my miniature page

USA - WEST COAST

2019-11-19T11:38:00.004+08:00

Hello peeps!

It has been almost 2 years since I last posted something on here, the longest time in my seven years of blogging. Sobs. Things have been really hectic. My status has changed from single to married, I have moved out from my family house and in the span of last few months, I’ve got a new job and… we are also expecting a baby! Alhamdulillah.

So where do I begin? I’ve lost track even though there are sooo many things I want to share. Pre-wedding, post-wedding, honeymooning, places WE’VE been to so far (hehe) and all those beautiful memories.

But, do people still read blogs nowadays? After all, I am writing a part of my life’s story here and I will continue. Well to be honest I still like to read blog posts I wrote from x years ago. Hehe. So here I am, let’s start with our recent trip to the States which is one of the best trips so far :). It was filled with outdoor adventures, great food, lovable company (my shuben hiks), and natural beauty.

Here are the highlights of our West Coast trip.

Los Angeles

San Francisco

Yosemite

Death Valley

Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend & Grand Canyon

Las Vegas

Prior to getting married, I traveled around the world with friends and family. And now, with my partner for life, my husband. Hehe. We both have done our fair share of travelling, especially around Europe during our student days. My husband spent 6 years in Ukraine and I had 1 year in Birmingham. Beyond comparison, I know. Haha. So we're well used to the pace. Roughing it out in backpacker hostels, spending ALL day exploring the city or town or country, and having a good night rest before starting an equally grueling day after that.

We thought that since we've both done this routine so many times over so many years, we'd be up to it. But we were wrong. Haha. Pretty safe to say both my husband and I are getting old. Sobs. And I don’t think he had any idea how much I would keep him on the road and in flight. Hehe. So one night, I asked his permission to go to the States for our 1st year anniversary. He declined at first, various reasons were given but after few times pujuk sessions he agreed at last. Haha. Sayang isteri punya pasal lol.

CHINA SOUTHERN AIRLINES

We booked China Southern flight a couple of months in advance (4 months to be exact) because it was significantly cheaper than other competing airlines. But it was really great value for money, trust me. Would definitely fly again and recommend to all. Who would have thought that our return tickets to LAX was just RM2,003 per person! I told my husband, we really have to buy sayang, insanely cheap. Haha.

The booking was made easy and we have selected Muslim meal throughout the journey. They have selection for other types of meal too; vegetarian, kosher, just to name a few. And the food according to my husband was good but to me it was average, I don’t really fancy airline food though. Haha. We were given more snacks in between (i.e. sandwich, breads, cakes) but I forgot to snap pictures. Hehe.

KL - Guangzhow meal (chicken based)

#Meal 1 Guangzhow - LA (fish based)

#Meal 2 Guangzhow - LA (prawn based)

Besides that, the entertainment on board was great, I managed to watch 2 movies; The Meg and Holmes & Watson. But most of the times, we were comfortably sleeping. And eating. And talking. And toilet break. Repeat the whole process again and again. Haha. What else could we do for almost 21 hours of journey including transit, kan?

And on top of all those plus points, the customer service was really tip top and the seats were comfortable and spacious enough! Much to our surprise, apparently China Southern operates an A380 from Guangzhou to Los Angeles and vice versa. My husband got really excited, his first time flying A380 but yours truly have flown A380 years ago with Emirates to Dubai. Hehe.

Last but not least, economy class tickets are allowed to bring in two (2) 23kg check-in luggages, which is in total a whopping 46kg! But still not enough for my shopping loots though. Haha.

And just a reminder, please read the safety tips for transport of lithium batteries and power banks on their websites. We had our checked-in bag opened and our Gopro batteries were apparently confiscated at transit point in Baiyun Airport without our knowledge. It was not until we got to our hotel in Los Angeles and there was a note in our bag by China Southern stating that their government prohibits such items to be flown to China. Haihhhh. 2 Gopro batteries gone!

GUANGZHOU BAIYUN AIRPORT

We departed at 1.35 noon on 27 March 2019. Our flight from Kuala Lumpur to Guangzhou took us about 4 hours and we had a stopover for another 4 hours at Baiyun Airport.

Approaching Guangzhou Baiyun Airport

Upon arrival, there were officers directing us for international transfer departure, so we just follow the signs accordingly.

Just remember that your passport will not be stamped but they will stamp on your boarding pass instead. And your luggage will be checked to your final destination. That part has been taken care of like any other airlines. Sooo convenient.

The airport in my opinion is quite big, we found a prayer room near our departure gate and we quickly performed zuhur + asar together and we then waited few minutes for Maghrib.

And one more thing, halal food is pretty limited here, but there is one halal restaurant at the departure area so we decided to give a try. Since we will be served more airline food in the next few hours so we just ordered one big bowl mutton noodle. Sharing is caring hehe. Sedaapp!

LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (LAX)

It took us another 12hours and 40minutes from Guangzhou to Los Angeles. Fuh. Kematu. Haha. We departed at 9.30 pm Guangzhou time (27 March 2019) and arrived around 7.10 pm LA time (still 27 March 2019).

Sunset

LA baby!

Initially we estimated 2 hours for immigration and custom clearance so we opted to pick our car around 9.30pm. But lo and behold, we got stuck for at least 5 hours to get out of the airport.

First and foremost, there is no separate immigration line for passengers for connecting flights. So if you have another flight to catch, it is important to estimate your time properly. The only lines available are for visitors and U.S. nationals and citizens. Since LAX is the busiest and largest airport in the US and the fact that a super-jumbo plane like the A380 has landed that night, can you imagine how long we have to queue to get clearance? Sobs. It was nightmare.

We then had to go to the kiosk for online inspection and here my husband and I were separated because the kiosk doesn’t like him for some reason and send him to in-person inspection. He found himself subject to a secondary screening process because a cross sign was stamped on his boarding pass. Pity my shuben.

And I remember the immigration officer asked me politely and courteous on the purpose of my visit, etc. It took me literally 2 minutes and tada, settled. So pleasant and welcoming.

I waited my husband for about half an hour at the baggage carousel and he was nowhere in sight. I was soo worried and I really had no idea what was happening. Then a few minutes later I got a text from him and he explained that the procedure might take an hour or two and he said I shouldn’t worry so much. It was already 10.00pm at the time. Luckily the car rental office is in operation for 24 hours and my husband asked me to call their office and informed them that we will be really late.

So I was alone at the baggage area, just looking around and get my phone connected to the WIFI and started to google on the reasons for the detention. Well according to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the reasons are varied. Either you have immigration issues, failure to declare the proper documentation, etc. So yes, my husband was detained for about 2 hours in a room with other Mexicans, Arabs and the best part is, no reason was given to him. He was asked to just wait for his name to be called for secondary inspection and that was it. Takde apa pun. Perhaps his features, haha.

ADVANTAGE CAR RENTAL

My husband pre-paid the car that I booked on Kayak and the site directed us to the Advantage Car Rental as it offered the cheapest price for an economy car at the time. His credit card was charged RM1,404 for 10 days rental with insurance coverage and to us, it was really a good deal.

So we waited the Advantage shuttle bus for about 15 minutes to pick us up at the waiting area. Do note that there are a lot of rental car companies so don’t get confused. Different buses will bring you to different location. Haha. Better ask the driver first to avoid any uncertainties. The journey took about 10 minutes and after arriving, we had to wait for another 40 minutes in line even though it was already almost 1am midnight. Sobs. Such a longgg day.

Below is my husband’s feedback on his Instagram. I just copy and paste. Hehe.

We were supposed to get a Toyota Yaris (2 door) or something equivalent for this trip. To our surprise, we got a 2018 Subaru Outback and it is Subaru’s best-selling model in the US.

We got the car either by sheer luck or divine intervention, or most probably we were unaware of Advantage own upgrade or promotion policy.

At first we were taken aback whether this was supposed to be our ride, but thankfully it is. Especially seeing to where we were going and carrying. The car accommodated us and our 5 luggages in sheer comfort. A total of 2,670 miles (4,296 km) driven from the steepest hills of San Francisco, to the forests and deserts, the Outback made ease of each journey...

So I would definitely recommend Advantage Car Rental despite of having a lot of bad reviews on the website. Don’t be afraid to give a try because to be honest our experience was nothing but amazing!

To be continued…

E-DAY

2018-01-27T10:59:00.001+08:00

Happy New year 2018!

I was asked if this blog is dead. Well, I think it is not. But I admit that I share my dailies and reflections with my fiance now. Hehe. Oh yes, I'm engaged :). And I am fully aware that I'm skipping several crucial stories here but lets just proceed and I'll fill in the blanks sometime down the line.

And thank you for checking in. At least it reminded me that I need to be back here, to my space where I keep my stories. Hehe. Basically, I'm an open book. And this blog is my self expression. So I am back! Hopefully with a better track record than ever before (finger crossed!).

So let's start with a recent one, my engagement :)

I got engaged to my perfect man on 23 December 2017. It was a simple event just like how I envisioned it to be. All things blue, white and pastel-y. Alhamdulillah everything went well. And the feeling is slowly sinking in. Now whenever I mention the word fiance or tunang, I get all excited just at the thought of saying it. Hehe.

So how I met him? Well, everyone's got a story, how they met their significant other. How I Met Your Mother, in essentials. Hehe. Some stories are much longer than the others, and for some, the first page starts on their wedding day.

OUR story? Hmmm, I met him through Baitul Muslim 6 months ago, so go figure! Hehe. But I'll promise I'll dive into some of the deets later.

MUA

Couldn't have been blessed more with the MUA that I got on my engagement day. Hana a.k.a @makeupbyhananoordin was simply tip top. I requested for a simple make up, nothing so bold and loud, hence that what I've got :) She was a blessing to work with.

THE DECOR

I wanted a white theme for my engagement and I trusted my mother wholeheartedly and left it all out to her on the canopies. Didn't even intervene much, just simply told her the color I wanted. And she gave me Chiavari chairs, which I love. Hehe. Thanks mok, love you :).

And for the pelamin, I know it looks soooo nikah-y. Haha. Thanks @zylynngallery team. They try their very best to achieve the look that I desire by following a sample photo I provided. Overall, it fitted my theme. It would be nice if they can use fresh flowers but then again, I have no budget for that. Hehe.

THE ENGAGEMENT DRESS

My engagement dress was specially customised by Davis Paul Lister @dplkl. While doing my research, I had in mind @nahanaha & @sammrepublic! But what made me chose Davis over them was the location. Hehe. Because Davis is located at Bangsar, near my office while both NahaNaha and Samm at Ampang, KL. I couldn’t be bothered to travel for my engagement dress. Not to mention that all of them have equally beautiful designs too. And the fact that NahaNaha used to work with Mimpikita before, he was simply my first choice. But in the end, I opted for convenience, the nearer the better. Hehe. And I love my bajuuuu, the blue beads, yummm, thanks Davis, you are awesome!

THE DULANGS & HANDBOUQUET

Both my dulangs and handbouquet were done by @zylynngallery as well. I wanted fresh flowers for my dulang but I think probably I shouldn't ask for hydrangeas, so really difficult to jaga. And you can see that we are foregoing all unnecessary stuff and giving each other practical items instead? Hehe.

From his side, it was DIY-ed by my future SIL. I know it wasn't easy having to assemble all items within 48 hours and thank you for making those dulangs soo beautiful :)

THE DOORGIFT

The gift was from Amy Cookies, Klang based. Hehe. Sooo cheap and good and delish. Loveee the chocolate and chip cookies. Thanks mommy for suggesting. And I just customised the jar tag to our names and the date of our engagement. Easy peasy.

THANK YOU

My abah

My future MIL :)

My new family :)

Mok & Mama

Abah & Mok, thanks for everything :')

My family minus Syahir & Nisa & Diyana

With my Tokma and aunties from Kelantan

From Kelate with love, hehe

Kelate mari

My sissy

My Ciksu

Travel buddies; Eyda, Ili and Fana

Ili Liyana, still singe and available. Hiks

Atekah, my colleague at EY

With Jemahs from UIA. Haha. Acah-acah gelak sgt.

My Sayang and his nakal friends from VI

Mimie and Fana

Soon to be married, baiki keturunan ehem. Haha.

I know what you did last summer Nini hahaha. Mwahs

Darah manis also, nikah soon like really soon in few days

My sayangssss

Kak Syai and her pretty daughters

My bestie, Mel

My UIA buddies

Ainaaa, my bestfriend, see you soon today :)

My best girls, always #madeinUK

My UK family back then hehe

Lovebirds Aiman & Rafiq

My kakaks from EY hehe

UIA, shariah compliance haha

UIA buddies

And last but not least, my feyonce, my future shuben, my doctor love, I love you sayang :)

All in all, it was a lovely event. very family and friend oriented. And we had quite the crowd too. Thanks a lot for coming and for your wishes and blessings. It really means a lot to us.

Enjoy the video!

Can't wait for our big day :)

L O V E

2017-08-29T05:57:00.000+08:00

Image via Pinterest

Hmmm… I truly have no words to describe how these days feel like.

A whirlwind. Happiness. Nervous. Excitement. Lots and lots of love. Tears.

And I tried to sum it up, but I can’t. Well, how can I?

Your life change in an instant the moment this man says just this one line :) Despite being sooo sooo busy right now (it's 5.30am and I am still in the office, fyi -__-) I managed to go out with Shawal and his family for ‘quick’ dinner last Saturday. Not that quick actually, he sent me back just before midnight. Hehe.

It feels uber fulfilling when both of us we’re so busy with work (me with my super peak period and him with his current life as a locum doctor at night), but we still can find time to see each other. I do feel that we are maximizing the time that we have. Hehe.

And none of us wanted to leave too. Sigh. Nothing prepared me for how difficult it was to see him leaving. Sobs. But yea, everything has changed now. My priorities have changed at least. Hehe. When I was listening to him, I instinctively knew to respond to his instruction as a sign of respect :)

All in all, I am truly feeling syukur to Allah SWT for this blessing. May Shawal and I be happy and we are working towards His rightful path. Till Jannah inshaaAllah :)

A wedding-related entry soon?

xx,

HEART TALKS

2017-08-17T01:12:00.000+08:00

I was so zonked from work lately and sometimes I only managed to sleep for 2+ hours a day. I can sense that this will not end well, but eventually it will end soon, real soon. So just bear with me for a while okay? Hehe.

Anyways, despite the exhaustion with my peak period, I have so many things to be grateful about, both personal and professional :). But to be honest, what I’m most grateful for is truly, sincerely for this newfound special friend at this particular instance.

To be honest, I’m nervous to write too much, in case I jinx everything. And what if everything ends before anything even begun?

Well, August is a crazy busy period, but I don’t know, I’d looked forward to seeing him, every weekend. We spent dinner time together, sit side-by-side watching movie and spent hours chatting. And we’ve since been texting and talking over the phone, daily and frequently. It’s crazy.

So yesterday, I’d a complete meltdown. I’m just mentally, emotionally and physically exhausted, I think too much. Our WhatsApp was filled with only my messages asking inappropriate things and I did pause with an apology, in which he replied good naturally. Hehe.

He always ask how was your day Fida. When I was knee-deep in feeling overwhelmed and highly stressed out with work, he’d patiently listened and always so encouraging. He speaks and responds to me with absolute nonchalance, as if nothing about me tires him. Oh god I love this man.

Sometimes at night, I have a hard time remembering how he looked like. I can’t make out his whole image in my mind which makes me sometimes nervous. I miss him. So I lean on our shared moments and reread our texts, his warmth is apparent :).

And I like the fact that I can wear my highest heels and still be inches shorter than my man. Hehe. I’m 5’1” and he’s 5’9” I think so. I can just make full use of his height! Haha.

He’s coming to meet my parents soon. And just now few minutes ago, he wants me to meet his parents too, this weekend. OMG. I'm nervous like crazy.

#doakanyangbaik2, inshaAllah.

It all feels unreal that a man has finally entered into my life and heart. And for that, I'm forever grateful.

AND THEREFORE...

2017-08-09T22:19:00.002+08:00

Rainy days in my mind are melancholic writing days. It is almost 10.00 pm now and I'm still in the office. My work-life now especially during this super peak period is kinda hard to explain. It’s not that much different – but it IS different. It feels different. I have never been better and happier.

How do I explain to anyone that though it is true we don’t know each other that well; ever since that particular date that night, he keeps feeling inexplicably familiar?

And how do I explain to anyone without sounding downright lunatic that even though the period in which we've known each other was short, it was inexplicably loaded and in a way, intense?

Or, perhaps, it was intense and thus meaningful to only me. I’m not sure how he feels, and I doubt I’ll ever know. I think it would be nice to know, but I can always deal with not knowing.

Somehow I think, we are each other’s prayers incarnated. But how did I become this person who spent a day with a person, and now keeps wondering about an entire lifetime together? Your soul, you’ve no clue of its enchantment.

And I’ve been in deep, lengthy, and extremely personal conversations with God ever since.

If only he knew that if he is ready, and reciprocating, I would be willing to go all the way. I would say, you’re not an option, but a decision. I chose you.

And therefore, I do what I do best: I just love you harder.

Oh god, I think I'm in love :)

WHAT IT FEELS LIKE...

2017-07-28T01:32:00.000+08:00

What it feels like to finally like someone?

Well, I think this isn't love, yet. Maybe...only a type of falling. But, if I am to be very honest with myself, I think I am a little on the way to be a lot in love.

I just realised that: oh, we connect. He would fit a type of whatever I've been looking for.

I always wanted someone in the same field, but we are totally not. Truth is, I love it when he shared about his job, patient related stuff and all those medical jargon. It is so different and that is how we connect.

I was eating an apple for dinner;

Him : Cukup ke epal?
Me : Cukuppp, one apple a day keep the doctor away
Him : It doesn't seem to be working ;p

Him : You don't like cats?
Me : Kitten okay, cats tak berani, I geli
Him : To be honest, I don't plan to have any cats in my own house... Sebab my mom dah ada banyak

Him : Well... kelantan women are... legendary
Me : Oh whyyy, you must have an experience
Him : No la, people say kelantan women pandai jaga suami

Sigh. These are all obvious flirting signs.

I don't know if this is, or will go anywhere. I'm just going to put in several prayers, hoping for the best to both of us.

These days I think my life is full. I really am happy. He just feels so... right. And we are on the same page when it comes to every single thing.

Hehe it has been so long that I've talked this random, I'm sorry :)

MOUNT KINABALU - THINGS TO BRING

2017-07-01T23:33:00.002+08:00

So I wrote down a list of all the things I have brought with me to Mount Kinabalu for easy reference. As mentioned HERE, climbing Mount Kinabalu is of course physically challenging, but it's not true 'mountaineering'. The trail is well marked and there are few rest stops every kilometer. And the hike seemed pretty doable with a moderate level of fitness but just remember the keyword, PLEASE BE PREPARED FOR IT.

GEAR ESSENTIALS

Footwear
I was on the lookout for proper hiking shoes in the sales and was thinking of getting myself Salomon at first but you really don't have to buy so many expensive item justtt for this trip. Hehe. So I ended up getting myself a pair of waterproof hiking shoes (brand: Gelert) from Sports Direct. They were half price and cost about RM98. Just remember that almost every single pair of shoes needs to be broken in before they can be comfortably worn. And this Gelert shoes, they worked great because I had broken them in during my training days at Bukit Gasing.

Clothing
My layering for summit are thermal tight shirt, Etonyx windbreaker bought from @bagakoutdoor, GAP jumper, the right waterproof jacket purchased from @bagakoutdoor, two pairs of Cotton On leggings (one thin and one thick) and two socks to keep me warm. I really look like a giant and sooo bulky. Haha. What to do, the temperature at the top drops like a stone when the wind blows. Anyways, when you pack, just remember that you need clothing which keeps you dry when it rains. And, please don't forget one of the most important gears for women that is rarely discussed - the sports bra. I bought mine from Sports Direct.

Gloves
Waterproof glove is also needed although it is not really compulsory because some parts of the climb will require you to hold on to a rope to pull yourself up. My Patagonia waterproof gloves were purchased from @bagakoutdoor too. Do check their Instagram account or you may go to the physical store in Pandan Jaya. This store is highly recommended as I've purchased most of the gears here and it is all affordable.

WHAT TO BRING

  Headlight
This is compulsory item to bring together with spare batteries because it will be used during summit night. Again, I bought my headlamp at @bagakstore and cost about RM20? Tak ingat. But if you wish to borrow mine, by all means :)

  Drugs / Medicine
I took a moderate pain killer (Panadol Actifast) and also nausea pills on the way up and back to avoid altitude sickness. So two pills before the start at Kinabalu Park, two more at Laban Raba and another two at the summit. Not too worry, I went to see doctor before the trip to ensure that I won't get overdosed on pills. Haha.

  Pain reliever / Muscle rub
You will be feeling sore and tight after your hike not because you are old haha. This is a normal event so just deal with it. The doctor that I've seen gave me deep heating rub and seriously it helped a lot! Thanks Mr. Doctor. I also brought Yoko Yoko as a back-up. Please do not forget to bring Minyak Cap Kapak and Vicks Vaporub to relieve headache pain. You will surely need these at Laban Rata.

  Food and water
They say you can refill the water along the way up but to be honest I don't dare to drink unpurified water. Hehe. So I take with me at least 3 liters of mineral water and 1 bottle of 100 plus both for the walk up and for the walk down. So in total I have 9 liters of liquid in my bagpacks. Haha. Don't get yourself dehydrated okay! And you may think I might be crazy bringing a heavy backpack but NO, I've hired a porter to carry all those. Hehe. It is a good investment considering my condition yang sakit pinggang, sakit belakang so I don't mind paying extra.

High energy snacks and chocolate bars are important too to supplement the provided food on the way up so just bring one or two will be sufficient enough.

  Rain poncho, tissue and hand warmer
The toilets don't have loo roll so I don't think this needs much explanation. It’s a lot more convenient to have your own, I think.

Rain poncho is a must-pack item too. I bought the hooded poncho from Guardian for less than RM10. And I brought two with me because I don't think it is durable.

The hand warmer is not really necessary, I don't even use it. But if you want to buy, you may go to Daiso and get it for RM5 without GST! Haha.

  Other essentiols

Toilettries and make-up. Haha. I know this is kind of weird but I wear Dior moisturizer with SPF in it before hiking. Oh and maybe for eyes I used the waterproof body shop pencil eyeliner and for lips I'd go with a tinted light colored balm to keep my lips hydrated. Haha.

ITEMS THAT I OVERLOOKED

  Sunscreen
When you are on top of the mountain, you will be in direct sunlight. And I forgot to bring along sunblock and I ended up with the ugliest sunburn I've had in years. Just bear in mind, high altitudes equals serious burns.

  Flip-flops
I always forget these. FYI, the room in Laban Rata is kind of hostel room with shared bathroom and I wish I'd brought them with me. Plus, it is also a great idea to wear flip-flop for lunch and dinner at Laban Rata to give your feet a break from hiking shoes.

And that's all from me. Next I'll write about my preparation, physically and mentally if time permits. Hehe. Stay tuned!

LEBARAN 2017

2017-06-30T01:31:00.002+08:00

Eid Mubarak everyone!

Here's hoping everyone has a safe journey back home. So am back to work post-Raya break and I really had an unproductive day today getting into the routine again. Hehe. Prolly still on Raya mood. And, if there is no scheduled meeting today, I wouldn't have come to work.

Kebaya nyonya and sarung from @batikabyhudaa for Day 1

I sent my Baju Raya to my tailor who confirms that she wouldn't be able to make it by first raya. Hehe. But I knew from the get go that that was going to be the case and so I have to find any baju in peach color to wear on 1st Syawal. Well just because everyone in my family is wearing the same color tone. #teamsedondon what to do. Haha.

Jadinya, pakai apa yang ada je lah. Just mix and match whatever that I have in my closet. Hehe.

Dress from @ianshamkl for Day 3

And I know I've put on some kilos as compared to last year, and the year before that. Haha. Sobs. So now how to lose 6kg in 2 monthssss? Grrr. Geram.

Anyhoo, I just stumbled upon the post by @theduckgroup earlier today and that brought a smile to my face. Rezeki Syawal orang kata. Haha. I never participated in any contest but I guess they are just being kind.

So this is my ootd for Eid that caught their attention. And I've just got dUCk dollars worth RM100 in return. Hiks! It's time to purchase another one then!

Love the print #thealhambraduck

Last but not least, this is me today trying to be productive. Lols. Kasi chance okay, I haven't posted a selfie in a while. Hiks. Love love love my matte lipstick from @hudabeauty. It stays on forever!

Selamat Hari Raya, Maaf Zahir & Batin :)

GULMARG - A WINTER WONDERLAND

2017-06-18T08:24:00.002+08:00

The Delhi Belly had finally caught up with me at 8,000 ft above sea level!

And that was truly one of the highlights of this trip. Hehe. So unexpected, I was just eating rice and only rice. The actual culprit in this situation is often a mystery. Haha. But I was convinced it was from the white rice we've eaten that night. Both Nini and I just ate white rice together with sambal ikan bilis packed from home and we've been fighting some kind of Delhi belly right after. Haha. So if you ask;

Will I get Delhi belly?

Short answer; more than likely. Hiks.

Well, India is really like nowhere else on earth. Yes, it is crowded, dusty, noisy and the list goes on but still... my favorite place so far :). InshaAllah, we'll be there again, soon. Hehe. Ladakh calling baby!

And apologies for not continuing my India story, it has been almost 3 years I know. It has become harder and harder to find time to blog nowadays. So so so lazy.

CONT'D from HERE

Our dinner was good as usual. I ate rice with chicken curry cooked with Kashmiri spices and it was da bomb. Bertambah-tambah. Shoo shedap! They also served semiya payasam for dessert which I don't know how it tastes like. To me, it looks like yogurt and yogurt for dessert? Thanks but no thanks. Hiks. It is actually a combination of milk, sugar and vermicelli.

All of us spent the night along the quiet banks of Nageen lake and we were talking to Ajaz about Delhi while watching TV. He said not to worry so much, just take it all with a pinch of salt, and it will be alright. But the thing is, the news on TV suddenly shows travelers were robbed in New Delhi. And Ajaz was laughing so hard, he quickly changed the TV channel. Duh. Haha sooo sakai.

The first thing I noticed while talking to him, was his eyes. Bright hazel brown and they were soo pretty. Then I realised, more often than not, Kashmiris are a beutiful lot. Can't help it so I told him; you've got beautiful eyes. He was smiling and replied; I know that, but yours are fake! Bahahaha. Sooo sarcastic. He was right, but you don't have to state the obvious out loud pleaseee. Haha.

Ajaz, Uncle Nabi, yours truly, Fana, Fana's shuben and Nini

We will be heading to Gulmarg the next morning and we have to say goodbye to Uncle and his family. They were soooo kind to us and we were glad that we stayed 3 nights with them. So, if you decide to visit Kashmir, do note that you'll spend most of your time where you're staying. And hence it is important to get that right. Choose carefully and read reviews because nothing ruins a trip like being ripped off.

Jamia Masjid Srinagar built around a large courtyard

Birds flying around Jamia Masjid Srinagar

Jamia Masjid Srinagar

We thought of going to Jamia Mosque first before heading to Gulmarg as we still got plenty of time. Our driver, Nadeem informed us that it is located at the center of old part of the city and cannot be considered to be very safe especially after Friday prayers because some of the Kashmiri protesters will throw bricks and stones at Indian policemen.

What I've noticed in Kashmir most of the masjids here have no domes and minarets which always associated with mosques. But you can see the pagoda type structure that resembles of a Buddhist shrine.

So, we entered from the Southern side, which is the main entrance to the mosque. And it seems to have had entrance from North and East as well.

On entering the main doorway, we can see the huge courtyard with well-maintained lawns and towards the west is the main prayer hall. There is a square pool in front of the praying hall and we spent most of our time there, looking at the birds flying around the mosque. Sooo beautiful.

We spent couple of minutes there and then we left to Gulmarg. To be honest, I was sleeping the whole 60km journey to avoid motion sickness. Hehe. It takes maybe around 1 and half hour to Gulmarg from Srinagar. And when we were about to reach Gulmarg, our driver stopped at one place and told us we should rent out the winter jackets and shoes. At first, we firmly said no, we have our own stuff and we do not plan to rent any. But boy we changed our mind. Haha. Just in split seconds. We were told that the snow is thick up there and we wouldn't want our shoes to get wet. So we just rent the boots and personally I think that is just enough. No need to rent those winter clothes as it will be a waste of money.

Hilltop Hotel, Gulmarg

We then reached the hotel parking area and and in no time we realised that we have made a right decision. See the snow? Sooo fluffy. Haha. There are rental shops right here too if you wish to rent but probably the earlier one where our driver had stopped would have been a bit cheaper.

We wanted to leave our luggage and have a look at our room first. FYI, Gulmarg has many hotels from budget to luxury. It is all up to you to choose. And we decided to splurge on our last night here in Kashmir so we booked the Hilltop Hotel in advance. Not that expensive though but still above average. Hehe.

And no one really resides here, except for the staff of around 50 hotels which are built here for tourists.

My room at the Hilltop hotel

This was my room at the Hilltop Hotel Gulmarg and I like the view from my room the most. The best thing here is the fact that the room is also centrally heated. It can get very cold at night so we NEED this for sure haha.

The location of this hotel is perfect too. Very close to the gondola (cable car) and yes the hotel staff was very cooperative and helpful. Highly recommended.

Farouq, Uncle Nabi's good friend. Persis hero bollywood? Lols

Gondola ticket

We were told to meet Uncle Nabi's good friend here in Gulmarg. He could arrange for our gondola tickets as this place is often known for tourist trap. And luckily we have Farouq with us, he helped us a lot. At least we know where to go and what to do. It is completely disorganised here and there was such a hugeee crowd.

The cable car follows the ski tracks too. Sooo lovely.

View from the cable car ride

The snow must have covered the roof of the houses

Pretty winter :)

Cable car coming in...

So the Gulmarg Gondola is Asia's highest cable car project. It takes place in two stages;-
Stage : From Gulmarg to Kungdoori
Stage : From Kungdoori to Aparwath

And we chose the former. It was sooo soo good to ride the gondola up and looking across at the giant Himalaya. Well, you can also see the LoC (Line of Control) between India and Pakistan from the Stage 2. So if you wish to locate LoC, go further up.

And can you see we had gotten the perfect weather? There are moment of nervousness because sometimes the gondola stops abruptly for few seconds and it does make strange sounds. Haha. Takoot. But the breathtaking view along the way up distracts us from this silly thoughts. Hehe.

Local tourists

Kungdoori Station

Huge crowd

Fresh layer of snow

We finally reached the phase 1 and then started the enthralling experience of walking in snowfall for hours. We took some instagram worthy photos too. Haha.

So Gulmarg if you can see is a popular skiing destination. I have skied once in Poland and I don't like it at all. Long story short, I fell few times on the way down and I can't get up! Hahahhaa. I really have a great admiration to those Kashmiris who can expertly control their body on these dangerously vertical slopes. Sooo envy these people who seem to be enjoying ski from such a high point.

Us!

Us again

It looked like a park with huuugeeee crowd at every direction

We stayed there for a while at the top and watch them glide down the slopes one by one. The view was sooo incredible and it is such a surreal feelings to be standing at the level of snow-capped mountain.

And eventually, it takes a lot of effort to breathe as my nose is frozen and numb. It was so so so cold and we really need a shelter to protect ourselves against cold. I feel like passing out at that point of time. Sobs. Then later Farouq brought us to the nearby restaurant which is a little bit buried in thick snow.

On our way to the restaurant, we passed by several tea stalls. Well it's not much more than just a small table waiting for tourists to come through to rest and revive. Nothing much they can offer; chocolate bars, biscuits, sweet corn, or maybe some hot 2-minute noodles with masala spice and, of course, chai.

I've NEVER tried chai in India because I'm so afraid of getting diarrhea. But chai is not just a cup of tea here. It HAS to be available whenever and wherever you want it. Even in places where there is nothing else but mountains, you will find chai too. Haha. It is a national symbol anyway. Chai and India can never be separated. Lols.

I really cannot stand anymore being outside in the cold so I requested to sit inside. This is not even a place for customers to sit but looking at my condition, I need something hot. So what I did, I buy a bottle of mineral water and ask them to boil it. Hahahaha. See the smoke coming out? And then I was just holding the hot bottle with my hands and felt better. Hiks.

Okay now this is a true story. I know someone out there ordered paratha because they were making it inside and they have dropped the food on the WET floor when they were about to serve their customers. Oppsss. So they basically apply that 5 seconds rule here; they took it quickly, put it back on the plate and here you go, lunch is ready! Hahahaha euwwww sangat.

All of us were just looking at each other and we can only smile.

The sledge is made of wooden woods and there is no cushion to support when you sit down

I know that Gulmarg is also famous for human sledging and we were here for that. Hehe can you imagine sledging down from Kungdoori all the way back to Gulmarg. It was an unforgettable experience, my whole butt and legs were so sore after sitting for half an hour in the human sledging. Haha. But there is no harm to try the human sledge to support local community :). It was so fun nonetheless.

It is actually quite challenging to put your legs on the sledge. You need to be flexible, else you would feel tremendous pain to your tight and butt! Haha. But the views all the way down were fantastic. We finally able to see closer view from what we've seen from the cable car.

As we made our way down, the clouds moved in and the wind picked up. At that point the wind made it clear that fun time was over and photography time was out of the question. Hehe.

Tired face haha and huggable moment. It was sooo cold in the evening

Our room had a lovely balcony and we were quite fascinated by these mountains. And I remember last time when I was in Murren, Switzerland back in 2012, I wanted to stay at one of the hotels there, looking at the window in the morning and see the mountains catch the light at sunset. Unfortunately, that was just a dream. Everything is expensive in Switzerland and I couldn't afford to pay. Sobs.

The culprit

As we returned to the warmth of Hilltop, we then realised all the adrenaline rush got us exhausted and we were hungryyy. Hehe. And this is where it all started. Haha.

We spent the night by watching TV and just to let you know no matter when you watch TV in India, you will see Shah Rukh Khan. Hahaha. No kidding. Almost every channel. So that night, we watched Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Rahul and Anjali. Haha. I've seen this movie many times before but all of us were soooo happy to watch it again here in India. Hiks. No translation, no problem. You've remembered almost everything already. Haha.

And by the middle of the night while watching our King Khan, both Nini and I were running to the toilet, not sure which one should explode first! Bahahaha. It's no fun please. We can't even sleep that night, sobs. Haha. Pity the toilet bowl. We took chi kit teck aun and requested some salt from the hotel staff and put inside the water for us to drink. We know that it will pass eventually but it was nightmare, still. Really can't bare the thought of it now. We were just laying on the bed next to each other and try to compromise who should have gone to the toilet first. Hahaha.

I hope that you’re never cursed with it, but it’s all part of the travelling experience. Hehe.

To be continued.

dUCk - THANK YOU FOR THINKING OF ME

2017-06-12T07:57:00.001+08:00

Thinking of you!

Sending you some dates with hope that it will sweeten your Ramadhan.

Lots of love, D

And this is all that's written inside the card. :) To the dUCk team, I’m so proud of our fellow Muslim taking this online shopping experience up a notch. I'm always a supporter of our local brand, hehe. And thank you for thinking of me. Lols. Been wearing dUCkscarves since 2015 and it has always been my travel companion since then. Keep on producing beautiful scarves!

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - PRELUDE

2017-06-07T01:30:00.000+08:00

Central Park, NYC

United States of America has long been on my mind and it is one of those destinations on my bucket list since 2013. It was really long overdue, wasn’t it?

Well, I always been fascinated with America and anything American. Hehe. Not that I would marry someone with a US citizenship though haha. Don’t get me wrong. It’s just that I’ve seen so many US movies and I really wanted to explore the country as a traveler/ tourist.

Brooklyn Bridge

For someone like me who was always interested in nature, breathtaking sceneries and natural wonders, west coast of USA held greater fascination. I always think that Vegas would be an awesome introduction to the US. But if you ask me now, I would love to go to Seattle. It is known for being the background location to many well-known films and tv shows. The city will always remain popular for the rom-com classic Sleepless in Seattle, Grey’s Anatomy and the not-so-recent one I’ve watched back then in the Odeon UK; Fifty shades of Grey. Haha.

Brooklyn Bridge

However when I got the opportunity to travel around US, I decided to go to the east coast first. There’s always something great about every part of the country and this trip has been great. A very different experience, not just in terms of miles traveled, but the many people we met, from friends, family to perfect strangers who made the trip happen for us. I’ve got a FOC hotel room for 4 nights given by strangers right in the middle of Manhattan! How awesome is that. More on this later, I promise. They really deserve a blog post for their kindness.

There was a time when I hated big cities. Reason being, all that associated with them was noise, crowded and I would often get lost there. Given a chance, I always preferred rustic and charming towns. But nowadays, I seem to be lured by these big cities. Well maybe it’s the energy, the sights, sounds and the lights. Certainly my fascination for these cities seems to grow.

And that being said, the times square of New York has left a lasting impression in my memories. The skyline and the buildings have of course been captured in any photographs, but what stays in my mind is the energy, the music and the lights. I literally had to eat my words here. Never been a fan of big cities but Manhattan is beyond words. The experience of walking down the Brooklyn Bridge can never be forgotten. And seeing the lights of Manhattan and the NYC skyline coming up from the top of the rock may be considered touristy and expensive, but this experience was priceless.

5th Avenue, NYC

Skyline view from the Top of The Rock

My office EY (how I wish) at Times Square, NYC

Times Square, NYC

I’ve had many conversations with friends and strangers that we met in the US about Obama, Trump, recession, legal immigrants and of course travelling. I would save these for another post.

Missing you, NEW YORK CITY!

MY VIRGIN HIKE - MOUNT KINABALU

2017-03-26T23:33:00.000+08:00

Low's Peak - the summit of Mount Kinabalu

It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves — Edmund Hillary

I learned two lessons while climbing Malaysia's highest peak; to keep moving forward, one step at a time and the best thing in life is indeed always obtained after a hard work.

So I went on my first mountain hike at the age of 31 and spoiler alert, I reached the summit of Mount Kinabalu on 20 March 2017 :). As cliché as it may sound, my story is not just about the destination but how someone like me who has never been an outdoor person was even able to watch the sunset at 3,272.7m above sea level. Well, where there's a will there's a way.

Sunset at Laban Rata

Sunrise moment

People say; anyone of reasonable fitness can complete this hike, but don't be fooled. It is NOT easy. AT ALL. Haha. However to be honest, I think Mount Kinabalu is accessible summit climbs for the average person. No technical mountaineering experience is necessary, just a proper hiking shoes, a warm jacket and the most important is a whole lot of perseverance. Hehe.

Breathtaking view along the way up

Sea of clouds at Laban Rata

What an experience! The adventure of my first and maybe the last climb will be forever embedded in who I am. I went through all emotions and exhaustion that kept me from reaching the top. And it was a relief to FINALLY be on top of the mountain, alhamdullah. It was all worth it. The view was absolutely amazing and breathtaking :').

REFLECTING 2016

2017-01-22T03:07:00.000+08:00

New York City, U.S.A

Happy New Year!

Admittedly, I just have one resolution last year, I want to pass my ACCA exams. And it finally came to fruition in 2017, alhamdulillah :)

So, how did the darn exams go?

There were no words to describe my feelings when I saw the final result. Tears immediately started flowing and my body just started shaking uncontrollably. Hehe. I guess I was overjoyed or just in disbelief.

Result was expected to be out on 16 January 2017 at 8.00 a.m (Malaysia time) via email or sms but I didn’t get mine until 9.00 a.m. Imagine that agony of waiting when your friends keep on updating about their results one by one. But thank God, it was good news.

As I mentioned many times, ACCA was THE hardest exams I have taken in my life. I MUST pass 5 professional papers and it took me many years to complete them all. I even went to the UK in 2014 to study full time but I failed miserably.

Well, I registered as student since 2010, and passed my first paper in 2011 after second attempt. Took another paper, failed 3 times and I gave up. The journey wasn't easy at all when failures always hit me. Getting average marks (50-55 marks) was okay but failing few times wasn't a familiar feeling. I mean it is okay to fail once, or twice but not thrice right? It was bitter, I hated it so much and so I GAVE UP. And that was in 2012.

In 2013, I felt soooo overwhelmed with my work and I just want a career break. So I applied a student loan from MARA and I was thinking maybe I can complete my ACCA in the UK. My thought was soooo simple back then and I didn't know what I was getting myself into.

Truth to be told, I was struggling to finish all the papers and at the same time I have to keep in mind that 100k loan MUST be paid in full if I cannot complete them. Sobs. The very thought gave me shivers. Haha. It was difficult emotionally, physically and mentally. And that is one of the reasons of the abandonement of my miniature page. Hehe.

To be honest, I just pass 1 paper when I was in the UK. The fact which I was tooo ashamed to share about. Hehe. And I completed the remaining 3 papers here, in Malaysia. My life wasn't easy peasy last year, I was soooo busy with my work, had to go to classes during weekends, spent my time in libraries and had less than 5 days to prepare for an exam. And the last paper was the hardest, I've finally passed after 5th attempts. Can you imagine?

After all, I am sooo glad that I did not really give up. It is okay to take a break but please DON'T GIVE UP. I managed to pull through and finally passed my ACCA after 6 years :). All the years of hardwork, sacrifice, time, money and tears have all been worth it. I couldn't be happier.

It wasn't my effort alone, but the prayers of many people. My parents, my family, my friends and it is all in Allah's will. It wasn’t the achievement that matters but all the lessons learnt along the way. I feel that I have grown so much throughout this course.

And I am writing this not to show off because really, there is nothing to show off. I have failed so many times and get up again, and again. Just remember this; fall seven times, stand up eight! I hope this will be an inspiration to all you young people ( I feel so old, haha) who are struggling and was as lost as I was, before. Whatever the situation you are in, if you cannot change the circumstances then change your attitude towards it. Be positive.

Last but not least, to sum up my travel diaries in 2016, just like the year before, the year before that, and all the other years previously, I have been to quite a number of places.

Thailand

Sekeping Serendah

Medan, Indonesia

Penang, Malaysia

Inle Lake, Myanmar

Perak, Malaysia

Boracay, Philippines

Jogjakarta, Indonesia

Penang, Malaysia (again)

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Florida, U.S.A

So, where am I going to, next? Stay tuned :)

A MEMOIR OF MY PONY RIDE IN PAHALGAM, KASHMIR

2016-10-28T04:10:00.000+08:00

I wonder how much I would have lost, had I chosen NOT to ride a pony in Pahalgam

CONT'D from HERE

I think all of us were getting severe headache and feel like vomiting, probably because of the twist and turns of hilly route on the way back from Sonamarg to our houseboat. And when we reached Lily of Nageen, Fana vomited. Tsk. Thank god I didn't throw up but my headache remains for few hours and as usual I ALWAYS forget to bring any medicine while travelling and had to request panadol from Fana that night.

Kashmiri chicken curry

We had chicken curry for dinner and it was cooked to perfection and also served with finely chopped coriander leaves. I gave in finally hahaha tried to eat a bit and walllahhhh it was GOOD! Sooo sooo good! Bertambah-tambah nasik siap, yumss. Hehe. Perhaps blogging this at midnight isn't such a good idea because I'm terribly missing Kashmiri curry.

We were all then decided to take shower at night rather than in the morning. I mean how often should you shower during winter, kan? Sekali sehari sudah hiks. And plus we smell soooo bad that day, need to take shower ASAP. Bau kuda sangat! Sooo bushuk. Haha. Well, the horse riding was fun but the smell is a bit euwww. Bertabah je lah, nak naik kuda sangat kan.

Our housekeeper Shabir, preparing for breakfast. Handsome enough? Haha.

Morning view at our houseboat

My UIA girls since 2005 and semua tak mandi pagi hiks

The next morning, we eventually got up, washy-washy, prayed, and dressed properly. Lesson well learned yesterday, when the weather gets cold, you need to learn how to dress for winter. And the easiest way of course; to wear layers.

Our brekfast as usual was okay. Bread, butter, Kashmiri tea and there's always omelette on the dining table. We had to quickly rush after brekkie because the distance from Srinagar to Pahalgam is about 100km and it takes maybe 2 hours plus to reach the destination.

On our way to Pahalgam, the drive was particularly scenic. We passed through local shops and almost all men dressed in their traditional firan (full length coat mostly worn during winter) and the girls with scarves tied tightly to their heads.

The journey today was easy compared to what we had yesterday and we were all cheerful. Perhaps, panadols we took last night really work, I believe. Hehe. We also discussed some of the things like no horse riding for today, never. Because, our butt hurt so much after the ride haha. At first, I thought I was the only one felt that way but they suffered too, eventually. Hahaha.

Almost there. The landscape here always give me goosebumps

We then realised that during winter, there are only two options going up to Baisaran Valley or people here call that place as "Mini Switzerland". It is either you have to walk for at least 7km long or... pony ride. The car cannot bring you up, it is definitely impossible.

And we... had no choice.

Most people go by pony not because of long distance but it is due to steep and rocky route up to the valley. We too, choose that route. 1 hour to climb and 1 hour to come down. The idea of pony ride up to the mountain was intimidating to be honest. I was nervous like hell haha but there were two boys who will bring us up, they were friendly and seemed experience. So we hesitantly agreed, we had no choice remember?

Hey Rani, please behave okay. Jangan bagi jatuh please

And here we go! Chalo Raju!

Rahman was the one who made the introductions and like any local, he started the conversation with this one question "Where are you from?" He speaks fluent English and asked lot of questions about us, what are we doing for living, do we travel often and so on. And looking at him, I wondered what life is really like. Everything about life here is different than life as we know it.

Rahman (on the left), he's a medical student in one of the universities in Kashmir and during winter break, he always come back to his village and worked as a tourist guide who received daily wages which I believe just only small amount of Rupees. But at least, it can help him and his family a bit, I think. And here in small part or Kashmir, every kid walks 5 to 10 km one way to go to the only school. Sobs. They had lived quite an adventurous life. Stories of struggle and hardship in the midst of what feel like heaven is way too difficult for me to digest.

He also told us that he enjoyed taking visitors into the hills and forest trails. "But you are walking, and we are riding a pony, won't you get tired"?

I can't remember how many times I was asking, are you tired? He was just smiling and said no. And at that moment, I was thinking about my brothers at home, felt like crying for no reason.

It looks familiar, isn't it? Macam Switzerland those green houses

On the way up, we can see many people passed by, some of them I can see enjoy their ride to the fullest. Well it is an enjoyable experience if you know how to ride or most importantly how to control the pony. Hehe. Rahman taught us the basic of pony riding like how to stop a pony, change the direction and make him go faster. I can say that by now I am sooo expert at how to make a pony stop. Hahaha. Senang sajork.

There were also general talks about other places in Kashmir especially Gulmarg. I told him that we will be going tomorrow. And he said you should, a must visit.

After half an hour or so, the tedious and most difficult journey started. This is the most steepest part. And now I was thinking, walking would have been a better option.

"Can I walk?" I said. And of course Rahman said no, it was steep. I actually screamed now and then because sometimes the pony would speed up and only slow down within seconds just to drink water. Duh. How dare you! While I was still on the pony, my anxiety had reached a tipping point and the next thing I knew, we already reached our destination; Baisaran Valley or Mini Switzerland. Thank god! Haha.

Can't you see a whole lot of snow welcomed us? The views up here were splendid

Sometimes the bright sun came up above the white clouds as if telling us we were at the right place. And here is where raw beauty is at its best. We strolled for quite some time capturing this beautiful moment.

And this is a very common sight in Kashmir :)

After almost 30 minutes we spent our time in Baisaran valley, its time go back. And going down again was another adventure. Haha. The steepness slightly terrified than before. And as result, Fana fell off a pony. Hahaha. I was ahead of her and straight away looking back, what hepenggg girl? How comeeeee. Hehe. Another half of the journey was easiest, alhamdulillah.

As we said our goodbyes, Rahman asked us when we would be visiting again. And we said next year (but we have not visited yet, tsk). He was just smiling. Their hospitality surpassed anything I had ever imagined. Can't help but to help them a bit, if you know what I mean.

So yes, sometimes the people you randomly meet on the road give you an impact. Actually before I went to India, I was telling myself, I won't be giving any tips to anyone (kedeks at first), but... end up I had to call CIMB from Jaipur just to activate my overseas withdrawal. Haha. Cashless.

To be continued.

EXPLORING #AADC2 FILMING LOCATIONS - JOGJA (PART I)

2016-10-25T02:14:00.000+08:00

Prambanan Temple, Jogja

I’ve visited Indonesia many times since young, the place I kept coming back to and about, though this trip was my first time to Yogyakarta or Jogja, for short. And I don’t know where to begin, how, in my own words, sometimes I have gone overboard, to visit the place just because one particular movie was shot there. Hehe. #gigihs.

So are you a fan of #AADC2? If you are, keep reading. But if you are not, you don't have to love the movie to appreciate the beauty of Jogja, the cultural capital of Indonesia.

The view is different this time around. My perspectives and reflections take different angles, like for instance, to locate the exact spot where some of the scenes were shot. Hehe. I enjoyed my days there immensely, with newfound appreciation and more open heart. Every moments of my trip was memorable and the villa we stayed in on our second day owned my heart totally, made me reminisce of my 2015 break in Saufiville, Janda Baik. My god, the feels. Sooo calm and peaceful.

Planning this trip proved a nightmare because we had quite an adventurous plan to see all the places (tamak) but of course we have time constraints. 3 days 2 nights definitely not enough. Haha. Cuti takdok, what to do.

So we then decided to choose and focus on few places and because of that, I have been dying to go back again, ever since I left. Hehe.

It was raining cats and dogs when we arrived and our driver, Yono was already waiting for us at Adisucipto airport. The temperature had actually been lower than Malaysia due to the bad weather. And Yono... he made us feel so welcome and brought us for lunch straight away while waiting for the rain to stop. At first, I was looking for nasi padang (dendeng yumsss) but he told us that in Jogja, the fried chicken is massive business and why don't we try the best fried chicken in Jogja? Oooh mmmkay. So where is it?

Ayam Goreng Suharti, Jogja

For the three of us, we ordered whole chicken paired with sambal, 3 white rice and a plate of sayur kangkung. The price is a bit expensive but not THAT expensive. I would say it is still not the the type of price you'd normally pay at most of the restaurants in Jogja. So how was it, good? VERY! Crispy fried chicken, it's everyone's favorite. Sedapsss!

And after a great lunch, we headed off to the temples at Prambanan.

The temples here were built thousand of years ago and dedicated to Hindu Gods – Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. There were a lot of people there when we visited but still pleasant to walk around. And the best part is, we managed to purchase student tickets (50% discount) for Prambanan and Ratu Boko package. Haha. Soo huntong.

This place here is a little quieter, less people and easier to take photos. If you can see, one of the temples there was under construction and I believe it still is. All of these temples are soooo big and spread apart and I don't have wide lens of course haha so fitting them all is a bit hard. Hehe. Tangkap gambar pulak pakai iPhone sajork, lagilah. Being Asean living in Asia, semua temple looks identical to me, it's like when you have been to one temple, so basically you have been to all. Haha. But I'm still finding time to visit another temple in Siem Reap, walaupun it seems that you have visited all khen. Hahaha.

It was believed that at one time, there were more than 200 temples in this complex but most of them are in ruins today and some have been renovated because they were destroyed by natural forces, either by volcanos and earthquakes. To be honest, I donch like history, at all. Tahu sikit-sikit sudah but so not me to study further haha. So please expect more of this; pose pose only. Hiks.

Us :)

After that, we headed to Kraton Ratu Boko and this is the place where #AADC2 was shot. Still remember this scene?

Hehe sho schweet!

A bit of history, (which I still donch like, history whattt) Ratu Boko is a Ruler who carved his name to this site called the Place of Ratu Boko to legitimate his authority of this place. Prambanan temple can also be seen from here.

It was already evening when we reached there, the sky was thick and the sunset wasn't particularly interesting sobs. Sendu sajork and punyalah ramai ummah manusia, can't even take my picture berlatarbelakangkan pintu gerbang itu. Tskk.

And apparently this place is VERY popular for sunset view and you might get a view like this if you are lucky. (and we were not!). A reason to come back!

Picture credit : Google image

As the evening deepened, the rain continued to shower Kraton Ratu Boko, so we decided to make a move to our hotel which is located at the city of Jogja. Both Kraton Ratu Boko and Prambanan temple are just 20km from Jogja city but it took us around 1 hour to reach our hotel due to some traffic.

But we still enjoy the journey nevertheless. Jogja had a lot more character than any places that I've visited in Indonesia. The buildings are in smaller scale, lots of beautiful cafes and restaurants and the rickshaws are everywhere.

Wisma Ary's Hotel - Picture credit : Booking.com

We’d booked into this small Wisma Ary's Hotel in Jogja for our first night and after checked-in, we put our luggage at the counter first and then asked Yono to drop us at one of the cafe's where #AADC2 was filmed. Hehe. I believe that this cafe is the MOST visited place for all #AADC2 fans, well because Rangga and Cinta met for the first time here you see, after how many years they have been hiding from each other.

Rangga apa yang kamu buat ke saya itu, JAHAT!

Hahaha. Betul, what he did memang jahat, I mean come on, you cannot simply leave people just like that. Tskkk. But sometimes, we did that sebab malas nak explain, so might as well JUST LEAVE quietly. Jahat la kan, but what goes around, comes around. So apa yang kita buat kat orang, other people will probably do the same to you. Haihhh. Betul la tu, I agreed 100%. Haha. Rasain. I guess, to give closure is the best way to end any relationship but itulah, easier said than done.

So okay, back to the story. This place is called Sellie Coffee.

The exact spot, FYI!

Verdict? So-so. Haha. Service lambat tapi there were just two of them and the cafe was full house. So, cannot expect more. But anyhow, mission accomplished, what's next?

After that we jumped in a taxi and headed to Jalan Malioboro and this place is not even in our itinerary but we decided to have a quick peek and one more reason I NEED to buy the charger for my gopro, left mine at home. Haha. Nasib baik la jumpa.

Wisma Ary's Hotel (our room) - Picture credit : Booking.com

Wisma Ary's Hotel (our bathroom) - Picture credit : Booking.com

Wisma Ary's Hotel (dining hall) - Picture credit : Booking.com

Nak mandi punyalah payah, kena langkah masuk dalam bekas tu hahahaha macam-macam

Then we headed back to our accommodation, took a shower, makan Indomie and I think we went to bed quite early that night, well because we need to get up at 3.00 am to catch the sunrise at Puthuk Setumbu.

To be continued.

VISITING SONAMARG DURING THE WINTER

2016-10-18T02:45:00.000+08:00

Thousands of apologies for the sudden hiatus from blogging. Had so little time to settle down after the exams which I failed miserably the one I took in June, and have repeated the same paper just recently in September, and failed again. I got 42 marks! Sigh. So depressed. And that was my 4th attempt FYI. Hmm. Was it that hard? Or was I not that prepared? Entahla. And I've been busy with my work too, as always. One event led to another and it all still feel a little unreal now that I find myself sitting in my room, typing this. Hehe.

Trust me, I have lots to tell, but several things have been hindering my productivity. My laziness is astonishing. After I've done and dusted with my annual peak period which has just ended in September, I snooze through quarter of the day and as a result, the body aches, the brain doesn’t function well and I just can’t be arsed to do anything at all. Yes anything, but sleep :)

So... where did I stop before? Click HERE.

We then back at the houseboat, the lights were already on, the mountains in front of our place faded away into a blanket of darkness and of course we had our Kashmiri tea again, to warm us up.

I then straight went to my room, slip under the duvet and curl up like a baby. Hehe. I was all alone at first but Nini soon joined me and believe it or not, that was the best thing ever to do during winter. BERKUNTUM! Haha.

Occasionally the housekeeper of the boat would drop in to ask us if we wanted more tea or what we would like for dinner, but for the rest of the time we were just together, resting under the duvet, stayed warm and watching TV.

That peaceful moment was however interrupted. There was a man rowed to our doorstep offering us Kashmiri souvenirs of which mostly pashmina shawl and some wooden fridge magnets and handicrafts. We could take a bit of Kashmir back with us home, he said.

So my friend Nini, bought the magnets and pashmina but I didn't buy any of those. Just because I thought I can find the magnets later somewhere else. However, truth to be told the fridge magnet was nowhere to be found haha. Lesson learned! Beli je lah kalau dah jumpa, just buy one at least. Hehe.

He was soon joined by another boat filled with handmade leather jackets and gloves. After so much consideration of the activities for tomorrow, I was thinking that I might need the gloves because I left mine at home. Sobs. So here you go, another unnecessary spending.

That night, all of my friends had the leftover lunch (Hyderabad biryani) for dinner and I was just eating nasi impit with sambal ikan bilis my mom packed for me. Hehe. Pure bliss.

When I got back to our room, I changed my clothes to legging and jumper, tried to sleep but couldn't. Sobs. Started thinking what if something happened to us and was this houseboat haunted or not. Tsk tsk. But anyhow, I managed to sleep and I can still remember I got up once that night to pee and had to kejut my friend to accompany me. Hehe.

I woke up the next day with a minor headache, probably because of the cold or maybe because of not getting enough sleep.

Our breakfast was just bread and omelette but I've had zero appetite and felt so dizzy this morning. So I've requested cereal and milk and a cup of Kashmiri tea for my breakfast. We then left for Sonamarg an hour later, located approximately 80km and about an hour and a half drive from Srinagar.

The route from Srinagar to Sonamarg is beautiful. But the weather and scenery changing all the time, especially during winter. And we were lucky enough to have bright sunshine and views like these. Can't stop myself from taking pictures with my phone. Then lepastu terus rasa nak muntah. Haha. Car-sickness! You know some people they can read or even playing with the phone in moving cars, but definitely not me. Hehe.

And the above is a very common sight of Kashmir. No photograph can actually bring out what it really feels like to see those mountains in the setting sun. So breathtaking. I was told by my friends that Sonamarg is also the place where the famous Hindi movie Bajrangi Bhaijan was shot. Haha. And at that point of time, I haven't watched this movie yet, so I was not that excited. Nyesal tak tengok awal-awal, Bajrangi Bhaijan is such a good Hindi movie. Hehe. And now I'm wondering if there is any part of Kashmir left untouched for Bollywood movies.

We then stopped for a while at the road side to take this picture. Those small houses and the mountains at the back, they are sooo gorgeous. We spent for almost 5 to 10 minutes just by looking at this beautiful scenery.

And suddenly a young Kashmiri boy rushed towards us, he didn't say anything but just look at us silently. And sometimes I think, immediate surrounding like this that drew our attention more. What do you want little boy? We then gave him some money before we left him to continue our journey. Sedekah :)

Our transportation for 4 days in Kashmir

We were driving through the mountains in Srinagar-Sonamarg route, listening to local music and our driver Nadeem turns out to be soo cheesy. He said, he likes my eyes. Hahaha. Pengsan. He was asking if the colour of my eyes is real. Ahaks. Well of course not! Grrr. Haha. I 've been wearing pure hazel coloured contacts, FYI, trying to blend in with the locals. Hiks.

There came to a point which Nadeem informed us we couldn’t go any further by car. We either had to ride a horse or walk. There's one guy came along which Nadeem seemed to know him very well, I assumed. He offered us very large coats, almost two sizes large and boots, for rent. I was not really keen to rent the coat at first, entah siapa-siapa la yang pernah pakai sebelum ni haha but next thing I knew, eventually I still put the coat on.

Hehe. Our first time riding horse, so excited!

But before that, we I need a toilet break! Haha. That structure in red is the public restroom, they said. It was in a semi-acceptable state but I need to go regardless. Sobs.

The sky suddenly looks all dramatic. At every turn , the river gave us company but the background kept changing. Sometimes it was the snow-covered mountain as a background and at other times, it filled with pine trees.

Hehe. To be honest we were all first timers, and we never ridden a horse before. But horse riding is fun, no matter what the climate is. So don't worry so much, just try and have fun.

In a region where everything has been associated by every actor known to Bollywood, it came as no surprise to me that the horses would also take the names of Raja and Rani. Hahaha. They seemed to fall in love and it was quite difficult to handle them. Asyik melekat sajork dua ekor. Tskk. Kuda pun ada pasangan, kauuuuu? Sedih.

We were told that the horses will take us someplace where there’s a river which they called Point B. And we stopped there for a while and took some pictures. It was cold seriously. Sejuksssss sangat, our noses turned red, our toes were freezing and our faces looked pale! Masa ni semua orang rasa macam weng and we quickly decided to go back. Still need to ride a horse for about 30 minutes, though. haha. Rasain.

There's always a place for chai and small conversation in every part of Kashmir

One of the resorts along the way up

And these are some pictures taken whilst riding a horse.

To be continued.

CRAZY WISH LIST

2016-05-31T08:47:00.000+08:00

Okay, so I really, really, really, haven't written in awhile. Was completely and utterly consumed with work. And now that I am officially on study leave, life seems better. Hehe. Still have to study though, but at least no work related matter at this point of time until 6 June 2016. My last final ACCA paper and seriously my undergrad exams were nothing compared to this. Sobs. I'll be taking P7 (audit paper), and this will be my 3rd freaking attempt! Haha. An exam I desperately wanted to pass. Please please please.

Anyhoo, just really glad to write again after I have been on hiatus for quite some time. And there's one crazy wish list I've always been thinking since last year. HIKING MOUNT KINABALU! Haha. That's quite an overstatement , I know. Me being myself, I am not an outdoor person. Would rather sleeping or watching movies than you know.. walking in the park under the hot burning sun. Haha.

Tehtap, acah-acah pose. Hiks

So I was quite surprised that hiking Mount Kinabalu has been something I've been wanting to cross off my bucket list. It is indeed a very high mountain and for me who never climb any hill before apart from Broga Hill which I recently just hiked, I can only think that this woman is having a midlife crisis, perhaps. Haha.

I've been reading this one blog, KAK KIAH SUKA TRAVEL and her experience on climbing Mount Kinabalu is sooooo funny haha. Well, Kak Kiah boleh, hopefully I can, too. Sobs.

We plan to go somewhere in March next year and preparation stage has begun. I climbed Broga Hill, once, few months back. Hehe. More like crawling actually, mintak nyawa sangat. And my face once became a permanent feature in the gym, well that was few years ago, I don't think I will subscribe any gym membership just for the sake of training. From what I've read, you only have to exercise, panjat tangga ke apa, and stay fit. Hehe.

May Allah ease everything, my exam and this crazy plan.

ADA APA DENGAN CINTA 2 | #AADC2

2016-05-08T17:28:00.000+08:00

Apa kabar hari ini?
Lihat tanda tanya itu,
jurang antara kebodohan,
dan keinginanku memilikimu sekali lagi.
-Rangga

I personally love this movie so much, I have seen it twice. And probably I could watch this movie again, any time. The chemistry of Nicholas Saputra and Dian Sastrowardoyo were so off-the-charts.

And I was really glad that the second part delivered as I'd hope. 14 years of waiting after "Ada Apa Dengan Cinta" was first released in 2002. I was at that time, 16 years of age, definitely worth the wait.

The execution of the movie pushed all the right buttons for me. The cinematography was great, every scene is shot with purpose. And Indonesia in particular Jogjakarta, where the movie was mainly filmed, is so beautiful. Full of vibrant colours and Jogja really has an awesome view of nature, at its best.

Apart from the fact that AADC2 is totally nostalgic and it brings everyone back in time, what I like the most about this new sequel is the acknowledgement that time has passed. Everyone is looking at a different perspective now because time really flies and it simply means growth; a little bit older, a little more wiser.

And what gets to me most, Rangga back then was already intense with his so deep looking eyes and those pair of eyes are still... the same. Sigh. Ganteng bangat. He looks like one lonely soul searching for something and trying to go back to one place he always wanted; home. It is the place where the heart is, where his Cinta is.

The characters came to life through the story, the way they acted, made decisions, loved, lost and lived, they seem all so real. And I really love the friendship between Cinta and her friends, so sooo genuine and loyal.

True enough, somehow I think art imitates life, how all of us in one way or another feel that we can never move on from that one person from our past, the one who is now a stranger to us. Very, very relatable.

Kadang-kadang, kau fikir mudah mencintai semua orang daripada melupakan satu orang.Jika ada orang telanjur menyentuh inti jantungmu mereka yang datang kemudian hanya menyentuh kemungkinan.
-Rangga

AADC2 is primarily a love story and on that premise, it definitely delivered. Highly recommended!

Well, when it's meant to be, it's meant to be.
Back then, and now.

MINGALABAR, MYANMAR!

2016-05-05T15:49:00.000+08:00

Am back!

Just arrived home last night from super last minute trip to Myanmar. Inle Lake in summer is a glorious treat. It was good 20 degrees. The colors are warm, the sun is splendour and the flowers abloom. It gets pretty cold in the morning and boy, I underestimated the weather! Was shivering like crazy.

And Yangon.. personally, it wasn't the most pleasant trip I've taken. Been there, done that. I've seen what I want to see, at least. And don't get me wrong, I super love Inle Lake but I didn't enjoy Yangon as much just because the weather was too HOT. It can reach up 40 degrees, day time. I can't even stay outside for more than an hour. Haha. Panas ngat ngat, tak tahan.

And I just realised upon looking our photos, that we looked tanned! Hiks. Mungkin kena tempek bedak tanaka sat lagi, I really think we're a bit sunburnt.

My first impression of Myanmar, it's like going back to the 80s. These folks live a simple and modest life. Well, their life may be small, incredibly simple as compared to our ideas of materialistic comfort but yet I've seen a tranquillity and happiness, they seem content with their life.

And for all the difficulties and unpredictability of life, some things remain so humble. Like the sunrise above. We deliberately woke up at 5.00 am to catch this view. Having missed the sunset on our first evening because it was raining so badly.

More on this later, which is entah bila. Haha.

AN EVENING IN SRINAGAR, KASHMIR

2016-04-17T01:26:00.002+08:00

Watching the sun go down behind the distant mountain, I just lost in my own thoughts. Hmm, definitely a sucker for those amazing colors and I could watch this scene over, and over again.

Cont'd from HERE

After a quick freshen-up and solat, we have been served an incredible Hyderabad Biryani for lunch. Well I'm not really a big fan of biryani but I was pleasantly surprised. Cannot comment much on whether it was a "real" Hyderabad, cause I ain't never had one before, mate! And was that a coleslaw? Never tried that one too!

To be honest, my stomach can't really tolerate with this kind of food, dia macam tak boleh telan, kenot go orang cakap. Being a mek, my comfort food would always be sayur air, sup, tom yam, budu! Ahaha #matilahnak.

But my friends said that was the best Biryani they've ever tasted! So, I think mama (we called Uncle Nabi's wife mama okay, haha, there's a story behind it, more on that later) really made with love using the best quality Basmathi rice, well-marinated chicken and the best saffron in town. Seriously I can't recall the taste of that Biryani because I've eaten something else; nasi impit and sambal ikan bilis my mom packed for me. Hehe. And they happily had my portion. Dasar kelaparan semua orang masa ni.

Hiks. Kena bebel walau di mana jua anda berada. Haha. Mom definitely knows best kan? She packed for me 30 small packets of nasi impit but I left 15 at home. Told her, that's too much. Hahaha. Rasain loh. Kalau orang tua cakap tu, tolong dengar dan ikut! Hehe.

On top of Houseboat Lily of Nageen

And while we waited for our shikara ride in the evening, we were sitting on the wooden floor on top of the houseboat. A great view of other houseboats lined up along the lake and we can clearly see shikaras in vibrant hues. Mostly in red and yellow, and they were so bright in colors, so vivid and beautiful.

Our boatman

When the boatman came, we then boarded a shikara together with Uncle Nabi. They took us to a non-tourist zone and we can feel the silence in a hidden corners of Nageen lake, floating literally on the surface of the waters. So calm and peaceful.

Pardon my acah-acah pose. Pretending to dip my hand in the water of Srinagar, checked!

Houseboats

It was cold that time. So cold to be honest, I shiver a bit. But seeing the reflections of the houseboats on the water, I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed. Such a beauty.

Lily pond

Well, the boatman didn't speak much, perhaps because of language barrier. But we did chat with Uncle Nabi a bit. He told us that lotus season had not started, yet. The lake will only be surrounded with water lily and lotus somewhere in April. And from my observation, almost every house or houseboat in Srinagar had a little garden in their backyards. It is one of their sources of income, they might be selling bouquet of flowers or even the flower seeds to tourists.

We then floated in silence, embracing the moment. It was so amazing to sit in the slow moving shikara, watching the mountains around and you just see a life beyond what you've usually seen.

I felt calm. You see something so different. Almost every family here needed a shikara, their only modes of transportation to move around. And I don't know why, but when I see the ladies rowed their boat, just two of them, probably a mom and a daughter, that scene was a bit heart warming.

The famous Hazratbal Shrine

The sun almost going down into the lake, and the dark was slowly cloaking the sky. We literally had the sunset all to ourselves. And when we were approaching the famous Hazratbal Shrine (mosque) situated on the left bank of Dal lake, we were told that a single hair of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) is preserved here. Maybe it was just a myth, I don't know. And we heard clearly they were reciting quran. Mungkin jugak sebab dah nak azan masa tu. Haha.

Hazratbal Shrine is visible from most parts of the Dal Lake

It's just beautiful

Nageen Lake, you've been dazzling but for now, au revoir!

To be continued,..

SRINAGAR HOUSEBOAT - ONCE IN A LIFETIME EXPERIENCE

2016-04-09T01:08:00.003+08:00

Uncle Nabi - The owner of Houseboat Lily of Nageen

You get a strange feeling when you’re about to leave a place. You’ll not only miss the people you love but you’ll miss the person you are now at this time and this place, because you’ll never be this way, ever again.
– Azar Nafisi; Reading Lolita in Tehran

Honestly, I was a bit nervous. Travelling to unknown places in foreign countries is something I've done before, but I've not done it in a while, I think almost a year after returning home. And the fact that we were heading to Kashmir which most of us know this place as the conflict zone between both Pakistan and India made me a bit... worried.

I'm going to skip about Chennai first because it was just a transit. We waited at Chennai Airport for at least 5 hours before our next flight to Srinagar. So really nothing much to say.

And, guess who I met at KLIA 2? Miss JariManis! Tapi we never greeted each other pon. Takut salah orang, she was alone that time queuing at one of the Airasia's check-in counter. But then I still feel bad sebab I should have just said Hi. Sorry JM!

Flying over the Himalayas, India

Hmm, remember I have an overactive bladder problem in my previous blog entry? Haha. So, aisle seat and quick access to the bathroom would always within my choices for long-haul flight (in this case, 3 hours from Chennai to Delhi and another 1 hour from Delhi to Srinagar). But, not this time. I occupied the window seat on the plane from Chennai to Srinagar, contrary to my usual liking for the aisle seat just because of the view above; Himalayas mountain range, the planet's highest.

The plane that we took (IndiGo) from Chennai to Srinagar stopped over Delhi Airport for couple of minutes before departed again to Srinagar. And within 15 minutes of take off, we were already flying over Himalayas! I was really, really looking forward for this view.

No words to describe, I gasped at its beauty. So so sooo beautiful and Allah is really the Best of Creator. When the pilot announced that we were flying over Himalayas, everyone was looking at the windows, both sides, and stunned. It was soo amazing and Kashmir really won my heart at first sight.

Srinagar Airport

We arrived on a not so typical winter weather, strangely. And Kashmir really greeted us in the loveliest way. It was sooo sunny and bright. But, as we stepped out of Srinagar Airport, a cool gust of wind hit our face, sending a shiver and a smile. I haven't told you that I really love winter time, have I?

We was enthralled, intensely, by the existence of so many Indian soldiers that first welcome us as we stood at the traffic junction just across the Srinagar Airport. But as we moved further, it was not that bad. They might have a very tight security in Kashmir but it was so peaceful nonetheless.

Houseboat Lily of Nageen

As soon as people think of Srinagar, we always see an image of Dal Lake with thousands of houseboats. And the wooden houseboats can only be found in Srinagar, India. Sooo rustic! Well, Kerala also has its own version of houseboats, but let's just not go there right now okay?

Among all other places to visit in Kashmir, stay in houseboats is definitely the most sought after. To be honest, who doesn't want to post a picture on Facebook or Instagram that has a check-in status of "Our houseboat for the next three days!" Hiks. Well, I did that. Haha.

So, during our stay in Srinagar, we stayed at the Houseboat Lily of Nageen owned by Uncle Nabi and his son, Ajaz. Interestingly, Malaysians make up a large proportion of Uncle Nabi's guests. Thanks to Dr. Faizal of Kembara Sang Kancil for his write-up about Houseboat Lily of Nageen. And the trip would not have been memorable if we did not enjoy the hospitality given by Uncle Nabi and his family. Really, highly recommended!

Well, we chose to stay in Nageen Lake instead of the famous Dal Lake just because Nageen Lake is less crowded with people and more serene. And we want to avoid sellers coming to our houseboat too. Haha. Tapi can't be avoided. They still came but not so frequent. Only one seller per night.

Houseboat Lily of Nageen; picture courtesy of Booking.com

These houseboats intrigued me, so did their history. They first came into existence during the colonial time, back in the 19th century, when British expressed their interest in buying land in Kashmir. But a restriction which prevents an outsider from purchasing land in Kashmir didn't allow them to do so. And I think this restriction still applicable until now. So British being British, they were smart and they came out with an idea to make a home in the valley without buying a land.

That's why most of the houseboats in Srinagar (both in Dal Lake and Nageen Lake) are so luxurious because they had the money to make the houseboats as beautiful and as comfortable as possible. Don't be surprised if you try to search the houseboats from any of the search engines, you might find some of them would have rather interesting names like New Buckingham Palace and other well-known cities around the world. Haha. Reason being, to attract tourists. There are hundreds of houseboats to choose from, so choose wisely okay?

Houseboat Lily of Nageen; picture courtesy of Booking.com

The living room and dining room of Houseboat Lily of Nageen; picture courtesy of Booking.com

We were surprised when we entered our houseboat. It was very clean and had a really cosy atmosphere. The living room was a showcase of Kashmiri carpets and embroidery, with chandelier and a massive wooden furniture. Macam dalam cerita Hindustan lama pun ada. Tinggal tak pakai sari je lagi kat dalam tu. Haha. But they do have flat screen TV okay! Banyak pulak tu channel yang ada. Ah-ma-zing.

The bedroom of Houseboat Lily of Nageen; picture courtesy of Booking.com

Room #1

Room #2

A carpeted hallway connects two rooms of which accommodate by Fana and her shuben (Room #1) and both Nini and I, we chose Room #2. Konsep mengalah kat situ hahaha sebab obviously Room #1 is bigger and nicer. Khen? Tapi since they both shuben and wife, so its okay. Take it take it.

Anyhow, both rooms equipped with fabulous Kashmiri carpets, carved wooden beds, cabinets, wall details and ceilings, colourful embroidered curtains and bed linens, chandeliers and attached bathroom with standard amenities.

Green for Room #1, and Blue for Room #2; picture courtesy of Booking.com

One of the drawbacks of the houseboat is, you won't get full functioning bathrooms all the time. Water heater sometimes might not function correctly. And we were there during winter, so kau ghase? Haha. Mandi ke tidakkk? Hiks. And blackouts are quite common too. Haha. Tapi kejap je. Jangan risau.

Part ni memang jenuh, sebab kalau tak, mereput la kau tak mandi. Haha. So so soooo cold, tak tipuuu. Sila take turn okay? But the best part, Houseboat Lily of Nageen considers Wi-Fi as an essential service so you can still communicate with each other. In our case, isu air panas! Hahaha. Plus point kat situ sebab nak update Instagram pun senang. Hiks.

We also got to experience a lot of activities first-hand such as burning wood in a traditional heater to heat up the room. It can get really really cold at night and in the morning in Srinagar but not too worried, the beds are equipped with electric heated blanket. Tapi still sejuk ya ampun. I think most of the time memang dalam duvet sahaja berkuntum sebab too cold to move around the houseboat. Haha. Hibernating.

And actually you can request from houseboat butler to setup the heater stove every night and every morning. We ended up giving a lot of tips to him, sedekah. Because he really is our everything, housekeeper, cook, cleaner, butler semua pun dia buat.

Our Srinagar stay was absolutely perfect. Uncle Nabi warmly welcomed us with Kashmiri tea mixed with Saffron (seriously the best tea I've ever tasted!), biscuits and cakes, and made us feel instantly at home. Rindu teh Kashmir please! Where to find ya? Sedap ngat ngatttt! Can't get any more Kashmiri than that.

To be continued :)

INDIA - PREPARATION

2016-04-03T02:32:00.001+08:00

Namaste!

I'm back again, keeping my word and trying to make sure that I write a bit about my trip to India. Hehe.

The Taj Mahal, under construction edition!

So for first timers, there is no doubt that travelling to India can be a major culture shock. You might have heard the rumours, it can be one of the most mentally and physically exhausting. Penat kena tipu satu hal, penat melayan semua orang nak TA YA PA (tips!) pun satu hal jugak. Nothing is free okay in India. You even have to pay even when a guy walks you to your room. Motif? Not that we requested such services pun. Ish.

And satu lagi, penat cari toilet yang decent. Hmm. Nightmare. According to wikipedia, only 35% of Indians have access to toilets and the rest would rather have mobile phones and satellite TV. So kau ghase? Well, just spend any time in India, you'll definitely see men urinating in public. Rejeki? Hell no. Haha. And we've seen people shit on streets too! Sobs sobs. Malang sungguh.

Anyhow, it gets easier once you get used to India and know what to expect. So the keyword, you have to prepare and expect the unexpected. Haha.

The right preparations can make your first trip to India is memorable for all the right reasons.

Start researching where to go and when to travel

I used to plan my trip extensively over the years but it changed gradually. And now, I prefer to stay flexible and not to over plan. Reason being, you will never know what will be going to happen.

But as I said, this in India. Travelling here can be challenging so I think it's a good idea to at least research where and when you want to visit. And maybe try to plan a rough route around the main attractions.

Introducing from left, Nini, yours truly, Helmi (Fana's shuben) and Fana. Bukan acah-acah naik kuda, tapi betul-betul kena naik! Up and down the hills, mampoo? Siap ada yang terjatuh, hiks. Anyway shooo bushuk all of us bau kudaaa hahaha.

India really is huge and somehow quite difficult to decide where to go, especially if you've got time constraints, which unfortunately most people do have. Tapi being Malaysian, I guess our places of interest would be almost the same. Haha. Kan? Especially for first timers. The Golden Triangle (Agra, Delhi, Jaipur) which is a must, and Kashmir (Srinagar, Sonamarg, Pahalgam, Gulmarg).

Our highlight of the trip is none other but Kashmir and we even decided to visit Kashmir alone at first but ditched that idea pretty quickly. Hello. Kau pergi India, tak pergi Taj Mahal? Haha. Cannot be. One of 7 wonders. Too bad Taj Mahal is currently under refurbishment, If your sole purpose to India is to visit Taj Mahal, then perhaps you should consider coming in a few months time. Kalau tak, merasalah tengok under construction edition sajork.

From my experience I think the best time to visit India is really in the winter (from November to February). Cooler temperatures make travelling more pleasant. And takde bau keti sangat. Hiks. Tapi if you wanted to visit areas macam dalam cerita 3 Idiots (Leh, Ladakh and Manali), the best time to do this is in the summer. Winter would be too cold and they even close the road from October till April FYI. So, plan wisely.

Book your flights

Then of course, book your flight and let the countdown begins.

We initially planned to travel with Malaysia Airlines (#taknakkalah, hiks) and decided to buy our tickets during Matta Fair in September 2015, but the price was super expensive. Mahal nau nau, almost RM1,800! (KUL-DEL-KUL). Lupakan je lah niat tu.

So, Plan B kicked in.

We then met at Gloria Jeans Damansara and searched for the best deals on Skyscanner. The cheapest option was from KL to Chennai and the return ticket was around RM1,000 (luggage and meal inclusive).

Well, not that cheap but considering the ticket was bought super last minute, pejam mata je lah. And we bought our domestic flights within India too. Chennai - Srinagar, Srinagar - Delhi and Delhi - Chennai. Total dalam RM1,000 jugak. So tambah tolak flight tickets je nearly RM2k. Sobs.

But we had a bigggggg problem after that.

Oh no!! Why oh why? Soooo breaking news! Our departure time is less than 2 weeks and now Chennai under water? And was that a plane? Haha. Haih stress.

All of us were worried, of course. Don't tell me we have to cancel our plan? Nehi kabhi nehi okeh. So Fana went to Air Asia office in KL Sentral. She was asking about changing our flight tickets to Delhi instead. But excuse meeee, Air Asia did not fly to Delhi at that point of time! Hahaha. Sakainess sangat sebab semua orang pun macam tak aware? Usaha yang sia-sia kat situ. But then Air Asia cakap just wait for next updates, it will be fine soon.

And they were right.

Book your trains

Indian train journey is indeed a life experience. Unforgettable. Haha. Macam-macam ada.

Please, please, please, book early to secure your seat. The advance booking for Indian train ticket opens 120 days before the date of journey. We booked 2 months in advance but please be mindful that by just having a ticket does not guarantee your journey is confirmed.

Well, this is India. It all depends on the ticket status. And our ticket status shows "RLWL", Remote Location Waiting List! You will get the confirmation whether your status is confirmed or not on the day of the journey itself, to be exact 4 hours before departure time! Crazy. Macam nak pengsan. We were travelling during super peak period, Christmas time okeh! 3 kali naik train, 3 kali berdoa tak sudah. Haha.

And some people macam take advantage of our situation and paksa suruh ambik service dia all inclusive kereta dengan driver and tourist guide siapppp. No way man, aku akan ingat kau Rashid! Rashid Ajanta Hotel, sila berhati-hati dengan mamat ni. Gerammm. Hahaha.

Booking train tickets for Indian Railways can seem confusing and a bit payah and renyah. Some might use Clear Trip but I find it difficult and failed miserably after few attempts. So I tried other options, straight from IRCTC ("Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation") website. Susah jugak nak register user name and password because they need our Indian number which of course, kau hado ke? Haih. Thanks to a friend of mine for helping me on this.

If you need my user name and password for IRCTC website, please email me. I'd be glad to help. Sangat renyah benda ni.

Anyway, we survived. Hehe.

Book your accomodation

Houseboat Lily of Nageen, Srinagar

This one is self-explanatory. Hehe. Basically murah je accommodation kat India ni. Affordable. Pilih je mana nak according to your preferences. Nak dekat train station ke, nak cantek ke nak review okay ke, up to you. Janji boleh tidur je konsepnya. Yang penting kena yaqeen bersih! Haha, Kalau non-yaqeen, amekla hotel lain okay. Hiks.

Get your visa

I did the easiest way but of course I had to pay extra for my visa. Haha. Malas nak baca instructions punya pasal. Hiks. So I went to this address:

G-01, Straits Trading Building
No 2, Lebuh Pasar Besar
50050 Kuala Lumpur
Telephone number : +603-26922692

They helped me to fill in the form and took my picture, ongkosnya RM40. And the visa fee is RM180 kot. Haha. So altogether plus processing service fee, etc dalam RM230. Kalau rajin boleh jenguk website India Visa Centre and follow the instructions given. Then you can save a bit on unnecessary things.

OOTD

Cubaan meniru style mek Lopa. Hahaha. Till then and good night!

NEW YORK, HERE WE COME!

2016-03-28T01:35:00.001+08:00

We have bought the tickets to JFK for our year end trip! And will make a quick nip to other cities like Orlando, DC, Niagara and New England if time permits.

Still much to plan but am super excited I can't hardly breathe. Hehe. Was so happy and relieved to finally know it was happening. At least we've got our tickets now. Been itching to go the the United States since forever. Haha.

And somehow googling pictures of the USA got my pulse racing. A little bit nervous, strangely. Well, I suppose I would, given that we haven't got our visa approved just yet and it takes more than 24 hours to reach NYC. One of my bucket list in 2016 is to walk on Brooklyn Bridge! Hehe.

Hmmm so many things la kau nak. Maybe I should update my wish list and include sitting on the edge of Troltunga Norway and ascend Machu Picchu as part of my bucket list! Hiks. Berangan first, work on that later insyaAllah.

Anyhow, more with the trip come December :)

One of my fav songs currently. Bulan Terbelah Di Langit Amerika

INDIA - PRELUDE

2016-03-27T01:44:00.000+08:00

My friends and I, we have always been on the lookout for new travel destinations every year. And to say this India trip has never crossed our mind would be an understatement. Travelling to ~~India~~ Kashmir has certainly been on my bucket list ever since I’ve received a postcard photo of a Shikara from one of the interns several years back. And finally, we got there after we cancelled our trip to Perth. Lost over 100 bucks for that.

Kashmir won my heart at first sight

Being a bit of a worrier and having not made this kind of journey before and for god’s sake this is India, I read literally every single Tripadvisor review and blog post I could find about India and thus I have to say that I knew entirely what to expect from the experience, but obviously I did not know how I would feel in this environment.

All of us were having such a mix of emotions before we left Malaysia to Chennai. Haha. But why Chennai? Well, Airasia at that point of time did not fly to Delhi and of course air ticket to Chennai was the cheapest we could find, so a little detour won’t hurt anyone. Hiks.

We were excited for the adventure that lies ahead and yet nervous too about heading into an unknown territory and stepping out of our comfort zones. Noise, colors, smells and of course cheaters, all of those can be overwhelming for the first timers but we have just to accept the situations with a completely open mind so that it doesn’t sounds too bad, does it?

Tengok ape tuh

Just FYI, I have NEVER eaten mamak’s or Indian food in my life so my biggest concern was that I no longer would have something that I can eat without thinking at least, twice. It’s an open secret anyway and I think all of my friends know that. Hehe. Sorry guys we really cannot lepak at Mahbub, Raju or Nirwana. I just can’t. Tak boleh telan. Haha. Sobs.

So how did I survive?

I personally ate banana every single day without fail just to keep me energetic and also plain rice with sambal ikan bilis which my mom packed for me. Hehe. But, still suffered from diarrhea. Haihh. Makan nasi kosong je pun, tapi still I have to rush to the bathroom and spent the rest of the evening there. Sobs sobs. That happened in Gulmarg when my Delhi Belly set in. Sumpah it was so bad. Sakit perut memang so not convenient at all.

My everyday breakfast in India

Bekal, just in case hehe

And a most distressing topic, public bathroom! Hahaha. Hmmmm. This is something that India has not been able to cater well. To be honest, I have been having an ongoing problem since forever and can’t seem to find relief. The frequent need to urinate even I just have gone to the bathroom. Sobs. Overactive bladder people might call. Haha. So I was having a nightmare every time I need to use the public bathrooms. They can be in VERY bad condition and SUPER dirty! Why have all these things happened to me, entahler. Haha. So for that, I carry my own toilet paper, hand sanitizer, botol kosong and wet tissue all the time. Hehe.

Behind the scene of my Chandni Chowk photo. Tengah acah-acah pose, then tetiba ada orang datang mintak duit. Tsk tsk.

I look forward to reporting back whenever I have the time to write and letting you know how my adventure unfolds. Seriously, one of my best trips and I’m dreaming of the time I will be back next. Sooner rather than later, I hope. Ladakh, Manali and Simla in summer, maybe?

TO NEW BEGINNINGS

2016-03-13T16:06:00.001+08:00

A fresh start. First and foremost, HAPPY NEW YEAR. Hehe 3 months late, I know.

My blog has been on a hiatus for a good 3 months! Been busy these few months with tax filing deadlines, assisting auditors with their provisional tax computations, holidays and personal things. Being in one of the busiest teams in tax department has made me appreciate the time I've been given. Some days challenging, but some satisfyingly productive.

And I’ve been challenging my comfort zones a little each day, since rejoining EY back in April last year. I just went through insane things I've never imagined I'd experience. Like talking in front of associates and other fellow colleagues on tax technical issues and even now being selected to be part of the EY ambassadors to recruit more and more people to join tax. I REALLY have to talk a lot in front of people and really, it was tough. Almost peed my pants each time, but at least I've tried. And these things you go through, grows you.

So 2015... where do I begin?

It has been a year of many firsts, many surprises and many ups & downs for me. It's been quite a ride. And 2015, I got to live my dreams, checked a few things off my bucket list, and accomplished things I never once thought I'd ever get the chance to.

One of my aims in 2015; to increase my investments and savings by all means possible. Unit Trust, ASB, investment property and selling off my pre-loved items hehe. So yes, I've finally bought my first house in 2015 somewhere in Section 7 Shah Alam, after 6 years of working. Should have bought earlier but, better late than never, kan? Hehe. And the property is currently tenanted, alhamdulillah :). At least, I don't really have to fork out money for paying loan instalments each month.

I've also visited the cities I've only ever dreamt of going. I finally went to Tromso, Norway for that awesome aurora borealis trip that I've always been waiting for. I once said that travel 2015 would be less often, less far and less spending, but a tiger doesn't change her spots or at least change it easy kan. So in 2015, I explored Spain, Abu Dhabi, Poland and few other places when I was still in the UK. And I've been to India too last December and that trip was so eventful, we learned a lot and we've seen a lot. I seriously can't wait to share my stories and pictures in this space. Toooo many things to write about India and surprisingly it is one of my best travelling experiences so far. Soo incredible.

And I've passed my ACCA paper. Yeay! 4 down 1 more to go. Let's get it done this year. Penat dah study. Haha. No moreeeee after this. I've had enough.

Credit : Google picture

Last but not least, NEW YORK, here I come! Still long way to go but sooo many things to plan and it will consume a lot of time to do some research. As at now, I haven't got the visa, not sure about the US map, where to go and what to see. Sooo yes, planning stage is now begun. So excited and at the same time, afraid too!