安顿 Settled In

2024年2月23日，星期五，2月24日，星期六

On February 23, 2024, Friday, and February 24, 2024, Saturday,

利用这两天短暂的休假日在乔治城安顿下来，PJG把我的工作台安顿好，从家里带过来的两个电脑屏幕都毫发无伤。仔细盘点了公寓里已有的物资，列出了一份购物清单，去附近的莲花超市，步行大约七分钟。超市比较大，物价公道，我们在那里买了一些厨房用品、插线板、转换头等必需品。超市一楼的一个小摊售卖电话卡，买了一个250GB的Celcom卡，价格为每月100马币，卖卡的小哥会说中文。

I decided to take a few vacation days to first settle down in Georgetown; PJG set up my workstation perfectly, with the two computer screens I brought from home undamaged. We carefully inventoried the supplies already in the apartment and made a shopping list. We went to the nearby Lotus Supermarket, about a seven-minute walk away.

The supermarket (Lotus’s) is quite large, with reasonable prices. We bought some kitchen supplies, power strips, adapters, and other necessities there. A small stall on the first floor of the supermarket sells phone cards. We bought a 30 day, 250GB Celcom card for 100 Malaysian ringgits. The young man selling the cards could speak Chinese!

在那个周五的傍晚，我们乘坐Grab前往乔治城古城区，目的地是传说中的爱情巷。这条巷子两旁排列着一系列记录槟城历史深度的古老店屋和殖民时期建筑，它们静静地讲述着时光的故事。我们原本计划在其中一家酒吧静坐，享受着慢慢流淌的人潮，然而五点钟的爱情巷还处在一天的宁静时刻，巷内的商铺大多未见人烟。于是，我们转向巷外的酒吧区，那里我们找到了一个完美的角落，实现了我们的小小愿望。

马来西亚，这个多元文化的交汇点，就像是一个缩小版的亚洲，让人在不经意间便能感受到它的独特魅力。坐在古城区的街边，看着过往的人流和车流，印度人、印尼人、中国人以及穆斯林等不同肤色、不同语言的人们和谐共存，展现出乔治城古城区独一无二的多元文化风貌。每个经过的人，尽管来自不同的种族和文化背景，但在这个时刻，都融入了这座古城的生活画卷之中，这样的场景让人心生感慨，不仅感受到了生活的绚烂多彩，也对和谐共处的可能性有了更深的认识和期待。

On that Friday evening, we took a Grab to the old town area of Georgetown, aiming for the legendary Love Lane. Along the lane, a series of ancient shophouses and colonial-era buildings lined up, quietly telling the stories of time with their deep historical significance to Penang. We initially planned to sit in one of the bars, enjoying the slowly flowing crowd, but at 5 o’clock, Love Lane was still in its quiet moment of the day, with most shops in the alley yet to see any visitors. Thus, we turned to the bar area outside the alley, where we found a perfect corner, fulfilling our small wish at the Original Reggae Club.

Malaysia, a melting pot of diverse cultures, is like a miniature version of Asia, effortlessly revealing its unique charm. Sitting by the street in the old town, watching the passing crowd and traffic, Indians, Indonesians, Chinese, Muslims, and people of various skin colors and languages coexist harmoniously, showcasing the unique multicultural aspect of Georgetown’s old town. Each person passing by, despite their different racial and cultural backgrounds, blends into the tapestry of life in this ancient town at this moment. Such scenes evoke reflection, not only highlighting the vibrant diversity of life but also deepening the understanding and anticipation of the possibilities for harmonious coexistence.

晚饭在附近的一家中国餐馆解决了，人很多，我俩和另外一对拼桌，她俩是一对来自杭州的新婚夫妇，来马来西亚和新加坡度蜜月。

We had dinner at a nearby Chinese restaurant, Teksen, which was very crowded. We shared a table with another couple, newlyweds from Hangzhou, who were in Malaysia and Singapore for their honeymoon.

周六，在公寓附近找到了一家卖家具的小店，在那里买了一把办公椅，花费了290马币，用钱换取我三个月的舒服是很值得的。店主是一位本地的华人，非常友好，她不仅免费为我们送货上门，甚至还亲自驾车一并把我俩也捎带回了公寓。在那个温度接近30多度的午后徒步，确实是对意志的一种考验，所以非常感谢她的友好举动。

On Saturday, we found a small furniture shop (KC Home) near the apartment where we bought an office chair for 290 ringgits. It was worth spending the money for three months of comfort. The shop owner, a local Chinese woman, was very friendly. Not only did she offer free delivery, but she also personally drove us back to our apartment. Walking in the afternoon with temperatures close to 30 degrees C was indeed a test of will, so we were very thankful for her kind gesture.

我俩在家具店附近发现了一个大排档中心（Hawer Centre)，这正是我最期待的体验之一——探索和品尝当地的特色美食。在那里，我们尝试了一碗味道鲜美的福建面、一盘香辣可口的印度炒面，以及一盘色香味俱佳的烧肉和叉烧盖饭，每一口都是对味蕾的极致诱惑，彻底满足了我对本地美食的渴望。在马来西亚的街头，这样的大排档中心不仅仅是食物的集散地，更是文化交流的平台，让人在品尝美食的同时，也能感受到这个国家独特的文化氛围。

Near the furniture store, we discovered a large food stall center (here referred to as a Hawker Center), which was one of the experiences I was most looking forward to—exploring and tasting local specialties. There, we tried a bowl of delicious Hokkian Mee noodles, a plate of spicy and tasty Indian fried noodles, and a plate of flavorful roasted pork and char siu rice. Each bite was a supreme temptation for the taste buds, fully satisfying my craving for local cuisine. In Malaysia, such hawker centers are not just food hubs but also platforms for cultural exchange, allowing one to experience the country’s unique cultural atmosphere while enjoying the food.

周六刚好是正月十五，龙年新年的最后一天，我俩公寓的所在的Straits Quey商场举办一个庆祝活动，唱歌的，打鼓的，舞龙的，最后还有观众参与的发橘子抽奖活动，甚是热闹，好多年没有这种过年的感觉了。

Saturday happened to be the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the last day of the Year of the Dragon New Year. The Straits Quay mall near our apartment held a celebration event, featuring singing, drumming, dragon dancing, and even a lucky draw event with oranges for the audience to participate in. It was very lively, and it’s been many years since I’ve experienced such a feeling of celebrating the New Year.

我俩坐在一个墨西哥饭店，来了两扎饮料，听着那些很熟悉的中国歌曲 – We sat in a Mexican restaurant (La Chica Mexican Grill), ordered two jugs of drinks, and listened to those very familiar Chinese songs.

晚饭去了傍边一家娘惹菜饭店，娘惹菜是马来西亚和新加坡特有的一种美食，起源于15世纪马六甲苏丹国时期，由当地马来人与中国移民之间的文化交融而形成。这种独特的菜系融合了中华料理的烹饪技巧与东南亚的食材和香料，创造出了丰富多彩、口味独特的美食。第一次尝试，我俩都很喜欢。

For dinner, we went to a nearby Nyonya cuisine restaurant (Nyonya Breeze). Nyonya cuisine is a unique type of food in Malaysia and Singapore, originating from the 15th century during the Malacca Sultanate era, formed through the cultural integration between local Malays and Chinese immigrants. This distinctive cuisine blends Chinese cooking techniques with Southeast Asian ingredients and spices, creating a rich and uniquely flavored culinary experience. It was our first time trying it, and we both really liked it.