IN PENANG FOR A WEDDING

I was in Penang from 9-13 December to attend a wedding of my wife's relative and also to walk about and look for food to eat. Sorry, I can't post photos of the wedding as I forgot my camera when I went to the E & O Hotel, Penang's oldest, for the dinner. So, I will just share some of my impressions below from that trip skewed more to Penang fare. I am not gluttonous per se but anyone worth his salt, food-wise, must want to know about Penang food which is very famous. In addition to the types of fare shown, we also went to Anandas' in Butterworth for what we crudely call "pukul mati" - South Indian rice and food served on banana leaf and eaten with hands, if you are so disposed.

As an aside to the trip, my wife also found out that she is related to Ms Nicol Ann David, (titled "Datuk" by the Malaysian King) currently ranked World No 1 for squash, who is her niece. There was also an opportunity for two of her uncles to meet a third one (bro no. 10) one of whom has not seen him for the last 50 years. What a re-union that was!

I must also add something about driving in Penang. Vehicular traffic has grown by leaps and bounds. One factor is the public transportation system and the other is the relatively low cost of running a car. For around 6k RM, one can buy a small 10 plus year old car. Petrol is comparatively cheap as the Malaysian government continues to subsidise it considerably. It's not uncommon to see 3 cars parked in many houses. In view of such a demand, the Penang Bridge has been extended to 3 lanes. Notwithstanding this, getting into and out of Penang by car is difficult especially in the mornings and evenings, and even more so, if it rains. Many people live on the mainland and commute daily to Penang to work. It works the other way too - for those living in Penang and working in the mainland. The government has responded to this by building a second bridge which is slated to come into service in about 2 years' time. That may ease the traffic flow considerably. The bridge is augmented by a car- ferry service which pre-dates it. The cost to enter Penang by bridge or car-ferry is around 7 RM.