Missing You Already!

 Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow...

So now, then end is near... Three weeks and we'll be wheels down on UK soil. In fact, at the time of writing, we'd have been there for a full 24 hours and I'm feeling rather ambivalent about it.

The view from the top of the famous Penang Hill

I'm obviously looking forward to coming home, seeing family and friends and catching up with people, but I am saddened to have to leave this place that I now can consider a second home. That's not an easy thing to admit, but we are at home here on the island of Penang. It's many charms and benefits are things I've detailed at length - the food, culture, lifestyle, cost of living, weather, environment and travel etc. 

Now it comes time to leave I find myself reluctant to close the book on this chapter of my life, even though it was always supposed to be temporary.

Two years - that is a standard overseas contract time and that's what we've done, but we could have - no, should have - been here for three. The reasons for returning closer to home are many, complicated and not really ones I can go into here as they involve so many moving parts that it is impractical to delineate. Suffice to say that Malaysia is just too far away for us for the moment.

Whilst technically possible to live further away from my home town, it wouldn't be easy...

So I thought I'd just list down what I will miss and what I will not - I will try to pair them, but the things I will miss far outnumber the things that I won't, but here we go..!

Miss - The food - it's a cliché, but I'll say it anyway - Penang is the food capital of one of the world's most foody nations.    

A traditional Nasi Lemak from a Michelin Bib Gourmand rated restaurant!

Not Miss - The lack of cheese! (We really do such good cheese in the UK and I miss it.)

A ploughman's! A thing of beauty.

Miss - The mix of cultures.

Buddhism 

Hinduism

Islam

The traditional and the modern side-by-side

Not Miss - The traffic

Miss - The relaxed lifestyle

Not Miss - The relaxed attitudes to health, safety and road rules!

Miss - The warmth

This was a photo we took on Christmas Day... 'Nuff said.

Not Miss - The relentless humidity combined with the warmth - I never really adjusted to the tropics.

No, it wasn't raining when I took the picture - that's what happens when you run over here.

Miss - The People - Malaysia is a genuinely friendly and welcoming place. I have made great friends here and the local population actually seem to like visitors (something certain other countries really should take note of...). On that note, a weekend or two ago we visited the small city of Taiping to stay at a container hotel (very exciting) and do the night safari at the zoo there (also quite exciting). We got yelled at from the window of a passing car... now, in the UK that would have been something like "W$%ker!" or worse - I've had that just while out running on the sea front in my home town, as a Brit you just get used to random dickheads yelling abuse from moving vehicles - in Taiping they yelled "Welcome to Malaysia!" and they meant it! When visiting Kuching in Sarawak people actually pulled their cars over to say welcome and have a nice visit - no irony, just genuinely wanting to welcome a visitor.

Not Miss - The stray dogs

I don't mind the dogs so much as the fact that they are left stray - we have been tempted to take so many of them home with us.

Miss - The physical geography - Malaysia is a stunningly beautiful country

This last image is taken a five minute walk from my house...

Not Miss - The trash!

Miss - The sense of community, the safety and and the family nature of the place.

Miss - Constantly wearing shorts (outside of work that is!) and not having to worry about a winter wardrobe.

Miss - The casual cool of Penang!

Miss - The access to a private pool and gym with nearly 3000 square feet of space in the house (actually it's more space than we can usefully use - there are entire rooms that are just massive cupboards)

Miss - well... everything!

We've been incredibly lucky to have landed in one of the most liveable, interesting, affordable, welcoming, fascinating and just plain amazing parts of the world.

Yes we are saying goodbye earlier than anticipated, but we are so fortunate, blessed even, to have had this opportunity in the first place.

We'll miss you Penang and no matter what the future holds we are are thankful to have had this experience.