Hellooo everyone, its been ages since I last posted. Susah betul nak cari masa untuk betul-betul blogging, because most of the times I'll be using this laptop to write my thesis or for any other study related purposes. But its okay, Im here now! This will be a quick short post since Im writing just to share about this cool middle eastern place I recently found - and then I'll be back to writing my thesis 😅


Jadiii, tempat yang saya maksudkan ni adalah Mr Shawerma - salah satu gerai yang terdapat di medan selera Queensbay Mall dan Gurney Paragon. The first time I tried their food was actually in Gurney Paragon. Masa tu saya ternampak beberapa orang kat medan selera tu tengah makan sesuatu yang nampak sihat dan sedap. Turned out they were eating salads from Mr Shawerma. So I decided to give it a try, and it became my favourite since!

Kali kedua saya berkunjung ke Mr Shawerma adalah di Queensbay Mall. Masa tu saya pergi dengan rakan-rakan di USM. Berikut adalah sinopsis peristiwa yang berlaku pada hari tersebut.

Dua daripada kenalan saya tu merupakan pensyarah bahasa Arab di USM, dan masa pesan makanan tu mereka cakap Arab lah dengan pekerja di Mr Shawerma ni. Lepas dah bayar tu, saya pun cakaplah sepatah "syukran" kat pekerja tu, lepas tu dengan wajah yang kagum, pekerja tu cakap "masyaallah, semua boleh cakap Arab", lalu saya dan seorang lagi rakan pun balas "BOLEHHH" dengan yakinnya 😂😂😂 Padahal bahasa Arab kami suam-suam je.. nasib baiklah perbualan kami tamat setakat tu. Kalau dia sambung cakap lagi, takkan saya nak jawab "la afham" je kot 🤣

Itulah serba sedikit kisah kami masa makan tengah hari di Mr Shawerma haha 🤪. Okay, now I'll let these photos do the talking!

Chicken Salad

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They taste good, they come in big portion, and their veges are fresh! Harga pun sangat berpatutan. The price ranges from RM10 to RM25. I highly recommend the chicken salad if you happen to be on diet (or constantly on diet - like me haha). They also have other choices that I have yet to try, but I have strong faith that they're all going to be good 😁

Okay, that's all the time I have for now. Got to attend a university event tonight and Im excited, just bcs it reminds me of my UKM years - where my nights were always meant for extra curricular activities and never for studying 🤣😅

Till next time!

Guys, BookXcess is now in Penang! 🤩 This hugeee bookstore is heaven for book lovers. 💕  I first discovered this book store when I visited Gurney Paragon about a month ago. Masa mula-mula nampak kedai buku ni dari tingkat bawah, terus rasa teruja nak masuk. Love at first sight, they say! Haha.



Kat sini, mereka ada semuanya. Daripada buku kanak-kanak sampai buku dewasa, daripada buku fiksyen sampai buku motivasi, daripada buku masakan sampai buku tentang kereta, semualah. My favourite kind of books are usually about languages, self improvements, motivations, general knowledge, and quiz/activity books; and I can find all of them here at super low prices!



Buku-buku di sini memang murah sebab mereka ambil stok yang tak habis dijual secara terus daripada penerbit. The discounts are up to 80%, all year long! 

The best part is, this bookstore is hugeee. I can literally sleep here 😆. Okay, I'll let these photos do the talking:






Selain buku, kat sini juga ada Cafe Wolf, iaitu kafe kecil yang menjual minuman seperti kopi dan juga kek. Lepas dah beli buku tu bolehlah chill chill kat sini, minum kopi sambil membaca 💖 






My steal from my first visit to this book store were these game cards! 🤩 If you've been following my Instastories, perhaps you would notice that I loveee playing this kind of game cards. Pi lepak Starbucks dengan kawan-kawan pun duk main benda ni je haha. Its really fun, especially when you have friends who are as eager and as excited as you are hehehe. I have a few other series of trivia/general knowledge game cards, cant wait to share about them in my next post.

Gurl gang. We played some awesome cards that day

Huarghhh,  I love this place so much. The smell of books are just 💯💯💯. Honestly, I think Malaysia needs more places like this, to encourage our people to read more and to expose our children to reading culture. We also need more museums or other interactive hangout place where people can chill as well as learn something. Even a board game cafe would be nice, I think? 



Look at those Enid Blyton books! Menggamit kenangan zaman kanak-kanak sungguh 😍. Honestly I cant wait to have my own kids just so I can bring them to this cool book store where mummy used to spends hours (and ringgits) at 😝. From now on, this is definitely my favourite weekend lepak place. Disebabkan buku-buku kat sini murah, nak beli banyak pun takdelah rasa bersalah sangat kan hehee *kaching*. Okay guys, thats all I have to share for today. Brb, I have some newly bought books to read now 🤓

Sooo last week, my best friend Dr Alia Zurina came all the way from KL just to visit me (straight from the hospital!). Awww. She bought the most expensive flight ticket to Penang everrr (sebab beli last minute) 😅. Alia had no time to plan for the trip since it was totally a last minute plan and she is so busy with work, so I jumped in and arrange everything I could. The first place that popped into my mind for Alia's accommodation was Arte S, bcs its so near to USM and I see it everyday! Haha. So I figured why not just book this place!

booking.com

My booking was done through booking.com. Masa nak tempah bilik tu cuma klik je bilik yang menjadi pilihan hati. Bilik dan apartment berbeza tau sebab bilik kat Arte S ni dalam satu rumah yang lebih besar, kalau kita pilih 'room' je maknanya kita kena kongsi rumah tu dengan penghuni lain. Kalau nak tempah terus satu rumah pun boleh juga, cuma harganya lagi mahal lah kan. Kalau ramai-ramai baru berbaloi. Masa nak booking tu pun kena tengok harga betul-betul sebab harga berbeza-beza mengikut jenis bilik.

Bilik yang saya pilih ni adalah master bedroom (bilik yang ada bilik air kat dalam). Harga bilik ni cuma dalam RM140/malam. Kalau nak lagi murah, boleh pilih bilik yang bilik airnya di luar, dalam RM100 je untuk satu malam. Kalau bernasib baik, satu rumah tu kita je yang duduk. Masa kami bermalam tu, ada satu lagi keluarga orang Iraq yang menginap di rumah tu juga, siap ada baby lagi hehe.

Alia: A friend that turned into a sister

Apa yang best tentang Arte S ni? Okay I cant wait to tell you this part! Let me list the reasons below:

1. Private lift.  Tak ada orang lain akan lalu lif tu dan keluar-keluar je memang terus masuk rumah (pintu rumah memang tak ditutup sebab rumah tu kan dikongsi dengan orang lain). Tapi tak pastilah pula kalau private lift ni hanya untuk unit tertentu je kan.


2. Swimming pool! Kolam renang kat sini tak berapa besar, tapi cukuplah untuk berehat-rehat dan berenang-renang sambil bergambar 😆 We took so many photos here haha! Cuma jalan nak ke kolam renang ni je agak berpusing-pusing sikit sebab kena guna emergency lift. Tapi jangan risau sebab mereka akan bagi satu kertas masa kita check in tu, rujuk je kat situ. Pengawal keselamatan kat situ pun boleh tolong tunjukkan jalan.

Cold water 💙

3. French Retro Lounge. Lounge ni terletak di tingkat atas sekali di Blok A. Dari balkoni tingkat 33 ni kita boleh menikmati pemandangan sekitar Penang, boleh nampak kedua-dua jambatan Pulau Pinang dari sini. Dalam lounge ni macam tak ada apa-apa sangat tapi tempat ni cantik, bolehlah nak buat OOTD. 😜

Oops! Please excuse the mess 😝

4. Comfy room and spacious toilet (lupa pula nak ambil gambar tandas). Bilik memang bersih, selesa. Tandas pun besarrr. Dari bilik kami boleh akses ke balkoni dan dari balkoni boleh nampak kolam renang serta pemandangan bukit bukau. Gorgeous view 😍

Photo taken during sunrise 😍

5. Affordable price! As mentioned above, we spent only RM140 for a night here. Kongsi dua orang, baru RM70 seorang. Kira okay laa untuk tempat yang selesa dan cantik macam ni. Lagipun bukannya selalu kan?

Look at us, bag twinning hehe. Will share about the bag soon!

Overall it was a nice staycation experience! Lepas ni kalau ada kawan-kawan dari KL nak mai Penang lagi, saya akan cadangkan supaya mereka duduk di sini je. Lagipun dekat dengan USM, senanglah saya nak jadi tour guide diorang nanti haha (read: kena buli jadi driver bawa pergi makan 😝). Oh ya, kalau nak makan, berhampiran dengan Arte S ni ada Ivory Plaza (walking distance), dan kat situ ada banyak restoran. Tomyam ada, makanan Arab pun ada. Harga pun murah.
Thanks for coming Alia. You know I love you. Hmm, lepas ni dah makin sibuk, tak tahulah bila lagi dapat staycation mahupun vacation. But if I have the chance to go somewhere, I will surely share about it here on my blog. Ive been blogging since 2008 and apparently I dont seem to get tired or bored 😂 This is where I share my life experience/journey/thoughts, so one day I can look back and remind myself to be grateful for the life I lived.

See you in my next post!

Hii, its my first post of 2019! Tahun baharu, azam baharu. Seperti tahun-tahun lepas, semestinya azam saya tahun ni adalah untuk menambah nilai diri. I want to take better care of myself, Ive been learning new languages, new recipes, new workouts, taking up new challenges, and all that will help to improve myself. Lets hope we all get to achieve what we dream for this year, ameen. I have always been a planner person (although sometimes I dont actually follow what I plan 😜), and this year I decided to get this planner from Typo 👇 So prettyyy Im in loveee 😍

All set for 2019 with this floral planner from Typo!

Back to what I want to share today. Ive been enjoying oat for breakfast since I was a child. My mum 'brainwashed' me into thinking that oats are tasty and good - which is true btw 😂. Ramai yang tak berapa gemar makan oat sebab rasanya yang tawar dan mungkin agak memuakkan. Tapi, dengan gandingan yang betul, anda mesti teruja untuk makan oat setiap hari. Hari ni saya nak kongsikan sikit beberapa idea ringkas (dan murah) untuk topping oat anda supaya tak adalah bosan kita makan oat kosong je setiap hari kan. Teruskan membaca!

1. Oat dan Epal


Oat dan epal merah merupakan gandingan yang ideal kalau anda sukakan kerangupan epal dan rasanya yang sedang-sedang; tak terlalu manis dan tak terlalu masam. Potong epal kecil-kecil dan lepas tu letakkan je atas oat. An apple a day keeps the doctor away, they say!

2. Oat, Epal Hijau, dan Kacang 
Kalau anda sukakan rasa yang masam-masam dan sedikit rangup, tambahkan sedikit kacang tanah yang telah dihancurkan bersama-sama epal hijau. Kalau nak pakai kacang lain pun boleh, tapi dalam post ni saya khaskan untuk topping yang mudah dan murah - dan semestinya kacang tanah lebih murah berbanding badam haha. hashtag #brokestudentlyfe 😂

3. Oat, Kismis, dan Kacang


Ini adalah salah satu pilihan yang agak murah dan mesra poket juga. Selain rasa kismis yang masam manis, anda juga akan menerima elemen kejutan daripada kerangupan kekacang tu. This is as simplest as toppings could get 😂 Anyway please excuse the same background every time (my laptop and planners, basically my desk haha) bcs I stay in college, I dont have a fancy dining table yet 😌 Meja tu lah untuk study.. meja tu lah untuk makan.. haha.

4. Oat dan Kiwi


Sometimes I like my oat to be extra watery and milky, hence the watery oat in the photo above haha. Sampai tenggelam buah kiwi tu 😆 Oat dan kiwi akan memberikan rasa yang masam masam manis, di samping rasa lemak lemak susu dan oat tu sendiri. Tapi saya terpaksa akui yang buah kiwi agak mahal sebenarnya, 4 biji pun dah RM10 lebih 😅 Again, hashtag #brokestudentlyfe haha. But its a good source of vitamin C so its worth every penny! 💸

5. Oat, Kekacang, dan Buah-buahan Kering


Idea yang terakhir; oat dan kekacang. Macam dalam gambar kat atas ni, oat tu dicampur dengan pelbagai topping seperti kacang badam, kismis, goji berry, dan sunflower seed. Oat ni saya beli kat AEON, dia memang dah siap dengan topping sekali. Tinggal nak tambah air panas dan susu je. But I have to admit that I dont like the taste of goji berry in my oat. Agak pelik rasa dia haha. So I prefer the normal Quaker Oat without toppings so I can customize my own.

Okay, itu saja idea untuk oat toppings daripada Jaji buat masa ni! Hope you had a good time reading. Semoga anda lebih bersemangat untuk makan oat lepas ni hehe. Its rich in fibre and it helps to lower cholestrol, so why not? 💕 And may you have a good year ahead! Lets rock 2019 😎

To be honest, this is my first time trying Vietnamese meals and to my surprise; I love it! Kafe ni terletak di Georgetown, Penang. Pada mulanya saya agak ragu-ragu untuk makan di sini sebab kebanyakan restoran makanan Vietnam yang lain biasanya tak halal (kebanyakan restoran Vietnam memang tulis non-halal). Tapi keraguan saya terhapus dengan adanya logo halal Jakim (bukan sekadar pork-free) pada pintu masuk kafe ni.

Saigon Bowl:Vietnamese Noodle Bar yang terletak di Georgetown, Penang ni menyediakan hidangan yang pada saya amat berkhasiat. Anda boleh lihat sendiri menu yang ada ni. It looks so goooood. They also have the steamboat option.




So after choosing my meal wisely, what I had was this; a very delicious bowl of Dry Pho Fried Chicken. Tengoklah sayur dalam hidangan ni, segar-segar semuanya.  There's plenty of salad in my bowl. My chicken was a bit crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. The Vietnamese noodle in my opinion is something like kuey teow but slightly "transparent". Rasanya juga lebih "ringan" berbanding kuey teow.

Dry Pho Fried Chicken - RM13.90

Another meal we tried was this Pho Beef Combo. The smell of the soup was delightful! Masa makanan baru sampai tu, bau sup tu sama macam bau yang saya bayangkan masa tengok menu haha. This meal comes with a kind of sambal/sauce (refer last picture). Jadi jangan risau kalau anda jenis yang tak boleh makan kalau tak pedas (macam saya), sebab sambal tu agak pedas juga la. Mereka juga ada bagi perahan limau nipis untuk kita tuang sendiri atas makanan mengikut cita rasa.

Pho Beef Combo - RM18.90

We also ordered this extra dish called Vietnamese Fresh Spring Roll (just bcs it looks good on the menu haha). Geram tengok udang dia tu haha. Very cutely wrapped in a roll 😍 But later we realised that ordering this was a mistake bcs we're already so full from the main dish! We still managed to finish everything though haha and the peanut sauce taste so good?!?

Selain daripada makanannya yang sihat dan sedap, suasana kedai makan ni juga sangat bersih, selesa, dan luas. Sesuailah kalau nak buat makan-makan ramai-ramai dengan kawan atau keluarga. Kalau makan steamboat ramai-ramai kat sini pun syok juga.

I loveee big windows

Gambar sebelum kekenyangan haha

Kalau anda tengok dalam gambar kat atas ni, ada sambal dan perahan limau nipis macam yang saya cakap tadi. By the way, sorry that I didnt get to review the drinks for you bcs all we had was plain water 😂Anyway, I will definitely come back here, to try their steamboat maybe, and maybe then I will review some desserts or drinks for you (maybe, no promises haha).

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Thanks for reading and happy food hunting!