Saturday, December 28, 2013

Cafe Hunting: Mugshot Cafe

Cafes have been sprouting up like mushrooms in Penang, especially since Georgetown has been recognized as a Unesco Heritage Site in 2008.
We are actually very outdated, and we haven't joined the crowd in checking them out at all as we were busy with our lives.

But this school holidays, we have been doing some cafe hunting, and been checking out some of these cafes. They are not hidden gems, as they have had thousands of visitors before us. But I would like to share with you our family experience in the cafes we visited. It's not easy lugging two kids on our cafe hunting expedition, but we made do somehow.
I am NOT writing a food review. It is just sharing about our experience as a family to the places we'd visited.

We'd roughly shared our food experience on Roti Bean Cafe at Chulia Street, the day we visited Occupy Beach Street early this month.

Next on the list is Mugshot Cafe, also on Chulia Street.

We've been here a couple of times, and both times are lovely, and that was also the reason why we returned for more than once.

The menu is limited, with only bagel muffins as mains, but boy, they are good.
The choice of drinks list is actually longer than the food list, but since we are not coffee people, half of the drink list is irrelevant to us. Ok, just fyi, both hubby and me can't really take coffee as it makes us dizzy and makes our minds go bonkers. 


But there is a small selection of sides, such as cakes and yogurts. By the way, the yogurt is what making me keep going back there.

This was the first time we went there. We were there for a short breakkie before fetching Shern from school.
11 November 2013

Looks like someone's enjoying his bagel too!

Both times, we ordered the Cream Cheese & Smoked Salmon Bagel Muffin, and also the Ham & Egg Bagel Muffin.
 

The bagel muffins are toasted in this urn thingy, and when it reach our hands, they are crispy on the outside, and yet soft and chewy in the inside. Is really orgasmic. lol.


Although I am a fan of salmon, but I must say that for here, my favourite is the Ham & Egg Salmon Bagel Muffin. I really like the combination of it. But for the other bagel muffin, I must say that they are very generous with the cream cheese spread and also the smoked salmon slices. So I think RM10 is worth it.
And most importantly, I felt full after eating the whole thing all by myself. It's a big portion.

And we also ordered an iced chocolate. (We ordered hot chocolate the first time, but no photos of it). They make really nice chocolate drink, dark and thick.

Shern enjoyed it so much.

And this is the reason why I returned - Yogurt with Jackfruit and Gula Melaka.
At RM10, it is rather pricey, but the portion is quite big, enough for 2. But since hubby doesn't like yogurt, I ate the whole thing all by myself, with an occasional spoonful or two for Khye.

It is homemade yogurt, so it is naturally more soury, but the addition of the jackfruit slices and gula melaka syrup complements the soury yogurt really well. And I love it!

A photo of the boys. We were seated at the front portion of the cafe, just next to the coffee machine. Tables and chairs are old school types, with some made using pellets. They are small in sized yet sturdy even for adults. 
When Shern saw the tables and chairs, he exclaimed that they are for dwarfs. lol.

One thing though. I don't see any baby chairs/high chairs around. As Kkhye is able to sit rather sturdily now, I am not so fussy. But I was still a little afraid he might fall down when he shifts his weight around or something, so I put another chair next to his for some additional support.

Shern was very happy just sitting next to the huge mirror and playing by himself, and also with his toy train.
 

And what about Khye?

Well, he was also busy just staring outside the glass partition, and watched the vehicles/traffic goes by.

Look at him resting his head/chin on the chair.

And that was how hubby and I got some peace finishing our food. Shern with the mirror and his train, and Khye doing some traffic watching. Haha.

And a visit to Mugshot Cafe is never done without taking some mugshots!
Shern.

 Khye, and me with my 2 kiddos.
 

 And just them, the brothers.

On the way home, Shern fell asleep in his booster seat. But Khye somehow got very tickled by something and was laughing non-stop. And I managed to capture a few happy shots of my sunshine cutie pie.

And that summarize our visits to the Mugshot Cafe.
A lovely place with good food which I see myself visiting it again very soon.


Mugshot Cafe
Add: 302, Chulia Street, 10200 Georgetown, Penang
Contact Number: 012-4056276
Business Hours: 8am - 9pm

Friday, December 27, 2013

2013 In Review

I'm inspired to write this post after reading Josie's.

Now that 2013 has almost come to an end, it's time for me to sit down and look through my life this year.

Instead of depending on my rusty memory, I read through my blog and how I documented all the special things we did throughout the year. I'm so glad I am a blogger.

Then I took out my Project Life album and see all those routine stuff we do each week, see my kids funny antics and read about the things they say. Project Life has been fun documenting routine stuff with beautiful papers. The small things matter.

And then I took out my iPhone and scrolled through the photos in Camera Roll. Through there I see even more things. My life is basically captured through my camera, and my phone and most of all my blog. Do you know I have like 9000+ random photos in my phone Camera Roll?

2013 has been a year of challenge for me. It's basically life with having 2 kids. Khye came to our family late of last year and then we grow as a family of 4 this year, going for family holidays in Singapore and KL, and doing many things just the 4 of us.

Being a mum to two is not easy. As Shern grows up to be a very active and cheeky 4 yr old, the duties of caring for a newborn and now toddler starts all over again with Khye.

I learned to be more patient and less hysterical when it comes to dealing with two kids.
I also learned there each child is so different. Shern with his prolonged breastmilk jaundice and being a late talker, and Khye with his nipple confusion and delay in taking solids.
I learned to take one step at a time.

When it comes to friendship, it has also been a wavering year. Some friends just shut me off just because I am now a mother of two and no more joining them for some sessions. Other friends understand. So I learned to stick with friends who accept me for who I am, for the boring mum I am.

And I've got a group of really good childhood friends who we chat almost every day in whatsapp (thank God for smartphone apps!). We are all worlds apart, with some living in another country. But it has been great that we all kinda support each other no matter what.

And being a stay-at-home-mum, I don't have colleagues and many friends. So I really appreciate those few close friends that I have.
Sure, I have so many hundreds of friends in my Facebook account, but only a handful of them whom I'm really close to.

This is also the first year we've been invited to a real Christmas Party. Actually there were 2 invitations this year. So this year is the first for me to buy so many Christmas presents, and guess what, it was fun. It was a good feeling to buy gifts for people and see the smile on their faces.

I'm also grateful of my family support throughout, especially with my kids. And my sis's firstborn, Ethan joined our family in early December. He's such a cutie and I can't wait to see him. My sis is like so many thousand miles away and I do miss her. That's when I'm forever thankful to Whatsapp and Facebook Chat and emails.
And for that also I'm grateful that I have my little sister still in Penang, and that I have my parents staying so near to me.

2013 has also been a fruitful year for me as I do more product reviews. I had the opportunity to work with many great brands and many wonderful people. Doing the thing I love and seeing how the work being paid off is great. It's the little accomplishment that makes me feel good.  

This is the year that we went for house hunting. It has been a tiring yet fun searching for our dream house. We searched for more than half a year before we found something we both like. And now we can strike off #5 in my Life List:
5. Buy a landed property with a spacious garden.
And we hope to move in soon, but first I need to go for furniture hunting and do some really tight budgeting.

And most of all, I am grateful for my hubby for providing us the love and care. It is he who loves us unconditionally even though sometimes I can be the crazy wife. Although hysterical at times, he still showers us much love and being so accomodating. Thank you hubby for everything.

So overall, I think 2013 has been a great year.
After all, I have now learn to be contented and to live life to the fullest in every way we can.

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Conversation With Shern @ 4 1/2 Yrs Old

Conversation With Shern @ 4 1/2 Yrs Old. Some of them I'd posted on Facebook the past few weeks.


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While in the car on the way home,

Shern: Mummy, how does the mermaid shi shi? I cannot see it.
(Both hubby and me were pretty amused by his question, and I think that was a really clever question because I haven't thought about that before)Me: Mermaid shi-shi like those fishes do I think.
Shern: Then where is the mermaid's toilet? When mermaid shi shi, will all the water mix with all the ocean water?
(wow...another clever question!)

Kids are just getting too smart nowadays!


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Shern: Daddy, just now you knocked my leg so painful.
Daddy: Sorry.
Shern: Sorry to who? Sorry to the wall ah?

(lol, he must have learned this from school or something. But it was hilarius when we heard it the first time!)


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Shern: Mummy, cannot say 'lah' right? Then I will say 'loh', can or not?

(haha, by the way, Shern is a typical Malaysian with all the 'lah' and 'loh' and 'wan'. All from us I guess!)


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Shern says he wanted to get married. I told him you need to be an adult first. Then find a girl you like and likes u back. Then he can get married.

Shern thought for awhile and said he knows who's the girl. I asked who's that.

Shern: Aunty Pauline Ooi!
Me: But she already married Uncle Chun Hoer, so she cannot marry you.
Shern: But she is so pretty when she wedding with Chun Hoer!
(Shern was the ring bearer at their wedding, so he especially loved that wedding!)

Hoho....beware, my son's a bride snatcher!!!


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I saw Shern fidgeting with his pants and knew that he wanted to pee.

Me: Shern, go toilet shi-shi pls.
Shern: But I just shi-shi in the house.
Me: Go shi-shi when you have to go.
Shern: Cannot hold shi-shi, if not will become rock.
(I told him about kidney stones before if you hold your pee)
Me: Yes, and you will be sick.
Shern: Golden rock.
Me: what golden rock?
Shern: Coz my shi-shi is yellow so will become golden rock lor..
Me: "_"



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Shern saw a sumo wrestler photo of a Japanese restaurant logo, and he asked 'What is this GORRILA doing here?' Lol


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Shern: I need to look at my train for a long time so that I can dream about it at night.

(Boys and his trains.
)


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Saturday, December 21, 2013

Family Photoshoot When Khye Turned One - Part 3: Four In The Family


September 2013 - Four In The Family


This is the Family Photoshoot When Khye Turned One - Part 3: Four In The Family (click here for Part 1: Khye, and Part 2: Shern)

I love, love, love taking nice family photos. And we don't usually take photos as a family often because either hubby or me will be the cameraman. So I really appreciate when someone is kind to offer to take family photos of us when we are out.

And I must say Karen did a great job.
Let me stress this, it is simply not easy to take family portraiture with young kids.

It was difficult to get my 2 kiddos to look at the camera at the same time. Or even to cooperate to sit/stand in a certain position. And it was nearly impossible to get Khye to pose, but he was being cute just by being himself.

Shern was being such a ruckus then and he made so much noise that Khye was looking at his brother all the time, and not at the camera.
And so Karen miraculously whipped out some props to catch Khye's attention to look at the camera. Out came a big flower, and also some toys with sounds. That got Khye interested.
But then it got Shern interested in the props and toys as well, and he wanted them too. What a headache, right?

But yet, Karen did it, without us feeling too fuzzed out or something. We were still looking very happy. Kids were still happy and smiling. And she got to capture these amazing photos of the four of us.



A more closed-up shot of us.

And lastly, a precious Couple Shot of just hubby & me.
A very rare photo indeed. It has been such a long time since we had a decent photo of just the 2 of us, without the kids. Thanks Karen.

Thanks again Karen for such wonderful photos.
You are really wonderful.


Photo Credits - Karen Sim from The K Studio

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Family Photoshoot When Khye Turned One - Part 2: Shern

September 2013 - Shern @ 4 years 3 mths

This is Family Photoshoot When Khye Turned One - Part 2: Shern (click here for Part 1: Khye)

Shern is now a big boy at 4 yrs 3 mths. But his favourite is still trains.
Sure he has other favourites as well such as pirates and mickey mouse, but nothing can beat his favourite trains. He loves trains so much it scares me sometimes. He even prays to God at night asking Him to let him dream about trains. How about that?

Haha, so it is inevitable that some of the photos of him are with his favourite trains.


Shern can be such a charming boy when he is in the right mood,
He has such a natural smile and laughs so widely and easily when he is happy.

Look at his expression here. Priceless.

I like that Karen captured Shern's many different expressions. This is one of them. Shern having a moment of 'sigh, I'm so tired' kinda expression.

Shern with Daddy.
Do they look alike? Many say they do.


And this is Shern having some fun with Daddy.


And then is time for Shern and Mummy.
Love our smiles.


Stay tuned again for Part 3: Four In The Family.


Photo Credits - Karen Sim from The K Studio

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