Today was our last full day in Penang. We started out by going to the Penang Adventist Hospital (PAH) in the morning. Last summer, I spent three months interning for Adventist Health Castle in Kailua, Hawaii. I do not plan on working in healthcare, but my time working at Castle really opened my eyes to the world of health care. Even though I am not a pre-med student, I found the hospital visit to be enjoyable. PAH was very similar to hospitals in the U.S. The hospital is very advanced and has specialized units like oncology, radiology, and nuclear radiation. Since all of their equipment has to be imported (mainly from the U.S.), having the type of equipment they have is very expensive. They also seem to have more technology for checking into the hospital. Instead of going to the reception desk, there is a kiosk where you are able to check in, upload your passport, and upload your medical history. It was reiterated that people do not pay very much for healthcare in Malaysia. You can show up to the hospital and pay one ringgit to receive care and medication. After we finished the hospital tour, we were able to go to the Adventist Bakery and cafeteria on the hospital campus. I got some really good bread from the bakery to snack on.
After we left the hospital, we made an unplanned stop to the famous coffee store. Penang is known for white coffee. This shop allowed us to taste test multiple kinds of coffee. Some of my favorites were white coffee, caramel, vanilla, mint, and hazelnut. I ended up purchasing a white and caramel coffee packs.
Our next stop was the Thai temple with reclining Buddha. When I first heard that we would be going to a reclining Buddha, I assumed the position would be laying backwards. However, this Buddha is massive and laying on his side, propped by the arm. Behind the statue and underneath are urns of important people in the Buddhist religion. There were a few smaller temples surrounding the reclining Buddha temple. We were able to enter after removing our shoes. This Thai temple in Penang was one of the prettiest and unique temples we saw while on the trip. We were then able to cross the street and go to an Indian Buddhist temple. This temple had monks that were in the temple blessing those who came inside to pray to Buddha.
Our next stop was a historic house. This house was beautiful and contained many rooms. We learned that men used to go around looking for available ladies (once they turned 18). The parents would check zodiac signs of potential suitors in order to determine compatibility. Then, both parents would sit down and talk. The woman would stand behind the door and peek to try to hear the conversation. Once the marriage was decided, the woman would never be able to decline. This house belonged to a mixed family of Malay and Chinese. It was believed that water leaking through the roof was a sign of good luck. The water would drain and go around the house to cool the house down.
Next, we went to the jetty to walk down the pier. Dr. Chuah was so nice and had each of our pick out a sarong to take home as a souvenir. Male sarongs are typically more basic and plain in color and have a plaid pattern. Women’s sarongs are very colorful and bright. We were not at the jetty for long before we walked down the street to look at street art. There were so many unique paintings on the walls going down the streets.
We also visited two more temples. One of the temples contained a ton of wood in the ceiling.
Once all the activities were done for the day, Melissa, Fiona, Amber and I decided to go out and eat some street food. We walked to a popular street with food vendors on both sides. Fiona and Melissa were able to try Laksa, a popular soup in Malaysia. I found some noodles and tried a new soda. Once we finished walking around and experiencing the local nightlife, we headed to the mall to look around. I was still hungry so I got some fries and Pizza Hut to end the night. Being vegetarian in Malaysia has been difficult. We eat a lot of our meals on the street where there are very few, if any, vegetarian options. Sometimes I need to get some fast food to supplement what I am able to find on the street.
As this is our last full day on Penang, I would just like to reflect a little bit about this island. We were able to go so many activities on one island. While I was taking this class, I did not fully understand the geography of Malaysia. By actually being in the country, I have a much better understanding of where everything is. The blend of cultures in Penang is very evident. Our tour guide, Benny, told us that 66% of people are Malay, 24% Chinese, and 7% Indian in Penang. Because of this wide mix, there are so many temples and cultures to experience. Penang was a great island to be able to get a comprehensive view of life in Malaysia.
Comments