Hot hot hot

I figured I'd wake up early and get a brisk walk in before the heat of the day, uh nice try, there's no such thing as 'before the heat of the day'. It doesn't seem to matter what time it is, 5am, 9am, 1pm, midnight, it's just sticky hot and any jaunt is a sweaty jaunt. OK then, lesson learned.

I spent a few hours getting lost in Georgetown, first heading to the water to find that it was a busy thoroughfare with speeding cars, kind of like walking along the FDR drive in Manhatten, not exactly great for one's morning trek. Followed it for a bit, then chose a street and headed back into town, dodging motorcycles (that's a given in Asia) looking for a place to have coffee. There it is, mostly Indian guys sitting along a wall, being served coffee or tea as well as eating some kind of meat in sauce over chapati (flat bread). I wasn't hungry yet so I ordered a coffee and watched the guy make it Asian style. He had a big coffee sock going, would dip the ladle into the water to dilute the blend, moving fast, then doing the 'high pour' thing back and forth between the two receptacles, and topping it off with some condensed sweetened milk from a can. Good enough (not to mention entertaining)

I just sat their enjoying for awhile, then figured what the hell, everyone else is eating a morning meal, give me one too. I'll have what they're having. It was spicy lamb in sauce over chapati, (not baaa'd), but the best part is being the only white dude in the place. I don't care if I don't know what's going on, I'm still happier just putting myself there and trying to figure it out. There were two guys cooking over the grills, one handled the food the other the drinks. They were being yelled at by the guy I assumed to be the boss, and he was a 'dick' in any language. Some things you can just tell. He was an overweight, half toothless, cigarette smoking shouter who somehow had the right to be yelling a lot. Everyone else was pretty cool, doing their jobs, serving food and trying to keep their equanimity in spite of the loud mouth. Dude, chill out.

Then I got totally lost wandering through Chinatown (tidy and bustling) and I was about to ask directions when voila, I had circled back to a place I recognized, like a miracle or at least a stroke of good fortune. It's now noon, time to hit the internet place which is next door to my guest house and check in for a bit.

I'm reading a great book these days, The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver, and even though three of my friends said they had started it but couldn't get through it, I find it terrific. It's the story of a Missionary family in the Belgian Congo during the time of Independence (1960), and it's written from the point of view of the wife and 4 daughters of a bible thumping stubborn Baptist preacher, who chooses to stay in the Congo and save souls, rather than get out while the getting was good. You can tell that tragedy is just around the corner. I'm halfway through and it's a great read. Thanks for the recommendation, Laurie T

This stop in Penang Island, Malaysia is definitely the 'eat' of the 'Eat Pray Whatever' trip that I'm on. I had a second meal last night at a famous Indian restaurant that was unbelievable. I got some different veggie dishes along with garlic nan, and it was the best thing I've ever tasted. My friend Adam and I were one of two western tables in an overwhelmingly Indian filled hall. Bustling waiters, cooks doing their thing on the sidewalk, manning the grills, lots of style and panache, OMG the tastes were out of this world. Hmmm, maybe Chinese tonight?