Temptations of the Golden Arches.

Prologue: All it need was an email to provide me enough jolt of reality. Received email on Sunday, finished powerpoint for my paper's presentation next week the next evening and received the edited version at night. Yes, I will be heading down south...to Shah Alam to attend a conference in which I will make my debut paper presentation as an academic! OMGWTFBBQ! *nervous SPAZZ!* Well, at least I am done with the powerpoint. There's something that bothered me though: if it took me two and a half hour just to cut and paste materials from my published paper into powerpoint form, what about writing a chapter for my thesis then? *DIES* omgiamgettingnowhereomg. I need more reading, more inspiration, more brewing! Channel some energy to me! *gone bonkers*

Story background: There are a couple of promotions going on right now over McDonald's and I fell for it because I am a sucker for promotion. Enjoying luxuries at reduced price can be considered as a part of the austerity measures, right?

Since last Friday, Grilled Chicken Burger or GCB, one of their more premium (comparatively) offering has been included in their usual McValue Lunch meal at RM9.95 (M) compared to RM11.95 when it was still considered as premium offering which is the same as Spicy Chicken McDeluxe and Ayam Goreng McDonald! Definitely a must have!

So immediately on the last Saturday (July 9 aka Bersih 2.0 Day or "The Day Malaysian Rise Up Against Injustice" and got teargassed and water-cannoned.) like any penny-pinching but still longing for materialistic pleasure Malaysian went there for lunch. Because I woke up later than usual (Stayed up way too late just to blog.), I missed my breakfast and opted for a sumptuous lunch instead. Yes, I ordered large. Price tag: RM12.00, exactly the price (or even cheaper) before promotion!

McValue Lunch GCB set that comes with large soft drink, large fries and McShakers bag and powder! McShaker Fries is back yo! *shake shake*

McShaker Fries with BBQ seasoning powder. *shake shake*

Even though the lettuce looks kinda blergh, but at least the juiciness of the grilled chicken meat made up for it. Verdict: Worth it especially since it's available in McValue lunch.

Meanwhile, McDonald's is having yet another Mid-Month promo which is two ala carte Double Cheeseburger for the price of one! All we need to do is to print out their coupon from link posted over McDonald's Facebook page and present it on purchase. I did exactly that back in June when they have promo for their Chicken McNuggets for two dinners as an extra side for my usual bland instant noodle dinner.

I was having second thought about this promotion because unlike Chicken McNuggets, two burgers can be...how do I say this...filling. So I didn't give much thought about it after that and fast forward til today (13 July) which is the last day for the promotion, the idea of getting the promo burgers for lunch pops up in my mind again. While I wondered aloud over Facebook, Tauke Owen mentions that it's usually the fries and the coke that made us full, not the burgers. (Isn't it somewhat ironical that it's the sides that makes us full, not the main course though to be fair, fast food is hardly full course meal.) So there I was on a whim printed a promotion coupon and head over to McDonald's as the clock strikes 12noon!

And like last time, I printed it in full colour.

Reach after about 15 minutes of walking and phew the line was still short. It was my turn not too long after and while the staff is tending my order, the outlet was suddenly swarmed by the lunch time people (I can see it from a handful of photocopied coupons!) and long lines were formed immediately I picked up my order for takeaway! Phew, consider my timing very lucky or otherwise I would've end up stuck at the back of a long line hungry and tired.

The reflection kinda blocked the sight inside but it's very crowded as if it's like SUDDENLY, PEOPLE.

And there I was awfully satisfied with myself walking back to my room with two double cheeseburgers in a bag. Oh right, the price tag? RM6.30 (with tax). TOTALLY WORTH THE TRIP. Best of all, they clipped the coupon with my receipt and give it back to me unlike last time during McNuggets promo. Maybe they were thinking about whether I will be coming back later for dinner...*look at the clock* Look, it's 11pm. Still have one hour to go before midnight! *Ok I am joking*

Lihatlah! Dua Burger Keju Berganda! Nikmat berganda, kegembiraan berganda!

I had instant noodle as well before chowing the two Double Cheeseburgers (yeah, I really took the fact that it's fries and coke that make us full very seriously. It's lunch! I wanna be full!) and by the time I devoured the second Double Cheeseburger, I feel full and satisfied. OMNOMNOM. Double patties, double cheese, double enjoyment on the double with promotion!

Looks like I might have a thing to look forward to every month now. Next month's fasting month (Ramadan) so definitely there will be promo during late evening. *Bad ideas popped up in my mind!*

Epilogue: Plenty of backlogs (like wrapping up Bersih 2.0, Syahmi's time in Penang and South Sudan's Independence) but all too little time and motivation. My brain is as erratic as headless fly. Not mention that I should be doing more reading.