Penang 2019 : TeddyVille Museum

9:02:00 PM

Hey guys!

*Blowing cobwebs off my blog*,

Hehe. Yeah, i almost let a whole month pass by without posting anything and frankly, i almost let it happen but then a part of me was like NO. NO #Pink, you can't do this. You can't just give up. You need to post something, you need to be productive! DO SOMETHING! So i did. Scrambling on the easiest thing to write, a travel post (but i hate the photo transferring part the most for this type of posts because i always use SO.. MANY pics. And this particular trip i relied on my friend Bella's camera so i have to send the pics from my phone to the computer, one by one... Painfully).

I know most of my readers are currently in the same position as me, hurdled up at home. Self quarantining. Did any of you ever imagine we'd experience this in our life time? I sure don't. I thought world pandemics are a thing of a long long past, generations before us. In this modern time, what disease could cripple a whole nation, let alone a WHOLE FRIGGIN WORLD? Well. Covid 19 that is. We are a part of history though, and while we're still in the middle of it... It feels so strange, so unreal. But it is real. It is our reality, our new normal.Where touching is scary and being apart can save someone's life. We will get through this though. We will be OKAY. We can do this together.

Honestly, i didn't update my blog mostly because i was busy in real life and also maintaining my IG because most jobs are for my IG now, but i definitely didn't plan to not post at all on my blog. I thought i would have a few like usual, and then this happened. Apocalypse *LOL*. I went through stages that lots of you must have too, the denial, the anger, the desperation. I cried, i prayed, i had sleepless night thinking what will happen to us. To my family, my business (because obviously this pandemic hits hard on the economy as well. As a family of business people and most of our businesses are service and hospitality, it hit us super hard), and especially how it will impact my son's future. I couldn't do anything but mope, other than that i played on my Ipad endlessly, watched silly Youtube videos (because i couldn't even concentrate enough to actually watch something with a plot) to distract myself. A week felt like a year, especially the first few days of quarantine.

But i am much better now, i have been in the past few days. I busied myself with my hobby, picked up my makeup brushes and put on makeup, even host a challenge (it's called #MindysRainbowChallenge on IG, if you're interested to check it out or even join). I take product pictures, i talk to my family, my friends (via WA and Line chat ofc). Time is still tough, my city has never been so quiet and empty before, not for this long but we know we're doing this for ourselves and the world. I've come to terms that we're gonna have to use our emergency funds and it's okay, business is still very slow but the second week has already shows some improvement compared to last week. It will get better again, the most important thing is we are safe and healthy because as they said, money can be earned again but we only have one life. Our family only have one life and we have to protect it.

I feel like myself again now, and if you're going through what i went through, i hope you are okay too now. I truly do.

Anyway, back to the post. This trip to Penang was exactly 1 year ago *LOL*, definitely never crossed my mind that a year later i would be locked at home, protecting myself from a virus. I am also supposed to travel again this month, thankfully i didn't make any payment yet or i would be busy trying to get a refund etc like so many others *sigh*, it still hurts to think that i should've been somewhere else, having fun, soaking in new experience and taking photos. Oh well, the places would still be there once the pandemic's over and i promise i would work extra hard, earn more money and travel to my heart's content once we're free again.

One of the main places that i wanted to visit in this trip is definitely TeddyVille Museum. Honestly i didn't even know that there is a TeddyVille Museum in Penang until i saw it in my Malaysian friends (I think it was Sydney's and Eros', the guys from Althea Korea of you think their names ring a bell!) IG Stories. Ofct he place is definitely closed at the moment, considering Malaysia is on a nation-wide lockdown, but we all need some dream for the future and maybe some of you might want to add this place to your list to go to in the future.

I actually went to TeddyBear Museum before in Jeju Island called Teddy Bear Safari and i loved it so when i realize there's another one closer to where i live, i decided that i want to visit it.

TeddyVille Museum
56, Jalan Low Yat, Puncak Ria, 11100 Batu Ferringhi,
Pulau Pinang, Malaysia

One thing that i didn't know before visiting this place that it's actually pretty far from the city centre. While most of tourists attractions in Penang are located nearby each other, this one is not. It's located inside a luxe resort called Double Tree Resort (i was really confused when our Uber driver drop us off at the resort *LOL*) so be ready to pay a little bit more for transportation.

We pre-bought the entrance tickets via Traveloka (just for convenience we booked most of our entrance tickets online) but you don't have to, you can just buy at the site because the museum was actually very empty *LOL*. According to their website, the ticket price is RM 36, i dunno if that's for locals but we paid IDR 115.000/person via Traveloka. I won't bother trying to convert and do the math because honestly, right now all currencies are going crazy so let's do that when things are returned to normal.

The museum is a LOT smaller than the one in Jeju Island so if you've been to that one already and expecting something similar.. don't *LOL* coz you're gonnabe disappointed. It's ofc one of those modern selfie, interactive museums where you can take photos at so it's strictly for camwhores (OMG i haven't heard or write this word in so long) and who are into cute stuffs coz everything is Teddy bears ofc so if you strongly dislike or don't care about Teddy Bears... Why would you even want to come here for...

Plenty of these life sized Teddy Bears for you to take pictures with, they represent so many different characters it's hilarious to observe. Oh yeah, the theme of this museum is obviously all about Penang/Malaysia

I honestly cannot remember (but surely there should be) if there's any written information on the background of each diorama and exhibition

We went there on a weekday but actually it was a school holiday week or something (that's why some of the cafes and touristy places we went to were crazy full, especially Bukit Bendera - it was pretty stressful trying to get in the tram to get up) but the place was pretty much deserted. We didn't run into a single person while we were there so it was like we had the whole place to ourselves. That's awesome because we didn't have to queue and wait to take pics in each spot, but at the beginning there was an attendant who followed us around and it was a bit uncomfortable *LOL*. Anyway, video taping was not allowed although picture taking is, it's a bit weird for me but well.. That's the rules!

So i actually wore pink purposefully but in retrospect i really should've worn something more kawaii, at least switch the skirt to a floaty, tutu styled one *sigh*

Color wise, the cream colored faux leather skirt works but style wise, it looks too formal. I'm good at preparing clothes for trips, but sometimes i'm fixated on trying to pack lightly that i missed one or two opportunities. Yep, i am actually a pretty sore loser IRL, but i'm not a competitive person so i probably won't even join any competition in the first place unless i am forced to

Mamak Teddy *LOL*, told ya it's very culturally appropriate

The only dragon boating that i would participate in...

I meannnn... Who would be lounging on the beach wearing a blazer and a pleather skirt...

There are also lots of tiny dioramas depicting Penangites and their culture, super cute okay.

Because Penang is a foodie's paradise too. FYI, hunny is a foodie and he refused to come with us to the museum. Instead he went on his own adventure to sample various famous Penang foods, he queued for hours for that famous kway teow that i personally find so so (heh don't kill me, i prefer Singapore kway teow. I am half Singaporean you know, my taste bud is just that way)

Hahahahah reminds me of me and my Influencer friends so much

Ohhh this must be Kek Lok Si

Okay this one i don't know represents which Hindu temple, if anyone knows please let me know if the comment section below

Okay back to me camwhoring endlessly :

Okay there. Obviously there is written information of each exhibition, i was just not paying attention *LOL*

Doesn't get any more Peranakan than this

Is it just me but i'm always super scared whenever i have to climb up something like this. Maybe because i am heavy AF i'm always worried the thing would topple over or i might break something.

Yeh, nu. I am one of those South East Asian that doesn't eat durian. I actually don't mind the taste (i used to like them when i was little) but i really don't like the smell and the after taste!

Chendul. That's hilarious, i always find Malay words so funny - just as i imagine they think the same of Indonesian. We call it cendol!

Why is the abang looked so angry?

Ohhh i been to Malaysia so many times the past few years, i refuse to believe i won't be visiting this year. I actually have a ticket for latter in the year, and i affirm that Corona Virus will be nothing but a bad memory by then!

The closest thing i would take pic of coz the real deal would scare the sh*t out of me

Me every Xin Jia

Whoopsie...

I cannot think of anything else but "Pak Cik and Mak Cik" for this pic WTF

Oh, in real time i really need a hair cut. I kept on postponing it just before the whole outbreak and now i decided i won't cut it until the whole thing is over, it's like a little vow i have with myself

The last room looks like a nursery, maybe it is a playing area for kids, i can't remember.. It's been a year, i barely remember what i did last week!

Mmuach

One of my fave pics taken here hehe. Btw i am amazed at how different i did my eyebrow just a year ago...

Please tell me i am not the only one who has weird urges to yank and steal one whenever i see set ups like this...

Ofc, there's an overpriced souvenir shop at the end of the museum.

Rare pic of Bella and i since we're each other's photographers most of our time there haha

If you're an old reader, you'd know that i bought something at the souvenir shop anyway *LOL*. Over priced or not, i gotta get my memento. I bought a cute teddy bear earrings. Dunno where they are now, but i feel content just knowing i have them WTH (EDIT : found them while i was rummaging through my stuffs, i will wear them the first time we get to dress up and go out again!)

OOps, you caught a bunny instead!

And that's it! I would recommend this place for females who are into taking pictures and love teddy bears, also if you have a daughter it could be fun too. I personally think it's not a waste of time (or money, the entrance ticket is not cheap but it's not awfully expensive either) but it does cater to specific type of visitors only. I would also prefer to come early (or latter) so we can spend sometime at the beach below as well, since we already come all the way to Batu Ferringhi, there are also a few other destination to visit in this area so if i ever come in this area again, i would be ready to spend a whole day there and wear more appropriate get up (floaty, beachy style is more matching i think).

Double Tree resort is gorgeous so might as well snap some OOTDs here teehee.

I hope this post entertain you who are also in quarantine like me, i dunno how much longer we have to stay home, i really hope it won't be too long. I know things will not go back to normal probably for a few months, but i do hope that things get better and we can cautiously go out again, have a normal life again (with plenty of restriction, but at least we can continue our lives) much sooner, If you enjoy this post, please let me know so i would be a little more motivated to actually blog about my travels, i have plenty still that i can cover (Thailand, especially)...