This trip to Penang was a sombre one. KY’s sister and her family is migrating to US. It is not easy for a kid to handle an influx of emotions especially when it means leaving a comfort zone to a foreign place.

That’s Taasha, KY’s niece. You might remember that I’ve done a manicure for her sometime ago. She has like 200% energy at all times and it depletes to 0 only when she sleeps. Super active.

So this time around, we went over to see if there are anything we can help out. In the end, we were just taking all the stuff that they don’t want. And slotting in some photography time in between. Oh, and not to forget.. we went to eat as much as we can as well.

I spotted this lucky spot for photography just a minute too late. KY was already there trying to take photos thru the little hole in that pillar. Oh well.

Being brought up in the city, I often starve myself cuz the food street in Taman Cheras sucks. I would be really depressed whenever my parents wanted to head there for dinner. Lacking the experience of good street food, when KY brought me to Penang it took me a few tries to figure out what is so good about the food there.

The first thing I noticed is there is nothing spectacular about the food there. But when I head back to PJ or KL, I realized I could no longer enjoy the same food here. Then the cravings and complains would start. Klang Valley food are full of carbs, they put in lots of noodles and rice with very little meat or fillings. I would leave plates of food here uneaten with an urge to return to Penang.

In Penang, the food portion are significantly smaller and guarantees a well balanced spoonful of noodles and meat.

The beach along the Gurney drive is bare when it is low tide. I love to walk in Penang, there’s wind and it smells of island, food and musky old shops.

There are a few Apom variants in Penang. The one above is the Indian variant with egg fillings on a crispy layer of sweet flour served on banana leaf. There is also the chinese version, which is smaller and softer. Those have banana slices inside them.

Some parts of the beach were dry and cracked..making it an interesting angle for photography.

What I love most about this island is the mix of really old buildings which contrasts with some of the more modern buildings. There are also heritage shop lots with a modern interior.

The main difference in the Curry Mee from Penang is the broth and seafood. The broth comes milky clear with a savory taste. Not spicy at all. However, you will be given a spoonful of charred chilli paste. Once you mixed that into the soup, you get your typical curry soup with a slight charred after taste. It is really addictive once you’ve tried this.

There are also plenty of fillings in this meal. You get fishballs, cockles, some long beans, spongy tofu and pork blood. Every spoonful is a delight.

Street photography is a double edged sword with a kit lens. You feel intrusive and the people are aware of your camera getting right in their face. I want a telephoto lens for times like this, but then I would imagine the trouble I would have with obstructions in the way once I use that lens.

Ok time for me to go but I leave you with this window shot overlooking towards the mainland.