First Impressions

We’ve been in Penang a couple of weeks now and are really enjoying it! One of my first impressions is how colorful it is here.

In the area called Georgetown (a Colonial area as this was a British colony) you find street art everywhere, some of which is done by the famous Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic and colorful tiles that line the walkways. Here is one of my favorites:

The fabric is also very colorful here and I learned that the art of batik was invented here in Malaysia. I look forward to taking a class on batik painting.

Secondly, the driving is crazy here! I have tried driving and it is not being on the left that makes it so difficult but rather the unpredicability with motorbikes everywhere jetting in and out and no one obeying the lane lines. Joe takes the car to work so I get around on Grab (which is like Uber or Lift) and very cheap here ($2 a ride or so to go 8 kilometers to downtown Georgetown). Walking is equally challenging as sidewalks end abruptly, tree roots uproot the walkways, motorbikes get parked in the way and there are open gutter ditches so you really need to watch your step. I prefer to do walks or runs along a path by the waterfront nearby.

We live in a very nice apartment with a sea view and a beautiful pool. The beaches here are quite pretty and we get some amazing sunrises and sunsets. We enjoy our morning coffee and the sunrise on our balcony.

But, the water is not really for swimming and we were warned about jellyfish. Speaking of water, we can’t drink the water here so we have to boil water and buy bottled water. I even use the boiled water to wash dishes and vegetables.

The next best thing here is the food! We have tried many of the Malaysian dishes which include things like char quay teow, nasi lemak and Hokkien mee. It is really all so delicious and very cheap. We frequent the hawker stalls and use the Grab app (food delivery) and eat for less than $5 a person most nights (including delivery fee and tip!). Even though I love to cook, I’ve decided to take a break as it is so easy to eat out. We will take some cooking classes, however. The food is a mix of Chinese, Indian, Thai, Indonesian, and other Southeast Asian cuisines.

And I love all the tropical fruits (sour-sop, cempedek like jack fruit, langsat like lychee, custard apple) and melons too! My favorite so far is mangosteen (third photo below). A popular flavoring here is pandan leaf (like a green vanilla) We've tried the infamous durian (which I'll save for the next blog entry).

I am also very fascinated by all the plants here, many of which we see in the States as houseplants as it is a tropical rain forest here and we are very close to the equator. Yes, that is a turquoise-colored flower and carnivorous plants below!

Did I mention how cheap it is here? It is very inexpensive to live here so it is a welcome change from the high prices in Silicon Valley. We pay in ringgits (RM) which is about ¼ of a dollar. For example, a meal at a hawker stall is 7RM (less than $2), gas which is subsidized by the government is $2/gallon, and services are cheap too like a pedicure is 50RM ($12).

In terms of environmentalism, I will have more thoughts next time. But, while there are efforts for recycling and composting, we do find trash strewn about and an unfortunate heavy use of plastic water bottles.

In terms of Covid restrictions, everyone is still masking even outdoors (though it is only required indoors). We use an app called MySejahtera (for vaccination record, symptoms and contact tracing) which we had to show initially to go into stores but that has been dropped now. The country is highly vaccinated (85%) and it sounds like the lock-down time was much stricter and longer than we saw in the US. It has only been this summer that Malaysians have been allowed to travel, even in country. Here we are at one of the hawker (food) stalls:

In addition, it is very hot here so I am getting used to the humidity! We’ve had some rain and thunder and lightning storms which is an appreciated break from the heat.

Malaysia is a very diverse country that is comprised of mostly Malay and Chinese people. It is 60% Muslim in addition to Hindu, Buddhist and Christian religions. We see little street temples, Buddhist and Hindu temples and mosques everywhere.

Most importantly, the people here couldn’t be nicer. I have met some lovely "Penangites" as they say, especially through playing in the Penang Philharmonic Orchestra (more on that next time). I’ve also made friends with other expats through the International Women’s Association of Penang (many of whom are from Australia and the UK). So far I'm the only American and have yet to meet others.