Penang Bon Odori Festival 2012 (日本盘舞节)

Our first Penang Bon Odori Festival! In the past we didn't go as the children are still small and it would be difficult to carry two children in the crowd. We finally made it this year. There's such a big crowd and the surrounding road from Weld Quay to Beach Street and beyond are so congested. We were lucky and manage to squeeze the car in at an awkward spot quite far away, but still not block other cars.

We finally reach Esplanade around 8pm on foot. There's still dance performance on-going.

The dance performance on stage. The stage with the MPPP building lighted up makes a nice background. 

The food trail, the crowd is maddening. There are long queues at the stalls. The few tables and chairs are fully occupied. I think the food is so-so only.

Burger with special crispy bun

Both children like the crispy burger

Trying Okonomiyaki, but they didn't like it

Very ordinary ice-cream, but they still enjoyed it very much

By the time we finish all the queueing for food, it's almost 10pm. Just in time to go near the stage for fireworks display. And it's spectacular, lasted so long in the children's eyes. They keep asking, why it is so long and the fireworks hasn't ended? We didn't manage to capture the fireworks nicely :P

After the fireworks, we made our way back. The roads are so jammed up, everything is almost a standstill. Even though the traffic jam is horrible, the children still say they want to go again. 人山人海 is true description of the Bon Odori Festival this time :)

Meet and Greet Ice Age 4 characters at Queensbay Mall

Nowadays the children like to go to the Meet and Greet sessions at the malls to take photos with the latest movie or cartoon characters. A recent one is Ice Age 4. This weekend art class was on holiday, so free slot to go for photos :)

爸爸 dropped me off at Queensbay to get the photo pass. Usually the photo passes are given out 1 hour prior to the meet and greet session. Then he rush off to school to pick up 姐姐. I waited and waited around, there was no one at the counter yet. I even saw the people playing the characters walk by carrying their costumes and they said hi to me :) The folks giving out the passes only start doing so about 30 minutes prior. There were quite a few parents waiting for the passes too. Finally manage to get our pass and started queueing, without the children yet! They came just as the session is about to start and just in time too. Very funny, somehow we dressed them in Madagascar t-shirts to attend Ice Age 4 photo session. 姐姐 even had to wear her school shoes as we forgot to pack her slippers.

They can even squabble about who get to wear the number tag.

First it was Q&A session. The emcee was kind to give hints before starting the session. I mean, I didn't watch any of the Ice Age cartoon even the children did, and they could not even remember the characters names. That's exactly the question asked, name the characters of Ice Age 4. I whispered the names that I remember to both 姐姐 and 弟弟 and they get the merchandise. They were mighty happy they manage to answer the question. It's Ice Age 4 stickers and colouring booklet. As the emcee had a stack of the goodies, after a couple more questions she distribute to all the other kids :)

Then it's the characters time. 姐姐 said the elephant Manny uses its feet to "pet" her head, and she high-fived with Manny before she went down. 弟弟 said he pulled Sid's fur and called him "Hello, silly" to Sid, and Sid made face at him. Unbelievable, this is just in a couple of minutes and they still remember.

The children holding the colouring book and stickers they got from Q&A session

Ice Age 4 characters meet and greet at Queensbay Mall

After that, we went for lunch at Sushi King. The children chose this as they like the ice-cream here.

Meet and Greet Spider-Man Character at Gurney Plaza

This one's cute, wanted the children to be aware of the new happenings in town :) There's a meet-and-greet Spider-Man session at Gurney Plaza. Of course it's not the actor in the new Spiderman movie, but just for fun for the kids you know. Now, when is Batman going to be in town? :D

The children enjoyed running and goofing around while waiting for the "man in costume".

Around the stage

The children said they were startled when Spider-Man suddenly jumped on the stage :)

弟弟 trying to imitate Spider-Man's hand gesture

More goofing for photos

Today, they said they had 2 dinners. First we stuff them up at Sakae Sushi with their favourite sushi (before the Spider-Man session). Then, after their turn to take photo, we went to Nando's. It's been ages since we ate at Nando's, and now that they are full, 爸爸 and I jump at the chance to have the hot and extra hot peri-peri chicken :) Since they are already full, they have a little of our side dishes only, the Mediterranean rice, coleslaw and chips. They ended up finishing most of the side dishes.

Near encounter with flood at school

The field from my car window while stuck in jam at school compound

Wow, it was raining cats and dogs today. Even though we tried to be out of the house earlier, we're still caught in traffic jam on the way to 姐姐's school. When we reached, there's already a traffic snarl outside her school. As we inch towards the covered porch, then we realize why. The school compound is practically flooded! Teachers (who park along that way) were trying to move their cars to the other side of the school, causing further congestion. One mom was carrying her boy wading over muddy water. The water rise so quickly and I dare not stop the car, but just step on the gas and move out quickly. I parked by the roadside and asked 姐姐 to wear a jacket and take an umbrella for herself. We will walk into the school instead. 爸爸 was away for business trip and I wouldn't know what to do if the car stalled, luckily it didn't.

Not such a good idea after all. Water was flowing back from the school field towards the school building. The left wing of the school where the covered walkway is located already covered with flood water. The water kind of created a "moat" around the school building. Even before I can stop her, she was already wading in the muddy water with me! I had actually wanted to dunk the heavy school bag over first to the corridor then carry her across so that her feet will not get as wet. Oh, too bad! The muddy water reached mid-way between to my calves and ankles. We just don't have experience dealing with flood. I personally had never encountered any type of flood before. She got her feet and shoes wet again trying to cross over to the other building where the canteen and school hall is located. Some moms had already lined up benches for children to walk over. But my little anxious girl just dash through the muddy water ignoring the benches, sigh :( That auntie was so worried she was almost screaming for her to get on the bench.

After sending her to the school hall, I made my way out of the "castle/moat". As I was wearing flats there is no way I could not get wet, as it is my feet are already wet to the core! I walked here and there trying to find a spot to hop over, but there is none. Finally had to wade through the muddy water again :(

There was traffic jam all the way back and it seems like the congestion continued for a couple hours more. I only dare to brave the traffic again ~3pm to bring dry socks and her spare old school shoes to 姐姐. Luckily I did (and traffic was almost cleared), she was sitting on the walkway jabbing at her wet shoes. She said she was walking about bare-footed in class. Some of her classmates have such incredible stories to tell me as I was waiting for her to change. She had to go back into class immediately as recess time ended in a jiffy. Even though she didn't have the chance to say anything, when I pick her up from school in the evening, she was very happy to have dry shoes. I can imagine how uncomfortable it is to have wet feet all the time.

The heavy downpour caused such havoc at her school! After this incident, I was asking 爸爸 should we buy galoshes (or rain boots) Pua Chu Kang yellow boots and keep in the car in case flood again? He poured cold water on the idea, saying I'm 夸张 (over-reacting) :P I hope we don't have to encounter another situation like this again. Well, at least next time I hope to have a pair of spare slippers in the car and hope to stop the child in time before she or he step into the flood water. But sometimes this situation is not easy to control, especially when there are cars moving around, cars honking like mad outside and hands are full with umbrella and stuff.