Mopeds & Miracles

A typical kopitiam As I sit down in a cafe on Penang Island, Malaysia, he saunters over at me. One-eyed, a mouth full of missing teeth and a curious shape to his lips, he seems somehow alien. Despite being in Malaysia, he speaks to me in what I can only assume is Chinese and yet, this is not what makes him seem alien. No, I understand clearly that he wants to take my order and I ordered the one drink that is understood everywhere... beer. This is a cafe, but not in the Starbucks sense that a jaded urbanite might assume. No five dollar espressos will be found here, no patrons will be chatting on their cellphone in line, no fancy laptops will be proudly on display. In fact, one would be hard-pressed to realize that the main point of this establishment is drinking. It's not. This is a kopitiam - more food court than coffee shop and a mainstay of Malaysian and Singaporean food culture. If you want good food at a great price, you come here and being that Penang itself is k