Campus Life: Food

Living in the university’s campus is like camping. You know that you are not going to stay there forever, but you wish to stay there forever because it’s fun, friends all around you, sleeping late, doing things that we not normally do at home, freedom... pretty much like camping.

Maybe I’m speaking this for myself because some people dislike camping and would not be able to relate with what I’m saying here. But that’s okay.

Usually while camping, one needs to save a lot. You cannot eat as much as you want – this will lead to insufficient ration. So, one will need to stock in proper food supplies and plan your meal. In campus, it is also the same thing. Without a control rationing to our daily meals, it may lead to obesity lifestyle, and also financial instability.

Now, I can testify to you that I failed in that area while I was in USM Penang. I did not plan my meals properly. What can I do, I had a room-mate who had an endless supplies of junk food. To make matters even worst, around the perimeter of the university there are five 24-hours Nasi Kandar stall. I think the biggest health threat to me in three years while in USM is eating Subaidah’s Nasi Lemak Ayam 5 days continuously at 3 in the morning.

The sin of gluttony... guilty as hell.

But... it is different now in UKM Bangi. I eat one meal per-day, usually lunch. And if I’m hungry, instant noodle will be use to ‘menahan perut’ (before that I check if it’s enough to last until end of the month). It’s all about planning, now I know that the cheapest instant noodle is Mee Sedap (The ‘sup’ one not the ‘goreng’), it is only RM2.20 for 5packets. Beat the hell out of the rest in term of price.

Side track a bit: My first time eating instant noodle here was funny. After preparing hot water, i poured into my bowl with the instant noodle in it. After waiting for 3minutes, it’s finally ready to be eaten.... and then I realised... I don’t have... Chopsticks or even fork and spoon.

In UKM Bangi, there are still Nasi Kandar stall around, not many but a few, scattered around, far apart from each other. But it’s a drag to travel to the place because it’s inconvenient – huge roundabout, one way street, parking and the ‘Pegawai Keselamatan’. So, it’s better to wait in your room and hope some of the students walk past your room shouting “NASI LEMAK! NASI LEMAK! BURGER! BURGER! SERINGGIT SAJE! SERINGGIT SAJE!” who normally won’t come.

Campus lifestyle is very much like camping... careless and we leave everything to chances.