Edisi: Meeting the Ladies

Assalamualaikum. Annyeong!

Ok rehat dari cerita solo adventure gue. Muntah darah sudah aku meninguk terlampau banyak pictures in the hard disc. Pening kepala kunun memilih. P to the Yo!

Anyways, yesterday I was supposed to have luncheon date with my 2 ever beloved ladies. Dayang & Yang. Rhythm comel pula nama dorang ni ah. Right, patut lunch together but due to penyebab yang menjelma tiba²' we changed the plan to dinner instead. Since Yang will be coming with her two lil soldiers so we decided to meet up near her place.

IOI Mall in Puchong was the place suggested for the meet up. Thanks to Ezza's navigation system in her car, we managed to be there before the two ladies. Without any hassles it was. Alhamdulillah tiada lagi kejadian sesat jalan everytime keluar ngedate sama kawan² di Semenanjung ni. Upon entering the main entrance, I told Ezza I would like to dine at this restaurant called Little Pantry which I saw on our way to the mall. Yang arrived few minutes after us. And coincidentally when I asked Yang where to dine; she suggested that very restaurant. Instinct comel di situ. Yang thought the reason why is because of the decoration...but honestly speaking, I didn't see the interior from the parking area. Cuma tertarik sama signboard dia di luar...macam menarik. Ehem, memang terlebih attractive ok. 

Before tunaikan permintaan Ibu & aunties untuk bergosip chat session, kena tunaikan request the soldiers first. Cukup 2 rounds, we headed to the restaurant. Perut sudah nyanyi lagu KRU.

The eldest; Adam personally requested me to snap this picture. Memang potpet mamat kecil ni...demanding ndak hengat. Unlike his lil brother yang suka buat hal sendiri & sangat independent. I was about to take another picture of the two boys when Adam looked at me & said "Cukup. Perut Adam sakit, jom masuk cepat nak makan. Lapar." Hmmm aunty Bibie pun terpaksa lah mengalah! Kapten sudah bagi arahan.

Daebak!! Speechless habis masa tengok restoran ni dari luar. Yang surely knows what could cheer me up. Cheh macam kau dalam mood down kan Bie. Padahal ever since balik dari cuti, maaaaakan jak kerja kau. Fine, let's put aside the 'worry over the weight' kinda thing for now. 

Waiter tu pula kasi kami meja yang betul² facing this PINK cabinet. With  PINK  flowers as decoration...sila jangan imagine betapa getek aku di situ. This place definitely a dedicated place for dearest Ernie as well.

Yang & I love this space! And I have started dreaming to have my own cafe...with this kind of concept! Fuh, berangan free so ndak payah risau.

More tables at the back...near the counter. 

Room designated for celebration i.e birthday, anniversary, annual meeting etc. If only aku stay di Kolumpur, harus request birthday buat di sini. The environment isn't only suitable for children ok, yang ndak berapa mau children pun ngam.

Time to 'study' the menu. Selection of food; checked. They offered quite a variety. Price-wise too. Serious ndak sangka konsep kedai gitu...tapi harga affordable gila. Unlike the one I dined at with Ezza at Suria Sabah last time. Deco vavavum, harga cekik tekak...taste nan ado. 

Adam wasn't at his best mood when Yang took this pic. Mamat demanding sudah marah sebab makanan lambat sampai. He continued complaining about his empty stomach. Mula tu dia excited when given the drawing to color.  But eventually coloring isn't what attract him already. Budak² kan cepat bosan...haruslah moody kalau sudah lapar. Just like us; adults. 

Adik maintain macho. Suara sangat mahal. And paling ndak best, he addressed Dayang as Kakak. Hmm mesti Adik confused Kak Bibie sama Aunty Dayang ni.

After nearly an hour of waiting...the food finally arrived. Tu pun kedai sudah half closed! Despite the awing interior, I think service is what they should focus more. Yang dined here several times already & never once thing as such happened. Just not our luck lah kali kan. Makanan menjelma pun after we started asking about our orders...and after si Yang tunjuk taring seorang ibu. Never mess with an angry mother, ara?

My Portobello Mushroom Salad. Alkisah si Err mau diet(???) jadi makan grilled potato & mushrooms jak lah. Sekali sampai rumah macam orang kebulur, menjamah maggi Laksa semangkuk lagi. Dasar!

Ezza & Dayang ordered this too. Nasi Bulgoji ndak silap. Sambal quite yummy so aku kasi credit sikit lah. Didn't get to snap the food Yang shared with Adam. Also Dayang's husband's. Perut sudah lapar kot...as it was getting late, aktiviti klik kamera sudah decreased. 

But a group photo isn't something I should miss. Due to being too occupied to chatting & updating last time we met, we forgot the most important 'thing'. Therefore before departing, one kenangan²an picture with my beloved ladies harus diambil.

Alhamdulillah despite our busy lives, we managed to keep in touch with each other. After the rough road we went through in the past; we chose to stand next to each other. Up to this moment, it grows even stronger. For we know, the arguments that happened between us is none other than merely to strengthen our friendship. 12 sour-bitter-sweet years has it been...and I pray it to last forever. Insya Allah, amin.

eryantierdabdulkarim

Solo Adventure: Part 7 - Stratford Upon Avon

Situated in the county of Warwickshire; a merely 45minutes train ride from Warwick Train Station...is a historic town called Stratford-upon-Avon. A hometown to the infamous poet & playwright; Mr. William Shakespeare. Ok siapa ndak kenal Shakespeare; sila google. 

Visit to this place was indeed impromptu. It was Ernie *who else could it be* whom suggested me to go here after 'conquering' the Warwick Castle. Thus I had to forego my return Warwick to Birm ticket, nasib baik burned £3.50 jak because I decided to follow Ernie's suggestion. Bought a new ticket from Warwick to Stratford...and later went back to Birm straight from there. Journey to Birm takes about an hour. 

And yes; I did not regret my decision on the last minute plan. Stratford is a beautiful town. Old buildings are well maintained, just like in Oxford. Minus the carvings though. Centre of the town is quaint & attractive. It is built on the river Avon. The name 'straet-ford' indicated that it was a river crossing. 

Paid an extra of £11 for the Warwick-Stratford-Birm ticket. It's not like everyday I could go to Stratford. 

Main attraction of this town; in which it benefits the most. The very house where Shakespeare had spent his childhood. It took me less than 10mins to reach this house from the train station. By foot it was. Once u're out from the station, walk along the road...leaving the station behind. On the 2^nd traffic light, take the first junction on ur left. Walk ahead until u see the sign, the house is on the right side & it's impossible to miss the house. 

Upon entering the entrance hall, we were entertained with some of the movie inspired from Shakespeare.

A restored 16^th-century half timbered house located in Henley Street. Typical of house at that time, it was constructed in wattle & daub around a wooden frame.

Traditional door knob. Antic habis.

Glass windows inscribed with signatures of visitors to the house over centuries. 

View to Henley Street from the upper level of the house. 

The desk where I was told Shakespeare used to write his 'arts'.

Birthroom.

Ignore the fire extinguisher. Kacau gambar betul. Ngek.

Shakespeare Visitors Centre is the one with the modern glass & concrete building. It is the headquarters of Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. And also the gift shop.

Because the town benefits lots from the tourism & cultural activity, they strive to preserve those buildings that have survived since Shakespeare's time. I couldn't find any skyscrapers in this town. Semua pun bangunan renek² belaka. And like any other towns I've visited since I arrived the UK, the people preferred walking. Berjangkit sama aku memang ketagih lah...tapi sampai Malaysia terus poyo memanjang naik kereta kan.

Combination of old & new. Phone cum ATM booth. Creative & save ruang. 

Relax gila jalan sini...

Out from the historic house, turned left. Walk straight until u find a roundabout & these tudor houses. Take the 2^nd exit, walk again until u see a bridge. Take right & voila...arrive at the Bancroft Gardens. 

Canal Basin formed the terminus of the Stratford-to-Birmingham canal. 

Sungai tenang, ndak tau lah ada buaya ka ndak.

Itik segar bugar pun bersantai. Sun-bathing perhaps? 

Little & big figures are scattered around in this garden. I didn't get to 'meet' all of them as I was already worn out from too much walking. Serius, tapak kaki aku melecet ndak hengat yet I didn't feel the pain maybe because of the weather. It was rather windy & kaki aku pun ala-beku gitu. 

William Shakespeare seated at the acme overlooking figures of his literature characters featured in some of his plays. 

Bubble drink shop...pink ok! I passed sebab cuaca sudah sejuk, nostrils filled with blood clots...jangan kau ada hati mau beli yang berais sana.

Sampai Stratford pun around 2p...leka wandering around I didn't realized the clock had already strike to 430p. Shops closes at 5p...and it started to drizzle already. Maka niat untuk visit Shakespeare's wife's cottage adalah ke laut. Sorry Anne Hathaway Cottage I can't make it this time...insya Allah one day I will be back.

Kenapa perlu sweet gila building ni? Saw it on my way to Shakespeare Birthplace... memang planned to snap this picture on my way back. 

Savior of the day. Before leaving the town, I stopped by at the 99pence store where all the items sold at 99pence. Like, perlukah itu pun mau dibagitau kan. Bought this plaster to cover my blisters. Huduh sudah tapak kaki ku namun pengalaman yang dikutip ndak tertanding. Sungguh manis!

p/s Kalau takut sesat or unsure with the route, always...always bring along a printed route map to ur destination. Like I did. Just in case kau jadi malas mau jadi friendly to ask around. Or at least google it through the live street view app. Dapat imagine how the surrounding is so once u're there, ndak lah kau blur habis. Oh yeah, aku selalu berangan ndak hengat so aku selalu ja main app tu. Kunun pasang impian mau jejak the real place.

eryantierdabdulkarim