Holiday or Hell-of-a-day?

Recently, which was actually a few months ago, April to be exact, my friends and I had a trip to Penang. Just a 3 day trip with friends before our exam. The trip was alright for me, but there were rooms for improvements. I'm not complaining or anything, but I did learn a few things from this trip. No, this is not related to anything about friendship or bonding, but just simply about steps to a perfect (or close-to-perfect) holiday.

The ones in BLUE will be my story from Penang.

1. Focus.
Before starting any trip or holiday, know what your goal is. Do you want to tickle your taste buds, or do you simply want to pamper yourself with a relaxing trip to a spa? Maybe you plan to just escape from wherever you come from and slow down, and read a book till daylight paints the sky?

2. Feed your focus.
If shopping was your plan, you don't plan a trip to Ipoh, Tronoh. But if you want solitude, that might be a perfect place. If you want some family fun, an all exclusive family resort would be nice.

3. Do your homework.
Before you leave, get a guidebook, or a guide who will always be around. Read up on history, cultures, and other stuff that might interest you. The more you know, the better you would appreciate the place.
We (my friends and I) got the best guide which could not be bought, the great-great-great-great (and many more 'greats') grandson of Francis Light, the founder of Penang, Eric. JJ was sort of like my personal guide for a day at Queensbay Mall, and even that was good enough.

4. Go light.
Bring clothes that are adaptable and shove everything into a carry on bag if you can. If you're travelling by plane, you would be grinning as you skip a line at the check-in counter, and as you arrive and glide by passengers who are waiting for their luggage.

5. Plan small.
Do not try and fit every single exciting thing recommended by the guidebook into your trip. It's better to savour a few places than cramming all into a superficial blur.

6. Think big.
We have to admit, time does get wasted when we go on a holiday. Plan for bus break-downs, and other delays. If you're planning to visit a city, limit your "things-to-do" list to not more than 3, so that you get to enjoy your time. Be patient. If you have a flexible schedule, you won't have to simmer when things get awry.

7. Serendipity, not stupidity.
The most memorable times during the holidays are usually the impromptu ones. Leave some time to visit a shop that attracts your attention, do something that you don't usually do. Don't get into activities that you can do when you're back.
During our trip to Penang, JJ and I went for roller skating, and it's my first time. JJ went a few times before, so I had to cling onto him for him to drag me around. I did manage to skate by myself though, somewhere in between the dragging. My mistake on that particular day was watching a movie, which could be done anywhere else.

8. Stay the first night.
Make sure that on the day you arrived at your destination, you have a place to slumber. You wouldn't want to go inn-hunting at 2 a.m on the day you arrive. Get a place for the night, if it's not as comfortable, you can change the following day.

9. Use what life gives you.
As the saying goes, "When you've got a lemon, make lemonade". This is part of travel, disaster. What can you do? You can either fuss about it or just enjoy your time as usual. If you get lost, follow your instincts and get someone who looks trustworthy to help. Can't read the menu, look at what others are having and point at what looks good. Got stuck in a long queue, look at the people around you, what they wear, do or say... for all you know, the granny in front of you might have a black belt in sushi-making.

10. Be like the locals.
Do what the locals do, eat what they eat, shop where they shop. Ask for recommendations from the hotel clerk. Open up to the locals, and you'll get yourself a few souvenirs.
Since my ticket was the last to be booked, I had to return a few hours earlier than the rest, all alone, but on my way to the bus station, the van driver, a very generous Indian, told me about the sights we passed through. Questions were asked and answered, and when I got to the bus station, he told me that the ride was free. That was a nice souvenir.

These are what I learned from my trip to Penang, and I hope you all learned something from my post.