Cats, cafes, and a little bit of work.
This is the beginning of a slow and slightly loose workation in George Town, Penang.
From Bangkok to Penang — First Steps in George Town
I arrived in Penang from Bangkok.
My plan was to take a bus from the airport to George Town.
But when I asked the driver at the bus stop, he quickly said,
“Not this bus,”
and then drove away.
At that point I wasn’t even sure where I was supposed to go.
So I tried to check my phone.
But this time the internet wasn’t working at all.
No connection.
I tried a few things, but nothing worked.
Finally, I turned the phone off and on again — and suddenly the connection came back.
What was that about?
Anyway, after all that, I gave up on the bus and called a Grab instead.
When I finally arrived at the hotel, I felt genuinely relieved.
A Short Pause at the Hotel — and a Little Work
This time I stayed at B Street Hotel.
The view from the window
The hotel was cleaner and nicer than I expected, which was a relief.
The only small downside was that there was no refrigerator.
I sat down at the desk and did a little bit of work.
Walking Through George Town
In the evening, I went for a walk around George Town.
The area around Armenian Street is especially famous for its street art,
so I decided to start by visiting the well-known bicycle mural, a classic tourist spot.
On the way, I noticed a mural of a cat and stopped for a moment.
Then, as I stepped into a narrower alley,
I spotted a real black cat.
A Black Cat in a Quiet Alley
While I was taking photos of the cat,
a boy who looked about elementary school age spoke to me in Chinese.
When I replied in English, he smiled and asked,
“Do you like cat?”
Of course I do.
When I said yes, he pointed toward a deeper alley,
gesturing that I should go there.
So I followed the direction he showed me.
At the end of the alley, I found a small open space where cats were gathered
almost like they were holding a meeting.
There might have been more than ten of them.
For some reason, I felt a small sense of achievement and happiness.
A City Where Cats Feel at Home
After that, the pattern continued.
Walk a little — another cat.
Turn a corner — another cat.
A cat sitting beside a piece of street art.
Along the way I also found a small shop called The Heritage Cat,
which sells cat-themed goods.
George Town turned out to have far more cats than I had imagined.
Heading to Meowseum — The Museum of Cat Art & Craft
After that, I headed toward MEOWSEUM,
a small museum dedicated to cat art.
But when I arrived and checked the sign in front of the building,
it turned out to be closed.
So I decided to come back tomorrow.
To Be Continued
The story continues in Part 2.
Update
After writing this article, MeowSnap was released on November 13, 2025.
It’s a small app that lets you quietly keep track of the cats you meet while traveling on a map.
