Experience Penang

 ‘Experience Penang’ is one of the Global Alternative Tourism programmes organised by the Global YMCA in conjunction with their local partners and in this case it was with Penang YMCA.

I spent seven days being immersed in the Penang culture. I experiences floral, forna, food, sights and sounds in a truly wonderful place with quite wonderful hosts.

On my arrival at Penang airport I was met by two super people, Michael Cheong, Programme Executive and Rhona from the programme department who took me to Penang YMCA where I would be staying for the next seven nights. On arrival I was quickly checked into my very comfortable room, got the free Wi Fi codes for the week and was then taken to a local venue were we had some wine. A very welcome rest after some eighteen hours travel.

Although this was a holiday for me, I want to share one person’s experience of the tourism opportunities available through YMCA that at the same time supports the work of local YMCAs. In this blog I don’t want to list everything we did on the holiday but maybe just illustrate some of the highlights.

The Food was abundant. I don’t think I have been offered so much variety of food. Mainly eating from street vendors in local cafes and restaurants. 

My hosts were really keen to offer me as much of a food experience as I could handle. Their kindness was incredible, especially as I am on a mission to lose weight. They were really very patient with me considering the number of times I had to say no.

Even though we mainly ate food from street vendors I did not experience and tummy upsets at all.

In terms of highlights, next to the food was the day spent in Penang Hill. Here we took a vernacular railway up through the clouds and spent the day taking photos of flora and forna.

We ended the day watching the moon rise and capturing the Cityscape with an incredible range of colours in the sky.

On our first full day there was two major religious festivals taking place and in the morning we went to the places where preparations and floats for a procession were being prepared. Later in the evening we watched a cacophony of colour and light pass just outside the YMCA.

During the day and on many of the other days we visited countless temples and museums which really gave me a wonderful exposure to the diversity of cultures and faiths that make up the community that is Penang.

The benefit of being hosted by young people from local YMCAs is you get a first-hand authentic experience from people who live in the communities and whose only agenda is you give you a wonderful experience of their home. They are not in it for commercial gain.

They are not restricted by regulations that doesn’t allow them to take you to certain places or where there is commercial gain if they take you to certain places like restaurants or bars.

It also gives the opportunity to share some of each other’s culture. Michael introduced me to a wonderful little wine bar and I was able to treat him to ‘Afternoon Tea’ at the top of Penang Hill.

We had seven full days of visits at a very easy pace. It truly enabled me to ‘Experience Penang’.

On the last evening we joined a group of volunteers who, every week, feed homeless people on the streets of Penang. It felt a privilege to be given the opportunity to participate.

Finally it was time to depart. I have been involved in YMCA almost all my life, certainly for more than forty years. I should know by now that YMCA attracts wonderful people to work and serve at all levels. Penang was no different. We had been hosted for a special dinner with the Board of Penang YMCA, the CEO gave up an enormous amount of time to ensure I had a great experience and sampled the culture and life of Penang, Janice and Rhona from the Programme department also contributed to the experience I had.

The gem in the whole experience was Michael Cheong, the Programme Executive with Penang YMCA. This is a young man who has been with YMCA in a professional capacity for just three years and personifies everything I have grown to know and love in the people I have met in YMCAs across the Globe. He was there to pick me up at the airport, he was with me every day of my visit, he greeted me every day with the same bright welcoming smile, he introduced me Penang in a way were I felt safe and relaxed and it was very enjoyable. He gave me a number of tutorials on photography and made sure I never ran out of wine. And then bid me farewell at the airport as I was leaving.
#standingontheshouldersofgiants

It is people like Michael Cheong, Mrs Ong, the CEO, Janice Chong that, together with thousands of others around the world that make YMCA probably the greatest movement that exists today.

The World YMCA runs a series of Global Alternative Tourism experiences each year. Why not jump on board and check these out for yourself. They are open to anyone and not just ‘YMCA’ people.

You will not be disappointed and at the same time you will be supporting the work of local YMCAs

You can get more information here http://www.ymca.org.uk/global-alternative-tourism

Finally, during my visit I went to the War Museum and was reminded of some of the wicked things people do to others. Even today we see that happening on a daily basis across the world.

Within YMCA I have found people with good human values who share love and  respect for others. I witnessed this in Penang YMCA. It is people like my hosts on ‘Experience Penang’ who work to make the world a better place.

Thank You!