My Songs of February 2019

February was all about me lamenting the fact that I overspent my money eating outside ㅠㅠ I  know shouldn't do that because I need to save as much as I can as I intend to travel to few places in Canada before going back for good.

It was also a month where I felt like watching anything Chinese or Taiwanese. As such, I rewatched Down with Love for umpteenth times. I'm also currently watching a Taiwanese drama called Refresh Man. Not sure if I'll get to finish the whole show though because I'm actually not in a mood of watching dramas.

Sweet Sorrow (스윗소로우) and I-don't-know-the-rest-of-them - Wildflower (야생화)

Original song by Park Hyo Shin (박효신)

Everyone who's been reading this blog should know by now that I'm obsessed with Sweet Sorrow. I'm so happy to find this a cappella rendition of Wild Flower by them though we are now missing Sung Jin Hwan's soothing voice. It brought back all the memories of their concerts that I attended in 2017. They sang the song beautifully that it gave me goosebumps all over again.

Jin Wen Tseng & Fang Wu - We

Weibird Wei - Think of You First

These two songs are the OSTs for the Refresh Man. I think the OSTs are one of the main reasons why I'm still watching this drama despite all the cringey moments that you usually find in Taiwanese dramas.

School Trip to CN Tower

I never update about this trip but this was my first school trip in Canada and this was six years ago? In reality, we had a chance to roam around the downtown Toronto as well on this trip but am not gonna talk about that.

Anyway, I still remember how jakun we were when we first saw all the high rise buildings and CN Tower. I guess it was bound to happen because that was our first time going to a major city in Canada. In Guelph, you can't really see tall buildings. Also, Guelph is such a laid back, serene, and relaxing city that even traffic jam in Toronto made us go, "Woah!"

I have a confession to make. I have never been to KL Tower or Petronas Twin Towers before, so CN Tower was my first iconic tower that I've been to in my life ^^"" In fact, I had so many firsts in Canada but let's leave it here for now.

We didn't spend too much time here. Maybe about 2 hours? We spent the whole time taking a lot of pictures and taking in the view of downtown Toronto and its surrounding from above. I mean, there's only so much you can do whenever you're at a tower, right? :)

I personally loved the view but more so the time spent with my friends. I wonder how it looks like at night. I think it's going to look super pretty! Though I have to say that I'm curious but not curious enough to go again.

School Trip to Niagara Falls, Ontario

This post was published on January 30, 2016 (as a repost entry) on one of my older blogs. Decided to repost it (again!) here at Her Little Guilty Pleasures due to reasons that I mentioned in this post.

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Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada

Ini merupakan kali kedua saya menjejakkan kaki ke Niagara Falls, Ontario. Masa pertama kali pergi (December 4, 2013) tu, tak nampak apa pun sebab snow sangat tebal. Buat sesiapa yang pernah baca pengalaman pertama saya, ingat lagi kisah sadis itu? ㅠㅠ

Read: Niagara Falls for the First Time

Kali kedua saya pergi (September 6, 2014) ni, alhamdulillah, happy sangat-sangat! Walaupun cuaca tak berapa cantik, sepanjang hari mendung, bila nak balik baru matahari nak keluar, kira okay la dari pengalaman pertama saya tu.

American Falls and Bridal Veils Falls

Kali ni saya pergi, alhamdulillah, nampak air terjunnya dengan jelas. Cuma bila tangkap gambar je tak berapa nak jelas. Almaklumlah orang tak pandai guna DSLR memang macam ni. So, obviously the pictures that I uploaded here really do not do justice to the majestic Niagara Falls, okay? :)

Kali pertama pergi dengan the other Jedis. Kali kedua ni pergi dengan rombongan sekolah sebab murah yang amat kalau bendingkan dengan pergi sendiri. Gigihlah pergi seorang-seorang take kawan sebab Jedis yang lain semua baru pergi Niagara Falls masa summer.

Horseshoe Falls

Sebelum pergi Niagara Falls ni, kami singgah Niagara on the Lake. Am not going to talke about Niagara on the Lake sebab saya tak buat apa-apa dan tak ambil gambar sangat pun masa dekat Niagara on the Lake tu.

Sampai-sampai di Niagara Falls tu, kami terus naik cruise yang dikenali sebagai Hornblower Niagara Falls. Masa tu, excited yang amat sebab akan berada dekat dengan air terjun!

Maid of the Mist vs Hornblower Niagara Cruise

Cruise ni 30 minit je. Memang akan basah walaupun dah pakai poncho yang disediakan. Tapi, memang berbaloi even basah kena tempias air terjun. Masa ni, gambar memang tak banyak sebab DSLR saya tak waterproof. Kalau ada GoPro masa tu, memang sakan saya tangkap gambar agaknya.

Elok je turun dari cruise tu, saya memang tak buat apa-apa dah. Saya cuma berjalan menghala ke Horseshoe Falls tu sahaja.

Maid of the Mist near to the Horseshoe Falls

Hornblower Niagara Cruise near to the Horseshoe Falls 

Alhamdulillah, kali ni betul-betul dah boleh cross Niagara Falls from my wish list. Tapi, mungkin akan datang lagi. Insya Allah, this summer with my parents pula. Mama dengan Ayah teringin sangat nak datang sini katanya :)

Update in 2019: I think I've been to the Niagara Falls at least 3 times after this trip. Still, Niagara Falls never cease to amaze me :)

Fun Times at Jasper SkyTram

I just realized that I have never updated about my experience at Jasper SkyTram though I probably had uploaded dozens of pictures that I took when I was there. So, here's one for memories :)

I went to the Jasper SkyTram with my senior, A who came to visit my senior, M. It was an impromptu decision as M was the one who's supposed to go to the Japser SkyTram with A but she had to work on that day. So, I stepped in as her replacement because that's what good hosts do. We don't leave our guests alone :p

Anyway, off we went to the Jasper SkyTram on that day. I don't remember how much we paid for the tickets because this was five years ago, but we did get local discounts. The weather was not at the best that day but we just had to suck it up because that was the only day that A was free.

Tip: Dress for the weather as this is Rockies that we're talking about.

It was a 7-minute ride up to the Upper Station from the Lower Station and we gained about 1005 m in elevation. While in the tram, we were briefed about the mountains surrounding us by the employee. It was an informative ride but we couldn't take as much peek as we would whenever the employee pointed out the mountains as the tram was quite full.

Once reached the Upper Station, you'll have options to enjoy the view at the Upper Station or you can also hike for another 2 or 3 km to see the best view of Jasper. My senior and I decided to hike sebab dah alang-alang kan? We didn't go up until the peak because we were not properly dressed for the occasion. I think we only hiked half way. Itu pun makan jam juga ㅠㅠ


Tip: Please bring hiking poles if you're a beginner as it is quite steep to go up to the peak.

Another reason why we decided not to hike up to the peak was because I was such a wimp that I almost cried when we were hiking. Kept telling my senior that I couldn't hike anymore because I seriously felt like dying. Susah sangat nak bernafas masa hiking tu. Not sure if it was because of the elevation gains or just because I'm suck at breathing while hiking. And, there was no proper trail so, pandai-pandailah pilih jalan and then, the whole jalan was batu. Tak ingat nama batu tu but they have specific name.

So yeah. We didn't manage to go up to the peak, but thankfully, alhamdulillah, alhamdulillah, alhamdulillah, we reached quite a high point where we managed to see the stunning view of Jasper. It was the best view of the best summer of my life! :)

Thank you A for not giving up on me and pushing me to keep hiking though we didn't reach the peak. You're one of the main reasons that I could see the best view of the best summer of my life. For that, I'm eternally grateful! :)

Red Lobster, Times Square, New York City

Red Lobster, Times Square, New York City

This is where and when my obsession of lobster all started. I had a chance to taste the goodness that is lobster for the first time in my life when I went to the New York City three years ago. It was an impromptu decision to dine in at the Red Lobster, Times Square, New York City. It was all because I was starving when I was in the Times Square area and this restaurant was the closest restaurant to my location. So, off I went to have my late lunch/early dinner the restaurant.

Complimentary Classic Caesar Salad and Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Tip: You'll be served a complimentary salad of your choice and Cheddar Bay Biscuits. You are free to ask for more Cheddar Bay Biscuits, not sure about the salad though. However, please decline or ask for a smaller portion if you think you couldn't finish them to reduce food wastage.

I'm not a big fan of salad but I loved the Classic Caesar Salad, It was quite fulfilling. The Cheddar Bay Biscuits tasted good too especially when they were hot. I only ate one though because I didn't want to feel full before eating the entree. 

Ultimate Feast

Maine lobster tail, North American snow crab legs, garlic shrimp scampi, shrimp, wild rice pilaf and a side of your choice.

On my first visit (yes, I went to the same Red Lobster few times when I was in New York City, three times to be exact cause I'm obsessed like that :p), I ordered an entree called Ultimate Feast. Was so surprised when it was served because I didn't expect that it will be that big. My personal favorites from this entree were the Maine lobster tail, the garlic shrimp scampi, the wild rice pilaf, and the mashed potatoes. I loved them all because they were so delectable especially the Maine lobster tail and the garlic shrimp scampi.

Lobster's Lover Dream 

Roasted rock lobster tail, butter-poached Maine lobster tail, creamy lobster and shrimp linguini Alfredo and a side of your choice.

On my second visit, I ordered the Lobster's Lover Dream because I wanted to eat everything lobster. This whole entree was good and delicious because it satisfied my desire to eat anything lobster but I loved the butter-poached Maine lobster tail the most. The meat was succulent that I almost cried ㅠㅠ While the whole entree was delectable, I do find the lobster and shrimp linguini Alfredo to be a little bit too fulfilling for my liking. 

Tip: Waiting time can be quite long especially during the lunch hour and evening. It is best to make a reservation so that you don't have to waste your time waiting.

Steamed Live Maine Lobster 

Comes with two side of your choice.

On my third and the last visit, I ordered the Steamed Live Maine Lobster because I wanted to eat a lobster as it is. I also ordered wild rice pilaf and mashed potatoes as my sides because I loved them both based on my previous visits. And, I'm very glad that I decided to have the Steamed Live Maine Lobster on that day because this was my most favorite entree from all the entrees that I have ever tried at the Red Lobster. The lobster meat was just so juicy and luscious. I can't get enough of the lobster meat ㅠㅠ

Service wise, the service at the Red Lobster was excellent. All the servers were so attentive to your needs and requests. Price wise, I would say that they were okay but maybe they were on the expensive side? They were not as expensive as I thought but they were not that cheap as well. All the entrees that I ordered were less than USD 43 each.

Tip: Don't forget to tip your servers. Red Lobster automatically suggested and put 18% tip on your bill. However, you're free to change the tip percentage if you find it too high.

Conclusively, I enjoyed my late lunches/early dinners at the Red Lobster, Times Square, New York City. Everything that I ordered tasted so good and exceeded my expectations. Really worth my money! :)

Rasa, New York City

I learned about Rasa, New York City through my friend's Instagram post. He was in New York City few days before I flew to New York City myself. He sang such a high praise of everything that he ate at Rasa which really influenced me cause dude is a good cook and he rarely praise others' food.

So, off I went to Rasa on my first day in New York City. I came here directly after checking in at my hostel. Didn't get to explore the area around Rasa because I was so tired and sleep-deprived but Rasa is located at the Greenwich Village, one of the hip places in New York City. It's also located near to the Washington Square Park and the ever famous New York University.

PSA: Please don't forget to enjoy your time at the area before or after going to Rasa so that you'll not feel regret like me. I mean, I missed out visiting the ever famous NYU though I passed by one of the gates ㅠㅠ

It wasn't that busy when I came to Rasa because it was after lunch hour. Think there was only one other customer in the restaurant. However, it took quite some time before my food was served but then, I didn't really mind because I was not in the rush. The server was nice when serving me, making small talk and all. On another note, I felt like crying when I saw "Selamat Datang" on their door. I guess I missed Malaysia so much at that time ㅠㅠ

I ordered this combo (don't really remember the name) because I was so excited to see that they have pulut panggang in their menu. Along with the pulut panggang, I also got mini murtabak, and kuih cucur badak. The mini murtabak tasted just average but then I don't really like murtabak that much even when I'm in Malaysia. So, there's that. The pulut panggang were extremely delicious. They had the similar taste to my favourite pulut pangang in Malaysia. However, the one that surprised me the most was the cucur badak. I'm not a big fan of cucur badak and I usually don't eat cucur badak but cucur badak at Rasa were so good that I questioned myself, "Is this how cucur badak should taste like?"

PSA: As far as I know, they use halal meat for their dishes and they do not serve pork. However, this restaurant is not halal-certified as it is owned by non Muslims and they serve liquor and alcoholic beverages.

I also ordered Steamed Hainanese Chicken Rice because I was craving for chicken. I don't know how the authentic hainanese chicken rice should look like or taste like but I'm happy to say that it was the best hainanese chicken rice that I have ever tasted in my life. Everything was delicious especially the chili sauce.

I don't remember how much I paid for both dishes but pretty sure, it was less than USD 35. I personally think it was quite expensive but both dishes tasted so good and fulfilling that I didn't mind paying USD 35.

All in all, I highly, highly, highly recommend you to visit Rasa if you're in New York City, and you're craving for Malaysian food! Think this is the best Malaysian food that I have ever tasted in USA and Canada.

Cinta Musim Panas aka Summer Love

This post was first published on December 4, 2014 on one of my older blogs. Decided to repost it here at Her Little Guilty Pleasures due to reasons that I mentioned in this post.

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Cinta musim panas aka summer love

Dulu, saya selalu tertanya-tanya kenapa mat salleh selalu buat lagu cinta atau drama cinta yang berkaitan dengan musim panas. Apa yang istimewanya musim panas ni? Kenapa selalunya (tak semua ya) orang yang ada cinta musim panas ni selalu tak kekal lama? Banyak lagi soalan lain yang selalu berlegar dalam kepala saya.

FYI, curiosity saya memang selalu tentang benda-benda shallow macam ni atau benda-benda yang orang lain rasa childish dan apa-apa entah. Benda-benda serious kadang-kadang je saya teringin nak tahu.

Rupa-rupanya cinta musim panas tak kekal lama sebab summer tu musim pertemuan dan perpisahan. It happens because usually in summer, students or anyone yang ada free time in summer will travel outside of their comfort zones or sometimes their countries untuk pergi travel or untuk summer jobs. They (we) usually have 4 months to kill, oh!

#summerlove

You meet tons of new people from all over the world at the beginning of summer and then you sadly have to say goodbye to them at the end of summer. It's usually impossible to reunite again unless you live close to each other or you go to the same school or you have money to travel across the world to meet your friends.

The paragraph above is just for friends. Now, let's imagine the same situation happens between you and your summer fling. Let's say you want to have a serious relationship with your summer fling. You want us to happen but you don't think you have the means to make your relationship works. Or, perhaps you are not ready to be in a log distance relationship because long distance relationship sucks! Then, you decided it is best for you to let it remains as your summer love.

Sedihnya bila fikir ㅠㅠ. How I wish summer love can turn into the love of someone life for people who are serious about it. How I wish it can be easier and hopefully, forever. Jia you! to people who found their so-called-true-love in summer and try to make their relationship work despite the odds and challenges. I'm rooting for you guys! :)

Update in 2019: I had a good chuckle reading all the comments on the original post. So many speculations about me falling in love >.< Also, I can't believe that my blog used to be so interactive.

Reflection of My 1-Week Trip to New York City, USA

After writing and publishing my Reflection Of My 1-Month Trip To South Korea, I feel like I should do one for my trip to New York City, USA. It is going to be shorter than South Korea ones because I spent less time here :)

1. Winter is REALLY not my season.
I learned this fact since my first year in university that winter is not my season. I love snow, the fresh and clean ones for a matter of fact, but I don't like anything else that come with winter. The cold, shorter day, less daylight, cloudy and gloomy days? Uh uh, no thanks!

And, travelling during winter means that I have to bring or wear my gloves, scarf, bulky winter jackets and boots. I had sore legs throughout my trip as I had to wear my heavy winter boots and walk a lot. Also, I was sad that I lost my gloves and scarf when I was there. I just bought that gloves and the scarf was a gift from my mom ㅠㅠ

2. New York City is not as bad as what I read.
I have read a lot of bad stuff about New York City like how racist some of the New Yorkers can be or one is more prone to be a victim of any crimes due to high crime rates. Thankfully, everything was good when I was there. I felt quite safe almost all the times but then, I also took extra precaution whenever I was out and about. It's always good to be safe than sorry, no?

One of few kind of pictures that you'll get when you don't have a monopod or tripod ㅠㅠ

3. Multi-tasking during a vacation is a NO NO for me!
I brought my unfinished assignments to NYC as they were due at the end of my trip. Thought I could handle them while enjoying NYC but who am I kidding?! Had to stay up late almost every night when I was there trying to finish all my assignments. As a result, I felt so stressed and didn't get to enjoy and explore NYC thoroughly. Thankfully, I managed to finish all my assignments. Otherwise, I couldn't graduate on time ^^''

4. Take everything that you read with a grain of salt.
Really, just don't believe everything that you read on the net. Please take everything with a grain of salt. One thing that I felt so regretful was I didn't bring my monopod or tripod on this trip. I read so so so many posts saying that most main attractions in NYC do not allow monopod or tripod. Naturally, I didn't bring mine but you know what? They didn't really care. I saw many people with their monopods.

I felt like I didn't grow or learn as much as I would like from this trip because my mind was all over the place. Hence, I'm thinking about visiting NYC again this year but then, I'm not sure if I REALLY want to go again because NYC did not really click with me the first time.

P.s: I'm actually reluctant to update about my NYC trip because it reminds me to a dark period of my life. Maybe I'll just update few short posts of places that I have been to. 

How to Apply for a Canadian Visitor Visa for Malaysians (Online Application)

I'm going to share how to apply for a Canadian visitor visa for Malaysians and my experience of applying Canadian visas in this post. Yes, it's visas because I've submitted four applications; two for myself and two for my parents. Soon, it'll be five because I'm currently in the middle of applying another Canadian visa, My experience may be outdated and a little bit different but I'll highlight few new and important things along the way.

First thing first, Canadian visitor visa is also known as Temporary Resident Visa (TRV). The Canadian government usually uses TRV to refer to the visitor visa (and maybe other visas as well). So, don't freak out when you see TRV eh? :)

How to Apply for a Canadian Visitor Visa for Malaysians (Online Application)

1. Go to Government of Canada's website [click here]

2. Click the "Continue to GCKEY".

3. Click "Sign Up" to create an account.

4. You'll be redirected to the "Terms and Conditions of Use" page. Click "I accept".

5. Create username. Just follow the requirements.

Pakai nama oppa sebagai contoh :p

6. Create password. Again, just follow the requirements.

7. Create recovery questions, answers, and hints. Make sure the answers and hints follow the requirements. Click "Continue" when you're done.

8. Click "Continue".

9. You'll be redirected to the CIC page. Just close the page.

10. Go to Government of Canada's website again. [click here]

11. Sign in to your account.

12. You'll be redirected to the "Terms and Conditions" page. Click "I accept".

13. Create an account. Fill out the information accordingly. And, this is a tricky part. You're supposed to put your name as per your passport. Let's say your name is Farah Madihah binti Abdullah.

Usually,

• Given name: Farah Madihah binti
• Last name: Abdullah

However, for Canadian visa application, you should leave the given name blank and put your full name in the last name section.

• Given name:
• Last name: Farah Madihah binti Abdullah

14. Create 4 security questions. Please remember all the answers to the questions. Then, click "Continue".

15. You'll be redirected to your personal page. Click "Apply to Canada".

16. You'll be redirected to "Personal Checklist" page. Click apply for: Visitor Visa, study, and/or work permit.

17. You'll be given a questionnaire. Please answer accordingly and accurately as the results will show what kind of visa are you eligible to apply, which later will determine what kind of documents that you need to submit.

18. You'll get this page at the end of the endless questions. Click "Continue".

19. Download the application form, fill it out accordingly and validate it once your're done. Then, upload the filled and completed form. Do read the instructions to avoid costly mistakes.

20. Provide the supporting documents as required

• Family Information Form
• Travel History - If you click question mark in the instructions column, you'll see what kind of things they are looking for. Basically they are looking for your travel history for the last 10 years. Everything should be compiled in one PDF file. For me, I gave them copies of the front pages of my previous and current passports, pages with entry and exit stamps, page stamped with my US visa and study permit. For my parents' applications, I only provided them the first page of the passport because my parents have never travelled overseas before.
• Passport - Self explanatory
• Proof of Means of Financial Support - Again, if you click the question mark in the instructions column, you'll see what kind of proofs they are looking for. Often, people will provide bank statements. Currently, they are asking for bank statements for the past 4 months. I'm not sure the minimum amount that you should have. Have read that MYR 10,000 is the safe amount. When I applied for my parents, I asked them to show that they have at least MYR 30,000 each in their bank accounts to be safe.
• Digital photo - Please follow the specification. They are very strict about it. Click the question mark in the instructions column for further details.
• Purpose of Travel - Travel itinerary, hotel booking, and such. If you have booked your flight, then your flight ticket as well. Everything should be compiled in one PDF file.

21. Optional documents

• Any other documents that explain your travel intention can be submitted here.

22. When you have uploaded all the required documents, you can proceed to make the payment.  The payment is non-refundable. You have to pay CAD 185 (CAD 100 for the visa + CAD 85 for biometrics fee). Canadian government just revised one of the requirements where visa applicants now need to provide their biometrics, hence the fee.

I'm not sure about the next steps. Hopefully, someone, somewhere will help me to update the next steps so that it'll be accurate. Do let me know if the information provided is not correct.

Before Canadian government introduced the biometrics requirement, you just have to wait for an email from CIC stating that your visa application has been approved. It usually take about 2-3 weeks, maybe shorter, maybe longer, depending on the processing times. Then, you have to submit your passport to VFS Global located at Wisma MCA, Kuala Lumpur. You then have to pay VFS Global X amount (sorry I don't know the exact amount) for your visa to be processed. After that, you need to wait for few days, and then voila, you're good to go! You can pick up your passport and fly to Canada.

However,

With the recent changes, I believe you'll get a Biometric Instruction Letter through your account which should explain the next steps you should take. I'm expecting that you have to go to VFS Global to give your biometrics after you received the letter. However, do note that you need to make an appointment with the VFS Global first. And I guess, the same steps like I mentioned above apply after that.

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I'm going to be honest here. I personally find Canadian visa application very tedious as you need to answer a lot of questions and you have to submit a lot of documents. Granted the number of documents you have to submit differs according to your questionnaire's answers. 

When I applied for my student visa, it was a lil bit easier because I had Ms. Iris and Ms. Saras helping me with the documents and stuff. Thank you Ms. Iris and Ms. Saras! :)

However, it was different when I was applying for my parents' visas. We had to submit so many documents on top of the required supporting documents like invitation letter, my birth certificate, my parents' marriage certificate and my parents' paystubs to name a few. Yikes! If I remembered it correctly, the whole process took us about a month and half. Took that long due to our time differences and because we had to translate the documents and get them certified. Like I said, very tedious.

It was wayyyyyyyy easier when I applied for my visa after I graduated but that is because I applied for it when I was in Canada. I think I only need to submit the application form, the family information form, a digital photo, and proof of means of financial support. Took me less than 30 minutes to gather and submit all documents. Then my visa got approved in 3 days. Took me a week to get my passport back after sending it to Ottawa. So fast and efficient eh? :)

Anyway, that's all. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment or shoot me an email. Insya Allah, I'll be more than happy to answer your questions. Tapi, saya minta maaflah awal-awal kalau saya tak tahu jawapan kepada soalan awak :)

Bersyukurkah Kita?

This post was published on March 4, 2014 on one of my older blogs. Decided to repost it here at Her Little Guilty Pleasures due to reasons that I mentioned in this post.

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Satu hari saya sendawa dalam kelas. Lepas tu, saya pun cakaplah, "Alhamdulillah". Kawan saya dekat sebelah (he's a Christian Chinese by the way) pun tanyalah sesuatu dekat saya yang buat saya muhasabah diri saya balik.

"Farah, saya nak tanya something dekat Farah. Farah jangan marah ya."

"Shoot!"

"Bila you cakap Alhamdulillah tu kan, you betul-betul bersyukur ke you dapat makan sedap-sedap and then kenyang, or you dah terbiasa cakap Alhamdulillah tu bila you sendawa?"

"Interesting. You know what? I memang bersyukur sebab dapat makan sedap-sedap dan kenyang tapi bila you tanya macam ni, tiba-tiba I rasa I cakap Alhamdulillah tu sebab dah terbiasa. Alamak, macam mana ni?! You made me so confused T^T"

"I tanya je tau. You tak payah rasa bersalah ke apa ke tau."

Merujuk kembali kepada perbualan di atas, pernah tak awak tanya dekat diri awak bila awak sebut alhamdulillah (dalam kes ni, sendawa kenyang lepas makan), awak betul-betul bersyukur atas nikmat yang Allah kurniakan tu atau awak dah terbiasa dari kecil sebut Alhamdulillah lepas sendawa kenyang makan.

Malam yang kawan saya tanya soalan tu, lama juga saya muhasabah diri saya balik. Betul-betul rasa terpanar dengan soalan kawan tu. Soalan simple macam tu tiba-tiba buka soalan lain dalam diri saya dan buat saya reevaluate diri saya balik.

Agak-agak, berapa banyak nikmat Allah yang kita dapat selama ni, kita memang betul-betul ikhlas ucapkan alhamdulillah bila kita terima nikmat-nikmat tu? Adakah ucapan syukur, ucapan alhamdulillah tu hanya di mulut sahaja? Sampai ke tidak perasaan dan ucapan syukur tu ke hati kita? Adakah perbuatan dan amalan harian kita menunjukkan yang kita ni bersyukur atas segala nikmat yang dikurniakan oleh Allah? Dan, adakah kita menggunakan segala nikmat yang dikurniakan Allah tu untuk benda-benda yang hak?

Wallahu a'lam. Things to ponder eh? ㅠㅠ

Update in 2019: I'm looking for this ustazah side of me. If found, please redirect it to me. Truly appreciate it.ㅠㅠ

Apple Picking at Brantview Apples & Cider

This post was first published on October 24, 2013 on one of my older blogs. Decided to repost it here at Her Little Guilty Pleasures due to reasons that I mentioned in this post.

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Alhamdulillah, boleh cross satu benda dalam wish list saya.

19 October yang lepas, telah selamat memetik epal di ladang epal dan jagung bersama pelajar-pelajar antarabangsa lain. Trip ni anjuran International Student Organization (ISO). Excited sangat nak pergi sebab masa first year tak dapat pergi apple picking. Semuanya gara-gara kesempitan wang. Masa first year, budak-budak Guelph semua miskin sebab kami duduk on-campus. Bayaran residence tu taklah rasa mahal sangat. Yang mahal tu meal plan. Kami semua wajib ambil meal plan sebab residence kami tu antara salah satu north residences dan orang yang duduk dekat north residences semua wajib ambil meal plan.

Anyway, pergi apple picking dekat Brantview Apples dan Cider. Mula-mula tak tahu pun ladang ni dekat mana. Yang saya tahu, ladang ni bukan dekat Guelph. Terima kasih kepada Google, saya baru tahu yang ladang ni terletak dekat dengan Bradford. Sejam naik bas baru sampai dekat sini.

Basically, apa yang awak buat masa pergi apple picking ialah petik epal dan makan epal yang dipetik. Itu sahaja but for me best sangat sebab apples dia wangi sangat-sangat! Selain tu, apples dia fresh yang amat dan dapat cuba pelbagai jenis apples. Antara apples yang terdapat dekat ladang ni; Spartan; Royal Gala; Honey Crisp; Mac; Jonagold, dan lain-lain.

Orang kata Honey Crisp yang paling sedap, tapi saya tak sempat rasa sebab tak jumpa pokok Honey Crisp. Mana taknya, sikit-sikit berhenti tangkap gambar. Hujan lagi. Habis kasut, kaki, dan stoking basah. Tak sempat nak explore secara menyeluruh. Rasanya macam sempat makan Janagold dan Royal Gala. Entah.

Gembira sangat sebab masa tu baru je habis dua midterms. Konon-konon pergi untuk release tension. Healing time. Alhamdulillah, memang rasa ringan sikit lepas pergi sini. Sebab dapat tengok ladang-ladang dekat sini. Luas terbentang. Depan ladang epal dan jagung ni ada horses stable. Tak tahu stable dalam BM apa. Ladang kuda ke kandang kuda eh?

Pergi dengan kawan-kawan yang dianggap keluarga lagi la rasa best. Bila dah duduk rumah lain-lain, susah nak jumpa untuk bersosial. Paling-paling pun, jumpa dalam kelas. Masa tulah nak begosip, nak meluahkan perasaan, nak itu, nak ini. Mana sempat. Betul tak? Lepas tu, dapat kawan baru lagi. Haa, kan best tu. At least, takdelah kawan dengan dinding je :p

Malaysians, Brazilians, and Hong Konger united :)

Alhamdulillah, memang rasa trip ni sangat berbaloi. Walaupun trip ni cuma 4 jam sahaja. Dapat makan apples. Dapat bergosip. Dapat meluahkan perasaan. Dapat mendengar ceramah cara-cara memasak dan tips photography daripada baby bro. Sempat juga la kena ketuk dengan baby bro, "Practice your photography skill, Farah. What's the use of your expensive DSLR if you're not taking great and beautiful pictures. Kalau tak nak, bagi I je," Tambah lagi, "Nanti I ajar you cara nak masak cepat-cepat. You must practice, okay? Just ask if you're unsure of something. Remember, masak ni senang je!" Keke :D

In case your guys are wondering, he is an extremely good cook! He cooked for us during our first year. Sekarang pun ada juga cuma tak sekerap dulu. If you follow me on Instagram, I uploaded a picture of bihun goreng tomyam. He's the one who cooked that for us. Extremely sweet brother!

Update in 2019: Kahkahkah! I sounded so innocent here. Can't believe it that I used to be like this :p