A Much-Delayed New Year's Post

The Taiwan quake is really putting a damper on people’s Internet connections, methinks. Aside from that, I've been having serious allergic reactions, as well, so it's been difficult to do anything besides trying to get my strength back. (Key antidotes: water, vitamin c, and menthol oil) In any case, I hope everyone has had as good a holiday as they could have had.

One of feng shui’s premises is the adage “out with the old” to be able to “enter the new.” Having gotten a bit better, and it being the start of a new year, I have been doing just that. Books on the shelf finally placed in order, more books added to pile for sale; Dino's piece#1, check. Now to do #2, as well as clear more drawers--see if something can be junked or given....but after watching Bleach, ehe: I'm a new convert: currently on Episode #45, but stopped, as I have nothing to go after! So as I told my friend R, I've been "cheating".

There's a debate whether tempeh is an "omnisub" or not. Honestly, I still am not sure, so I checked out how to make it. I'm too lazy at this point, though. But after tasting mock tuna in a sandwich on the way to Penang from Singapore...I'm wondering if that's what it is. If so, I have to admit it tastes quite good--not as oily as tofu, and beanier.

But anyway, we stayed at what is fondly called by locals as "The Blue Mansion", a restored old Chinese mansion. If what you like is something more standard, however, perhaps The Eastern and Oriental, or "E&O" Hotel, built by the makers of Singapore's Raffles Hotel,would be more to your liking, though I believe Bayview Penang is more reasonably-priced, as well as this other hotel along Leith Street, called Cathay Hotel...in any case, I'm hoping to at least go back for some Indian music, whether it be classical, Bollywood, or Bhangra, or whatever else.

For indeed, Penang is a melting pot of cultures (well, in George Town, anyway), as reflected from the street-neighborhoods: Indian, Hokkien Chinese, Malay, Nonya or Malay-Chinese, Tamil, and so on. It's relatively safe, and the island is small enough to go around by foot, relatively: I want to go back. Maybe sometime soon: Dad liked it, too (for the salted fish!), so a return might be likely. Maybe a 2nd trip to India first, but this time to Southern India (Goa, Kerala, Pondicherry, though Kochi looks like a nice stopover) instead of the North (the so-called Golden Triangle--Agra, New Delhi, and Jaipur) where I also hear yoga is taught best (Mysore, anyone?) though aside from Bikram yoga, I am still confused as to what other yoga to take (though I'm already contemplating taking some classes here), let alone if this indeed is the path I aim to take in life; we shall see.

But as to that, for now, I'm still hoping I can follow that dream.