Haggis68

Baked Bean, i will and thanks.

the image thing and just to clear it up to show im not weird, under your name it says photo gallery, i pressed it and selected slideshow, and lots of images started coming up i assumed they were all about you and your family, and they were titled, i assumed that was you? if those images are general images from the whole forum and are not your personal images then i guess it was someone else.

just so you know that's all i did innocently.

jonboy

Haggis68
Quote
we have spoken to one teacher in Ipoh and she says it i a dryer heat than in Panang, but im not really that bothered, we will simply have to deal with it, i was more concerned that you would just be sweating all day and in need of constant showers, i assume that in the jungle yes but not so in the cities.
End Quote.

I suggest that you embrace the shower, that is unless you want to spend all day under the air con unit. Just crossing the street can cause your hair to go lank and your clothes to wilt. The humidity makes walking about, a task best done in slow motion, with your arms held out from your body!
Please do not ask about the rain

bakedbean

Ah, they seem to have changed The Gallery. My pics are at the top says Bakedbean's pics. Actually they are pretty ancient as I don't think to update. There now seems to be a section at the end called Random Pics. God knows why. Seems to be picking random photos from around BE. Presumably the powers that be have a reason for this

bakedbean

Oh don't tell him that. That is cruel

But anyway he's a working guy so I imagine there will be ceiling fans or aircon going for most of his working day.

InVinoVeritas

I have to agree with ex reg about Ipoh - the town was high on my list of possible places to retire to and my wife and I did spend a couple of nights in the city but it was nothing like the hype put out by the tourist office. A depressing place well past its heyday. It has a run-down feel and the surrounding countryside is unappealing and looks like exactly what it is - an abandoned mining area. Even a visit to the Cameron highlands is spoiled by having to drive through here. Also, I did read somewhere that Ipoh has the highest average rainfall of any city in Malaysia.

I find it impossible to believe that this is going to become a go-to area - sound like more tourist board hype to me. Oddly enough we visited Taiping recently (about an hour down the road from Ipoh) and found it much more attractive/interesting.

Anyhow it seems like the decision is made for Haggis68 and the one good thing is that there is a Healy Mac's and Uncle Albert's which is where I would be spending most of my time.

ex reg

They are both in Green Town iirc.
We saw them but went to Maria's Steak House as I have to get some real meat every now and then. Not bad steak and the waiter was really good answering my stuck up questions and wondering why he didn't have any horseradish sauce.
Well worth the tip.

There's been a programme on tv in Singapore, Asian Food Channel I think about Food in Perak.
The presenter, a real glamour puss who chamged her costume hairstyle and make up for every shot not just every restaurant was accompanied by Chef Julie, can't remember her full name, who wasa really good chef, and has a couple of places in Ipoh.
One is 'Indulgence' which we didn't visit the other is 'Burps and Giggles' in the Old Town which closes at 5 pm so only lunch and snacks available and of course the lamb shank was n/a when we went. But the internal decor at B&G is very innovative. May have a similar place in Penang I would think.

The only other thing of note in Ipoh was the Wall art in Old Town which we found to be excellent.

Haggis68

thanks again,

that Lake Garden looks stunning in Taiping, will certainly go there, ok so Ipoh its crap, thanks for that but it will still be unique to us in so many ways and will probably still be a unique experience during the whole two year contract, also being part of the Tenby group IF it all works out ok, transfers to any other school within the Tenby group of schools will be possible. And they have about 4 presently and are building two more this year, so moving location within Malay would be possible in the future.

Its weird though how your slagging Ipoh off a bit as we are in direct contact with an assistant head teacher at the school at present and she is British, she has no reason to lie (i assume) but her take on the place is very different to yours? mmm, she does say having a car is crucial and we will have a fully managed lease car and 2/3/4 hour drives are nothing to me so we can get quite far on those time scales to other places we wont be trapped....(if it is as bad as you all say).....

It sound like its a town of serious contrasts and that it seem to be going through an identity crisis as no one seems to know what the hell it is, you say it has the highest rainfall, but the lady we are speaking to says it is sunny all day until the evening rains kick in (as we expect) she says the heat is hot but the mountains create breezes which run through and help to cool? i dont know, its just what she is saying.

in the end tough i will tell you what its like to live there and if its bad thats how ill tell it for sure, but i am seeker, as in when i am somewhere new i seek out the very best of a place....if its really as bad as you all imply, well just drive up to Penang every weekend. simples.

bakedbean

But also see my post #15 where someone DOES like Ipoh

columbine

I've been to Ipoh only twice.
First visit: We drove down one Sunday afternoon. Not much there, the town was quiet, found a Jusco mall and had a simple late lunch which we could have got from the same franchised eatery in Penang ;-) First impression, it's a sleepy hollow...well it's a Sunday afternoon, so what do I know.
2nd visit: We were to spend a few days in KL and a couple friend asked if we could drop them off some where in KL. We started out from Pg at 7am, directed by the friends to drive in to Ipoh for breakfast, got to the old part of Ipoh. We were amazed by the number of people lining up at different eateries for breakfast! Our friend took us to one famous for noodles, soup noodles and they were different from those I've eaten in Penang. The place was so packed, four of us had to split to share tables with others. Tasty food, but I was very thirsty after. Must be the msg in the soup.

We were told the "Dim Sums" in Ipoh are more authentic and better than those in Penang. I don't know yet, maybe one day when we drive by there again we can test them out. But, I don't think they will be as authentic as HK Dim Sums.

My good friend visits her sister in Ipoh quite often. She described the place as nice and comfortable, overlooking a golf course, but she would never move there and her sister would not ever think of living in Penang!

I guess we have to find our own niche.

jonboy

I have much praise for Ipoh, it is renowned for its good food. The Gals are said to be the prettiest in the land, I should know, I married one. Pretty fierce I would say!
It is, I am told built on the grid system, new in them parts back then.

You didn't mention health care? Well let me put your mind at rest, it has or had the biggest Psychiatric hospital in Malaysia. I visited it and they let me go again. The part I visited was at least equal to the best practices in the western world, at that time, and they also had a working community service.
So It is a nice place in my view, did I mention the weather………

Haggis68

Thanks Jonboy, someone who thinks well of the place.

when were you last there? and what is the weather like from what you remember.

regards

jonboy

I'm so pleased that you ask about the weather, please see post #17

Last there about 8 years ago but don't worry the weather has not changed, did I mention the smog?

Haggis68

Are you referring to the smog in KL or Penang i have heard its really bad....oh well im in Ipoh...

cheers again.

ex reg

Just on the weather.
When we were there for 5 nights last week or was it the week before the temps were 33 to 35 in the daytime.
Walking round and we did quite a bit because that's how we get the feel for a place I didn't sweat or anything.
Mind you that's probably because we don't use aircon so are quite acclimatized.
When you arrive, Haggis, I suggest if you start with using the aircon then over say 2 weeks, it usually takes me three, you adjust the temp setting slowly to a warmer settng and eventually don't use the aircon at all even during the day when by the sound of it you might be at home.
I know some posters for various reasons have to use aircon but imo try and do without it.

As for the smog, many areas in the Peninsula now get it as does Singapore. It is generally caused by burning of the forests in Indonesia but some areas of Malaysia do it as well. (I'm guessing this is the reason for it in Ipoh )
So for instance we get it in Singapore during the South West monsoon but not the NE monsoon. It can get quite bad but not as bad as HK where it is generated by industrialization.

jonboy

ex reg, super advice re the air con. The less of it the better! Far from making life more comfortable it is an irritant to the respiratory tract and prevents a person from acclimatizing.