***
Just when I thought Penang couldn’t get any hotter, it did.
On the fourth day, my mom and I started our morning by walking to Roti Bakar Hutton Lane to grab some takeaway breakfast. My sister, on the other hand, was getting ready after her early morning run (yes, she’s the athletic one in our family).
Located on a street corner, Roti Bakar Hutton Lane had already drawn quite an early crowd. The cooks were busy preparing orders while a man behind the counter took note of everything we bought. We chose a plate of roti bakar telur goyang garlic cheese and roti canai pisang.
After breakfast—which tasted really good—the three of us boarded a bus to Entopia by Penang Butterfly Farm.
At first, I thought Entopia would be like a smaller version of Garden by the Bay. But as I stepped into the glass dome where the butterflies lived, I realized it wasn’t nearly as flower-filled as I had imagined. Instead, wandering around Entopia felt like walking through a beautiful dream set in a peaceful green sanctuary.
What took up most of our time, however, was the indoor exhibition. It was beautifully designed, with all kinds of interactive exhibits and educational games that kept us entertained.
Since it was close to lunchtime, we decided to head back to George Town. We got off the bus near Gurney Paragon Mall and had lunch at its food court.
After that, we walked over to its neighboring mall, Gurney Plaza, which turned out to be much more modern and lively.
Since we were craving something sweet, the three of us decided to hunt for some frozen yogurt. Our choice fell on the DIY yogurt bowls at Yogurt Planet. For around MYR 27.90, we could choose two yogurt flavors, add as many toppings as we wanted, and finish everything off with even more garnishes.
What ours looked like:
My sister and I noticed that the yogurt in Penang was less creamy than the kind we usually eat in Jakarta. It was a refreshing change, though. We both loved how light it tasted, especially when paired with all the fruit and jellies.
After that, we wandered around a little longer to buy more souvenirs for our relatives.
At around 4 p.m., we decided we were brave enough to face Penang’s heat and took a walk along Gurney Bay.
Looking back… What a rash decision that was.
We were hit by relentless waves of heat. It almost felt as though we were being boiled alive. I’m not kidding.
Walking just one kilometer was suffocating, to say the least. But finally sitting under the shade of a tree afterward felt so rewarding that we almost—almost—forgot about all the sweat it had taken to get there.
That was also why we stayed on that shaded bench for quite a while.
And why my face had turned bright red. (Or at least, that was what my mom told me.)
For a while, the three of us simply talked and talked and talked. That was when I realized just how much I loved quiet scenery—a perfect picture of living slowly yet intentionally.
Jakarta has always been a city that rushes. I have to hurry to catch an earlier bus, finish my work, or even brush my teeth. Somehow, that constant busyness has slowly seeped into my blood.
A few days in Penang, however, reminded me of what I had been missing. Living slowly doesn’t mean procrastinating. Instead, it gives you the chance to notice things—and in doing so, notice even more.
I guess, in a way, Penang simply knew where to strike. Its steady rhythm reassured me that everything would be alright… if only I remembered to breathe.
It was still incredibly hot when we walked closer to the bay, but thankfully there were plenty of shaded spots. A few men sat quietly by the water, while a group of young people jogged under the afternoon sun.
The three of us sat side by side, mostly keeping to ourselves.
The comforting silence felt earned. We simply had to sit there and soak in the peacefulness. At least for a little while.
In the end, our fourth day in Penang didn’t stretch late into the night. We headed back to our hotel, ordered takeaway from Ban Heang and Tong Seng Hainan Chicken Rice, and went to bed earlier than usual.
I don’t think I had ever slept as deeply as I did that night during a holiday.
***
I slept in the next morning. I didn’t set an alarm, thinking my mom would wake me up.
She didn’t.
It was around 7 when I finally woke up. My sister had just returned from her early morning run. I told them I wanted to shower first since I was the only one who wore makeup.
At around 8:30 a.m., we booked a car ride to Armenian Street and went for a stroll.
It was lovely. The weather wasn’t as hot. It was perfect for a walk.
We then stopped at Bagel’s Dream for breakfast. We ordered a smoked salmon sourdough bagel sandwich, a bagel with pure peanut butter, homemade strawberry jam, and banana, plus a small bottle of passion fruit kombucha.
Oh, bagels. How I love you.
Since more and more people started coming in, the three of us decided not to occupy our table for too long. We wandered around Armenian Street a little more before deciding to continue our stroll indoors. Our choice fell on 1st Avenue Mall, not far from there.
Honestly, we didn’t do anything much there. At around 11:15 a.m., we headed to Tek Sen Restaurant, as recommended by our relatives. And boy, oh boy…
What a queue.
From my uncle, I knew this restaurant was famous. But I didn’t expect it to be this famous! It took us around one hour and fifteen minutes to get a table—on an ordinary Wednesday morning!
So we ordered what TikTok had recommended: home recipe double-roasted pork with chili padi, deep-fried homemade tofu with prawns, dried scallops, and egg, plus deep-fried chicken with umeboshi (sour plum) sauce.
Yum.
We also ordered a glass of homemade barley with lime. For something this healthy, it tasted surprisingly good.
Afterward, we resumed our quiet, relaxing day by resting in our hotel room until it was durian time again. We tried a whole Black Thorn durian from a random stall nearby.
It cost us MYR 64. Very creamy.
Since it wasn’t particularly big, we decided to head back to Durian Central Macalister and bought another box of Black Thorn and Musang King.
They were cold.
They tasted amazing.
Since we were still in the mood for slow living, we returned to the hotel once more and waited until the afternoon heat became more bearable.
Apparently, we’re place repeaters just as much as we’re food repeaters, because at around 6:15 p.m., we booked a car ride to Gurney Bay Park again. However, we stayed there comfortably this time, enjoying the cool breeze and watching the sky slowly change colors.
While chatting, we also had a little picnic: a chicken curry puff, an egg tart, some Beryl’s chocolates, and a bottle of sparkling green apple water. We bought the first two from Ban Heang across from our hotel.
Tips: If you ever visit Penang, Ban Heang should definitely be on your radar. Trust me.
We decided to walk back to the hotel at around 8 p.m., when the sky had begun to grow darker.
And after showering and spending some time on our phones (because slow living or not, we still need to keep up with the news), we called it a night.
***
On our last day in Penang, my mom, my sister, and I didn’t do much. After she finished her early morning run (at this point, you’ve probably guessed who “she” is, right?!), we headed to a laundromat to experience doing laundry in Penang.
My sister and I weren’t entirely sure how to use the machines since the instructions weren’t very clear. Luckily for us, there was a young lady from Indonesia who was about to do her laundry as well.
Unluckily for us, she had no idea either.
In the end, she called a friend who walked her through the process. We copied diligently.
Our clothes spent 25 minutes in the washer and another 25 in the dryer. While they were tumbling away, we walked over to a nearby shop to grab some breakfast.
Randomly, we chose:
Our day unfolded lazily after that. We packed our bags, headed to the airport, and had lunch. Since our flight had been rescheduled to 6:35 p.m. (though this time we had checked the day before and were fully aware of it), we found ourselves almost replaying the beginning of our trip.
We waited.
While wrapping up this travelogue, I took some time to people-watch and reflect on how Penang’s gentle rhythm of life had affected me. Waiting was no longer a dreaded chore. I delighted in every second I could simply breathe, unwind, and—most importantly—step away from work.
Blessings come in many forms, and being able to savor moments like these felt like a fortune worth keeping. And I want to live more intentionally—with purpose, but also with rhythm.
(Oh, I also started another C-drama called Go Ahead. I promise I’ll talk more about it on my other blog, Rolife Coaster.)
In the end, Penang didn’t just give me wonderful memories and good food. It gave me a sense of cadence—one I hope to carry into the rhythm of my own life.
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