Just Do It

~ 76 weeks to my 'Tees' (30th) ~ 

Woke up early on Sunday morning

for my first ever run

(Only few hours since my last shift had ended)

To watch the rising sun

I was a tad bit nervous

for I was barely prepared

I was afraid that I might give up

Fall, without a soul to care

The whistle was blown

and the hustle began 

Some strolled, some jogged

Some others sprinted and ran

I stopped intermittently 

for a water break or two

Other runners kept motivating 

"You can do it - #Jiayou"

After a while, I stopped

keeping track of the kilometre

Running felt easy, almost dreamy

with soulful music plugged to the ear

The high of doing something

which you thought you couldn't

Finishing something a voice 

once said you wouldn't

Even though it was a not

a full length 42km marathon

To cross the finish line

did make feel like one had won

For the hardest battles

are not against folks outside

But with the nagging noise

that pulls one down from inside 

And so when one just does it

Without thinking too much 

You feel like nothing is impossible

if one dropped all the fuss

That one can love 

without fear of loss

and one can trust

without having to toss

That one can fight 

passionately for the sake of truth

and work tirelessly

without seeking any fruit

So next time, naysayers

cloud your thought

silence them with your actions

They'll then stare open-mouthed

Easter Weekend @Penang

~ 77 weeks to my 'Tees' (30th) ~

The highlight of this week, after back to back evening shifts, was the Easter long weekend getaway to a Malaysian town - Penang. We packed our little suitcases and were off, on our first trip with our helper, Piya.

Here are my favourite 7, from our 2.5 day stay:

A: Art work - We had a ball of a time, on a treasure hunt for these street art murals. The barren walls of the UNESCO World Heritage site of Georgetown, with traditional shophouses galore, had life breathed into them when Lithuanian artist, Ernest Zacharevic commissioned such gorgeous, life-like art - there are even props such as bicycles and motorbikes in place, and such interactive art installations are deservedly tourist's favourites. What an amazing way to discover different nooks and corners of the town!

B: Batu Ferringhi - We spent an evening, gazing at the most gorgeous sunset at this beachside. We couldn't have gone to an island and not visited the beach - even Ayaan, is growing to be quite a beach person, much like us, so this evening was one of our favourites indeed. To witness the sky break out into such bright hues, was soul-stirring. We sipped on Choya, as we watched the sun being engulfed by the horizon afar.






C: Cozy AirBnb - We had picked this beautiful, centrally located AirBnB for our stay. We really had a good time, cozying up, with some 'Teh Halia' in hand, enjoying the sea-view, from the balcony. Mornings were spent watching the most beautiful documentary 'The Planet' on Netflix, with our toddler; while evenings, we'd just chill, cup-noodles in hand.

D: Delving into History - It was truly interesting to listen in to the history and the many stories that surround the Nyonya-Baba generation. Stanley, our English guide for the tour around the Pinang Peranakan Mansion, had so many fun anecdotes to share, and it was a pleasure to explore the corridors of the mansion turned museum, listening to his commentary.










E: Easter feels- Being Easter, we also visited the church, with our Christian helper; the Victorian styled facades, illuminated by incandescent lights, was truly serene. The bright big full moon, added to the glory of it all.











F: Food - The street food scene at Penang is buzzing, to say the least. We really enjoyed some delicious Peranakan food for lunch on our first day. 'twas a Good Friday indeed, gobbling up some local delicacies, served at the 360 Revolving Restaurant! One of the evenings, we also had Pakistani food (as fondly remembered by Prantik, from his previous visit) and it was all so yum!








G: Going uphill - One of the days, we took the funicular train uphill to the view point atop Penang Hill. It reminded me of the Sky Bridge at Langkawi, we had visited a few months ago. We spent late morning at the Kek Lok Si temple - while Ayaan was kept engaged by the many sculptures of turtles and the Chinese Zodiac animals, we were in awe of the big bronze statue of Kuan Yin and the many different kinds of Buddhas, influenced from Thailand/China etc. The view from the top was to behold indeed. The heights one would go to to get the spiritual kick ;)


All in all, t'was definitely a short and sweet trip, with food, culture and history galore.