⠀VVEEKEND 101

Malaysia is not a stranger to me anymore. I traveled here when I was a kid, even did a summer exchange in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur back in 2016. It's safe to say that I'm already pretty familiar with the surroundings and how to get around. Although, I was still stoked to spend the week here, giving there are still plenty of places that I haven't yet visited.

Coming here for the third time now I feel like going to a new destination. Living alone for quite some time, it makes me more interested in exploring new places. Traveling around has been pretty easy nowadays, thanks to the invention of google maps and online transportation services. Still, walking around in a city without no one guiding you where to go is both challenging and fun. This time that city happens to be Georgetown, Penang.

Named as one of the UNESCO world heritage sites, Georgetown is the capital city of Penang and located in the Penang island. So expect to find inexplicable art scenes along the streets, from murals to other types of installation. Since every corner is a photo-worthy spot, I didn't really bother walking around, although the weather was a little too warm by the time I was visiting.

A couple of days before I visited, I was in Malacca city, which was also inscribed as one of UNESCO world heritage sites as well. Similarities between both cities of course can be found through their architectural style. Old, worn-out shophouses and colonial buildings with a touch of cultural diversity. An exquisite view of ancient architecture.

I came here with no expectations at all. I even put another town on the list, just in case I changed my mind. But arriving here and knowing that I'm only a walking distance away to the sound of waves and the most fresh seafood in town, my heart is so in awe. Spending an evening in the city sipping coffee or talking a walk along the jetty, is never too much.

I found plenty of art and antique shops along the streets. Some stuffs I just don't find back home. It's actually an eclectic heaven for me, even to just window shop around. And of course the art just doesn't stop there. Themed cafes and coffee shops in Georgetown are worth-visiting—not that I already am a sucker for these kind of places—and I wish I had visited more. I didn't know any city could actually draw my interest again after Tokyo, but this one surely is a catch.

Junk Cafe

Have yourself an authentic kaya toast breakfast

Pinang Peranakan Museum

Awesome Canteen @ Sekeping Victoria

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After finishing my study this semester in Tokyo, I extended my stay to travel around before going back. And it's not that Tokyo was not cold enough for me by that time, I decided to travel up to Tohoku region, northern part of Honshu island of Japan. This is not the part of the country that I have heard as a famous tourist destination. But after doing a little reading about the area and what it has to offer for the winter season, it actually seemed like an interesting place to visit. The region is made of six prefectures; Aomori, Akita, Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi and Yamagata. However I only got to visit only two, which were Miyagi and Yamagata.

Living in Tokyo, I find Tohoku a little bit inconvenient to travel around, given their limited transportation, its time table to be precise. The area was a little hard to access, including the tourist attractions. Not all of the places were accessible with just public transportation (e.g: trains and buses). A lot of times I had to take a taxi because it's the only way to reach the place, or because it was already too late (it was 5 PM, for God's sake) that the buses were no longer operating. But the inconvenience was nothing compared to the places I got to visit—pictures below. A hundred percent will go back here again as I still have list of places I'd visit for the winter holiday.