Today was another day of no rains. Penang for now is over for this section of the trip, as Taiping, Malaysia is the next destination for tomorrow. About an hour's drive south in good traffic, but up to two hours if traffic persists over the Penang Bridge. Yesterday I heard from a couple people that they are building another Penang Bridge, slightly north of Bayen Lepas, at Batu Muang. Penang really really needs a traffic solution.
After hanging out at my grandmother's house for awhile, hawker food in the form of dried wonton and white fun noodles was consumed for lunch. Dried wonton is a Penang specialty, basically taking wonton noodles and putting them in a dry soy sauce. Although slightly overpowering with salt, the taste is great. Searching and Kuala Lumpur, or Ipoh, or Singapore for dried wonton is usually fruitless, as it is most well known in Penang.
Subsequent to staying at the air conditioned hotel waiting for the clock to arrive at 6, my family, aunt, and cousin had dinner at a place on Macalister Road, near Komtar, and also near Nyonya Breeze (my cousin's restaurant).
The restaurant is not for luxurious types, or types not willing to experiment. In fact, it's for exactly the opposite. Floors are usually covered with a slight grit, kitchens look uncookable. Food is left in the bug wilderness open air. But never mind (la). It's an experience.
Going to find parking on Macalister Road is no easy feat. While going up Madras Lane, we thought we found a parking spot. However a big gas can covered. In Malaysia that means don't touch. Although not legal, this is pretty much like a mama wolf claiming property. With gas. I watched and silently pitied while laughing at the car behind us who moved the gas can and parked. Later on, there is probably a 100% chance of their car being key scratched. At a red light two cars passed cigarettes to each other. At a bread stall, in the middle of Macalister Road (a main road) a car skidded to a stop to buy his bread in the middle of traffic. Later on he walked across the street to by some Iced Coffee. His car was in the middle for a good 20 minutes. Motorcycles weave in and out of cars, as if on a ski course. One second of hesitation while driving and you are honked. Such happenings can be cllasified as only in Asia or only in Malaysia.
Last year while driving to large limestone caves near Ipoh, we saw cows charging up the road towards us. A big bus overtook us and went right through the cows. Still they charged. Apparently if you kill any cow, the locals will come charge your car with anything they have. Sticks, stones, cow bones, etc. Don't hit cows. I was reminded of such with the gas in the parking spot incident. Some people here are very very protective of their objects-even gas and parking spots.
Sitting down at the partially covered, outdoor New Town Steamboat Restaurant, one should immediately notice large uncovered gas tanks. These are the supplies for the steamboat. For goodness sake, please don't smoke anyone. Immediately workers filled divided pots with half spicy soup and half non-spicy for lack of better words. The food is set out like a buffet, including vegetables, plenty of pre cooked dim sum, fish balls (which I kept on mistaking for tofu, resulting in a gruesome bite), meats, noodles, rice, and finally bread with Kaya (Malaysian jam often filled with coconut). Eating environment is a bit hot, but the atmosphere is quite charming, with multiple conversations going on, steam tossed at your face, and aromas swimming towards your nose. Despite the big explosive gas tank next to me I began to start to like this place.
My like grew, as the variety of the food for a flat fee of RM18.50 grew. Drinks were also on the house, resulting in a more favorable view of the place. If one can stop thinking about hygene, and really enjoy the atmosphere, one should love the New Town Steamboat Restaurant. My favorite was grilling the corn on the foil provided over the soup. Creativity is useful in steamboat, as it will be more fun.
Later on my family got to try out massage chairs at my aunt's house. I absolutely loved it. Especially the neck. However, it is a little creepy how much it feels like hands sometimes, and when it gets to your head, you wonder just how strong this chair could be. Technology is evolving too fast even for me, as I think these things might one day become stronger than humans. For a massage though that I definitely wanted, I enjoy these chairs.
Off to Taiping, Malaysia now-the wettest place in Malaysia, and boasting the famous lake gardens which used to be mine pools.
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