Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, Penang.

Being inside the Roman Catholic Church has always given me a great sense of serenity not found anywhere else. It is in there that I can discover inner peace. The stained glass panels and the Stations of the Cross on the walls are truly beautiful works of art. Until now, I am still awed every time I enter a church. The depictions of Jesus in various stages of His life instilled in me an inexplicable feeling of wonderment. There is this overwhelming awareness of being in the presence of a Greater Force. I know for certain that I can always find my peace there.

Entrance to the Cathedral.

The Cathedral of the Holy Spirit recently installed four stained glass panels in addition to two existing ones which are the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Madonna and Child. The new panels each depict one of the Mysteries of the Holy Rosary. The splendours of these panels have to be seen to be fully appreciated.

Good thing I brought my tripod along when we went up Bukit Genting. A single frame shot will not do justice to the scenery from up there. Even these stitched images do not tell the complete picture. Let me share what we saw atop the hill. Be warned: These are big files with very large dimensions.

Genting Plains

Teluk Kumbar

This entry is one week late. I have been trying to blog in chronological order. I was totally exhausted after those few days in Gurney Drive and one full day visiting the tsunami hit areas of Pulau Betong and Teluk Kumbar. I tire easily and I am not getting as much rest as my body is screaming out for. I need to post those images before I leave for Kuala Lumpur. Wuan does not have broadband. It is a pain to upload a whole album of photos via dialup.

1306: There was nothing sweeter than home but we will not be able to enjoy the comforts yet. We came back just to drop off our luggage. Despite our cousin assuring us that she and her family were safe and well, Peter and I wanted to go see for ourselves that they indeed were.

1434: Peter stopped at the rest stop at the peak of Jalan Tun Sardon on the way to Balik Pulau. Wuan have not seen the panorama of Balik Pulau and Genting from there. It was hazy and the view was not exceptional. This unclear air had pervaded since the time we were at Gurney Drive. The blatant opening burning made it worse.

1449: We stopped at Balik Pulau town for lunch. Peter parked his car right in front of this house which still retained its antique door and fa�ade. This is one of the few houses left in this town that is not renovated and converted into a business premise.

1451: Wuan had been hankering for her favourite laksa here for a long time. Unfortunately the stall was closed. She likes the Siam laksa cooked by the swanky aunty managing this stall. On the other hand, I abhor the place because it is usually swarmed with the biggest flies I have ever seen. I believe this laksa stall is popular with tourists because of all the publicity it has been getting in the press.

1510: We had asam laksa instead. This stall has been selling laksa here for as long as I can remember; and that is a very long time. Although I have to stop eating laksa now because of the fish (I am cutting down on eating sardines) and shrimp paste, I still will indulge in it once in a very long while. I like mine sour; Wuan like hers lemak.

1542: When we reached the Pulau Betong village, vehicles from the Civil Defence, a fire engine from the Paya Terubong Volunteer Fire Fighting Squad and two garbage trucks from the MPPP were parked there. The MPPP crew were busy loading the discarded furniture, mattresses and other objects damaged by the tidal waves into the truck. I waited in the car while Wuan went to take some photos. We then went to our cousin�s house which was quite far behind and was not affected at all.

1631: After leaving out cousin�s house, Peter drove us around the area for us to take in the idyllic vistas of stilted kampong houses, coconut palms and the leisurely pace of kampong life. This is the type of life I would like to live � the infrequent noise of traffic, the sweet melodies of nature, greenery all around and to be able to breathe unpolluted air. These kampong folks have it all.

1642: On our way back, Peter decided to make a detour and took us up to Bukit Genting. The view up there was still as scenic as when I first saw it except for the haze. Wuan had a merry time shooting the flowers and anything else that caught her attention. We had an early dinner there. I am not partial to Thai food and those that we ordered did not tantalize my taste buds one bit.

1856: We made one last stop at Teluk Kumbar to check on a relative of Peter�s wife. Apart from the pile of silt-laden belongings at the garbage dump, there were little suggestions that this place was inundated by the tsunami as well. We were told that truckloads of refuse had been carted off by the MPPP and the area thoroughly cleaned up and fogged.

2003: We reached home, tired but contented that Penang is alive and bustling again. At the same time, we silently mourned for the loss of life here and elsewhere and prayed that those that survived the onslaught of the tsunami will receive aid soon. We were only bystanders to this cataclysmic tragedy and can never fully grasp the grief of those who lost loved ones and all they ever owned. Humans are very adaptable creatures. We shall rise up again from the ruins and build a better world. This is evident by the outpouring of donations of cash and kind from all over the world. We shall persist. We shall overcome. We always had. We certainly can now.

* More photos are in the Gallery.

Amidst the horrific destruction and tragedy of the Sumatran earthquake and tsunami, there appear glimmers of hope and stories that warm the cockles of one�s heart. After the incredible rescue of Malawati who had been adrift at sea for five days, comes the astonishing account of Rizal Shahputra. He was picked up by a passing container vessel after sitting on to a tree trunk for nine days 100 nautical miles out at sea. Likewise Malawati was found 100 nautical miles from where she was swept out to sea by the tidal waves that flattened Banda Acheh. I pray that more of these survivors will be located before it is too late. These are the true survivors. Everything else pales in comparison.

When it rains, it pours. That is a fact. Recently I have been wondering where I am going to get a calendar for the new year from. Yesterday, Anne passed to me one that came in the mail all the way from England. Today there was another large envelope in my mailbox. And yes, it is another wall calendar. It is a gift from Rosalynn called Psalms from my Heart. There is a different verse from the Book of Psalms for each calendar month superimposed into lovely photographs of flowers. Ros, thanks a whole lot. This is a very meaningful gift for the new year.