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Eat & Exercise

Well, what can I say, the healthy habits that have been in place for the last two months took a vacation with yours truly. My friend and I thought, really, how much weight can one gain in one week? Our magic number was a maximum of five pounds.  This coupled with the delusion of “calories on vacation don’t count,” will not be verified on a scale any time soon.  We ate until our hearts were content! Not to mention, while in Vietnam every morning our sleep was interrupted by the sweet smell of freshly baked bread.  It would have been insulting to the bakery not to verify that they had done a great job right?

Vietnam still holds its place of one of my top ten favorite cuisines, and it most definitely did not disappoint.  Considering the number of fresh vegetables, spices, and meat that is in the preparation of their food, I actually do believe it is one of the healthiest choices. The key is to leave the coconut coffee and, of course, the freshly baked goodies alone!

As for the similarities between Georgetown, DC and George Town, Penang, the C.A. Lim andCo. on the corner of Jalan Drive reminded me of Farmers and Mechanics of Riggs Bank located on the intersection of Wisconsin and M street. While walking the streets of George Town, I was more so reminded of the French Quarters of NOLA and the magnitude of heat and humidity that Malaysia provided had me throwing back water like a camel! The only street food that I could wrap my mind around were the ice pops because any hot food had to be consumed in the comforts of AC. So all of the research I did on Malaysian street food (see below) was in vain and who knows, maybe I will be allowed to travel again during a cooler season. Most of my exploration of Penang was courtesy of what my dad used to refer to as “Pat and Turner,” and in case that phrase dates me, it means I was patting my feet and turning a many of corners. And for those of you who know my ability to choose the more scenic route, being directionally challenged transcends all borders which during this extended weekend, allowed me to cover approximately 36 km. Temperatures on the last day of my vacation, however, went from “Fry an Egg on the Sidewalk” to “Get Right Church,” thus P&T was parked, and I was grabbing any Grab (Malaysia’s version of Uber) I could find. When I finally checked the temp, it registered a “feels like” temperature of 112!

One of my colleagues recommended Indigo at the Blue Mansion, and it did not disappoint. The ambiance was perfect as it mixed my favorite tone of royal blue with music from an admired female jazz vocalist, Diana Krall. The food and service were also exquisite, so if you ever find yourself in Penang, do visit for the three-course lunch and be sure to make a reservation. Another gem, courtesy of Magpie Heritage Hideaway’s concierge aka the “Jack of all Trades,” was China House where the live music and delicious desserts were divine.

As for Penang, Malaysia, a few colleagues told me that street food does not dissatisfy. As the review by Lindsay Gasik of Roads and Kingdoms describes, Penang’s noodle game is overwhelming for you have a choice of rice noodles, wheat noodles, egg noodles, clear vermicelli, flat noodles, round noodles, and noodles so fat they look like churros! The word for noodle is mee and me (excuse the grammar) will have to partake when a cooler opportunity presents itself!

Pray

I believe I have mentioned this before, so here we are once again at a holiday that means the most to me, Easter or a more meaningful reference, Resurrection Sunday.  On repeat for the last week has been my Resurrection Playlist which includes standards like, “At the Cross,” “Glory to His Name,” “Nothing But the Blood,” “Jesus Paid it All,” “Hosanna,” and my all-time favorite, “Because He Lives.”

For whatever season you currently find yourself in, may the powerful message that Resurrection Sunday provides fortify your faith for there are no ‘ifs’ with God.

Jesus said, “If? There are no ‘ifs’ among believers. Anything can happen.”

– Matthew 9:23 (MSG)

I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention the encouragement I received after hearing the message from our school’s Easter assembly’s speaker, KennethBae, who is a Korean-American evangelical Christian missionary. His testimony of being sentenced for 15 years and imprisoned for  735 days was a powerful message of God’s grace and mercy. He shared that he too felt like Paul and spoke the words penned in 2 Corinthians 12:9 with prolific power, ‘But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.’ Kenneth works with an organization called the Nehemiah Global Initiative and they serve a purpose to:

Remember

Rescue

Rebuild

Restore

Those words, those actions, resonated with me and I am so thankful and grateful, for that is what God continues to do in and around my life.

Love

I love that my Seoul/Soul sister came to visit.  We once again laughed until we cried and made more cherished memories in the east.

I also love that we are on the last leg of the 2018-19 school year and in eight weeks I will be able to enjoy the comforts of home and spend time with my family and friends. As this chapter of my life will soon come to an end my travel bucket list for the next school year includes Cambodia, Singapore, Sydney, and another island trip to which Vietnam is high on the list.

Teach

Although I have visited both Macau and Hoi An before, I do not believe I have spent time sharing information about Macau.  Macau, or marvelous Macau as I like to refer to it, is a one-hour ferry ride from Hong Kong.  On a side note, I just finished reading a novel by Michael Connely, Nine Dragons which references Hong Kong and Macau, which I thought was interesting.  It is a good read if you enjoy thrillers and crime fiction novels.  Less I continue to digress, Macau is a special administrative region of China made into a significant settlement courtesy of the Portuguese during the 16th century.  Macau’s history also involves occupation by the Japanese during WWII.  While visiting you can still note the influences of Portugal and the strip shall we say, is no comparison to the “Las Vegas” of the east.  According to Wikipedia, From 1999 to 2016, Macau’s gross domestic product multiplied by 7 and the unemployment rate dropped from 6.3 to 1.9 percent. This is in large part to the following casinos: The Sands Macao, Wynn Macau, MGM Macau, and Venetian Macau which were all opened during the first decade after the liberalization of casino concessions. Although I have never had the pleasure of visiting LV, Nevada, I have heard from visitors that Macau is LV on steroids.  I did not attend the House of the Dancing Waters this visit but definitely recommend it to anyone visiting this side of the world. If you want a preview, you can also watch (if you haven’t already seen it), Now You See Me 2. I have even heard that the Macau Grand Prix is a special event which mirrors the Monaco Grand Prix or Katrina’s driving depending on who you talk to…

Now to Penang Island which is in Malaysia where the capital city is George Town.  Being from the DMV, I thought this was a perfect place to visit. Penang has a rich history that includes British, Japanese, and now Malaysian rule.  There are four major languages spoken, which include Malay, English, Chinese, and Tamil. As mentioned above, a highlight in visiting Penang is the street food for it is known as the food capital of Malaysia incorporating Malay, Chinese, Peranakan, Thai, Indian, and European cuisines.

I indulged in taking plenty of selfies as the murals around town are magnificent.  Another pearl of wisdom from Lindsay Gasik was not to confuse “Malay” and “Malaysian” for not all Malaysians are Malay which is the country’s largest ethnic group.  The main religion of Malaysia is Muslim, and to be considered legally Malay, you have to be part of that religion.  Although I was there for Easter, I was able to tune in to live to stream and hear service at Kingdom Fellowship (formerly Reid Temple AME North). There’s nothing like hearing a good word and familiar hymns.  It does the soul good!