Last week, I thought it would be business as usual after the festivities, holiday breaks, and travel. But one week in, I misread the situation.
My activities (pickleball and golf) are affected by my scheduling and health issues. No big scare, so nothing to worry about; just my annual medical check-up. It was deferred from last year, and the follow-up appointment needs to, well, be followed up.
Now, my doctor is very popular at the medical center. More than half the patients at the waiting lounge are waiting to see him. On our last visit, after waiting more than four hours, we couldn’t wait any longer; hence, we rescheduled the appointment for today. And there are 50 patients ahead of us! Yikes.
Is it normal to have 50 patients ahead each time? No, usually there are about 30 ahead of us. The situation is not business as usual. The good doctor had been on leave. And upon his return, all the appointments piled up, ours included. Oh well.
The situation calls for practicing patience, so we have to be patient patients. Hahaha, so lame.
You know the holidays are over when routine kicks in once again. The girls are back to work, and our weekly activities are business as usual. I did not realize we actually took a five-week break from pickleball. With the festivities and long holiday stretches towards the end of last year, and our recent New Year trip to Chiang Mai, that is quite a stretch!
Last week, we played our first pickleball game for the new year, and it felt good to sweat despite the cool air-conditioned court. There were nine of us, and two courts, at two hours each! No wonder everyone worked up a sweat. Hahaha.
The weekly golf games have also resumed. This year, I’d like focus on participating more in events organized by our club, such as monthly medal games and tournaments. It will be beneficial to build my mental strength by competing in these games rather than just playing casual matches with friends. It doesn’t mean fewer social games, but more club-organized games. A busy year ahead, and I’m looking forward to it.
Last week, we flew to Chiang Mai, Thailand, for three rounds of golf. It was just the four of us: hubby and I, along with two friends. The weather in Chiang Mai was excellent! I’m glad we chose this destination over Jakarta for our trip when we were deciding where to go.
The temperature was around 14 to 15 degrees Celsius every morning, which made it wonderful to play in such comfortable conditions. By noon, when we finished our game each day, it was still cool. And being buggy to the ball on the fairway for all three courses, we hardly broke a sweat.
At Alpine Golf ResortChiang Mai Highlands and Summit Green Valley
We played at Alpine Golf Resort, Chiang Mai Highlands Golf & Spa Resort, and Summit Green Valley Chiang Mai Country Club. All three courses were enjoyable, yet challenging as well. And for the first time, after-game foot massage was unnecessary for the whole trip! Amazing.
The highlight of the trip was definitely the food—there were so many palate-pleasing gastronomic delights! Then again, on this trip, we ate at Michelin-level restaurants, something we never did when in Bangkok. Somehow, Chiang Mai’s cuisine has more finesse and flavor than the options in Bangkok. However, this is unfair to say because I have yet to visit a Michelin-level restaurant in Bangkok. Can’t compare apples with oranges, right?
At Ekachan Ethnic Thai CuisineWantan noodle choices and Vanilla Coke!At Baan Landai Fine Thai Cuisine
Anyway, besides the two Michelin-level restaurants, we had noodles in a roadside shop and food from a food court in Nimman Square. To cap off the wonderful trip, the shopping after golf was so satisfying! I cannot recall the last golf trip being so relaxed and carefree. I have added several new golf shirts to my wardrobe.
Doi Suthep templeWat Rajamontean
All in all, every aspect of the first golf trip of the year was excellent! From the company, the golf courses, the sights, to the food and shopping, I am blessed to kick off 2026 with a memorable start. More to come? Definitely.
What better way to kick off the new year than to go on a golfing trip with friends? A very Happy New Year indeed.
It was an impromptu trip planned within a few short months. We decided to keep the group micro small, as such, there are only four of us, unlike previous golf trips, where there were 16 to 20 people.
Anyway, four is enough to make a flight, and it’s perfect. I hope this will be the start of many more trips for 2026! Yay.
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