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.