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Published: April 25th 2007
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Getting back from Chennai, we had a day of no classes to “recover,” then had a cultural pre-port briefing the next evening for Malaysia. It was an odd experience knowing we were gearing up to enter another country again so soon when it felt like we had just left one. Needless to say, I felt unprepared and uncertain of what to expect from Malaysia, especially since I didn’t have any major trips planned through SAS and I was uncertain how I was going to spend our 4 days there. The one thing they stressed to us during our debriefing was that this was an Islamic-dominated country so we should be more aware of appropriate behavior and dress. The majority of people in Malaysia are the native Malays, and almost all are Muslim. In the city we ported in, Panang, there was more of a presence of the other two major ethnic groups of the country, the Indians and Chinese, which created a very unusual blend of cultures. From where we docked they had their own sub-communities, “Little India” and the “Chinese District” which were only a few blocks away from each other but the atmosphere seemed like it was worlds
apart. I felt like I was back in India during several moments, except without the rickshaws or hawkers around every corner. I thought Chennai was as hot as it was going to get on this trip, but Malaysia was even more scorching somehow. Maybe it was just because we were anchored away from shore and had to take lifeboats or “tenders’ to get to the city which were unbearably humid and sweaty inside.
After the first day of walking around and exploring the town on our own, we came back to get on a bus headed for a welcome reception at the University Sans Malaysia. We were treated to a performance of the traditional art of shadow puppets and had a chance to converse with some of the students over dinner. The following day we spent a good chunk of time walking around again and visiting a number of the temples around the island, including one with a huge reclining Buddha statue that is apparently the 3rd largest in the world. We also went to a mosque, where we were given huge robes and a head cover to put on before we could enter as well as a two
hour lecture on Islam by one of the workers. Because their currency the ringgit is not that strong and about 1/14th of a dollar, most things are significantly cheaper, especially food. For dinner that night, my friends and I decided to treat ourselves to a Malaysian feast at a revolving restaurant on top of a 4-star hotel for about $12 a person. To top off the evening we went to a bowling alley down the street, which must be a popular pastime amongst locals as all the lanes were packed.
Two girlfriends and I got a room at a hostel nearby instead of returning back to the ship just for an adventure, but got a little more than we bargained for. After dropping our stuff of at our surprisingly decent room that cost us only a few dollars, we needed to get some cash to pay for it and decided to find an atm we thought would be nearby. We walked for block after block down questionable streets and got followed by some stray dogs before we finally found one. My happiness was soon squelched when the machine ate my card on my first attempt to withdraw some cash. That next morning I waited for hours at the bank before they could open it up and retrieve my debit card, but eventually I got it back.
Later that morning we figured out their bus system enough to hop on one that was headed to the botanical gardens. Along with the beautiful landscaping, the place had monkeys all over which were not afraid of humans at all. They even needed to post signs to remind visitors not the feed them, although some went ahead and did anyway. We found our way to the butterfly farm next which was another unexpectedly great experience. There were hundreds of butterflies everywhere that would land on you if you stayed still long enough. The farm also had other points of interests such as a scorpion pit, an insect zoo, and a carnivorous plant exhibit. Because the place was farther away, we caught a cab back to the ship and got a view of some of the beautiful beaches on the island during the drive.
On our last morning in Panang, I went on a service trip with SAS to the Chesire Home which houses disabled adults and teaches them how to live independently and
handicraft skills so they can support themselves. Since their cognitive abilities were so varied it was hard to know what they were each capable of when interacting with them. With most of them I just watched as they worked on the crafts they sold to markets or drew with them in coloring books. I did find one lady who knew how to play chess and who found it hilarious as she beat me. I found it equally amusing when we got to sit in on their gym time and watched as they followed along with the exercise instructor who blasted loud pop music and led a choreographed routine.
As I got on the last tender boat headed back to ship, I felt satisfied for the first time with all that I had got to see and do in this port and content that we were to move on. This country was special for me in that it gave me some closure to my time in India and offered me a taste of what I should expect from our arrival in China.
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orchidia86
Eva K
Malaysian island
It's Penang Island, not Panang :) and you get to spend a semester at sea? Lucky you. Wish we've got our own programs like this in Malaysia. Have fun and safe journey to ya.