My Vacation So Far…

Just for your information, I am not living on Penang Island where the white, sandy beaches are. I am living with my uncle’s family (my mom’s big brother, that is) in Bukit Mertajam. It’s a small bustling town situated at the foot of a mountain. Of course I did endulge myself in Penang’s unique cuisine, but what made me feel so much alive is what you get to do over here. Instead of struggling to keep up with the rocket speed of city life, I get to spend lazy afternoons talking with my cousins, talking slow strolls in the quiant neighbourhood with them, experience the very essence of life in a small city. My uncle and aunt are really great hosts – they took every chance to stop me from paying for anything I could, besides my camera battery since I insisted that those are for my personal use :razz: we did mountain climbing almost every other day, bathing ourselves in nature’s goodness. Can anything be better than this?

The layout of this post is inspired by the way how Dakota composes his :) you can check out his awesome blog (and not to forget his personal Christmas greetings on YouTube!).

Bukit Mertajam – This is the view of the mountain! Gentle slopes saturated with lush green tropical vegetation, surrounded by a bustling town. My uncle’s house is in a neighbourhood located at the foot of the mountain.

Ants on a Mango Tree Leaf - A colony of ants inhabiting on the mango tree outside my uncle’s house. Its branches extends into his front lawn, and that’s why I manage to get to take a photo of the ants up close. They’re lovely insects, just don’t touch them, since they bite, and they bite hard.

Rust – No matter how many layers of protective paint is applied, rusting is an inevitable process of nature. Exposed to the harsh elements of weather, the layers of paint were drenched under heavy tropical storm, fried under the humid afternoon sun, savagely blown by heavy gusts, ruthlessly invaded by dusts and small abrasive particles. They cracked and gave way. Photo taken at my uncle’s house front gate.

Nature’s Embrace – Nothing is better than leaping into the gentle arms of Mother Nature on a sunny afternoon by climbing the mountain. Every path along the forested road is full of surprises. You’ll get to see monkeys upclose, swinging past you with their hands outstretched (they’re begging for food, I think!) and their legs wrapped around tiny branches that look as if they’re breaking. Then you get to see little mushrooms sprouting from fallen trees, bamboos flourishing under the canopy-less opening.

I’ll update as soon as I have time! And will drop by your blogs to post comments as well!