"The way they do things in Penang"

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I think Bob has been back on "the pop" again

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hi,

I like the monkeys. Hours of fun for them, and hours of relaxing time for me just watching them.

Thanks Qjumper, I'll google dusky langours. They certainly seem more laid back than the macaques which are vicious.

My own feeling on Phuket and Penang is that in Phuket I'm a fallang, in Penang a Tourist, and they're different feelings. However, some good friends of mine who live in Langkawi and visit Thailand frequently always tell me that I'm wrong on this.

The big advantage that I have for Malaysia (Penang) over Thailand (Phuket) is the much more widespread use of English in Malaysia. And much more convenient MM2H conditions. It sells it for me.

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We don't have a tumble dryer and only in very heavy rain it takes longer to dry our clothes otherwise it is a matter of hours. So far we don not stink and I think Bob can vow for that! 

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Ah that reminds me.... power cuts.  How frequent?  Do the back up generators in condos do what they're supposed to do?  Do you get stuck in the lift/elevator  ?

Baygon?  You must know Baygon.  It's that stuff you squirt at mozzies and 'roaches.  But, then again, I guess you will tell me that you don't get these little visitors up high in your condo 

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[[Whether 'tis nobler to suffer the enormous one-time bureaucracy and move, or to suffer the annual slings and arrows of the retirement visa renewal bureaucracy in Thai Immigration?]]

Excellent Feebee  though I would add the slings n arrows of traipsing up to Immigration office every 90 days too. 

Well I shall be on the wee turbo-prop in 2 days time.  I go with a completely open mind.  I'm sure it's going to be an interesting trip whether we take to Penang or not.  I shall of course let you all know our thoughts when we're back.  And maybe see one or two of you guys in Penang when we're there....

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I can indeed vouch for the fact that Stuurman doesnt stink, even after several hours walking the heritage trail

It will be nice to see Papaya in Penang, but she can leave the "Baygon" behind as we have very few mosquitos in Penang. More appropriate would be a face mask for encounters with the Hin Bus.

Whether 'tis nobler to suffer the enormous one-time bureaucracy and move, or to suffer the annual slings and arrows of the retirement visa renewal bureaucracy in Thai Immigration?

"Or to take arms against a sea of pollution"

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stuurman - interesting point; perhaps the humidity is not so bad after all, and people use tumble-dryers simply to comply with the rule of not using the balcony.  Perhaps I have finally got there?

I have seen a floor-plan of a condo which includes a "wash yard", which seems to be just an open area by an outside window/door, where one would place a "natural dryer" rack.  For me, I would just put a rack in one of the many spare bedrooms, and open a fan if necessary.

Someone has sent me a Private Message.  Thanks.  Unfortunately the system will not allow me to reply.  Nor can I find out how to make it do so.  "Help" was no help, "Search" didn't get me any instructions, and there is nothing in "Profile" to adjust.  I therefore declare myself willing to undergo full body cavity search if it will GET ME THE FACILITY OF SENDING!!!!!

This monkey problem could be a stopper.  I can understand that by dint of cuddly gorillas, Baygon, air pistols and monkey traps, one could render one's balcony monkey-free.  But the thought of being bitten when walking down the street or cycling is very off-putting.  It actually makes me question the competence of authorities there that such a thing is uncontrolled.  [Just as it makes me question the Thai authorities re the dog-packs.]  In the mm2h literature it is referred to that many people, in some distress, say "why didn't you tell us this before we applied?"  I wonder if they were referring to the monkey problem.  There is a place in Thailand that has monkeys - Lop Buri - and people have even had valuables stolen by them.  Also I have heard it is a hazard at some beaches where the vermin hides back of beach, and then steals from the belongings of people in the water or asleep.

Papaya - will be interested to know how you feel Penang compares with Phuket, particularly on "comfort level" or sweatiness.  Have good trip.

Re the mosquitos.  I have had 9 apartments in BKK and can vouch for the fact that if you are significantly above the local treetops, you will not normally get them [unless you are close to a marsh area].  My rule is to close the mesh just before sundown, end of problem.  Do Penang apartments have sliding mesh doors inside the main doors?

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@Feebee
You need 10 post to sent personal messages. The moderators have done this to avoid spam. Then the monkeys: So far I have not heard of people walking or cycling and being bitten. I fact I know a couple of fellow Dutchmen who do everything by bicycle and public transport, they live in Tanjung Bungah and don not own a car nor a motorcycle. If you get to your 10 post you can PM me and I will get you in touch with them for a first hand report.
A lot of people say that the monkeys in the Botanical garden are aggressive. So far I have not got in trouble there but I never fed them.

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stuurman - that is very encouraging and interesting.  The 2 people you describe seem to have the lifestyle that I would like.  In particular, it would be nice to start cycling again after being forced to give it up.  Also, cycling means that I could live further from the shopping facilities than if dependent on walking, and the choices of condo becomes much greater.

Thanks for the tip on the Private Messages.

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hi,

Feebee, if you look under your name you'll see that you're now in Group 2 which means you can send PMs.

Monkeys. They are very smart and usually avoid humans. In urban areas they are found around rubbish skips, or where anyone has dumped rubbish bags. This is opportunistic so the monkeys are nervous. Avoid going up close, clap your hands, and they disperse.

In the monkey "parks" that I've visited in Thailand, and on Bali, the monkeys have lost their nervousness because there are so many locals selling tidbits to gullible tourists who then try to hand feed the monkeys.  Anything for a photo opportunity.

"Look, this one is Sam feeding the monkey, and this one is the monkey eating Sam's little finger."   

And then the tourists are shocked when these wild animals grab the tidbit, and the watch/spectacles/sunglasses/hat, and anything else.

So they chase after the monkey which turns and screams, baring it's fangs. I would if I were chased by a tourist. Anyway, the monkey gets a bad press.

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Well I think Feebee's Baygon coated bananas are the way to go.

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hi,

Baygon, nature's way of getting rid of annoying things, usually humans. It's toxic. The mossies take one whiff and buzz off. That's why it's effective.

Try pandan leaves (also good for getting rid of cockroaches), and citronella. They are more user friendly.

BTW, our local rats aren't particularily picky eaters, the monkeys are good for trying anything, the wild dogs sniff most things (especially each other), and the birds will have a peck or two here and there.

The one item that they all avoid is ... dadadadadadadad ... wait for it ... Cream Crackers.

I've tried many times, cream crackers have zilch wild animal appeal.

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Yer but have you tried eating 3 cream Crackers without a glass of water

 

JJ

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scott - thanks for the lowdown on monkeys.  Good tips, fair enough.  [While I am riding my bike I will practice riding no-hands, so I can clap at the appropriate moment.]

Just a point about Baygon.  It really is great stuff, and the new version is odour-free.  Works brilliantly on barking "private" dogs too if you know the trick, but the real thing is for ANTS.  Now ants are the No 1 lifeform in the tropics, and will eventually supplant hom-sap-sap, especially when they have mastered recessionary economics.  Baygon fixes them brilliantly, but temporarily.  Thailand, and I suspect the rest of the tropics, is overrun with ants, and with Baygon you can keep them out of your patch.  Of course, they just go to someone else's, who then spends money on Baygon.  Apparently, there is no predator, which calls into question some fundamentals of Darwinism.  Geckos won't touch them.  Other species of ants might fight them, but I've only seen it once.

I have seen references in biology that there is a greater weight of ants on Earth than humans, so we had better watch out.

Sorry if I have gone off-topic.

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Hungry monkeys, they'll do anything to get food. At the recent Floral Show at the Penang Botanical Gardens these monkeys were like shop lifters, snatching bags of chips and snacks from the food stalls.They were so quick, the next second were up on the power poles and sitting on the electrical wires overhead enjoying their booties!! 
I think why I got bitten was the toddler thought I was holding a packet of food when in fact it was a roll of scotch tape in a plastic bag That's history and now I carry an umbrella with the quick release button, very useful to scare away strays and monkeys 

Won't be a bad idea to keep an Aardvark instead of getting this guy in 3mthly to spray the whole house... where can I find one? Sober Qjumper any clues? 

BB