6/22/2014 - An Ode to Penang

The previous week on Friday I boarded what appears to be my last flight from Penang to Singapore.  In the past two years, I can't even count the number of times I have sat in the Singapore or Penang airport, either half asleep because its too early on a Monday morning or half asleep because it had been a long week and I was ready for my Friday afternoon/evening nap on the plane. Regardless, I knew that at some point a flight attendant would wake me up asking if I wanted something to eat, even though I only made that mistake once, never again to be repeated.

The last week was a good one.  It started being jokingly called Dan's Farewell Tour since every evening turned into another night out.  One night we were eating street food and overlooking the water, the following night our favorite Italian restaurant and the next night was back to a local seafood place I had somehow missed out on in the past two years.  We even managed to stop in for some late night curry and naan at the local 24 jam establishment. Each night at some point someone asked me what I would miss about Penang and in true on the spot fashion I stammered out something about the food or the people.  Now that I've had a week to more properly reflect, here's a better list for what I will (and will not) miss about the Pearl of the Orient.

Miss
- The view at home - when else am I going to have ocean front property in my life?
- The view at work - jungle covered hillsides with spectacular sunsets most evenings.  Soon I'll be back to glaring at the snow and wondering why its getting dark out at 4 PM.
- Friends in Malaysia - expats and local
- Italian dinners at the Campbell House - where you could always count on something tasty and familiar when you needed it.  Sometimes, you just need some melted cheese.
- Claypot chicken, stingray, dumplings, whatever Indian food from Kapitan that I was brave enough to try
- Morning chats with my friendly taxi driver on the way to work

Not so much
- The varying types of smells I would encounter on my late night runs, including my own, wow its humid here
- Having to rely on taxis or your friends to take you anywhere - independence is a good thing
- Traffic - I may never again complain about rush hour the rest of my life.  45 minutes to go 3 miles is not the best way to start or end a day.
- TGIFridays - never ever ever ever again, the rest of my life
- The cafeteria - see the first
comment above for reasoning

So all in all, more to miss than not.  I actually managed to stay awake on the flight out on Friday for one last glimpse of the Pulau.  As everyone reminded me though, it never seems to be goodbye, only until we meet again.  For now, on to Sri Lanka and Dubai and the unpleasant process of beginning to pack.