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Georgetown - It's A Beautiful Day in Malaysia December, 2007 |
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 Even
at maximum volume, my ipod could not overcome the engine noise, as I sat
up deck with a group of German travelers. We were leaving Georgetown
after five days and moving on to the island of Langkawi just off the
coast of Malaysia for a week. I expected to see a large car ferry.
Instead, we were herded onto an oversized metal speedboat - oversized in
that it held over 200 passengers.Georgetown (Penang) has the deserved reputation of the best food in Malaysia. Food stalls are everywhere and provide unique dining and life experiences> I will always remember Penang as the place where they sent all the manufacturing jobs from the high tech company I used to work for. My favorite treats so far are these triple greasy BBQ pork squares - thin, about 8 inches square. The trick is to get them fresh off the grill before the flies have a chance to sit on them. A day trip to Batu Feringhi, a
coastal resort about 45 minutes outside of Georgetown, is recommended
for their night bazaar and seafood food stalls. I picked up a book on 'Introduction to Buddhism' so that I have a better understanding of this religion, so pervasive throughout Southeast Asia. When you go into a Buddhist temple, they have many Buddhist figures that they worship, something very contrary to the tenants of Christianity, which is belief in one God. Islam is easier to comprehend with their simple message of: one God, all men are created equal, and your actions on earth determine your status in heaven. In one of the pictures I posted,
there is a very old monk sitting in a lotus position. For the life of
me, I could not determine if this person was in a trance or was just a
wax figure, as people continued to arrive and worship this person. When
no one was around, I tried to get as close as possible to observe any
breathing or blinking, any signs of life. I also tried to ask a few of
the people who walked in while we were there, but no one seemed to
understand my question. Finally, someone told me it was a high quality
wax figure
Malaysia is very conservative. In the newspaper one day they even censored (digitally blurred) the nipples of a male soccer player who had his shirt off. Yet other things I do not get. The wife will be dressed in black head to foot, with a veil covering her face, yet her husband walks besides her in a tank top, shorts and flip-flops. I digress - on to Langkawi, our last stop in Malaysia before heading into Thailand for two months. Things are going great although we do have our moments of frustration, but we continue to wake up each day to new adventures, people, and cultures. Ultimately, we can only be enriched by the world that few have the opportunity to experience...
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Never in my life have I gone to bed eagerly anticipating the next day of
eating. I spent a few hours one morning trying to find the 80-year-old
crepe woman in stall No. 3 on Julan Chulio – highly recommended in the
guidebook. Unfortunately, it was her day off, so I had to settle for Son
Lee Hok's coconut torts.
made
in China. I have been to Madame whatever in Fisherman's Wharf, but this
was the best.
