A Year in Exile: Penang September

We no longer get strange looks when we go out to eat and are, in fact, greeted as regular customers – the drinks arrive with no sugar automatically so you know you are a regular! We try to get out for a walk but don’t always manage it, it can be very hot during the day and as it is the rainy season some days are literally a washout.

Last Sunday (Sept 9) we went for a very pleasant walk along the river and decided to prolong it by walking round the block and approaching the apartments from the other direction. When we got to the end of our road we found it completely blocked off by a huge marquee, baffled we first checked it was the right road then decided there was nothing for it but to squeeze past the side. We passed two guys barbecuing who offered us food, we smiled but declined, and then as we got to the end of the marquee another man offered us some fruit. Brian accepted some water melon and asked what the occasion was, at this point another man came up to us and said we were very welcome, he ushered us to a table, sat us down and brought us several plates of food and a drink! It was Hari Raya, the end of Ramadan and the party was a celebration, an open invitation to everyone, all religions, all nationalities. We ate very well, a variety of Indian cuisine, while karaoke and competitions went on at the front on a small stage. The man who had invited us in explained that his sister lived in the end house and was responsible for the event. We stayed an hour or so and then after thanking our hosts walked up the road to the apartment. Another example of the amazing Asian hospitality!

The day before my birthday we got a phone call from Juliet and Robert asking if we wanted to go out to eat and that they would pick us up at 7. We went to a Steamboat restaurant and were met there by Willi, Ying, Joanne and Ying’s cousin Lynn and her husband Sweehock, apparently to celebrate my birthday. Cameron Highlands is the home of steamboat and this was a Penang/Korean version that had a barbecue as well as the steamboat. Steamboat – on the tables is a gas ring with a divided dish on it in which are two different ‘soups’, a spicy one and a chicken one, around the dish is a ¾ inch ring of tin foil that acts as the BBQ. Everyone helps themselves from a huge array of meat, fish, seafood, noodles and veg, you then either BBQ it or cook it in the broth, there are also noodle dishes cooked to order, various satays that are cooked in oil, sandwiches, cooked meat, eggs and more, not to mention the deserts and drinks! Very, very nice and of course you can eat as much as you like so we were all stuffed when we left. We then went to sing a few songs at the Old Frees as Wednesday is karaoke night and got home at 1am after rounding off the night with a Beatles’ medley. At midnight Juliet gave me a birthday card and Peter and Jade informed me I had another 86400 seconds of my birthday to enjoy.

I was delighted to get birthday cards from Australia and the UK, thank you Malaysian Post, as well as the hand-delivered ones. Brian and I both had our hair done by Raymond, a young hairdresser just round the corner, and were surprised to find a head massage, face wash and enthusiastic shoulder and neck massage included. He was actually very good and at £4 for Brian and an amazing £10 for my colour and cut, well worth it. We received another invitation out to dinner followed by a visit to the night market at Batu Ferringhi, the big tourist area on Penang. We were again joined by Willi, Ying and Joanne, dinner at the No-Eyed Deer, very nice, Chili and Lime Barramundi for me and a grilled chicken salad for Brian. The night market is geared to tourists but well worth a visit and we will go back before we leave to shop in earnest! Unfortunately it rained so we had to pop into the Holiday Inn for a glass of red wine while we waited it out – an excellent birthday – thank you very much Juliet, Robert, Ying, Willi and Joanne for the treats.

Brian and I also tried the local Thai restaurant which was excellent but at R10 for the cheapest curry, twice as much as we usually pay so although we will go there again, probably not that often!

The rain then set in with a vengeance so that most days we have to wait for a dry spell and make sure we take the umbrellas out with us. One night when we came back from dinner I managed to get the key well and truly stuck in the door so that despite our best efforts we had to call in reinforcements in the form of the security guard, Velu, at least 70 and 6 stone wringing wet, it was no surprise that he couldn’t help, he did, however, offer to go and get the maintenance man – or so we thought – from the 5^th floor. When he returned he happily told us that the maintenance man had phoned the owners of the flat, Juliet and Robert, we had hoped he might have come down but no – he made a phone call. I called Juliet to apologise but they were already on the way and turned up on their motorbike 20 minutes later. No luck with the key though and no getting in the other door either as I had very conscientiously put the latch across! Juliet then phoned the brother of a friend who was a ‘handyman’ and 10 minutes later he arrived. Half an hour later having taken the door apart we are in the apartment and he promised to return the next day with a new lock and keys, meanwhile we had to put a chair against the front door. He duly returned the next morning at 9.15 (a time we don’t often see these days), fitted a new lock, lectured us on how to put a key in a lock and lock and unlock a door, complete with demonstrations, charged us RM70 (about £14) and left. We probably got off lightly – let’s see, in the UK a callout fee plus 30 minutes at night, a one hour job plus parts – bet we wouldn’t have seen much change from £100! At least I now know how to put a key in the lock so that it goes ALL the way in and straight before I try to unlock the door!

We have found much to our delight that we can listen live to all Saints matches on the radio. Evening games are no good as they start about 3 in the morning but the Saturday and Sunday afternoons start at 10pm so absolutely fine especially as our days have shifted several hours going to bed much later and getting up later – just fitting in with the locals! We can also watch the full match on the laptop next day – happy days. We were listening to the Worcester game when we became aware of noises from outside, drums, music etc. so at half time we went and had a look. It was a procession of floats and people including young children walking along the main road, apparently something to do with a new temple but it was very colourful with some very elaborate floats and went on for a good 30 minutes – at 11 o’clock at night – see what I mean about fitting in?

When Robert and Juliet came about the key they also gave us a DVD that Peter had copied for us – our very own karaoke video so that we could practice – no pressure then. We went to the karaoke on Wednesday after dinner at an Indian with Juliet and Robert. It really is good fun with no pressure on anyone, just a few beers and a sing song really. Peter and Jade are very keen to stay in touch when we are in Perth, they go every year as their daughter and her family live in Morley, and I’m sure we will. We are even being persuaded to buy our own karaoke machine as they are much cheaper here than in Aus!

After ghost month we then had the Moon Festival, moon cakes started to be sold some time before the actual festival which is September 30^th but leading up to it we also saw more large incense sticks being got ready and an even bigger stage than the puppet show being erected outside one of the temples. On the night of the 30^th we ate at the veggie restaurant then walked back via the stage. There were probably about 100 people sitting at tables with cloths on being served courses of food, we were invited to sit at the front on stalls to watch the show. We were told it was opera but they didn’t sing so I guess a play. The play was not for the people there though but for their ancestors and was performed by a travelling Thai group. We watched the first few acts and the actors at one time left the stage to go into the temple and pray but it was quite hard to follow and the stools were not that comfortable so after eating our moon cakes, fluorescent pink with coconut inside, and drinking the can of Heineken offered we went home.

Our house is now at lockup which means they have started on the inside fitting doors, shelves and cabinets, tiling the wet areas undercoating the walls, doing the paving and finally the carpets and blinds. We are allowing ourselves to get excited that we could be in for Christmas, that would be amazing.