Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Traveling 101: Our Family's Style!

Since I was a toddler until now, my dad would bring us one whole family for a holiday trip, at the end of each year, every year. He'd ask us where we would like to visit and then he would plan it out. (My parents are so expert in traveling).

So last winter, Zurich happened.

One thing about traveling to Europe with my family is that, we (by we, I meant me and my brother or anyone else besides my parents that would tag along during the trip with them) would miss out on the experience of eating out and enjoy the special dish or unique food at the particular country that we visited! tskk..

Why? Because My parents are not really the type that likes to try new things. And like most older generation here in Malaysia, they would prefer the plain white rice with savory dishes than a baguette with chicken fingers and mashed potatoes while sitting at a cool cafe or something like that! hehe. They said, the western food is too plain, or too boring, or tasteless or yadda yadda yadda... And with us being a muslim, it's kinda difficult to find halal restaurant in the city that serves decent food other than the Middle Eastern food. - We feel that the "arab food" can only be eaten once or twice in a week. More than that, we would feel sick! (My mom is the number one person in the family that dislikes Middle East food so much...and I don't know why! hehe..) And my dad is the type of a person who needs rice everyday for him to kick off his day...especially when traveling, which would need a lot of energy as he said! So, what other options do we have, if there isn't (halal) Thai food, or Indonesia food to be found around the city that we visited?

Oh well.. home cooked meal would be my parents choice! Yes, mommy still cook even when she travels. She never relax from working and busting her butt off in the kitchen even when she's on her holiday! God bless her for that!!!  - Me and my brother, the younger generation, the Generation Y people that is..haha, on the other hand, can go with anything because we're cool like that! heh..  I'm not really a picky eater..I can go with any food! Rice or no rice. Bread or pasta. Seafood or red meat. Oh well, anyyyy thing will do, just as long as I won't be starving! But if you ask me, yes of course I would want to experience and enjoy the food there, when I travel! It's part of the traveling experience, right? But I gotta admit, being a muslim, it's kinda hard to find nice, decent restaurant other than the Middle Eastern food store :)
So when traveling with daddy and mommy around, eating out ain't really gonna happen because they need their usual dosage of rice...hehe. But that's fine, cuz I still do try out on my own, some of the food that I find interesting while I'm there! So it's cool.


So anyway..

On the first day in Zurich we spent half a day going to the markets and shopping malls, buying groceries for the week, since we stayed there for quite awhile. We would do this every time we visit Europe - Our very first day activity would be buying groceries!

We went to Migros, to buy our groceries for the apartment


The thing I loveeeee about the supermarket in Europe is that they always always always have beautiful, fresh food! I'm always looking forward to go to their supermarket and buy the awesome veggies they have..the super fresh and super sweet fruits they have to offer, the delicious juices, the fresh milk (Oh my godddd! So yummy!!), the chocolates they have, the ice cream, ahhh and the list goes on! 
I loveeee their supermarket! Lotsa awesome products! 


Making your own fresh orange!





This is such a gooooood chocolate! I wish Ovaltine in Malaysia would have this chocolate bar too!


And one ritual thing that me and my brother would be doing whenever we're in cold countries, is to buy their crisps! There's something comforting about eating a yummy salty crisps in a cold weather!


Lotsa selection of crisps! 


I chose this. My brother took his fave, Lays. Sour Cream.
We'd have this every day, when we were there. Haha ;p


What's this? It looks like some kinda chipmunk food? =/


Fish! Since we can't eat meat! hehe.. 
(Normally we would go to the halal butcher to get our source of white and red meat!)


Ahhh...guess what is this!




It's a Mayonaise! In a cute tube! It's cool right! hehe
We should have this in Malaysia! For chilli sauce, mustard, thousand island, etc!


My basket


What's this? Coffee grinder or something?? =/




After an hour walking in the market, browsing stuff, choosing veggies, fruits and whatnot, I find myself at the bedroom section! My fave area! hahaa
(Kitchen department is not as exciting as the bedroom area! :p)


This thing caught my eye!!
It's candles! Lots of them! And so colourful!
(I have a thing with candles, btw)



Should I get this? No? Yes? No? 
Then came mummy and she said.., "Apa tu? Dah-dah. Tak payah membazir. Letak balik. Awak tak perlu tu". ("What's that? Enough. You don't need that. Put it back")
Fineeee mom. I don't need another candle in my room anyway! haha


Mom doing what she does best....buying stuff for her kitchen back in KL.. hehe



Before going back, we stopped by Starbucks to have our hot Toffee Nut Latte. Yums.




Just a walking distance from our apartment to the supermarket!


After arrived our apartment, cooking and cleaning begins! I helped my mom to prepare the food..like washing and cutting the veggies, arrange the stuff we bought into the fridge, cabinet, etc...while she prepares some other dishes..


And usually, this samak part would be my job! As a muslim, we need to ensure that the cutleries and crockeries are clean before we use them! ^__^





This would be our family's typical stuff to bring when we travel, besides the instant noodles and serunding! hehe 


And these....are the cheap and delicious coffee I'd have every morning! It's soooo good and convenient, I wish they have it in KL!


Cooking the veggies..


 Chicken curry, veggies, sambal ikan bilis and serunding daging!
Bon appetit!



Every time when we travel.. We would have breakfast at home, and lunch outside and then, maybeee dinner at home as well, if we didn't dine out when we were out on that day. So, every time when we have walked for the whole day, sightseeing, shopping or anything like that...I always pray hard that my dad would want to have dinner outside. - So I don't have to prepare the food and can just relax my butt off! haha.  ;p
Because why?? Not that I'm lazy or anything..haha, but imagine..you're on a holiday, and you've walked for hours and hours, and when you get back home, you just wanna have your warm bubble bath and just sleeeep! But if my dad wants to have dinner at home, me and my mom would have to prepare the food...tskkk. (Kesian jadi perempuan kannn... Adik aku balik, siap boleh tengok tv, mandi apa semua. Jeles aku! heheheheheh ;p )

Anyway, I'm always so amazed at how my mom is so happy to cook when she's on a holiday!! I always thought to myself, isn't she tired? I never heard she complain about not wanting to cook for the family even when she's exhausted! She always wanna please everyone with her cooking.. She'd say, "Why eat outside food. You never know what they put in there. Mama nak korang makan sedap-sedap. Plus, it's not really that hard pun. Cooking is easy. Mama masak simple2 je pun..  Mama masak kan lagi sedap, berasa, and lagi puas dari makan luar.." - Which is true actually! Indeed, my mom is a superwoman, I tell you! Never met any mom like her yet! 

But for me, a girl who rarely spends time in the kitchen, would feel that cooking is sooo tiring and complicated! hahaha. Especially when you're on a holiday, and you just wanna be lazy ;p
But of course, I don't complain when mom ask me to do this and that and help her out. It's just that I'd ask too many questions like why this thing look like this, and why that thing have to be like that, blablabla...that it annoys her so much! haha. It's sooo funnyy I can't help but to giggle when she's mad when I "ter" do that asking questions thingy...heheheh ;p

Sorry mama! I ask questions more than a five year old kid would! Heeeee. I'm still in a learning phase. Lots to learn! ;p


♪ ♫ Saya budak baru belajar, kalau salah tolong tunjukkan. ♪ 


Anyways, so that's my family's style when going on a holiday! We bring Malaysian food everywhere! hehe ;)


Talk soon!


XOXO,
Shazzy.

16 comments :

  1. agree with you Wanie!masakan mama adalah yang paling sedap & 2 hari tak jumpa nasi i akn rasa rindu.hehehe

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  2. assalamualaikum kak wani.. :) first and foremost, selamat hari raya to you and your family.. :)

    sebenarnya, saya nak sentuh sikit tentang isu samak, atau dalam kes ini ialah menyertu.

    saya seorang pelajar luar negara, dan bertahun saya duduk di sana.

    pada mulanya, memang, saya pun salah seorang yang sgt risau tentang kesucian ni. kalau boleh, tak pergi ke restoran di luar sebab kalau kita fikirkan, restoran tu memang tak halal. walaupun saya nak makan ikan saja pun, tapi mestilah mereka guna alatan yang sama untuk masak yang haram tu. betul tak??

    kalau dalam kes kak wani.. (mungkin salah juga perception saya ni.. maaf kalau salah) sama juga dalam kes kalau saya pergi travel. duduk di hostel, dengan kelengkapan dapur. bila nak masak, sudah tentu nak guna alatan dapur tu. tapi bila kita fikir balik, di hostel tu, ada orang bukan islam juga, yang dulu pernah guna alatan yang sama utk masak. mereka masak makanan yang tak halal bagi kita. lebih kurang sama dengan kes di atas tak?

    sebenarnya bagus kita berhati2 untuk jaga diri agar sentiasa suci. berhati2 sbb takut andai kata kita cross the line. itu taqwa.

    tapi.. kena ingat, ayat yang sangat popular ni.

    ISLAM ITU MEMUDAHKAN BAGI PENGANUTNYA.

    dalam hadith 5 himpunan imam nawawi, tentang halal dan haram. ada juga disentuh tentang perkara syubhah. dan mmg elok kita meninggalkan perkara syubhah yang kita ragu2kan tu.

    perkara yang kita ragu2kan, itu adalah was-was. dan was-was itu bisikan syaitan.

    kalau lagi senang nak relate.. berhati2 itu baik. tapi berhati2 yg berlebihan itu tak elok kerana tanda adanya was-was. dan was-was itu bisikan syaitan.

    ok back to the story of menyertu dan islam yang memudahkan.

    maaf saya tak ingat sgt fatwa atau hadith atau yang lain2. tapi lama2, bila dah duduk luar negara, baru faham.

    sebenarnya, bukankah kita yang melebih2kan?

    contoh.. dalam kes saya. saya nak beli ayam di supermarket yang ada sticker halal. kalau saya terlebih berhati2 mcm kes sebelum ni, boleh je saya fikir.. 'hurm, makcik ni bukan orang islam. boleh jadi dia saja2 nak letak sticker halal ni utk lariskan jualan.'

    ini contoh lebih hati2.

    dan memandangkan islam itu memudahkan, by right, kita tak sepatutnya fikir lebih2. MEMANG semua possibility itu boleh berlaku. tapi tak perlu fikir lebih2 sampai menyusahkan. bukan begitu?

    wallahua'lam..

    ini sekadar perkongsian ilmu yang saya dapat dpd ustaz2, sahabat2, buku2.. maafkan saya kalau ada kekurangan atau ada yang tak faham sgt.. coretan di sini tak bermaksud yang saya lebih daripada yang lain, tapi sekadar perkongsian sahaja..

    walau apa2pun, all the best kak wani! moga Allah sentiasa membuka hati kita untuk terima teguran dan didikan daripadaNya..

    kalau ada apa2, insyaAllah saya cuba bantu.. :)

    assalamualaikum wrt..

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  3. wani.. u boleh try sabun taharah (kotak biru) utk samak bila travel. senang dan mudah dibawa.

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  4. mommy's meal is the best :D

    cooking i s easy...ececeehh..macam lah saya rajin sangat masuk dapur..haha

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  5. wani tunjukla..step tuk samak pinggan ...mcm mudah je

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  6. wani guna apa untuk samak tu ek? tanah tu bawak dari malaysia ke? maaf lah saya ni tak pernah travel jauh2..hihihi berangan je ada la :)

    saya tau kenapa your mom rasa lagi excited bila masak kat time travel,
    sebab kita akan guna barang lain dari yang biasa guna, shopping groceries is fun lagi la kat temp[at orang, kita boleh jumpa macam2 benda pelik.. ishh bestnyaaa.. nak travel jugak huhu

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  7. omg wanie, your mum memang rajin. my mum bukan setakat holiday, kat rumah pun x masak. setahun sekali je masak, time raya (-___-)

    n i pun x tau masak langsung...haha

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  8. betul..betul setuju dgn ur mom...mak masak laaaagi sedap!!

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  9. Hi Wani,

    I pun like Fazlinil bawak sabun "taharah" je if I go overseas, senang nak samak..

    Sarah

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  10. that's my family style also! we just got back from Perth and did'nt had dinner or lunch or breakfast outside at all! all cooked by me n my mum hehe. we only had coffee outside :)

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  12. i rasa commenter kat atas ni tak faham entry u ni la...huhu

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  13. best nyer asik holiday..jalan2...suka follow blog wanie..tapi tetibe nak tanya..wani keje ape ek..sebab ari2 tgk pose baju2 casual2..office wear pun lawa2..confirm la bukan gomen..awak keje ape ek?best life cam awak la...

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  14. Omg my dad cooks too when we travel overseas. I totally get the 'mmehh' feeling. Hahaha

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  15. reading this dntry reminds me of my trips kat aussie gold coast n sydney. dah terbiasa ritual memasak, sampai disana pun aku masaaakk!! but we had balance of both eating out n home cook meal (bila rajin) plus u save a lot!!! cuma sometimes u got to enjoy the food outside mmg experience lainn ;)

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