July 11, 1994 Penang Journal.

Penang

Hot

"Go with God."

My departing words to Gulie at Penang Airport. She's heading back to New York, but she'll have to deal with her separation from Giancarlo, her husband my friend. Her entire stay was under the black clouds of her future. If she expects people to take sides, they will, but she left here angry with my imagined betrayal and abandoning her while sick on Langawi Island.

Standing between two people without choosing a side is never a winning strategy a good idea. I'll come out of it looking like a cad ,but I never see any of her friends socially, except for Diane Brill and Maurizio. Anyway I'm in the shits.

Rob hasn't called from London. I ask Danny the hotel twice a day, if my friend left a message. Nothing. $150 short of a return ticket out of Kuala Lumpur. I didn't even dare to ask Julie for money.

The room at the Swiss Hotel has a noisy the fan, the bad uncomfortable, the walls dirty, and rat shitted floors. I just saw another rat. The overnight neon lighting comes like a diesel.I'm sweating and haven't had the drink in three days. Oh yeah, I have been playing basketball down at Fort Cornwallis in the midday Sun with Filipino sailors. They are really fast.

Stranded. It could be worse Breakfast at this hotel is good. Food here is cheap, especially at corner Halal Nasi Kandar restaurant on Julia Street. A lovely sweet iced tea and curry.