A letter to an Island

Today marks the end of both my business and personal attachment to Penang after a long but awfully short stay here.

And so I write this with a rather heavy heart as I leave the island that I have become so fond of. For the benefit of brevity and spontanity, I will just leave out rhetorics and focus on the anvil that just hit my head all of a sudden. And obviously I will not be touching on the local delicacies.

Freedom is something that has came on and off during my transition to adulthood beginning with me acquiring my driving license all the way to living with my mates away from "the nest" during the Nottingham days.
But living alone just brings a whole new scope to things, doesn't it? The fact that you can literally do ANYTHING you want without a whim or worry and the fact that you have to do ALL the necessary chores to keep your house in order and in living condition has made me understand the balance that comes with freedom. (as ironic as that sounds) You know you have to clean the sheets so that you don't develop sudden rashes or allergies. You know that you have to wash the car when it turns from white to off-white. You know that you can't leave your trash lying around because they aren't going to move by themselves. You know you have to empty the rubbish before.. it starts smelling like rotten durian. You know you gotta pay the bills or you'd better have your torchlight and 10 gallons of 'emergency water supply' ready. Yes, they all have happened (except for the bills part, I'm pretty tight on that).

The things you take for granted.

On the other hand, like I said, you get to choose when and how you want to do or eat what and where and with whom. Every teenager's fantasy! Think about dinner, what movie to watch, how long to surf, what to read, to work or not to work, how long you want to read, etc etc.

Every teenager's fantasy? Not when you're alone, no.

I'm pretty sure you're asking, "Any friends..at all?" I"m just getting into that.

I've met some of the quirkiest people here in Penang. Let me list it a few:
Lim: Manages to bring people to Holland and leave you laughing but in a motion blur wondering what the hell was your question again.
August: *stunned look*............................ What?? Fun guy who brings the entertainment in forms of mahjong and golfballs.
Lam: SPIM head who never fails to amaze me with his spanar throwing techniques. (that's lingo for giving objections to your proposals in the utmost politically correct manner). One of the geniuses hiding in Penang.
Patrick: Entertainment officer of Penang forever who is biased towards Hokkien Mee.
Terrance: (stolen from 'The Last Lecture') The one who made me realize sometimes the hardest brick wall is about 5 feet tall and made of flesh.
Master Loh: U know Alan Shore from Boston Legal? 'Nuff said.
Papa Lai: Someone who reminds me of that guy in 'Under one Roof'. The wise man armed with entertaining stories that leave you no choice but to willingly agree with everything and anything.

I'm also gonna dearly miss the quirkiest names that they have so fondly nicknamed people here in Penang like Pilot King, Tau ke kia, Rojak, Rambo, Super, Sweeden, Tham kuailan, JALL, M.K.T, and many many more. Yes, BAT's not all work, no play. No siree.

(Most) Penangites are also known for their kualian-ness. (I'll attempt this. *inhale* It's like when you mix stubborn, irritable, demanding, arrogant and - dare I say - bitchiness and take it down 3 - 4 notches) But when or if you get past that, it's just a lovely place where everyone's cincai (simple minded), less racist, less calculative and pretty honest to my standards.

Add all of these factors up (including the food of course), you get a place that is pretty irresistable to most, while others cannot and will not let go off. Is it a wonder why patriotism is so high towards Penang? (island only, Butterworth not so)

I can't promise that I will remember all the Hokkien that I've picked up here, but I will forever remember the lovely memories or work and play that this island and their people have brought me.

Yours truly,
Penang Kia