Well, here we are in George Town, Malaysia, with an uncertain return date to China. At this point, and with a likely-to-be-extended March 2nd reopen date for Gabe’s school, most of the people we know decided to leave Xiamen. Some returned to the States, while others have temporarily relocated around Southeast Asia. Closed businesses and parks, movement restrictions, frequent temperature checks, and the onslaught of flight cancellations prompted many to leave. Not being there , and intentionally minimizing the amount of news we consume, has given us a bit of a reprieve from dwelling on the uncertainty, at least until the next update from Gabe’s school. In the meantime, Gabe has become a digital nomad teaching online, and Julia and I are playground-scouting and wandering this new place.
We knew almost nothing about George Town until a week ago, but a few of Gabe’s coworkers are here and had good things to say. Going from a city of nearly 10 million to one of 700,000 has been a welcome change. Bangkok is one-of-a-kind with its amazing food, night markets, and temples, but it’s also relentless in its traffic, noise, heat, grit, and energy, all part of what makes it so dynamic, but also a lot to take in day after day. Our Airbnb high-rise, with pristine grounds and an obscenely large infinity pool, offered a comfortable respite, but as soon as you stepped out onto the sidewalk beyond the gate, you were right back in the thick of it. A mix I really do love, just in small doses. After two weeks, a change of scenery and some trees were overdue.
George Town is the capital city of the state of Penang, on an island off the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It’s one of the most culturally diverse cities in the region, well known for its incredible food scene. While Islam is the official religion, Christianity, Buddhism, and Hinduism all have a presence. Malay, Indian, Chinese, and European influences show up in everything from the food to the architecture in the old part of George Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site. English is widely spoken and the city feels more modern than we expected. In appearance, it reminds us a little of Xiamen, with the water and pockets of green hills and trees. So far, we’re enjoying it.
Until further notice, this is where we’ll be working and exploring.
Thanks for this update! Do send photos when you figure it out. I’m so glad you are there with other nomads….has to be comforting. XOXO I’m glad you are safely out of China.