Category Archives: Everyday Life

D Gateway Perdana Hotel

Posted in Everyday Life, Reviews by

The plan is to attend my son’s Majlis Anugerah Pelajar at UKM Bangi. Since his event coincides with the ASEAN meeting, I thought I should stay somewhere nearby in case there’s heavy traffic coming my way. After all, I am not familiar with the whereabouts of places in Selangor and W.P. Kuala Lumpur. My husband had an outstation duty, which is why he couldn’t attend the ceremony. My daughter, on the other hand, has school the next day. So I left her in Melaka for a sleepover with her cousin. Thankfully, they are enrolled in the same school.

I brought my mini suitcase with me to work so that I could head straight to the highway after office hours. I chose D Gateway Perdana Hotel because it seemed close to UKM Bangi on the map. It is easy to find once I am off the highway, too. True enough, it was, and the location was superb. Although the layout of the hotel seems odd, there were so many places to eat nearby!

The hotel provides FREE parking. The reception is situated right in the middle of the quiet mall. However, it is very lively outside the mall. It is also particularly close to a shopping area and a park. I was able to do some brisk walking around the area and also on my designated floor, as the rooms were arranged to be in a giant loop. The quiet surroundings can be a bit eerie as a solo female traveler.

My Superior Queen room had an interesting layout. Upon entering, I was faced with a staircase leading up to my bed and bathroom. It was a unique experience for that one-night stay. I paid RM 92.38 for it, including taxes and fees. For dinner, I bought mi kolok from one of the stalls at the market just below the hotel. Then, I bought some bread and additional water for my breakfast in the room. I did get some coffee from Richiamo Mart the next morning, just before I checked out.

Overall, as a budget hotel, it certainly exceeded my expectations. I would love to bring my family for a stay here again as I feel that there are lots of other interesting restaurants and stalls that I haven’t tried yet. It would be a culinary adventure.

I will tell you about the Majlis Anugerah Pelajar in a different post.

A new asset to liability ratio

Posted in Good Things by

Recently, my ASB Surrender Value money has been credited into my account. I used all of it and topped it up with a bit of my own money to pay part of the principal of my housing loan. Alhamdulilah, now my new asset-to-liability percentage is 81% to 19%. That’s a huge dip from the previous liability percentage of 34%.

Having been really focused on settling and reducing my debts for the past year, I realised that I don’t need a lot of things anyway. Not to the extent of becoming a minimalist, but more of being comfortable and enough. This puts me in a positive direction to carve my way towards an early retirement. With Allah’s will.

Husband’s 40th birthday at GSK (pizza parang)

Posted in Food and Drinks, Good Things, Parenting, Family and Relationships, Places to Eat by

People say life starts at 40 and that every habit that you’ve moulded yourself into will become your way of life. Well, he is a health enthusiast at the moment. He has his morning jog before 6am and another one in the evening after coming back from work. Over the weekend, he is in his running shoes 3 times a day. I guess that means he is off to a good start at 40.

Since his birthday falls on a weekday this year, a staycation is not an option. Hence, I racked my brain to figure out what is best to be done for a milestone birthday. Since he seems to like Pizza Hut a lot, I thought of spending some money on really good pizza. Something fancy like wagyu. However, there were not many recommendations I could read about. Until I came across ‘pizza parang’ on Instagram. It’s a family-friendly place that serves Western dishes and, most importantly, delicious hand-tossed pizza.

Easy parking. Slight walk up the hill to the restaurant.

Grass Stream Kitchen (GSK)

GSK is located at Paya Rumput and opens at 6pm. I made it clear to Mr Husband that we are to leave early from home and beat the office traffic so that we could reach the place before the crowd comes. Indeed, we did.

We ordered a meaty pizza (RM60), a tiramisu (RM15), a mocktail (RM10) and sirap bandung (RM5). The server would cut the pizza in style with his parang once it is ready. Not bad for a 40-year-old party show. No clowns or fire-eating stunt, just pizza cutting. Personally, I would go there again and try other versions of the pizza because the crust was crunchy and nice, whereas the toppings were full and superb. The ambience is nice too. It does not open every day, thus, one should check their site first.

Huge pizza portion
Iced water is available for free. Nice to know that they have healthy choices
ordered the mocktail – a mix of coke and grenadine syrup
Tiramisu – love it
Can also easily tapau our own food as packaging is provided. Even the pizzas are served on paper plates that are easily disposed off.
I muted the sound cause I was too giggly

As for his birthday gift, I got him a Minecraft Limited Edition wallet. It was pretty sleek. I would use it if I were a man. I bought it from Fossil at Sunway Putra Mall during my convocation weekend. The sales rep was a very nice young man who helped me decide what to buy. The wallet was worth at least 5 times more than the birthday dinner. I hope he will treasure it well.

Comes in a nice metal box and a fabric casing

There was also a mini Minecraft indulgence cake I bought from Zowacakes. The size was just enough for me to cut out a few portions for his nieces, who love cakes. I still prefer the cakes from the usual Italy Cake House. Ha ha.

The cake was RM45. Ferrero bouquet RM35. All for love!

End of life divorce

Posted in Everyday Life, Parenting, Family and Relationships by

Here is an update. My dad, the widower, got married to the woman of his choice recently. All of us siblings were not in Acheh to celebrate the big moment due to an ajak-ajak ayam situation. It is difficult to put it into writing. Thus, best to be talked about in person for those who are keen to listen. As adult-children, it never occurred to me that we could actually be terasa hati of the wedding ceremony, but then, I learned that other people in my circle have experienced similar things. So yes, despite the unfavourable circumstances, we still wished and prayed for our father’s happiness.

However, this alleged abrupt, unplanned, last-minute wedding brought something to mind. It was one of those ‘I get it now’ moments.

I knew two elderly women who asked for a divorce from their husbands at their deathbeds. At times when they were conscious and aware of what was happening. Back then, I did not understand the need for these actions. I thought, ‘they have lived all their lives with their partners, if they wanted a divorce, shouldn’t it have happened earlier? After all, their kids are all grown up with a job, earning a decent income.’ Interestingly, when these requests are made, the husbands somehow agree and verbalise their talak.

Of course, it was only later that I knew that these ladies had tried asking for guidance from the court regarding fasakh before. Only to be turned away with words like ‘why would you want to ruin a masjid (marriage) because of a mere problem/misunderstanding’. Or that they did not have enough proof to call for a fasakh. In other words, they did not receive the rightful counsel for their problems, as they were housewives deemed not educated, who depended on their husbands’ money.

But that was not my point.

My assumption is, the end-of-life divorce happened because they were treated so badly and unfairly by their partners throughout the marriage, so much so that they do not want to unite with them in Jannah. You know how we always say ‘Semoga jodohnya berpanjangan hingga ke akhir hayat, hingga je Jannah?’ Yes, they hate their husbands so much that their last effort to cut any ties was through a divorce, even on their last breath.

I get it now.

Celebrating Mother’s Day 2025 at Ames Hotel

Posted in Good Things, Parenting, Family and Relationships, Reviews by

Celebrating Mother’s Day is a rare occasion on my husband’s side of the family. I honestly do not recall any extravagant gesture for the past few years to mark that day. I do, however, remember that we frequently celebrated it when my mom was still alive. I’m not sure how it will be once my dad marries Tante. The dynamics would feel quite awkward. Maybe we would be more enthusiastic about Father’s Day.

Ames Hotel has a Hi-Tea special for Mother’s Day. I do not know how much it cost, but the food selection was great! I honestly loved it. I had several helpings of the sate and roasted lamb. My carbs were the nasi goreng kimchi, potatoes and penne pasta. The Laksa Nyonya was superb, and the dessert cakes were luscious. I had plenty of iced water to down the dishes and also enjoyed a cup of cappuccino.

My plate

Towards the end, I received a flower and a chocolate cake. I am not sure if it was free from the hotel or if it was something ordered by my husband. A big thank you anyway to our sponsor, who is my husband, who paid for the buffet and the Ames Hotel for the great hospitality.

Cake & flowers from the hotel
Ladies of the family
All of us (almost)