Update on March

Took me a while but I seriously maybe need to adapt a better lifestyle. I'm constantly in a sitting position - I sit at work, I sit on the hour drive back home, at home I'm in bed. I wanna go for like an evening walk but by the time I'm home it'll already be Maghrib. I'm going to go back to swearing off soft/sweet drinks and swear off fast food for a while. Like... a month long. I'm back on my daily green tea fix so hopefully this lasts for a while. I remember in Bristol, green tea was all I had.

It'll be April in a few days. Stepping into the second quarter of the year already, what!!!! January felt like 2 years and March like 2 days. It's the weekend tomorrow and I've got work on Saturday but meeting with friends for brunch/lunch so that should be fun. I'm going to make it a point to meet up with friends like once in 2 weeks. I don't like scheduling back-to-back because it's quite exhausting and as much as I love my friends, I also love having dinner with my parents and I hardly see them, what with work and all so I like that I'm home to have at least a meal with them at the end of the day.

Mama's 50!

Mama turned 50! The most kind and generous and ridiculously good hearted person turned 50 the past weekend. Wished we could have given her more since 50 is a milestone but alhamdulillah she looked like she loved everything. She's really a superwoman and she's such a wonderful being, I can't put it into words just how much she means to me. She's literally my favourite person. Ever. She's retiring in like 5 years so insyaAllah I hope to do well so I can give her the best retirement days that she very well deserves. She reads my blog so hi mama we don't always say it but we love you tirelessly.

The March babies. Don't they look SO much alike???

Dolly Dim Sum's birthday crew was so fun - they had a guitar (ukelele? idk) and a whole bunch of them sang. Really fun.

LOML

If you're wondering where I get my cakes - they're all from Lilylola. Cake's really really sedap and they always deliver with their design. I initially wanted a different kind of cake but they couldn't do it at the last minute so this was Plan B. Still really pretty and my mum loved it. 

(But if you're into taste more than the exterior, then I know of this baker in Taman Tun, her name's Cecilia and she seriously makes the BEST tasting cakes ever. We've been ordering from her since children and she never fails. She doesn't do elaborate flowery designs like this and the rest that you see on Instagram but she does really good ones regardless).

Iman Turns 19!

Iman's now 19 :((((( How is this baby already 19. She's really the best and all her friends know it too. My mum was quite worried for her when she got into UiTM because she thought people would not want to befriend her because of her BM skills (spoiler: she has none). But she pulls through anyway - she can make friends with anyone anywhere, she's just that nice and friendly. Eep, baby girl's so big now.

Ola Bola the Musical

So as an early birthday treat, I took Mama out on the raved Ola Bola the Musical. My mum loves watching anything at Istana Budaya because she (and also I) believe that in order to have a show at Istana Budaya, production must be top notch. And this was produced by Tiara Jacqueline so obviously will be so good. And it definitely was - I was afraid it wouldn't meet my expectations because they were pretty high but YAY it did and it exceeded too. I was in awe of so many things from acting to singing to props to tech to sound to everything! I loved it and I can't wait to go watch more! 

Friends 

This was a whole bunch of us after watching Nabil's play at Damansara Performing Arts Centre. So glad I have a friend so involved in the local theatre arts because I would have never known of these productions and of these places. Also, it's nice to go support a friend. He did damn well too. Can't wait for his next one! 

Najihah's back from the States! Well, at least she was. She came home for a week to settle her visa and now she's back there. We may not be as close as we were then but it was genuinely so nice to be reunited with friends I grew up with in high school. I miss it!!!

Also I seem to have cracked my back camera so in some photos, you can see the random ray of light because of the crack. I kinda dig it.

xx

JKT

My first trip to Jakarta! And for Java Jazz Fest!

I've always always always wanted to make the trip to Jakarta for the longest time and finally I was going to! And for its annual Java Jazz Fest too so I was extra stoked. This was a birthday present from my parents for both Tania and I so it was just the both of us. Just like old times! No vlog this time 'round because it was a very, very short trip and half of it was spent in car rides getting from one place to another.

We went to Java Jazz only for a day instead of all 3. We really just wanted to go for Daniel Caesar and Yura Yunita. Only found that Jaz was performing that day also! Was sooo happy. I loved the energy of the festival - all full of people of all ages who genuinely loved music. Jazz is so embedded in the Indonesian culture and it was really cool to see young Indonesians thoroughly enjoying themselves to slow music that isn't particularly too popular with youths everywhere else. I loved it - the vibe, the spirit, the singing along, the dancing, everything. 

We also got to go to Pasar Mayestik and managed to get some kain for Raya. It was really fun but that's definitely a whole-day thing and we went pretty late and wanted to make our rounds so didn't get to ronda as much as we'd loved. I HIGHLY recommend it for all brides-to-be because it's so cheap and the kain is beautiful. We got some lace, some songket and some batik and some normal kain. It's SO darn cheap, don't be surprised if you end up using most of the holiday budget at that one place.

Indonesia is pretty cheap in general, from food to hair salons (Tania got her hair did 3 days straight) to the kain batik so you're good to go with a rather small budget. Even Grab rides are cheap though we did tip them a bit more because we just felt it was ridiculous that an hour ride was only RM9! 

The only gripe I have with the otherwise wonderful city is the traffic. People go on and on about the traffic and you're like meh what busy city isn't swarmed with cars.  The traffic is no joke - people always tell you about the 'macet' (traffic in Indonesian) and you're like 'Psh ya but what city doesn't have traffic'. Well lemme tell you about it all. It might seem like 15 minutes distance on your Google Map but it takes a whole damn hour! And that's normal!!! Tania and I totally underestimated the traffic and the time it takes up so we didn't get to go to a QUARTER of the places that we'd like. But that's fine - all the more reason to go again! (err AirAsia is having a huge sale right now err i might or might not book again). My advice is to maybe not be too ambitious and have everything crammed in a few days because then you'll be really rushed and unhappy. It's a holiday anyway so take your time with it. 

I really, really, really am looking forward to making another trip to Jakarta - I didn't have time to really love and appreciate the city. People are really nice though - very hospitable. Try and speak the language if you can - pick up a few good words here and there to make it look like you're trying. Like with every place you go, it's always pretty helpful to know a couple of phrases because they appreciate the time you took to know the language. 

Photos (though not many) !

The very talented and very handsome, Jaz Hayat.

Yura Yunita - what a voice and what an entertainer. Can't wait to see more of her.

And the best part (heh geddit), Daniel Caesar. Sigh. SO effortlessly good.

One of the prettiest restaurants I've been - it's called Three Buns. Serves mostly burgers but I had a rice bowl which was meh. So up my alley all these greenery and odd seating arrangements. Defo would come again. And maybe actually get a burger.

What colour shall our raya baju be this year.... hmmm

Buying Indonesian snacks. At this point of day, we were just so ready to head back to the hotel room. And eat hot cheeto puffs.

Sempat take a selfie while waiting for our bags at the WRONG carousel. 

Told you not many photos. I'm usually very lazy to take photos or I suck at it so I just don't do it entirely. But it was a fun trip - I promise I ate more than just those meh burgers. I'm a nasi girl so I ate nasi everyday but I was often too hungry to bother taking photos. And it's just... rice. With some really hot sambal omg hungry again now.

Loved the trip - thanks Mama and Papa for the birthday present. Twas a good one. Next year London pulak? No? 

xx