Pulau-Pangkor Newsletter #004
April 14, 2005

Welcome to a new edition of the Pulau Pangkor Newsletter. We would like to give a warm welcome to our new readers. What do we have in this edition of the Pulau Pangkor Newsletter?

• Tsunami updates
• What is RSS and why do you want it?
• Learn language: Chinese
• Update: New pages on www.pulau-pangkor.com
• Your Pangkor story
• Recipes
• Western food in Lumut

PS Let me know what you like and what you don't like. All comments are welcome. Click here to write your comment:

http://www.pulau-pangkor.com/contact-us.html

You can read latest updates in my Blogs:
http://www.pulau-pangkor.com/Pulau-Pangkor-blog-1.html and http://pangkor.wordpress.com

or subscribe to my feed:

Subscribe to my RSS feed, if you don't know what this is, please read here more: Let others know about this site by bookmarking at your favorite social bookmarking system:

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Tsunami

The Tsunami slowly fades away out of the memory of people who were not involved. Let's not forget them. If you haven't donate some, do it NOW. Go the Red Cross website and make your donation. For those who missed the information in our first newsletter, Pangkor was not affected by the Tsunami so there's no reason NOT to come! By the end of March 2005, two more major earthquake hit the West coast of Sumatra. Again people died, again people suffered. This time there was no tsunami. This time however, the shocks could be felt in Pangkor and the surrounding areas. There was no damage.

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What is RSS and why do you want it?

RSS (or XML) is a format for syndicating news and the content of news-like websites. However, it can be used for virtually every website that has regular updates and changes, like www.pulau-pangkor.com.

Information like that will be made public in RSS/XML format. Such information needs to be read in an RSS reader called aggregators. An aggregator can help you to keep up with your favorite news, web logs and updates of websites (if they have the "orange" button.

RSS can not be read in the normal browsers as Internet Explorer, Mozila Firefox or Netscape. You need a reader. Fortunately those readers are free available. I use blogexpress but any reader is fine. It's free.

I have added on the website some basic information about RSS. Read this first before you decide you want to have more: RSS, what can you do with it?

For webmasters RSS can be a real asset to their business. It can be used to get your new web pages quicker in Google, Yahoo and MSN. Learn more how to use RSS in the right way with the right attitude. Click here

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Learn the language: Chinese

In the last issue of our Newsletter we introduced a bit of Malay language to you. It's time to introduce a bit of Chinese.

Almost 30% of the Malaysian population is Chinese. Especially at and around Pangkor there is a significant Chinese population living. Chinese are involved in all kinds of industries. At Pangkor it is the tourist- and the fish industry.

At the mainland many Chinese are involved in the fish industry but also many are salesmen. Especially Sitiawan is a serious car sales area. People from the whole area come here to find a new or second hand car.

For the traveler it may be fun to learn a bit of Chinese. You will make many Chinese happy by greeting them in Chinese: Ni hao and Thank you: xie xie.

It's always useful to have at least a bit of language available, even though you may not need it since many Chinese do speak a bit of English. However, many will feel pleased to hear a stranger (although I know many of readers come from Malaysia too) speaks some of their own language.

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Update: New on pulau-pangkor.com

We have of course already given an update of the new pages in our pulau-pangkor blog and in the feeds. For the reader who has not (yet) found our blogs or feeds, here's a selection of last months additions:

Kaliaman temple.

Not far from Lumut on one of the many plantations in this area is a seldom visited Kaliaman temple. It's a Hindu temple and worth a visit.
http://www.pulau-pangkor.com/Kaliaman-temple.html

Real estate and land
New to the website are our pages dedicated to Real estate and available land. And, yes, there's quite some land and real estate available.
http://www.pulau-pangkor.com/Pangkor-real-estate.html

The Horizon Inn
A beautiful sunset is something we all would like to have from our hotel room. True or not? The Horizon Inn is a decent hotel at Nipah Bay.
http://www.pulau-pangkor.com/Horizon-Inn.html

Other Malaysian islands
A short selection of the more then 1000 islands of Malaysia. Find the most well known ones and read why they are famous.
http://www.pulau-pangkor.com/Malaysia-islands.html

Chinese cemeteries
In the Pangkor area are many wealthy graveyards. This part of Malaysia is famous for it.
http://www.pulau-pangkor.com/Chinese-cemeteries.html

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Your Pangkor Story

This new page is an invitation to you, the reader of this newsletter. I want to invite you to tell me about your personal Pangkor adventures. No writing experience necessary.

We are also interested in stories related to subjects we mention on the website. So if something happened during the Taipusam, Ching Ming, or when you hiked over the island. Maybe you had a fishing, or diving adventure here at Pangkor. Or you may have been golfing and something happened there. Tell me!

If I get some good stories, I will publish them (if the writer agrees) in the next Pulau Pangkor Newsletter.

http://www.pulau-pangkor.com/pangkor-stories.html

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Recipes

The last Pulau Pangkor Newsletter had some excellent recipes. Did you miss them? Click on MORE RECIPES page to see them again. You will find also two new recipes of dishes you will able to get at Pangkor island.

This edition of the Pulau Pangkor Newsletter we will explore some specific Malaysian Chinese dishes you won't find anywhere else. Although both Bah Kut Teh and Nga Po Fan are maybe Chinese dishes, it doesn't turn other people off to enjoy them. On the contrary, if you have the time, visit the stalls in Sitiawan or Nipah Bay. You'll find about anyone enjoying these dishes.

Bah Kut Teh

The first is Bah Kut Teh. Bah Kut Teh or Chicken Kut Teh if instead chicken is used instead of pork ribs. It is a one dish meal, easy to make although it may cost a bit of time. In fact, it is the single easiest dish to make of the whole Malaysian cuisine. All you have to do is put all the ingredients in a pot, boil it for a while, then simmer and your meal is ready.

Bah Kut Teh has it's very own and very specific taste. It can not be compared with anything else. The mix of garlic, soy sauce and sugar in the way it is used here makes the taste what it is. Try it yourself when you come to Pangkor, or... make it yourself. Here's the recipe for Bah Kut Teh

Claypot Chicken rice (Nga Po Fan)

A favorite of mine at the stalls in Sitiawan. This dish is a very filling rice dish, always tasty and also not too difficult to make. To be blunt, just put about everything in the rice cooker and your Nga Po Fan is ready.

Of course it is a bit more work then just like that. The specific taste of claypot rice comes from the boiled rice in the claypot. At home you may use the rice cooker, here in and around Pangkor you will get your very own real claypot. And watch out, it will be hot, the pot and what's in it.

The taste can be a bit like fried rice but it is much heavier. Chicken is usually without most of the bones and chilies can be added (although I personally don't think it's necessary).

Best place to get, the stalls in Sitiawan and around Nipah Bay. Here's the recipe for Claypot chicken rice or Nga Po Fan

Both Bah Kut Teh and Claypot chicken rice are very popular with the local people.

Both dishes are typical Chinese. You may find it interesting to explore a bit more of the Chinese cuisine.

For the Chinese food lovers, this ebook may be an option. Enjoy your meal!

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Western food in Lumut

Yes, I know, Pangkor too has some western food to offer. The Pangkor Island Beach Resort and Teluk Dalam are probably your best places but we will come back with those in a later stage.

Lumut however has two great western restaurants available: Capri and Jook Joint.

Capri
To start with Capri, it is a nice cozy little restaurant. The ice coffee is something to mention. A long stylish glass will be filled with good coffee, ice-cream and whipped cream plus, if you want, whiskey complete this ice coffee or should I say, Irish Coffee, Superb!

Capri is an Italian restaurant. The pizza's are surprisingly good. Better even is the spaghetti. This is made with descent spaghetti and good Bolognese sauce. Mozzarella cheese is on request available. While you walk on the main street in Lumut, give Capri a chance. It's a nice and relaxed place. Capri is located at the parallel street of Jalan Sultan Idris Shah. It is on the corner.

Jook Joint

At the same street you will find one of the 3 (three!) Jook Joints in Lumut. It seems the owner of Jook has so much confidence in the Jook that he opened three restaurants.

The menus are nicely done and easy to use. There's a good variety in the dishes too. Fish dishes are well done. My favorite here is the chicken-cordon bleu with fried potatoes. Also a real nice one is beefsteak, which if you want will be nicely red (raw) inside. Jook has excellent chefs and a friendly service. Prices are decent too.

Have a good dinner in Lumut!

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