Archive | March, 2017

Was It Really Good?

31 Mar

Last weekend’s getaway for golf was good. We got to play at two golf courses that we’ve never played before – Port Dickson Golf & Country Club and Air Keroh Country Club. Another two off the bucket list, you could say.

I played well but at a cost. My wrist injury flared up again with two consecutive games. Ouch.

It now looks like I cannot do two consecutive games. I need more than 24 hours to recover because it’s too much for the wrist to handle especially when the golf course was dry with hard ground, the rest period needs at least two days or more. Upon every impact, I could feel the pain, ever so slight reverberating in the left wrist during the second game. Ouch again.

It makes me wonder was it really good then? Maybe it was for the ego and confidence in the game but it sure wasn’t good for the old injury!

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Short People Travel Too, Part 2

30 Mar

I must say I was impressed with the ample hooks in the bathroom of Kings Green Hotel at Malacca. It’s rare because most hotels that I have stayed at somehow do not place an importance on their availability, what more on height especially for short travellers. Could this be a hotel star-rating issue? A five-star versus a three-star for such amenities?

I remember when we were in Ipoh in August last year for golf as well, we faced a similar short travellers’ woes…

The hotel we stayed at was boutique-status and you would expect a nicer setup. If having a rain shower facility is considered a nice boutique offering, having no shower curtain certainly spoilt it.  I certainly didn’t place my dry clothes on the covered toilet seat because it’s so close by and water from such a height hitting a body would definitely splash beyond the imaginary demarcation.

In truth, I don’t recall any bathroom hooks (not even on the door) to hang clothes but I do remember the towel rack was placed at such a ridiculous height, it was impossible to use. I understand they may be trying to clear the floor but touching the ceiling? Goodness! How do I place my clothes? Throw them up and hope they land safely on it? Geez.

Maybe the boutique status was more of the coffees and cakes they serve at the lobby? Hmm… Now compare it a five-star hotel…

Several years ago, I was on a business trip to Singapore and stayed at Shangri-La on Orange Grove. Their bathroom was outstanding. Hooks everywhere and at a height a shorty feels right at home. Like I said, are such little details due to the premise’s space and ratings being a higher star-rating with full amenities versus a lower star rating with basics?

You would think that amenities were just stuff in the room and its fridge and bar, but no, additional hooks in the bathroom are actually an amenity too. Think about it the next time you travel…

Society must remember there are short people everywhere and because of this, I think I will start to document this little detail every time I travel from now on.

Ipoh-2016

The square patch above is the rain shower. Too bad I didn’t take a picture of where the towel rack was! 

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Short People Travel Too

28 Mar

Although throughout the school holiday week, we did not go anywhere due to M2 wanting to prepare for her exams, we did go away on the last weekend before school reopened. We joined our golf club for two away-Interclub matches, a 2D/1N trip to Port Dickson and Malacca. It was a good short getaway I must say.

When we stayed overnight in Malacca at Kings Green Hotel, I was impressed with the hotel on two things: the pillows and hooks in the bathroom. The pillows were plump and just right! And the bed was equally good with the right firmness. For once, I didn’t have to whip out my travel pillow, which I brought along, to have a good night’s sleep. And the bathroom hooks! There was ample which is rare, with a row of four hooks at a height that short people appreciates.

This reminds me of our last hotel stay in December last year.

We were in Ho Chi Minh City when M1 was back for her Christmas break. The hotel we stayed at, Sunrise Central Hotel was pretty strategic. Located in District 1, just next to Grand Silverland Hotel (which I stayed at during my June golf trip last year as well), it was within walking distance to food and shopping. The room may be small compared to Grand Silverland’s room but was decent. However, one thing irked me.

There were just not enough hooks to hang clothes in the bathroom and the only one available was way too high! It is as though such tourist hotels are catered only to tall people with an easy reach to hang up their clothes or towel.

The bathroom door actually had a glass panel (unusual with such a feature) and there was no practical place for the hook to be except way above the glass panel. Why didn’t they consider having the hook at the wall right behind the door at a reachable height instead? The hook was at least a good six feet high or more.

I am average in height for an Asian at 156cm (5 feet 1.5 inches), not short but not tall either. When I stretched my arm up to measure the height of the hook, my arm was pretty straight upwards and I still had to be on tip toe to hang my towel. I don’t think this is right, is it? I can’t imagine how my girls dealt with it, as they are slightly shorter than me. Even the closet, the rod inside was pretty high up. Sigh…

Usually when such situations arose, I would, albeit reluctantly just put down the toilet seat cover and place my clean clothes on it because I don’t like to walk into a cold room after a hot shower even with a snugly wrapped towel. All that nice after-shower toasty feeling would be lost immediately once the cold air hits the skin.

Whoever assigned the contractors or installers to put these things up should remember that short people travel too and these things are important to us. And to consider adding another hook in the bathroom as well for practicality. Goodness only knows how clean (or unclean) those toilet seat covers are and for me, after a long day playing tourist, I seriously don’t need to do any yoga stretches in the bathroom to get to my clothes.

 

These babies were so comfy!

 

The row of hooks just above my eyebrows

 

 

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After the School Break

27 Mar

Last week it was the first school break of the year for M2. Daughter dearest was in a bind. Although the thought of going away with us sounded very tempting, she was fretting she needed to prepare for the upcoming exams, scheduled on the Monday (today) when she goes back to school. A sign of the young one having grown up and being responsible? It used to be given a break over the books, the break was chosen.

We were also in a bind. While we were tempted to go away, bringing her along, this would result in her not having any time to study. How does one enjoy whilst on holiday? It doesn’t work this way.

So in the end we stayed put. And I must say we were impressed with her dedication to prepare for the upcoming exams throughout the whole week. Let’s hope the results would yield with the efforts put in.

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Been There Done That

24 Mar

When one is in their teens, their dream is to grow up. Fast. Like M2 now who gets periodic updates from M1 about her life in university, I suspect M2 can’t wait to grow up.

When one is in their 20s, their dream is to see the world. “Wanna be there, gonna do that!” That’s the motto. That was how I was then. During my 20s whenever an opportunity came around, I’d jump at it. Like M1 now who turned 20 in January. When the opportunities are presented, she’d jump at them. Just like mommy.

When one is in their 30s, their dream from the 20s is happening as in “being there, doing that”. That was my life, living every moment and enjoying life to the fullest. Not only we took the opportunity, we made the opportunities happened and are fortunate enough to be living the “being there, doing that” motto.

The next decade, I suppose life takes a turn to tone down. I find the motto in the 40s now (ok, I confess, I am not Forever 38) to be “been there, done that”. Many a time, the enthusiasm and eagerness has simmered down and no longer jumping at opportunities whenever they present themselves. Hmm…

This makes me wonder what the next decade holds. But until then, I am taking one day at a time while M1 goes off on an adventurous road trip for her Spring Break this week.

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The Monet in Me, Part 2

23 Mar

Thoughts of Monet gave me a push to paint for two consecutive Sunday afternoons. The first piece at 8”x24” the weekend prior took two hours only. The second time, I did two pieces – a 10″x14” and a 10”x10” which didn’t take long to complete either. It was rather therapeutic on both occasions.

I must have lost my touch painting for I made a mess not on the marble floor (thank goodness) but on myself. There was paint on my fingers, thigh, ankle and even my eyelids! Goodness.

On top of the mess, I didn’t realize I nicked my thumb with the palette knife on both occasions and even went one step further by accidentally slicing my palm whilst cleaning the knife after I was done painting the first time. Ouch.

But all these efforts was worth it. Am pretty proud of my finished pieces.

 

This tool can slice you effortlessly if not careful!

  

Mood evoking pieces

 

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The Monet in Me

21 Mar

I love Claude Monet the Impressionist artist. Whenever I travel abroad, I always make the effort to visit art museums to view the Impressionist collection and especially to stand in front of a Monet or two to be inspired. I must say Musée d’Orsay ranks up there for me over the Louvre.

This love for Claude Monet started in college. I was very taken with the Impressionist style. One of my early Illustration classes, I did a portrait of Mr Monet. And it was during my summer Painting class that I did further studies on him. I remember one assignment called for us to emulate our choice of artist.

Obviously I chose Claude Monet. And the particular piece I chose was ‘Poplars on the Banks of the River Epte, Seen from The Marsh’ (1892). My two feet by two feet effort still hangs at home in the TV room today.

I loved the Poplar series so much that I recreated the ‘Seen from the Marsh’ piece at a smaller scale of eight by ten inches. The Monet in me then did a little series of my own with two additional interpretations of the poplars. But unlike Monet, I used the palette knife, my choice of tool to paint.

 

The paper may have faded but he’s still looking good!

  

My version of the Poplars

  

My Poplar series

 

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Bubbly!

20 Mar

We are still undecided on what to put in the little aquarium after Tuna went to pet heaven. Initially we left it empty and turned off the water pump. But so devoid of life and energy, it was unbearable. I guess we don’t want to retire the aquarium to the store like the crabarium (hermit crab aquarium) that we have.

So the fake plants went back in and the pump turned on again. Suddenly, it’s so lively and bubbly again until we put in some real live pets that is. 

 

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Temptation is Strong

17 Mar

It’s a good thing that the gum ball machine is not directly in my line of view because I would want to dispense chocolate at every opportunity. Suddenly knowing and having a good supply of chocolate is very tempting.

So strong the temptation that I put out my container of coins right next to the gum ball machine to make life easy whenever I crave some M&Ms. Let’s see how long before all the chocolate is gone.

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Look What I Did!

16 Mar

Stress can sometimes be decision makers. Last week was very stressful with a short bandwidth to work on some design work for an upcoming event. And things culminated to this week and finally the stress session was over.

I wanted chocolate last week but didn’t even have time to open the two bags of M&Ms that I have. Frankly I hid them away from myself. So this week after the work wrapped, I decided to reward myself by filling up my gum ball machine to enjoy my chocolate.

Initially, I opened the Crispy bag and filled the yellow dispenser and was happily dispensing M&Ms to treat myself. No discipline! 

Then I opened the Peanut bag, throwing out all concerns of dust and what nots, and filled the gum ball machine but it wasn’t enough. So I moved all the Crispy M&Ms over to it. And it’s looking really good and enticing.

Seriously I won’t be accessing it freely because I would need coins unlike the yellow dispenser. Controlled eating I’d say. While it’s nice to have easy access to chocolate, it’s not good to be constantly eating it.

Then again maybe I need more chocolate because the yellow dispenser looks so sad and empty. Hmm…

   

Looks like two is not enough!

 

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