Another Saturday in Penang

This is my third Saturday in Penang, and my wandering is a little less random. I checked out exiting the campus from a new (for me) gate, which is close to the Guest House. I now have a much better idea of what is up and what is down. I have no idea if locals would agree with these designations.

Next I headed for the local "hyper-market." Notice in the picture that the shading-roofs over the parking spots. "Hyper" is right; the store has as many non-food sections as a K-Mart and getting to a section quickly was close to impossible. When I looked for toothpaste I started to wonder if the store specialized in hyper-sizes as well. I found giant tubes or packages of 6-8 regular size tubes. (Last week I bought really cheap toothpaste, but almost immediately I experienced pain on the surface of my teeth. So back to the old reliable, and widely available Colgate.) BTW - I eventually found single, regular tubes.

We own stock in Heinz (I assume that no matter what happens to an economy people will continue to buy condiments.) No catsup in sight, but lots of chili sauce. I bought cereal and milk for breakfast, and crackers, peanut butter, and cheese for emergency snacks. After class on Monday or in a serious downpour food in the room is handy After Tesco my next stop was the night market to pick up oranges, then a stop at a mini-market to get a knife and fork.

A Malaysian friend and her Jordanian friend invited me to dinner. We ate at a restaurant area by the sea. I was struck by how empty it seemed, which my friends attributed to the recession. I found the relatively emptiness somewhat worrisome, since Asians seem to flock to outdoor restaurants. As we drove by eating areas closer in they seemed crowded. Our conversation included NY Times articles (my friend is a fan of Gail Collins), Obama's candidacy, and US immigration/visa policies. As an American I am saddened that the perceived US hostility to Asian/Moslem/Arab travellers has not lessened since our last trip to SE Asia. Most of the people I have talked with about the US elections have been guarded in their comments (I assume this is based on the perception that each candidate has strong & weak points and both bring risks). A few have mentioned Obama's inexperience while others have said that "he will put a new face on America" or the "America will regain its moral authority." I haven't had as many conversations about Malaysian politics - mainly because I am still having trouble sorting out who is who. But there is a lot going on and people aren't disinteresed.