Penang, Malaysia Day 4: Aug 9-Can do la, Ferry routes in a swimming pool, and Hawkers

Now, I haven't talked much about Malaysia culture or style. This little happening should explain a little bit about the 'can do la' attitude.

Waking up rather early to swim (ok, fine 10 am), I found a 4.5 meter deep pull filled with a border of standing room only. Kids on holidays filled the pool. However, since they didn't know how to swim half of the pull was empty. Except for the occasional ferry of kids. They took life saver inflatables and used them to kick kick kick across the pool. One inflatable could take a 'driver' and two kids. The driver's a kid by the way, using his feet to kick. Once the kids got across, the ferry boat driver would turn around, leaving the passengers clinging to the wall.

Multiple amounts of these shuttles occurre, and boy was it comical. Not wanting to be the only one able to swim and having to save a bunch of kids, I left. Mothers fully clothed lined the pool on lounge chairs snoozing. Just the accident waiting to happen. And using life inflatables to create a little water taxi was completely Malaysian.

Meeting my aunt for lunch, we drove half an hour to downtown Macallister Road, where on a side street is Nyonya Breeze a restaurant which my cousin part owns. Going in one is immediately put in a good mood with a clean atmosphere and strong airconditioning. Dishes had were pickled fish, sweet and sour fried fish, a creamy shrimp dish, fried chicken, potato leaf soup, and customary rice. Each dish was bursing with defined flavor, pleasing the taste buds. Service can take a little bit long for impatient people, as the restaurant flows with people from all races and cultures.

The hotel was made the immediate next destination, as my sister started feeling a little bit strange. Dinner was without her with relatives, while my dad and her stayed at the hotel, at Eastern Wishes, a Chinese/Nyonyan/Thai restaurant. A huge fish was served in the middle with chicken, lo bak (fried pork), broccoli, and egg dishes on the side. The fish was only average without much flavor which seems to be the style around here, expecially when steamed. The sweet and sour chicken was a blessing to the taste buds and was the best dish for me.

Afterwards was spent going to the hawker stall next door for banjangqiu(?), which are fried thin crispy pancakes. The hawker stall was next to B-suites, and filled with life. Hawker stalls are really a thing that I miss in America, as there is something about the quickness, and just a bit below health standard hawker stalls that define Asia, and especially Penang. Gurney Drive is occasionally mentioned as the hawker place in Asia, along the Northeastern coast of Penang.

Trip is sadly 1/3 done, which is very dissppointing. However, home will be nice for sturdy water heaters, non bug filled corn, etc. Like hawkers, there is something you gotta love about Malaysia and the 'can do la' attitude, and the beautiful, burning red sunsets that drop behind the rolling hills of the mainland.