Food, glorious food, glorious food

(Musing - Is it possible for a Malaysian based abroad to have a blog that doesn't mention food at all? Probably yes, but I'm not going to test it.)

One of my best friends is arriving in Penang tonight. This will be the first time in ages that we'll be in Malaysia at the same time. And I know that our conversation and activities will revolve around friends and food. That's because we're very special Malaysians (ie - we're from Penang, which we like to think is the food capital of Malaysia) and are thus obsessed about food, and not just Malaysian food. We're the type of people who have long conversations over lunch about dinner, or who stop somewhere for a snack while we're on our way out to dinner. We were foodies before there were foodies. You can ask us about the best patisseries in Paris , or where exactly to park in Brussels for a convenient run to their best chocolatier or how to get to the best restaurants in Edinburgh. And of course we're constantly updated by friends and family on the best hawker food in Penang. The food scene in Penang is so dynamic and competitive, and the patrons so demanding that no restaurateur can rest on his laurels. And Penang is all the better for it.

It's a miracle we're not morbidly obese.

She'll have eight days in Penang this visit. Or as I like to see it, forty (8 x 5) meal opportunities if she works hard - breakfast, lunch, tea, dinner and supper every day.

It's not easy being a foodie.