Road trip to Kluang, Johor

Posted in Everyday Life, Food and Drinks, Leisure & Travel, Places to Eat, Reviews by

Once my husband and kids came back from their holiday in Aceh, we went on a road trip to Kluang. On the way there, we stopped at one of the best asam pedas place in Muar, Asam Pedas Kak Yah. They had a lot of dish options with thick, flavourful gravy. Despite its bright reddish hue, it was not spicy at all. If you haven’t tried a dish called asam pedas before, now is the time.

After a hearty lunch at Kak Yah, we continued our car ride to Kluang. Since it was the school holidays, Kluang seemed like a good choice for a low-key family getaway. The main objectives of this road trip are to enjoy good food and a swim in the pool, especially for the kids. We soon reached Prime City Hotel. Mr Husband booked one room for us and another for his mother and nieces.

Prime City Hotel

This is a 3-star hotel that may look non-promising from the outside. However, it gets really cosy and hospitable once you step into the room. The air-conditioning was working fine, and it had the basic amenities. Though the swimming pool area may not look luxurious, the kids still enjoyed it. Just make sure they are under adult supervision. Check-in time is 3 PM. We managed to get our room at about 230PM. The bus station is just beside this building, and there are plenty of places to eat nearby. This place reminds me of Jasin.

The breakfast buffet has an adequate spread. It was very basic, yet we are thankful for the great food that was offered. As long as the nasi lemak served is delicious, nothing else matters.

We stayed here for 2 nights. The hotel is located near Ngepot Kabin, an outdoor eatery that’s like a food court. It has a variety of food stalls. I did not take any pictures there. Basically, you scan the QR code and tap in your order. We had dinner quite early on the first day, as we needed a good night’s sleep after that drive from Melaka. Even as a passenger, it is still tiring. Ha ha ha.

Kluang Rail Coffee, Bandar Kluang

What is a trip to Kluang if we’re not going to visit at least one of their viral restaurants? Initially, we went to the Kluang Railway Station itself. The authentic, OG place where everything starts. The winding queue seemed impossible to wait in. After taking a few photos at the station, we headed to their other branch in town. We still had to wait, but it was more bearable. I ordered their Laksa Johor. And of course the coffee. I had an iced cham. It is a drink that blends strong black tea with coffee and milk. You could find it in any good kopitiam.

The portions were acceptable. Not too huge. I also ordered their Kaya Toast. I mean, how could you not order Kaya Toast when you’re in a Malaysian kopitiam? It is almost disrespectful. Ha ha.

Nasi Lemak Wak Kentut

After a scrumptious brunch at Kluang Railway Coffee, we had dinner at Nasi Lemak Wak Kentut. I get that people are saying, ” It’s just nasi lemak, how special can it be?” Indeed, it is just nasi lemak. But if you’re looking for a delightful staple dish worth your money, this is the place to go. The place is tucked in a quite isolated area. A friend told me that I should go to the one at Kota Masai. Even then, the food is still good, although the owner appears a bit nonchalant in his business approach. The rice portion is huge. I could actually divide the rice into 3 portions. The sambal and the fried chicken were nice. The chicken was super crispy and juicy at the same time. My MIL was unable to come with us as one of my nieces was already fast asleep, so we tapau-ed one for her to eat in her hotel room.

Apart from eating, swimming in the pool and sleeping in the room, we did not do much at Kluang. That was pretty much the point of our staycation. We certainly did not plan for a trip to a nearby zoo or theme park. Everything was just low-key, and I pretty much enjoyed it too. I did have to complete my 10K steps in the hotel room, but it wasn’t an arduous task. It forced me to become creative in finding ways to achieve my goal. After 2 nights in Kluang, it was time to hit the road again. Our next destination was Pengerang.

Gotong Royong at school

Posted in Everyday Life, Parenting, Family and Relationships by

Gotong Royong is akin to communal work or a community clean-up activity. In this case, it’s an initiative by the school to keep the school clean and conducive for learning activities. They would get the parents, students and related agencies to get involved for the said purposes.

I have to say, this is the first time I am getting involved. Before this, I might not have been paying much attention to the WhatsApp group, or I may have had something else planned for the weekend and couldn’t commit to it. This year, I noticed the announcement and made an early written commitment in my planner to ensure that nothing else is slotted in on that day. I was intrigued to see whose parents would turn up and what chores I could assist with in the Gotong Royong.

My daughter came with me. She likes these things cause then, she could play with her friends as well.

I was asked to help with the wallpaper. Man, that got me nervous. I couldn’t even cut the wallpaper in a straight line. Eventually, I managed to do it with the help of the kids. The men, the fathers, painted the sides of the walls. The lovely teacher did all the many miscellaneous tasks. I believe there will be another session to help the class teacher with the curtains and the table covers. So InsyaAllah I am in.

The simple math of walking for weight loss

Posted in Everyday Life, Good Things by

To drop 1 kg of fat, you would need to burn 7700kcal. That is 150,000 steps.

Supposedly, if I choose to be ONLY on a caloric maintenance, I will be able to lose 1 kg of fat, IF I WALK;

  • 6K steps/day – I would get there in 30 days
  • 8K steps/day – 19 days
  • 10K steps/day – 15 days
  • 15K steps/day – 10 days

Of course, I would experience faster weight loss if my MEALS are in a calorie deficit and I pick up strength training. Since I have just started to be more consistent with my brisk walking schedule, I think I should stick to that first before I swing my kettlebell. Or maybe I could get going with it over the weekends. I tried doing that before, but it got so tiring that I stopped. Furthermore, I needed the weekend to relax, do my household chores, and spend time with my family. Household chores, such as buying groceries, folding laundry, and the occasional floor-mopping, take up a big chunk of the weekend. Thankfully, I have my Roborock to help with the vacuuming.

Regarding the steps, I am not quite sure whether a focused 10K on the treadmill would be more or as effective as the 10K that includes our NEAT activities. I suppose I should go for the focused session. So far, I am able to get that in spending 100 minutes on my walking pad at a pace of 4.5 to 5. This pace keeps my heart rate at Zone 2. I try not to go too fast, as that will turn my walking into a HIT instead. Thus, burning my carbs instead of my adipose tissue for fuel.

The results are showing tremendously in my husband. To be fair, he is walking far more than myself. He walks in the morning before going to work and after work. On weekend mornings, he would spend more time doing that. He could easily get more than 20K steps with that schedule. I have yet to see a dramatic difference in myself, but I have unwavering faith in this new strategy. Let’s do this.

Ashik Pangadan’s life is Enough

Posted in Everyday Life, Ponderings & Personal Development by

In a world where leading a luxurious life is deemed successful, you have another world where showcasing a wasatiyyah lifestyle is equally successful. Country life, everyday family life, is slowly creeping into social media as the desired lifestyle. Indeed, I aim for such a lifestyle where wasatiyyah is enough. Of course, going for the occasional overseas trip sounds nice. However, daily living does not need to be aesthetic 24 hours a day.

Ashik Pangadan is quite popular on Threads nowadays for portraying a simple life. Yes, he is a lifestyle vlogger with a manager. It is acknowledged that he earns a living through his media presence. Yet, his life seems attainable. That is to have normal, easy-to-make food on the table, a lovely family, a decent job and the luxury of time to just live life in peace. There’s no pressure to hustle and make your first million in 1 year. He was like this other man I saw on Instagram. An American guy who puts his laptop slowly in his bag and works a regular 9-to-5 job. It was just him driving, working and eating lunch. It was simple. I did not follow his account, but his reels do pop up once in a while. Haven’t seen much of him lately. Maybe it’s because I have been watching too many baking and football videos lately.

Anyway, all of us can have that sort of life, too. The life of having enough. I think I am up to 70% of getting to that state of mind. There are just a few more goals I need to achieve. Mostly finance-related, like loans and stuff. The life of Enough need not be extravagant or packaged in a specific thought. It is ok to have mismatched mugs in the kitchen. A living room that is not Japandi themed. Meals may come from one single pot, served in a free Darlie dish. The wardrobe capsule is not pastel but a mix of black with other colours. That kind of vibe.

Places I ate during my solo stay at MITC Melaka

Posted in Food and Drinks, Places to Eat, Reviews by

First of all, there is a 24-hour McDonald’s restaurant just beside the MITC Hotel that you can walk to at any hour of the day for a meal. There’s even a Petronas Mesra in case you yearn for something as simple as a Gardenia roll or mineral water. Better still, walk over the huge MITC carpark and make your pick of the restaurants sat nicely in the row. Further down, there are a few other restaurants worth mentioning, such as Maniss Cafe, Bangsawan, Mi Tarik Lanzhou, Restoran Akar, Asam Pedas Nek Jarah, etc. Even Mixue is there if you need a quick sugar fix.

Anyway, these are the places I went to for my dinner during my 4D3N stay at the MITC hotel. All within walking distance. My walking distance is 30 minutes.

GEPUK KE KUNYIT

I dined at the place and chose a Daging Kunyit dish. It was RM13. Looking at the menu, it looks mid-range and very family-friendly. My meal set comes with refillable drinks. The rice portion was huge. I think it is best shared between 2 people. The soup was nice. It did not give me a headache, as some salty ones can do that. I requested sambal biasa, meaning mild version. It was palatable. After the meal, I spent 30 minutes at the big MITC carpark, brisk walking to get my metabolism going.

BRUH KITCHEN

I read a positive review of this place. A friend at work recommended the Brisket. Hence, I walked from my hotel, The MITC Hotel, to this restaurant. I reached there by 6 PM. Malaysians tend to have their dinner much later, and so there was no crowd. I ordered my meal via QR scan, and it arrived in less than 15 minutes.

I agree with the 5-star Google reviews. The brisket is to die for. Mine was the Beef Brisket Menangis priced at RM42.90. It came with 3 different sauces. One had a tangy taste, the other was spicy, and one had a familiar taste. The tangy one was nice. I also had the house special drink, the Avocado Milkshake.

After eating this meal, I had to walk longer to digest everything. I felt that the cream overpowered the avocado taste, but yes, I would definitely bring my husband and kids here again, to appreciate the wonderful food they have at this place.

MIXUE

I feel that I need to specially mention this Orange Punch drink. I love it. Even with 30% sugar.

SECRET RECIPE

This restaurant has become a household name for its cake selection. I was desperate for a cake on one particular day. I think I went here on a Friday night. I had beef lasagne and an Indulgence cake. Of course, it was delicious. This branch is located in front of Mydin Mall. Then I did my 10K steps in the mall and around Kota Fesyen.

BOTANICAL GATEWAY CAFE MITC

I had lunch here, just after my hair spa session at Poppy Beauty Spa. I believe this cafe was once Richiamo Coffee. The layout was the same, only they sold other food. It still has pastries, but I was going for a heavy lunch. I chose the Fish and Chips. It did not have the classic tartar sauce, which is a shame. I had my meal with plain water because I wanted to have Gigi Coffee afterwards. It was OK, but I prefer the ones from Windmill station.

This sums up my dining experience during my MITC staycation. Hope it helps.