Jamshyd
Bluelight Crew
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2003
- Messages
- 15,492
It's been a while since I had written a trip report. Let's hope I can still do these things 
.
Prelude
Penang is an island in the Strait of Malacca off the western coast of Malaysia. Its main city, Georgetown, is one of Malaysia's booming economic centres. And yet, for all of its hyperdevelopement, Georgetown managed to retain something that many other super-cities of East Asia seem to have lost in the process: authenticity. Penang is an amazing mosaic of several different and unique cultural groups that seem to live side-by-side with little tension or conflict. One can easily hear the prayer-calls of the Muslim Muezzin while catching a whiff of some lovely incense burning at a Hindu temple nearby. I must say, I was impressed: here we have, for once, a successful experiment in multiculturalism.
Unlike the Thai Islands just a few hours due north, Penang's beaches are quite and uneventful for the most part. This is due in part for the beaches being sub-par when compared to others in the area, and part because Malaysian society is rather conservative. In all honesty, I can greatly appreciate the tranquillity this can bring about, especially hiking in the national park on the island.
This was my second time in Penang. Besides being a popular tourist destination in Malaysia, Penang also attracts foreigners coming from Thailand to do the necessary visa paperwork in order to keep their jobs legally (...or illegaly), as one needs to do that at a Thai consulate outside of Thailand. I had met up on the train with an awesome fellow traveller who had a half-day to spare in Penang before continuing on his travels northwards. At one point in our conversations, the idea of trying Betel Nut came along, but seeing that we didn't know anything about it, the idea sort of evaporated.
The word "Penang" actually means "Betel Nut" in Malay, and as a matter of fact, the tree on the provincial flag is just that. During colonial times (and before), the Island used to be a major source of the Betel Nut plant (Areca catechu) which, strictly speaking, is not really a nut. Anyway, the next day I asked a few locals about where I could find it. One said that it was not in-season, and so it would be hard to find. Another said that spice stores in Little India (the Indian quarter of Georgetown) will have it in stock.
Provincial Flag of Penang
I decided to go check out Little India. On my way there, I stopped by a Chinese tea house to check out their tea pots. To my delight, the shopkeeper invited me for some tea. It was most interesting to watch: Scalding-hot water is poured over loose Oolong Tea in a tiny ceramic pot, and immediately decanted over the tiny cups to rinse them. Then the water in the cups is used to rinse the cups themselves, each with the other, until all the water had finished. After that, scalding hot water is poured again over the tea, left to steep for just a minute, and then poured ceremoniously through a sieve into a second small pot, from which it was to be poured into cups.
I kid you not, it was the best Oolong I have ever had. I simply had to buy a pot from this old man, if for nothing then just as a thanks for this wonderful gesture. I was surprised how noticeable of an effect this tea had on me - as I walked out of the store, I found myself in a wonderful mood and in high spirits.
Hindu Temple Gate - Penang
Happy with my new Teapots, I continued on to Little India, in which I found a spice store very quickly. As soon as I walked in I asked for betel nut. The clerk ran to his boss and whispered something, and the boss nodded. And so the clerk went to one of the bags and scooped out half a gram of what looked like dry, sliced nuts, each disk about 1.5cm in diameter. It was very cheap - a few dollars-equivalent for half a kilo. The boss on the cash register asked me, "Betel Nut?" to which I said yes. He did something very subtle with his face that I wasn't sure how to interpret, but got a bad vibe from. A very bad vibe, in fact, that I decided not to ask about the leaves and just pay and leave as quickly as possible.
I decided I will simply chew on the nuts without doing the whole quid thing. I made my way to my guest house room, and proceeded to consume my new drug.
Trip Report - Betel Nut
Betel Nut slices.
I started by chewing half a slice, just to be on the safe side. Immediately, there was a striking sensation in the mouth - this is a powerful astringent. Another very striking effect was the flood of saliva released. As I chewed, the flavour filled my mouth, and it was pretty bad. It tasted as though it was a walnut gone sour or rotten, or something like that. The Betel Nut has a very distinctive smell/taste that I cannot compare to anything, really. It had the consistency of cork wood and got softer with saliva.
About a minute after I started chewing, I felt something very mild. At that time, I decided I had enough of the taste and spit it out. There was a marked lightheadedness, but that was about it for the effects. So I decided to go for a whole slice.
As I chewed on that one, I felt a rather rapid (but still mild) effect. I would be very hesitant to call it a "rush" though, since I tend to reserve that term for things like Speedballs or IV Ketamine.
Ah, I see. This is one of those stimulants that are simultaneously sedating and stimulating. The lightheadedness increased, with a hint of nausea, too. So I decided to lie down and read. There was perhaps a subtle mood lift, and I was rather absorbed in my reading.
These effects seem to last about as long as the nasty taste lingers in one's mouth - so about half an hour, after which they seem to become totally unnoticeable. I cannot stress enough that these effects are very mild - if I had to compare to another drug, I'd compare it to the first time I smoked a cigar and inhaled a bit too hard.
Appetite seemed to be unaffected for the duration of the effects, and seemed to actually increase. I had a hearty meal (something Mexican in a Malaysian restaurant - don't ask!) and enjoyed it thoroughly. Libido seems to also go up (no pun intended), but I can just as well attribute that to my haywire hormones.
One curious thing that should be noted: I felt as though the effects were completely gone by the 1h mark. And yet, that night, I was entirely unable to sleep. It seemed impossible to just drift to sleep, even though I was sleepy.
There was no crash or hangover to speak of. However, this drug is far from benign. It feels rather "dirty" - kind of like industrial-grade tobacco. I simply have no desire to ingest it again, interesting as this experiment was.
Conclusion
It is unfortunate that I was unable to get the full cultural experience with Bettel Nut - with the leaves and red saliva and all. After that dirty look I got from the shopkeeper, I decided not to bring up the subject to anyone again, and so I went solo. Still, it was nice to try a new drug in its native land. I can see why the locals may find this drug addictive, there is a compulsion to redose shortly after one spits out. Add to this the fact that it is carcinogenic and you have something that ought to be tried very sparringly, and only for the unique experience.
substancecode_betel
substancecode_betelnut
substancecode_ethnobotanicals
substancecode_stimulants
explevel_firsttime
roacode_oral
exptype_positive
.Prelude
Penang is an island in the Strait of Malacca off the western coast of Malaysia. Its main city, Georgetown, is one of Malaysia's booming economic centres. And yet, for all of its hyperdevelopement, Georgetown managed to retain something that many other super-cities of East Asia seem to have lost in the process: authenticity. Penang is an amazing mosaic of several different and unique cultural groups that seem to live side-by-side with little tension or conflict. One can easily hear the prayer-calls of the Muslim Muezzin while catching a whiff of some lovely incense burning at a Hindu temple nearby. I must say, I was impressed: here we have, for once, a successful experiment in multiculturalism.
Unlike the Thai Islands just a few hours due north, Penang's beaches are quite and uneventful for the most part. This is due in part for the beaches being sub-par when compared to others in the area, and part because Malaysian society is rather conservative. In all honesty, I can greatly appreciate the tranquillity this can bring about, especially hiking in the national park on the island.
This was my second time in Penang. Besides being a popular tourist destination in Malaysia, Penang also attracts foreigners coming from Thailand to do the necessary visa paperwork in order to keep their jobs legally (...or illegaly), as one needs to do that at a Thai consulate outside of Thailand. I had met up on the train with an awesome fellow traveller who had a half-day to spare in Penang before continuing on his travels northwards. At one point in our conversations, the idea of trying Betel Nut came along, but seeing that we didn't know anything about it, the idea sort of evaporated.
The word "Penang" actually means "Betel Nut" in Malay, and as a matter of fact, the tree on the provincial flag is just that. During colonial times (and before), the Island used to be a major source of the Betel Nut plant (Areca catechu) which, strictly speaking, is not really a nut. Anyway, the next day I asked a few locals about where I could find it. One said that it was not in-season, and so it would be hard to find. Another said that spice stores in Little India (the Indian quarter of Georgetown) will have it in stock.
Provincial Flag of Penang
I decided to go check out Little India. On my way there, I stopped by a Chinese tea house to check out their tea pots. To my delight, the shopkeeper invited me for some tea. It was most interesting to watch: Scalding-hot water is poured over loose Oolong Tea in a tiny ceramic pot, and immediately decanted over the tiny cups to rinse them. Then the water in the cups is used to rinse the cups themselves, each with the other, until all the water had finished. After that, scalding hot water is poured again over the tea, left to steep for just a minute, and then poured ceremoniously through a sieve into a second small pot, from which it was to be poured into cups.
I kid you not, it was the best Oolong I have ever had. I simply had to buy a pot from this old man, if for nothing then just as a thanks for this wonderful gesture. I was surprised how noticeable of an effect this tea had on me - as I walked out of the store, I found myself in a wonderful mood and in high spirits.
Hindu Temple Gate - Penang
Happy with my new Teapots, I continued on to Little India, in which I found a spice store very quickly. As soon as I walked in I asked for betel nut. The clerk ran to his boss and whispered something, and the boss nodded. And so the clerk went to one of the bags and scooped out half a gram of what looked like dry, sliced nuts, each disk about 1.5cm in diameter. It was very cheap - a few dollars-equivalent for half a kilo. The boss on the cash register asked me, "Betel Nut?" to which I said yes. He did something very subtle with his face that I wasn't sure how to interpret, but got a bad vibe from. A very bad vibe, in fact, that I decided not to ask about the leaves and just pay and leave as quickly as possible.
I decided I will simply chew on the nuts without doing the whole quid thing. I made my way to my guest house room, and proceeded to consume my new drug.
Trip Report - Betel Nut
Betel Nut slices.
I started by chewing half a slice, just to be on the safe side. Immediately, there was a striking sensation in the mouth - this is a powerful astringent. Another very striking effect was the flood of saliva released. As I chewed, the flavour filled my mouth, and it was pretty bad. It tasted as though it was a walnut gone sour or rotten, or something like that. The Betel Nut has a very distinctive smell/taste that I cannot compare to anything, really. It had the consistency of cork wood and got softer with saliva.
About a minute after I started chewing, I felt something very mild. At that time, I decided I had enough of the taste and spit it out. There was a marked lightheadedness, but that was about it for the effects. So I decided to go for a whole slice.
As I chewed on that one, I felt a rather rapid (but still mild) effect. I would be very hesitant to call it a "rush" though, since I tend to reserve that term for things like Speedballs or IV Ketamine.
Ah, I see. This is one of those stimulants that are simultaneously sedating and stimulating. The lightheadedness increased, with a hint of nausea, too. So I decided to lie down and read. There was perhaps a subtle mood lift, and I was rather absorbed in my reading.
These effects seem to last about as long as the nasty taste lingers in one's mouth - so about half an hour, after which they seem to become totally unnoticeable. I cannot stress enough that these effects are very mild - if I had to compare to another drug, I'd compare it to the first time I smoked a cigar and inhaled a bit too hard.
Appetite seemed to be unaffected for the duration of the effects, and seemed to actually increase. I had a hearty meal (something Mexican in a Malaysian restaurant - don't ask!) and enjoyed it thoroughly. Libido seems to also go up (no pun intended), but I can just as well attribute that to my haywire hormones.
One curious thing that should be noted: I felt as though the effects were completely gone by the 1h mark. And yet, that night, I was entirely unable to sleep. It seemed impossible to just drift to sleep, even though I was sleepy.
There was no crash or hangover to speak of. However, this drug is far from benign. It feels rather "dirty" - kind of like industrial-grade tobacco. I simply have no desire to ingest it again, interesting as this experiment was.
Conclusion
It is unfortunate that I was unable to get the full cultural experience with Bettel Nut - with the leaves and red saliva and all. After that dirty look I got from the shopkeeper, I decided not to bring up the subject to anyone again, and so I went solo. Still, it was nice to try a new drug in its native land. I can see why the locals may find this drug addictive, there is a compulsion to redose shortly after one spits out. Add to this the fact that it is carcinogenic and you have something that ought to be tried very sparringly, and only for the unique experience.
substancecode_betel
substancecode_betelnut
substancecode_ethnobotanicals
substancecode_stimulants
explevel_firsttime
roacode_oral
exptype_positive
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I'm from there and it would be news to me.
