utilities are - gas, for example, has gone up 200% from ten years ago when I lived here, and accommodation of course is tres expensive - I certainly couldn't afford a flat here now, let alone a house. But other things are really quite cheap especially if you shop right like in markets and not Harrods for example! They have something called a "Pound Shop" where you can get things for 1 pound - and it's stuff which sells even next door for two, three, four or even five times that amount. I love browsing in places like that, cheapskate that I am.

I love it all, but that's probably cos I know I'll be going back soon and escaping the cold ... !!!

Of course whilst we were there I had to have a curry so we visited one near the hotel before the theatre - I'd managed to get 2 tickets to the dress rehearsal for "Hot Stuff", a musical which is similar to Mama Mia with songs from the 80s for just TWO QUID each. It was the Haveli, recommended by hotel, which was OK but not as good as one we had in Loughborough.

We also had the new Kingfisher beer which had been specially invented to go with Indian food, and I could see why - it was thirst-quenching and refreshing without being too bitter, with a slightly fruity aftertaste which suited the spices.

After that we walked to The Curve Theatre where we had the best-value show in town - it was excellent.

Although I'd not go back there again probably, I had a fantastic time in Leicester.

DELICIOUS PRAWN PASTA

SO HERE WE ARE OOP NORTH now, having driven up a couple of days ago to the university town of Loughborough, which is just outside Leicester in the Midlands.

England lived up to its reputation and it P'ed down practically all day yesterday. It was cold, wet and miserable. However, today was quite sunny and crisp. We checked into the unassuming and unpretentious little Cedars Hotel on the A6, at the edge of Loughborough University Town.

And would you believe it, I had one of the best meals ever.

MANY MOONS AGO, I had a prawn and pasta dish which I consider the best I've ever eaten. It was in San Francisco, and I just HAD to finish the whole plate it was THAT good. Since then, that has been the benchmark against which I judge pasta dishes, particularly prawn and pasta dishes, and, sad to say, not one has come up to scratch. This one though came pretty close to it.

To be fair I had warned the manager that I would be blogging about it, so the chef was rather prepared for it. However, as I have had pretty abysmal meals despite the proprietors knowing about my visit, this was not really a criteria.

I ordered their Prawn, Garlic and Chilli Pasta - and it was really truly magnificent. Spicy but tasty, and full of large prawns. It was an alio olio so no tomatoes were involved, and the spiciness was introduced in the form of finely-chopped Scotch Bonnet chillies, one of the hottest in the world, even hotter than Thai chilli padi I think.

For just 9.95 pounds, it was excellent value, and I would honestly go back there just to eat that! Well done chef, and a 9/10 for it; as you can see, I devoured the lot ... with a bit of help from the rest of course!

UNFORTUNATELY the rest of the meal was not so brilliant; Mac's steak was tough and overcooked despite having asked for it medium done - 4/10 for that - and and No2 Son's lamb was mediocre, probably a 6.

I was also slightly disappointed to find out that the Sticky Toffee Pudding was bought in and not made in house, although it was quite tasty. Bang goes the diet - how on earth I ever thought I could try and be a bit abstemious during this trip the food has just been too much and too good, no wonder there are so many fat Brits! - and it's back to the treadmill when we get back for sure!!

BLIMEY, IT'S BACK TO BLIGHTY

HERE WE ARE BACK IN OLD BLIGHTY once again ... we flew here by British Airways and the word I can use to summarise the experience was ADEQUATE. Service and amenities were basic, food was just OK. They were not the cheapest airline nor were they the most expensive either, and they got us here safely and on time which was some 5am on Friday morning so not much to complain about there BUT I have to say have flown better airlines before.

The first thing about the UK is it's BLUDDY freezing! Ai yo, despite the fact they did have a good summer (yea thanks for constantly telling me that friends!), and that the sun does occasionally peep out from behind the massive grey clouds, during which time it does warm up slightly, overall it is cold, damp and dismal. It rained practically all afternoon the day we arrived, and in the evening it gets even worse, as temperatures plunge to 5 or 8C. I tell you, going to the loo is like sitting on a block of ice doing your business. Now I understand why people wear those jumpsuits with a panel at the back that you "undo" to go to the toilet ... LOL.

HOWEVER there are nice things about being back here. Like wot, you ask. Well as it was so early when we landed, we got to Surrey in record time as the M25, although fairly busy, was moving - it's not known as the "World's Biggest Car Park" for no reason! So we decided to drive by old favourite Tesco to check out if it was open and at 730am - it was, yay, hooray!

In we popped to get a few things ... hah! Ended up with 90 quids' worth of shopping including biscuits, wine and beer, bits and bobs and SIM cards for our Malaysian phones. They cost just 99p (RM4.80) with just 20p worth of time on it but there is a special offer on at the moment and if you top up (online, via sms or call them) you get 3x the value so if you top up 20 quid then you get 60 pounds in value. Worth it of course to a canny Penangite like MOI ...

After due formalities were over like greetings and "How ARE you?" and "How NICE to see you again" that kind of stuff, settling into bro-and-sis-in-law's place and giving out prezzies - the jumper, although a tad large, was admired with suitable oohing and aahing, as was my due ... ahem ... (joking lah), we set off again - this time to London itself, and the first ever Malaysia Night to be held in Trafalgar Square. But that's another story.

Suffice it to say that the trip up by British Rail was uneventful if expensive - something like 12 pounds for a return to Waterloo, and another fiver to get me to Charing Cross by Underground on the Bakerloo Line, which used to be the oldest and most knackered line with really dark and seedy old trains but is now modern and bright. I've always loved the way they advertise on the platforms.

Ahhh ... despite the cold and expense, it's GOOD to be back!

WE'RE OFF!

WEELLLLLL .... we're off - well, nearly. The taxi is coming in approximately 1 hour! The whole morning, as indeed the last few days, has been spent running around doing all kinds of chores and errands related to going away: buying gifts and souvenirs for friends and relatives (Tau Sar Peah galore together with belacan etc - if I could take it they'd ask for Char Kuey Teow too, probably).

I've been sorting out the dry cleaning and foreign currency, and also eating ... eating and eating, as kind friends wish us a "Bon Voyage".

HOWEVER this will not be the last post that you see, as I intend to blog a LOT about the trip, seeing as last time we were abroad I had only just about started to do so - there will be a lot to report from London, where I shall be (hopefully) attending the very first Malaysian Pasar Malam at Trafalgar Square tomorrow night - talk about hitting the ground running. That's assuming I'm not too jetlagged of course. I've tried to stave off "Ai yo can't be bothered lah" by arranging to meet No1 Son at Waterloo Station on Friday afternoon. Gulp. It will however be nice to see him again after almost a year, probably the longest we've ever been apart.

After a few days in Surrey we will be heading north to take No2 Son to uni, then back down to London - thinking of a couple of days in Rome as I have never been there and watching "Rome" and "Spartacus" has whetted my appetite for a bit of the Coliseum.

At the end of November, we will be heading across to US so lots to write about then too. What an epic trip. I dread the airport security checks and queues at Immigration and the cold (urgghhh!!!) and the jetlag but, as my father always says, these are rich men's problems. Quite right too.

Until the next post, Arrivederci!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HARD ROCK HOTEL

WOW, WHAT A NIGHT! Yes, it was Hard Rock Hotel Penang's first birthday party - difficult to believe they have been there just a year, seems like forever, they have been such a part of Penang's scene now. Anyone was anyone had been invited - there were over 650 on the guest list, including even humble food writers.

The whole beach side of their long pool had been converted into a party area, with a stage at one side to house the two bands who were performing that night: Bongga Bongga and Albert Chua, national champion of Malaysia Air Guitar Championship hosted by the hotel. After the beautiful sunset, more people arrived, the place started to live up to its name: ie ROCK!

Guests of Honour included TYT Governor of Penang and CM YAB Lim Guan Eng, who arrived a bit later in the evening, giving all the freeloaders like moi a chance to stuff their faces.

And what an array of Hard Rock goodies there were on offer, masses and masses of it, wraps, satays, foot-long Chicken Sausage including, of course, their world-famous Burger.

Chef Kenny and his team had their work cut out, but apart from the satay which unfortunately kept running out (people were grabbing many sticks at a time!), there was plenty on offer, and chocolate sauce aplenty for the marshmallows.

Highlight of the evening was French guitarist, singer songwriter Louis Bertignac, founding member of rock band Telephone.It really was a free-flow evening with Mojitos (yum ...), wines, beers and other drinks on offer, ending with dancing and fireworks at midnight. Happy Birthday Hard Rock, and here's to your second birthday!