Feels Like Home

by Tamimah Ashilah (Indonesia)

I didn't expect to find Malaysia

Penang’s weather was extreme and feels stuffy. It feels hot but didn’t obstruct us to do our trip for rounding Penang Island. We started our trip from George Town, one of the most famous places in Penang, located south of this island. We caught to find the old buildings, traditional street food, and the iconic mural. In George Town, who we found the most are old peoples and travelers. The fourth day we stayed there, our destination is north of Penang. We would go to Penang Hill and Kek Lok Sih Temple. We already chose Rapid Bus Penang, the public transportation for going to those places, because that transportation had a cheap cost and almost be on time. The trip has been long enough, maybe for one hour. Across many important places on this island, like traditional markets until government buildings. That long trip made us hungry, therefore the food court been our first destination. Laksa as traditional food of Penang, Tom Yam as a Thailand's food had been our choice for being our provision on that trip. ** I did a prayer first after lunch in a small mosque on the food court. On that small mosque, just me and one of my friends, but after a while, two persons were coming, one Malaysian woman and her daughter. When face to face, directly I smiled, the smile for a good greeting, the smile for an honoring from the guest to the resident. In Indonesia, the smile is a most simple greeting and an honoring, therefore I did it. Unpredictable, she answered my smile with the best smile too, and more. She started a conversation with Melayu Language. “Dari mane?” (where do you come from) “Indonesia,” I answered Our language has many similarities because of the same source of Indonesian or Malaysian Language. She continued the conversation, “Jakarta?” she mentioned the capital of Indonesia “No, we came from Bandung,” “Oh, I ever came to Medan,” “Oh Medan, it was near to Penang,” “Nak pusing-pusing holiday di sini? (Do you want to take a trip and holiday here) “Yes we do, we came to University Sains Malaysia,” I answered and she continued again that conversation with some of the stories. She told us about her home and its address, even I didn’t know that location. She told us about her activity in the north of Penang as a food seller and appealed to us to be careful with Penang weather. In the middle of the conversation, the daughter showed us her curiosity seems to want to join the conversation. I trusted she understood our conversation. I tried to ask her about the holiday and school, but she just smiled at me and I thought she shying. That gladden conversation must be stopped because we must continue our trip to Budha temple that was been seen. *** “How do we go there? Walking or use transportation?” one of my friends was asked “I think walking sound better, just 30 minutes and we can find many things on the way,” I said We turned on the google maps and begin the trip. Sometimes we debated our way, partially said right and partially said left, but the right been our choice. 200 meters after that we stopped because there was no way. We just found a small stairway to the resident home. When we stopped and been silent, two peoples came and asked us with English and Melayu Language. “Where do you go?” “We wanna go to Kek Lok Sih Temple” “Tak bise, tak ada jalan, dah banyak yang tersesat pakai google maps tuh” (Its cant, there was no way) “Okey, thank you very much” We turned back to the first way. We meted again with security. He smiled and said that we choose the other way better, and asked us, “Where do you come from?” “Indonesia” “Ah, Jakarta, Medan?” “Bandung pak cik” “Holiday ke Penang?” “Habis acara di USM” “Saya pernah ke Medan, ada family di sana” (I ever went to Medan, and have family there) These short conversations made me feels at home. Their smile, hospitality, and short conversation made us got a warm heart of Penang peoples.