Business and Leisure in Penang

It’s been 3 years since I last visited Penang.

I had been invited to speak at the Global Internet Summit and this was going to be the first time GIS is presented in Penang. I had prepared my presentation a few days before the big day and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous at all; this was also going to be my first speaking engagement as a main speaker.

And to top that, I was also going to be the first speaker to climb the stage to kick start the event!


At Senai Airport

One day before the big day, I caught a flight to Penang and checked into the Evergreen Laurel Hotel at Persiaran Gurney. While I was looking forward to having more fun and going around Penang, the presentation occupied my mind most of the time. Couldn’t wait for it to end.


Inside the 5-star Evergreen Laurel Hotel - sea view!

Walking outside the hotel at Persiaran Gurney

Thankfully, the Success Resources team had arrived earlier and since I was going to be the first main speaker to start the event – I wouldn’t have the luxury of observing and learning from other speakers before my turn – I rehearsed my presentation in the empty room. I rarely spoke in front of large crowds and I had to learn almost everything I could from “Great Public Speaking in 10 Days”… in 2 days.


Rehearsing in front of the empty room

My biggest worry was whether I would exceed my allotted time of 1.5 hours. So I spent whatever available time I can rehearsing my presentation (though I paid little attention to the details in the final 15 minutes i.e. selling).

Other speakers arrived shortly and I met up with them for dinner to get acquainted, especially Benjamin Teo and Andy Hun since I’ve not met them before.

We ate at Gurney Drive and yep, Penang is well known for its food! Here’s Andy Hun (right) and Feebie, Benjamin Teo’s girlfriend. Andy’s from Johor Bahru, to my surprise (just when I thought I’m the Sultan of Johor).

I don’t have a profiled picture of Feebie but she looks really, really familiar. I was certain I saw someone who looked like her back in Sydney (and maybe true since she and Ben Teo came from Sydney!)… and she looked like an ex-classmate of mine.

“Common face,” said Ben.


Feebie (Ben Teo’s gf) and Andy Hun

Oh yeah, here’s Alvin Phang too. His first time in Penang. Since I won 2nd place in his Atoming Blogging 3.0 contest, should’ve asked him to hand me my prizes while in person. 😛


Alvin Phang

Of course, Benjamin Teo himself. He may speak in a monotone voice but hey, he’s THE social media expert. He was from Malaysia (surprise, surprise) and then moved to Australia at an early age. He’s got like… what? 36,000 followers on Twitter? Follow him on Twitter: @upicks


Benjamin Teo - the social media expert

And of course, here’s the star and the hero himself. What’s this blog without THE MAN? 😉


Edmund Loh

Global Internet Summit


View from the stage

The long awaited 1.5 hours of presentation finally came… and go! 🙂

I think I did pretty well for a first timer, considering many of the audience didn’t quite believe this was my first time speaking on stage, my fear of exceeding the 1.5 hours of given time was un-found (I finished on time), and I sold some of my back-end programs too at an acceptable ratio for a crowd that I heard was hard to please.

To add to that, my hairstyle was at its best. 😛 I can’t think of anything I’ve goofed up badly and I must say I did well. 🙂

I haven’t got the photos of me speaking on stage so when I get them I’ll post them here. But I want to show you the photos of some of the people I’ve met at the GIS.


With Kelly Lai

with Tiong Wei

with Low Kok Seng

with Soo Cheng Guan

with Alvin Ooi

with Dawn Tan

with Anna Tan

UPDATED 16th April

Thanks to Jaz Lai and Edmund Toh for the pics! Here they are…


First up on stage!

Edmund Loh on stage

At speaker’s panel

Answering in a Q&A

Answering Q&A

Okay now that the business trip is covered, let’s talk about leisure for the rest of the blog post!

Red Box Karaoke


Red Box

In no sequence, let me show what we’ve been doing when we’re not speaking for the GIS. 🙂 Hope this convinces some people that we’re totally nerds behind the comps – or that we spend the rest of our free time at the cyber cafe. lol


Jaz Lai, Edmund Toh and Khai Siung signing up at Red Box

This is the third time I’ve gone to a karaoke session and though I’m not good at singing (actually, the extreme opposite) I can’t believe I’m going to say this but I’m beginning to like it too. 🙂 Look forward to go to more of these Red Box outings next time when I’m in KL. Khai Siung is a MUST in the group, really.


“Takes me one step closer to the edge… and I’m about to break!”

I didn’t know Jaz Lai could sing, though.


Jaz Lai

And even Edmund Toh. I suspect we came from the same factory that produced us.


Edmund Toh

And hey, it’s our guest and friend from India, Alok Jain!


Alok Jain

Finally… me. 🙂


I can sing, ok?

Yes, I really can…

Kenko Fish Spa

It’s been everyday that I go to Gurney Plaza while I was in Penang but I’m most fond of the Kenko Fish Spa while I’m there.

I’ve seen people blog about their experience at the fish spa and I think it would be sad if I didn’t try it out at least once in my lifetime. Now I’m certain I would do it once in a while. 🙂


Chewing off my feet…

Jaz, Edmund, Edmund

Feeding his hands away

Let’s see if you can find our card at Kenko’s Guest Wall!

Trying to maximize my value for money by dipping both my hands into the pool and still get away with paying for only foot massage fees.


Becoming fish food

Here’s York Min whom we’ve briefly got acquainted with. I’ve also tried out the full body massage at Kenko’s the next day since the massage service at the hotel left a lot to be desired.


with York Min

Dinner and Food!

What’s Penang without all the amazing food and friends right? 🙂


Lunch at Coffee Island

Now with me inside the photo

We also had Speaker’s Dinner on the last evening of the GIS. Here’s me and Vince Tan – damn he sold many seats too many for his back-end program, well done!


Me and Vince Tan

L-R: Vince, me, Alok, Andy


Vince, Edmund, Alok, Andy

Thanks to Success Resources for helping me out with my first speaking engagement!


Me with the SR Team

Some more…

Group photo

with Yan Ang since she had been missing from the rest of the group photos!

Special credits to: Jessie, Yan Ang, Henry Chee, Henry Wong, Purple Chin (and of course, the rest of the SR team!)

Last Day – Going Around Penang

I was the last speaker to leave the island (Patric Chan doesn’t count since he’s a native here!) so I checked out Bukit Bendera and the Kek Lok Si temple.


At Bukit Bendera

Bukit Bendera

View from the top of Bukit Bendera

At the Kek Lok Si Temple

Year of the Tiger

Also caught a movie at Gurney Plaza’s GSC – Shinjuku Incident starring Jackie Chan. Even though it’s like what Jackie himself said in an interview, “1% action 99% drama” I think this is one of Jackie Chan’s best films. The premise of the show is that in the early 1990’s – based on a true incident that really happened – Jackie plays the character “Steel Head” and was one of the many of the illegal immigrants from China who settled in Shinjuku, Japan… illegally, of course.

Steel Head would go on to find that his former lover is now married with a kid to a Yakuza leader called Eguchi. From here on, Jackie went from doing odd jobs to starting multiple illegal businesses like selling fake phone cards and tampering with the jackpot machines until he seizes substantial power within the ranks of the Yakuza semi-legitimate organization and controls a pure Chinese territory for his Chinese ‘brothers’. There are a lot of heart wrenching moments when you can see how good people turn bad, and yet how some things don’t really change – and the racial issues between the Japanese and the Chinese.

I can see why this show is banned in China because of how it portrays the Chinese people. Nonetheless, I’d say put it in your “must watch” list.


Shopping for stuff the last minute!

Okay, this is it. I’m sorry if I didn’t mention some of you in my blog post and I’m still waiting for new photos to add here. Hope you’ve enjoyed reading and it’s been a pleasure to meet new people while I was in Penang! Talk soon and until the next time!

12 thoughts on “Business and Leisure in Penang

  1. For first time speaking on stage, you did very well. Great job!

    Give me a ring anytime you come to Penang, and we’ll go eat “something like this…” 🙂

  2. Aurelius,

    Yeah definitely – was ready to consider breaking this post into 2 but nah, comments would be diluted then. 🙂

    Rosli,

    Should be, there’s a good reason to visit Penang again!

    Zamri,

    Thanks! Thanks for your support. Yeah we’ll eat “something like this”… 🙂

  3. Thanks for sharing. I like one of the picture… because it’s me sitting there in the front row! :p

    Hope you enjoyed your stay, and hope that you’ll come to Penang again! 🙂

  4. Hey Jaz,

    In Thailand having fun now I suppose? 🙂 Yeah next time in SG, you take me to Karaoke with Edmund Toh!

    Soo,

    Yeah lol have to come to Penang again because got some new students there. 🙂

  5. GIS gives us a good platform to see all super duper IT people and the best part is we can all learn from them. Lets catch up in KL.

  6. Hi Edmund. Haha.. I guess you had a great time in Penang, that’s good. And I shall say, Penang langs are nice and friendly.. 😀

    P/s: But still.. I can’t seem to find anyone who look like.. em… me? haha.. XD

  7. Elvin & Kelly,

    Thanks! Will follow up with you by email. 🙂

    Alfred,

    It WAS fun! 🙂 Khai can tell you some stuff from Penang when you meet him.

    Curry Egg,

    Yup that’s right… though more reserved when I met the girls at the club. :-\ LOL!

    Yeah not in the photos here, I saw a lot of ’em girls at the Red Box karaoke, really just like you! Nah kidding, “curry egg” is unique. 😉

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