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Happy Valentine’s Day

14 Feb

It’s Valentine’s Day today, so Happy Valentine’s, people! A day to celebrate love and all things mushy. But has it been a bed of roses lately? I’m afraid not.

Cases have been on the uptrend the past few days – it’s alarming! But we have been staying home as much as possible, minimizing the need to go out.

So rather than going out for a romantic dinner, it’s nothing of that sort for us. We will be staying home for a home-cooked meal on this special day. Regardless of the occasion, I cannot stress enough, better to stay safe than sorry.

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What a Journey! Part 2

4 Feb

We came home on the second day of the Lunar New Year. And what a journey it was. So unlike the trip when we went, this return trip was so much more pleasant and unexpected.

There was hardly any traffic build-up along the way and smooth sailing all the way home. Another record of sorts as we made it home in five and a half hours with just two stops only. As far as I can remember, we never made it home in this time frame. Usually, it would take between seven to nine hours. And there was once we did it in ten hours.

It is nice to be back and chill at home. I’m not even working on my miniatures. For once, doing nothing at home feels great! Visits to family or friends are minimal, if not none. There’s now the Omicron, and we are being extra careful not to go out unnecessarily.

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A Simple Reunion

1 Feb

Unlike past Reunion Dinner gatherings where most family members made the journey, this Reunion Dinner is a simple gathering of just six people for a steamboat dinner.

Even the dinner spread was simple and nothing extravagant. The occasion was more for being with the elders, who are fine and healthy, than the food.

But a trip back to hubby’s hometown is not complete without playing some golf! We managed to play two games. And we had the golf course all to ourselves as there were hardly any other golfers at all. You can tell by the absence of golfers when the tee box has a giant mushroom (in the foreground) as big as the tee box marker (in the background)!

Look at that mushroom!

The first game quickly turned into a case of being lucky and unlucky at the same time. My ball landed right on the line in the middle of the fairway for the NTL (nearest to line) novelty, held a day earlier! Oh well, but the thrill of this achievement was pretty exhilarating.

Right on the line!

We ushered in the Year of the Tiger without much fanfare – there were no fireworks at the stroke of midnight, which worked out well for us for a peaceful night.

As we welcome the Tiger, here’s wishing everyone ‘Gong Xi Fa Cai’, and may you have a roaringly successful year ahead despite the pandemic still being around. Count your blessings, be happy and stay healthy!

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What a Journey!

31 Jan

On Saturday, we left town to head North to hubby’s hometown. What a journey we had! The highway authorities had advised travelers heading that way to begin their journeys before 10 am to avoid congestion. So we did, albeit a little bit late, at precisely 9.51 am.

Heavy traffic in both directions

And dang, we drove smack into the worst snarl ever! Our past pre-Chinese New Year Reunion Dinner journeys were typically a six-hour drive from our home to hubby’s parents’ home.

This time, it took us 6.5 hours to reach Ipoh! Not even halfway to our final stop. This stretch is usually a 2.5 hours drive, but not on Saturday. It was a terrible drive. I wouldn’t even call it a drive but a crawl.

All in all, it took us ten hours to arrive, a record drive for a journey that would usually take 4.5 hours during the non-festive time.

But we were in good spirits as we had packed all the comforts in the car for the trip. And we knew there would be traffic woes, however, we didn’t expect it to be this bad.

It’s okay, this trip is for a good reason and that is to have the Reunion Dinner with the old folks, an occasion that we have missed out on the last two years because of the pandemic, lockdowns, and travel restrictions.

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A Symbolic Growth

28 Jan

The preparations to usher in the Lunar New Year are almost complete! We finally put up the red cloth for the entrance this morning. And we got it right this time, having measured the hanging points and having two ladders to put up both sides in one go.

I had a pleasant surprise this morning when I was in the garden. There was a new pineapple fruit growing! How fortunate as a pineapple signifies prosperity and its timely growth is symbolic of welcoming the Year of the Tiger on a good note!

With two days left to the Reunion Dinner, I’d like to take this opportunity to wish all travelers a safe journey, and to everyone, a happy and prosperous Lunar New Year!

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Indulgent Shopping

25 Jan

The Lunar New Year is next week, my goodness! There are a lot of last-minute preparations to usher in the Year of the Tiger. Like shopping for new clothes, for instance!

The last two years, with the pandemic and lockdowns, we were homebound and did not venture out to the malls at all. There were grocery runs to our local grocer nearby, and basically, essentials but not indulgent shopping.

During the MCO phases, online shopping was my go-to if I wanted to buy non-essential things. And even then, it was mostly to buy my miniature sets and carving tools. But no clothes.

So over the weekend, we took the opportunity to go on a shopping spree to buy new clothes as it is the last weekend to shop. With no more restrictions on interstate travel, it will be a traffic nightmare next weekend when city-dwellers begin the exodus for Reunion Dinners with the family and loved ones afar.

I, for one, who usually buy golf clothes, suddenly find myself buying Chinese New Year clothes. I bought not one but two Cheong Sam outfits! It must be the festivity in the air or the sudden freedom to be able to go out and try clothes on.

My two lovely and elegant outfits

For someone who does not wear or buy dresses often, the purchases were an incredible feat by my standards. Well, lockdowns change people and their outlook in life, I suppose. I look forward to wearing the outfits to welcome the Year of the Tiger with good vibes and have a roaring celebration, pun intended.

Lion Dance at the mall

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DIY Project #23, Part 2

24 Jan

DIY project number 23 is moving on at a good pace. I had the weekend off from golf and had time to sit down to work on it. But I fear this pace will be interrupted because Chinese New Year is just around the corner!

And there is much to prepare before we usher in the Year of the Tiger. Nonetheless, I’ll try to squeeze in as much time as possible on my project. Hopefully, during the Lunar New Year holiday, there is time for me to continue with it as we anticipate minimal visiting or going out.

Perhaps I should set a deadline to complete it instead of just going with the flow and mood.

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A Terrible Start, Part 2

4 Jan

It looks like the negative vibes coming into the New Year have continued. Boo hoo hoo. When will I shed this?

On New Year’s day, we caught a rat, only for it to escape the next day! How did the rat manage to open the cage door? What stumped us was the unexplained fact that the cage was across the garden and on its side, and not at the original spot where we left it? Did the rat have assistance from the garden squirrels or otherwise? Creepy.

Lucky rat, it survived this round, but we will get it next time.

My first golf game for the New Year was a disastrous outing. Strange, considering just a week ago, I played one of my best games. And as if this was not demoralizing enough, I slipped and fell on the second hole. Although I was not injured, the mishap was enough to wreck the mental approach to the game. It was a downhill performance for the rest of the 16 holes. Sigh.

And last night, the aquarium pump started acting up with strange noises! It’s a brand new unit, hardly a year old, and this happened. I can cry with all these unfortunate happenings.

To top off the terrible start, my golf game this morning was even worse than Sunday’s game! I hope this is now rock bottom because when you’re right at the bottom and cannot go any lower, moving upwards is the next step.

I can only hope this belief will hold when I play my next game on Thursday. Let’s hope this terrible start to the New Year ends by then.

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A Terrible Start

3 Jan

My new year got off to a terrible start. On New Year’s Eve, I scalded my fingers while preparing dinner. Ouch! We decided to eat at home than be out somewhere crowded to usher in the New Year. It was the beginning of more misfortunes.

The yummy cheese board

The dinner spread was simple and easy to prepare. The ham and cheese board especially was good, and I ended up eating a little too much cheese than I should. Tsk, tsk.

Then right before the countdown began, I started feeling nausea. Oh no. My Endometriosis problem of not agreeing with dairy has suddenly resurfaced. It must be the cheese more than anything else! I threw up half my dinner right when the fireworks went off!

It was spectacular, my retching and not the fireworks. In my moment of discomfort, the external background noise and celebration were happening! What a terrible start to kick off the new year. Could it be any worse?

Well, right before dinner, I found out I had one outstanding traffic summon that I never even knew! The comforting consolation was settling before midnight to enjoy the discounted rate.

Sigh, what a start I am having. I can only look upon these misfortunes as clearing all the negative chi to face the year better.

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The Year That Wasn’t Again

31 Dec

The never-ending year 2021 finally concludes today. I look back, and what a year it has been! I feel history has repeated itself, with the year being another year that fell short of expectations like 2020 because the pandemic has dragged on.

When the nation went into lockdown again in May, we were short-changed for several months to have a good year. And the lockdowns implemented under the Movement Control Orders (MCO) had so many versions, I lost track of it all.

But life goes on. With what we had experienced in 2020, we handled 2021 a little better. We became more accepting of the situation and were more productive, and the hobbies picked up in the year before continued. We also got vaccinated against the Covid-19 virus, and it was our passport to venture out (if needed) without hassle.

Towards the end of the year, I picked up another new hobby – felting. What fun this turned out to be! Felting is immensely enjoyable and therapeutic when I am not carving or crafting miniatures as it is a short and fast activity to complete.

Looking back, being home this time around wasn’t so bad because there’s so much to do at home, and I love it. There is no rush or fear but simply comfort and ease. As long as there is good time management, the days go by quickly.

M2 came back for her Summer holidays, and it was great to have her home. My cooking skills improved from last year, and there were many great mealtimes together at home as a family since we couldn’t go out at all.

Then M1 came home for good after completing her Master’s degree, and both of us are very blessed to have the family as a complete unit. But soon after, M2 returned to Ireland, and M1 started working. By the third quarter, we were juggling work, albeit not much, and playing golf when the country reopened to more activities.

But just when we thought things were improving with vaccination and economies opening everywhere, the world saw a new virus variant! The Omicron. The pandemic management globally was sucker-punched with this new development. Travels, activities, and economies were restricted once more, and many countries faced fresh lockdowns. When will this onslaught of the unknown ever end?

So we start 2022 with uncertainty again. I see no point in toasting the New Year for better fortune and goodness. Just brace yourselves to stay negative (Covid-wise) in a positive way, stay healthy, and stay safe. Goodbye 2021, I wouldn’t say it was the best, but we survived. Happy New Year, folks!

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