Happy Boxing Day from Penang

After 36 hours (apartment doorstep to hotel lobby) we made it to Penang, Malaysia!  It was a nice, smooth ride, for the most part.  The biggest glitch was feeling ill on the flight from NYC to Frankfort, which I will blame on the food served at our beloved Lounge Club.  Figures, I get sick before even leaving the country.

Upon arrival yesterday morning we were met at the airport by my cousin, Christina, and her husband, Kevin (this is the lucky couple that will have their second wedding this weekend).  They took us to the hotel outside of town where the rest of my family is staying (Aunt Mary, Uncle Kevin, Aunt Dee, Uncle Dennis, and my cousins Peter, Nathan, and Eileen).  Seth and I were aching for a run to stretch our legs, and we managed to recruit Peter to join us, even though it was stinking hot (near mid-day), and he had just woken up after having a big night out (apparently running is a good way to burn off excess alcohol).  

We navigated some very busy streets and found our way to an incredibly lush botanic gardens.  I made my third running mishap in less than two months when I ran my forehead right into a rusty metal bar, which knocked me flat on my back.  Peter's first words to me were "It's ok, Michelle, I was the only one that saw that!".  Thanks for the reassurance, Peter.   

Running with Seth and Peter to the Botanic Gardens

The Botanic Gardens, a nice retreat from the city

The bromeliad collection

Cooling off in the bacteria-infested stream (it's ok, being a military guy, Peter had all his shots)

Oh my god, we saw tones of monkeys!

No durian on elevators :o(

We had well-deserved showers and Kevin took us for a mini tour of George Town, the city center.  The streets reminded Seth and me very much of Vietnam, while the more modern culture and cars (instead of mopeds) seemed strangely Australian...

Kevin and his uncle took us to the best cen dol stand in the city.  It is an icy, coconut milky, beany dessert, and absolutely awesome! 

Uncle Dennis wasn't sure about it

Mini cake stand

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire on Christmas day!

The rest of the day was spent lounging at Kevin's mother's condo outside of town.  Eileen, Aunt Dee, and I helped Aunt Mary make her award-winning Swedish meatballs for a traditional Swedish Smorgasbord Christmas dinner.  What a treat that was! Unfortunately I did not get Aunt Mary's secret family recipe...

We had a great time mingling with Kevin's family and my own extended family.  There was much Christmas spirit in the humid, tropical air :o) 

Getting ready to make Christmas dinner

The view from Kevin's mom's place

Meatball masters

The boys making themselves useful :P

The cold dishes portion of the Smorgasbord

Strong Swedish Glogg

The island by night. There is a mosque near here that blares the Muslim call to prayer 5 times a day.