On the road again

As strange as it sounds I am blogging during my family vacation. If you have been following my blog, you’d noticed that this is my 3rd visit to Penang this year. It seems like every school holiday in 2009, we come to Penang for vacation. We love Penang that much! Hahaha...the truth is Penang is the most convenient location for us – it’s on the way back to my beloved hometown Alor Setar.

Hence, for us it’s kinda like “sambil menyelam sambil minum air”. We get 2-in-1, a good vacation and balik kampong trip. This time we are spending 4D/3N here. On the 4th day, I’ve already gained 3kg (thanks to the faithful weighing machine in the hotel’s bathroom) – hard to believe but true indeed, a kilo a day. My tummy has ballooned like a 3-month pregnant woman. No joke!

Before we dwell into my incredible weight gain, let’s talk about the hidden fact about school holiday vacation – how it has become an obligation for us parents to take the kids for a vacation. Every school holiday the first thing my kids would ask me was “Momma, we are we going for a vacation?” And every school holiday, I have to crack my head to devise a vacation plan that fits our tiny budget and taking into consideration other constrains as well. It’s not easy to travel with 4 kids (1 of them a young toddler) and a maid. Everything becomes expensive when you have a party of 7.

If we didn’t take them somewhere, more specifically to a HOTEL (regardless of the location), they would put on their long face for the entire school holiday. To my kids vacation=staying at a hotel (I’m sure this rule applies to lots of other kids as well). Back when I was a kid, school holiday means sleepover at cousins’. The difference between me and my kids are like langit & bumi!

In conclusion, apart from our obligation to feed, provide a shelter and school them, we need to add 'vacation' as an additional duty to our kids. What a lucky bunch!

Now back to my weight gain, here are the contributing factors:

Day 1
- breakfast @R&R Rawang (I had nasi lemak)
- nasi campur @Taiping (during a brief stopover at Taiping Zoo on the way to Penang)
- mee ketam @Kuala Juru (the best mee I'be ever eaten)
- nasi kandar Beratur @Jln kapitan Kling (I had to beratur for exactly an hour for our turn. The name of the place really befits the act of having to queue for a loooong time for a plate of rice. I had this at 11pm. I usually don't eat past 9pm but being in Penang made me wanna eat 24/7)
Day 2
- breakfast @hotel (as usual I'd stuff myself silly at hotel breakfast - this really is a mystery for me. I am not a breakfast person but when it comes to hotel buffet breakfast, I'd eat till my stomach can't take it anymore)
- pasembor, sotong kangkung, chee chong fun, etc @Gurney Drive (yes, I ate all of these plus a bowl of cendul)
- McDonald's (I had prosperity burger and plenty of fries)
Day 3
- breakfast @hotel
- laksa Janggus @Kampung Perlis, Balik Pulau (I had 3 bowls of laksa and pisang goreng. This place is really a jewel)
- durian @Balik Pulau
- nasi Biryani & murtabak @Hameediyah (I had both. But I love their nasi biryani more. I can just eat the nasi without the condiments. It's the best nasi biryani ever!)
Day 4
- breakfast @hotel
- biryani @Hameediyah (again!)

I wanted to upload the pictures of the eateries, but the process is taking way to long *sigh*. Since I am not a very patient chick, no pix here my friends. I am currently at my mom's where the eating spree continues...God help me!