FB: Junk Food in Malaysia!

I've always believed the USA is the world leader in junk food (insert chant here: USA! USA! USA!). I have personally held my own strict scientific tests (i.e. stuffing my face and noting the large amount of real estate I now require while standing on a sidewalk). After years of relentless and repetitive testing of products I became quite an expert in this field, and now I have finally reached an astounding conclusion...I’m a fatty. I love snack cakes, chips, doughnuts, pizza, ice cream, candy bars, fast food, the list is endless. I love them so much I think Hostess has a picture of me up in their corporate office (customer of the decade). So our exciting move to Malaysia filled my head with visions of unknown goodies dancing in my head. What I found was not quite the dream I had anticipated. I’ve found strange Oreo cookie flavors, the latest being BlackPink. Seriously? What’s the matter with good ole regular Oreo’s? Do we really NEED one devoted to a K-Pop group? FYI, I had to ask my son (Riot) what BlackPink is, and subsequently what K-Pop is (I thought K-Mart was making a comeback via a popsicle line). To be fair, the Oreo is good, think Oreo cookies with Strawberry Nestle Quick filling, but was this an improvement I ask? Maybe yes, maybe no. Who am I to judge? I’ve found some very unique treats here that have yet to encircle me in their snacky arms. Let’s go over a very small sample of them. THUMBS: Yup, Thumbs. I’ve walked by shelves of these in the stores and have not a single desire to try them. Could it be that the picture of a thumb on the front really doesn’t do it for me? YES. It’s a bag of peanuts (I think), but the thought of a thumb kind of puts a damper on things for me. I was taught not to bite my fingernails, let alone eat an entire thumb. I bet I can get Riot to eat them…who wants a snack? THIS GUY (thumbs pointing at him)! FISH CHIPS: In walks CRISPY FISH CHIPS! Nothing sounds as yummy as Pringles style chips in FISH flavor! I know I personally have a hard time stopping eating Pringles, and you do too. Admit it. It’s okay, this is a safe space. But with these I just can’t muster enough courage to dive into the can. Maybe it’s all those years of fishing in the states and seeing a form of crispy fish on the banks of the lakes and rivers (flat, dry as dust, nasty) … So let’s get Riot to try them! That kid will probably love em’… GOLDIES: I think it’s like a Twinkie (aka ‘Golden Bun of Heaven’ in my world). But the big eyes and mouth on the packaging scare me. I’m not proud, I can say it. I fear tearing the package right between those eyes will lock me into a lifetime of nightmarish dreams of those eyes…LOOKING. AT. ME. BIKA CUTTLEFISH CRACKERS: Due to my island heritage I’ve eaten my share of squid, octopus and other weird ocean offerings. However this crunchy option is just not sitting right with me (and a cuttlefish doesn’t really ‘sit’ anywhere. Ever.). A cuttlefish should be a little rubbery in texture, and with little to no flavor (c’mon people, it’s the sauce that brings the flavor). To have a cracker seems to go against nature itself, at least to me. I vow to never try these. Until I go out and buy a bag next time I’m at the store. Bonus from the “was this necessary” category: Chupa Chups & Jelly Belly Sodas: How is this real? Two candy makers each had a thought, “how can we get more sugar into our customers, hmmmm… I know! Let’s make a soft drink made entirely of sugar”! Apparently making candy out of straight sugar wasn’t enough, so in walks diabetes in a can. I’m not sure I could handle the overload of sweetness I imagine will flow from these cans. Maybe I can? Maybe it's worth the risk? I’ll think about it for a bit, just give me a second while I shove another BlackPink Oreo into my mouth…

FB: Paintball in Penang!

One random day I received a picture (from a new friend here in Malaysia) showing something very familiar and dear to me. It was a shock to find that in my first few weeks of living in a new country, on the other side of the world, there was a paintball tournament. The Penang International Cup happened to be held on my new island home. The top teams from Malaysia & Singapore were all here to compete. The game is the same the world over. Of course we went right over and made new contacts and friends. I didn’t plan on getting into tournament paintball again but seeing and hearing the game again up close, well…never say never…

  P.S. For my paintball brothers: Eclipse rules here, DYE is almost non existent. Just fyi.

FB: Hitting our one month mark in Penang

Hitting our one month mark in Malaysia and our ‘fish out of water’ experience continues! Though I now feel like we can all ‘swim’ a little farther into deeper water now. Experiences are piling up as we intentionally step into things out of our comfort zone, and we sure didn’t move here to hang out with expats and find things that remind us of home! Our grand plan to experience new things is going strong. Days filled with home hunting, trying new foods in unexpected places, and visiting locations on and off the tourist’s path are paying off!

One morning we were lucky to stumble into the overwhelming sights and sounds of a celebration of fireworks, drummers, and Lion dancers (with the obligatory group of high end super cars, i.e. Fast & Furious #87, Malaysian Drift). The smoke, sound, colors and movement truly got our hearts pounding for MORE of our new reality!

Driving along one afternoon an interesting looking convenience store named MIX.com.my caught my eye. So of course I pulled in (accompanied by eye rolling from my son) to see what it had to offer. What we found was, for lack of a better term, Asia unique. Pac Man and anime  ruled the walls, and creatures lurked around corners and on counters. I consider myself quite a gourmand of junk food, however the offerings here were unfamiliar to me. Since I can’t read Chinese, Malaysian, Japanese etc I had to go by the pictures, which in itself is a fun adventure when you find a flavor you cannot comprehend. Your taste buds will thank you, or hate you.  I was very pleased not to find a single Gatorade, Coke, Pepsi, or fridges full of energy drinks that dominate US stores (you can find those here, not in the abundance found in the US, but some are available). The scary pink creature by the bathrooms was slightly intimidating though…

Our church congregation had the privilege of helping clean and document part of an old cemetery here on the island, to try to preserve what’s remaining on the headstones before nature takes it all back. Some of the cemeteries in Penang have been here before the USA was even a dream, and the history they hold is incredible and worthy of preservation. I wish I could understand what’s written on them, to feel a little of those who came before us. At least the markers we cleared and took pictures of have a chance to carry on the history found here. We finished the morning in the Old City Food Court, enjoying Dim Sum and local Nyonya dishes with new friends. A memory we’ll never forget. And to top it off I got a parking ticket while we were eating, BONUS!

Riot and I visited the tallest building on the Island of Penang, the Komtar Tower, which boasted incredible views of the city, the Malacca Strait, and the Malaysian mainland. And the glass floored observation deck and walkway gives you your own personal opportunity for a cardiac event.

We have spent days wandering around this new home city of ours. What we have found is an amazing place of history and modern creations. All jumbled together with surprises to be found everywhere if you’re willing to put yourself out there. The people here are so welcoming. It reminds you of the goodness in people that we all tend to forget sometimes, and think it’s lost forever. I assure you, it is not.