So I have been in Penang - Malaysia for the last 3 weeks. I still have one more week to go. I am here on a business trip doing some embedded software development with Intel. And that's the most I am going to say about that.
I have to tell you, I am very impressed with Penang. When I arrived three weeks ago I wasn't sure about what to expect, or better yet, I expected different things. I had just returned from a business trip to Shanghai and while I loved the city and its people, I had some trouble getting used to the food. Being from Canada I am used to a different type of Chinese food. I arrived in Shanghai a month ago looking for chicken balls and sweet and sour chicken and instead found myself ordering from menus written completely in Chinese and having to pick based on pictures; and these sometimes deceive you. I learned towards the end of my trip that the taste of food I am more accustomed to is the Hong Konk style. So, while I was impressed with the explosion of modernism in high-rise, neon light, big screen Shanghai, and very thankful to the hospitality of its people, the trip left me worried about what to expect in Malaysia.
As soon as I landed in Penang I began to notice that most signs were written in English. Then, when I arrived at The Equatorial Hotel the whole 20 hours travel time began to look like it all might have just been worth it. But the Equatorial will be a subject of another post. This is just a look over Penang. I am very glad to say that most here speaks English very well. It is very easy to get around and I need not worry about getting lost. If I do, I get a cab and the driver will understand what I am saying. And the food...The food, as Robert from Everybody love's Raymond might say, "the food is unbelievable." The melting pot of cultures in Penang makes for an excellent dish. The most common restaurants are what the locals call Hawker places. These are food stands with a number of tables and chairs shared by all the stands. You walk and order the food you like from the different stands and tell them where you are sitting, they will then find you and bring you the food. In Hawker places you can find anything from Chinese, to Indian, to Italian food. As far as the food goes, I am doing very well.
Please keep tuned as I will keep writing about my Penang experiences.
I have to tell you, I am very impressed with Penang. When I arrived three weeks ago I wasn't sure about what to expect, or better yet, I expected different things. I had just returned from a business trip to Shanghai and while I loved the city and its people, I had some trouble getting used to the food. Being from Canada I am used to a different type of Chinese food. I arrived in Shanghai a month ago looking for chicken balls and sweet and sour chicken and instead found myself ordering from menus written completely in Chinese and having to pick based on pictures; and these sometimes deceive you. I learned towards the end of my trip that the taste of food I am more accustomed to is the Hong Konk style. So, while I was impressed with the explosion of modernism in high-rise, neon light, big screen Shanghai, and very thankful to the hospitality of its people, the trip left me worried about what to expect in Malaysia.
As soon as I landed in Penang I began to notice that most signs were written in English. Then, when I arrived at The Equatorial Hotel the whole 20 hours travel time began to look like it all might have just been worth it. But the Equatorial will be a subject of another post. This is just a look over Penang. I am very glad to say that most here speaks English very well. It is very easy to get around and I need not worry about getting lost. If I do, I get a cab and the driver will understand what I am saying. And the food...The food, as Robert from Everybody love's Raymond might say, "the food is unbelievable." The melting pot of cultures in Penang makes for an excellent dish. The most common restaurants are what the locals call Hawker places. These are food stands with a number of tables and chairs shared by all the stands. You walk and order the food you like from the different stands and tell them where you are sitting, they will then find you and bring you the food. In Hawker places you can find anything from Chinese, to Indian, to Italian food. As far as the food goes, I am doing very well.
Please keep tuned as I will keep writing about my Penang experiences.
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