I'm dusting off my travelling shoes

I was supposed to go on a business trip to Penang last month but that plan got scrapped the last minute. Last Thursday, I was told to schedule the trip for 10 days beginning next Monday. I had to rush to get all the travel arrangement and hotel reservations ready in within a few days and thankfully I managed to confirm everything today. I finally got my hotel reservations confirmed and will go to pick up my plane tickets on Friday from the head office. After that I will be off to Penang on Sunday afternoon and will be staying on the island until the 12th of November.

I’m actually looking forward to this trip. It has been a while since I’ve been to Penang. Of course back then, I was still working with my old company, had an expense account and was able to pick the hotel that I wanted to stay in. Back then I would always stay at the Shangri-La in Georgetown whenever I’m in town because it was close to the center of town. I stayed the so often at one time that the staff knew me by sight and would have the same room reserved for me when I came to town. This time around, the new company that I work with only allows us to stay at a preferred hotel which usually means the cheapest hotel that they can find. For this trip, I was only given the choice to stay in Vistana Hotel. To be fair to them, I’ve never been to this hotel before so I shouldn’t assume the worse about it before seeing it for myself.

The upcoming trip to Penang would also be different this time for me since I will be traveling during the fasting month. I usually try to avoid traveling during this fasting month as I don’t really get to enjoy the sights and sounds during the day as much as I would like since I could not eat during the day. I also find it more convenient to be in town during the fasting month as I would like to be able to get together with friends and family to break fast together during this time. Knowing where to get my favorite food to break fast with is also a plus during this month since I rather avoid any upset stomach problems. I always have a dodgy tummy after a whole day of fasting so I have to be careful about what I take in. I hope that I would be able to find someplace good to eat near the hotel.

I shouldn’t be too negative about this trip before even starting to pack for it. Who knows that I might even enjoy it more this time. I’m not sure yet on the logistics for me to continue updating this blog site while on the road but I hope to continue publishing online if the chance presents itself. I may even be able to finally write that travelogue that I always wanted.