Penang, Pearl Of The Orient - Part 3

When you are working and slogging like a dog or in sadness and sorrow, time seems eternally slow but time flies when you are happy, on holiday or free from anything cumbersome. Therefore, it is the "life" in your days that truly matter not the days in your life. 

We were by now approaching our final bend. We were at Batu Ferringhi for seafood dinner. Just near the seafood restaurant, I saw this most unique bus stop. There was a tsunami scare in the afternoon. It was false alarm.

So we came to the "Tsunami Village". Penang was hit by a tsunami especially Batu Ferringhi if you still remember.

This spicy asparagus was awesome!

The noodle texture was something I have not tasted before. It was crunchy with a firm texture fried with "tee poh" (a sun dried flat fish that give a great taste to any dry/soup or fried noodles, fish porridge or stir-fried vegetables). 

The steamed fish was very fresh and meaty.

The chili crab was rather small and I find that it is not spicy enough to give it a real punch. I prefer our Singapore version.

A summary  of our simple dinner. 

The next morning was our final day before we say adios. I got up early to check that there was no tsunami, that we are still in Penang and not in Heaven.

The morning sun greeted us.

The sun rose as promised.

In full splendour and all its glory. It was almost blinding. This is what happens when we see God, the brightest light of righteousness that no human could bear.

I flipped open the morning papers. The headlines said it all.

And so we went to ground zero.

I found an infested millipede pit.

The sea was calm.

It was picturesque.

I was in the deepest thoughts looking for life's answers. Alas, it was blowing in the wind.

How many roads must a man walk down before you can call him a man? And how many seas must a white dove sail before she can sleep in the sand? And how many times must the cannon balls fly before they're forever banned? The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind, The answer is blowing in the wind. How many years must a mountain exist before it's washed to the sea? And how many years must some people exist before they're allowed to be free?And how many times must a man turn his head pretending that he just doesn't see? The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind The answer is blowing in the wind . How many times can a man look up before he can see the sky? And how many ears must one man have before he can hear people cry? And how many deaths will it take till he knows that too many people have died? The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind The answer is blowing in the wind The answer is blowing in the wind The answer is blowing in the wind.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ld6fAO4idaI

We did a selfie for the memory.

We had a hard time trying to cross Gurney Drive as the traffic was heavy and relentless. I remembered Malaysians talking about the power of the hands. Raise your hand and the traffic will slow down or stop. I tried it and it worked. After crossing safely, I asked myself - what if it didn't worked?

Soon, we headed for "dim sum''.

There was just so much to eat this trip that we did not have more time for the hawker food. I missed the oyster omelette, cuttle fish kang kong, rojak, kueh pie tee and did not have the chance to sample more Penang, laksa, fried kuay teow, hokkien mee, etc.

We made our collection of Beh Teh Saw.

It is really good!

And tau sar piah.

Another short trip to Gurney Plaza.

All our bags are packed, we are ready to go. I leaving on a jet plane: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6A8ZmYM1r0

Just before we left for the airport, what else but food. 

The food here was fabulous. This simple dish of pork in black sauce and ginger alone was outstanding. It was exactly how my maternal grandmother and my mum would do it.

Deep fried squids were very crispy.

There were others but the turnip dish was unique.

Assam fish.

For the food we had and the number of people, the price was very reasonable. 

I would like to thank all the people who showed me warmth and hospitality, who gave me a hand in friendship, who made all this possible and the trip memorable. It was priceless.

Also thanks to Mr. Danny Koay who knows every nook and cranny in Penang or I may not know the real Penang and how it truly is. 

Probably the best in Penang, Malaysia and some say Thailand.

How quickly the trip has come to an end. Time to say goodbye. God bless Penang. To all the people I have met, all the best. Cheers! I have grown older these few days but have I grown wiser?

Each time I travel, I would reflect on Henry Miller who said: "One's destination is never a place but a new way of seeing things."