Kong Hei Fatt Choy! Wishing everyone a very Happy and Prosperous New Year. A week has passed going into the Year of the Snake, and I have lost track of time! All we do is eat and eat. Burp.
The Reunion Dinner was a gastronomic feast, with so much food on the table for our hot pot dinner. I think we all experienced a food coma after that meal! Hahahaha.
Toasting over the Yee Sang, our Reunion Dinner spread, and irresistible CNY cookies!
Chinese New Year is all about celebrating and merry-making with relatives and friends. And, of course, there’s the food—especially the New Year cookies and snacks. These delectable treats are dangerous and irresistible. Every choice is a must-try, can you imagine? How do we resist? Although they are only available once a year, the waistline is always in danger of being tempted by them!
We have eight days left for the Chinese New Year celebration, and I’m looking forward to the Chap Goh Meh dinner finale soon!
Today is Chinese New Year’s Eve and the Reunion Dinner night. This year, we will have our Reunion Dinner at home because of circumstances. In other words, we did not return to hubby’s hometown and avoided driving a long and arduous journey. Phew. Nor did we gather at my sibling’s place for this auspicious celebration.
Nonetheless, the Reunion Dinner, here or otherwise, is a time to be thankful for our family’s unity and bond. As both girls are now grown, I am most thankful they can be with us to usher in the Year of the Wood Snake together!
We count our blessings and would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous Year ahead. Gong Xi Fa Cai / Kong Hey Fatt Choy / Kiong Hee Huat Chye!
This year, we added this festive decor besides the customary New Year red cloth at the main entrance to the house.
It is a week before the Reunion Dinner for the coming Lunar New Year or Chinese New Year! And we are still not prepared, yikes. I am living up to being the last-minute Queen again.
The Year of the Snake is supposed to bring good fortune to people born in the year of the Ox, Dragon, Rat, Rooster, and Snake itself, making me look forward to the year ahead because I’m one of the fortunate zodiac signs!
However, we have one week to prepare, not a day more before the good things can happen. So, let’s do away with this last-minute Queen attitude and complete the necessaries to usher in the Year of the Snake with open arms!
It is the last day of 2024! What a year it has been for me. There were more travels than ever, more memories made as the year progressed, and sadly, a new injury. Let’s recap for the record.
My DIY crafting and building miniatures waned and came to a complete halt when my travels kicked in. It’s unfortunate after four years at it, project after project. Well, maybe come 2025, the interest will return. Only time will tell.
At the beginning of the year, I went to Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Singapore, for golf and leisure. My flight distance and time increased dramatically with an app I downloaded to track these things. In October, I added Japan to round up my travels abroad. I figured I had reached a milestone, so I should travel more. In total, I flew 19,768 km with a flight time of one day, six hours, and 38 minutes. I’m wondering if I can top these stats with the new year. We will find out!
Wonderful memories are created with the travels and truly cherished. We played at new golf courses in Vietnam and Indonesia, and I savored the time with my golfing friends. What more can I ask for? My best memory is meeting up with an old college friend in Hanoi! The precious few hours we had is something I will never forget. We talked as if we were never apart for the last few decades that flew by.
The family trips were all about food, sights, and new experiences. Bangkok was all about walking, shopping, and eating. Likewise, Japan, but more. Wonderful, wonderful time together. I hope we can do such trips come 2025!
My golfing ability has been up and down for the year. The top highlight was being crowned the Overall Champion for my Tuesday Group’s annual game in August. I guess I peaked at the right occasion! I hope I can rediscover my momentum for the new year because I picked up a new injury right after that game.
The right tennis elbow sucks. As such, the golf has been on a downslide. But I’m not upset by this disability because hubby and I picked up pickleball to stay active! And I play with my left hand, thus preserving the right side from further aggravation. I wear an elbow guard, just to be safe, though.
Toward the end of the year, I reconnected with another old friend who migrated and was visiting. She’s my bestie’s older sister and an ardent golfer, so it was wonderful to host her. Despite the elbow woes, the time together was more important.
As 2024 winds down, I reflect on what has happened and look forward to the new year ahead. I’ve stopped making resolutions but tend to keep a positive mind as I believe in ‘you are what you think you are’ to face what’s ahead. Attract the good vibes and keep the bad ones away or at bay.
On a global scale, sports, politics, war, world peace, and climate challenges share the headlines. I’d rather not elaborate as details on these issues are available freely online. I am thankful I survived the year.
I take this opportunity to thank all my readers and supporters who have kept me going in my blog and to wish everyone a Happy New Year! May 2025 bring peace and prosperity to all.
Cheers and adieu 2024, it’s a wrap, and thanks for the memories!
Tis the season to be merry, fa la la la, la la la la! Every year, we have our family Christmas Eve dinner, and it’s a time to be together and be thankful.
This year, I’m baking my version of meat pies to add to the menu. I have become better at preparing a meat-based dish for the occasion.
In the past, I used to buy ready-to-eat ham from the butcher. Then I progressed to making ribs and meatloaf. This year, meat pies. And they look good and smell good!
Here’s wishing all a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Be safe wherever you are celebrating Christmas.
My plans for a round of golf yesterday didn’t quite work out because Mother Nature had other ideas. It was an afternoon game, not my usual morning tee-off, and the outing was a complete washout.
We had three flights – only the 12.30 pm flight managed 15 holes, while my flight did 12 as we were two slots behind them. I’m unsure how many holes the third flight completed because they started on the back nine.
It was quite a sight to see all the fairways inundated with water! That’s how heavy the rain came down, as there was insufficient time for the excess water to drain. Some holes even had their tee boxes immersed in water as well. There’s no way we could have resumed.
The buggy ride back to the club was not the most pleasant as we had to deal with pelting rain from the sides and driving through big puddles of water. Despite the situation, everyone was happy with an early happy hour! Hehehe.
Drinks and titbits were on the table, and eventually, dinner. The chatter and camaraderie were most enjoyable. Sometimes, we don’t need to complete a round of golf to enjoy the company of friends.
We have yet another long holiday, stretching from the weekend until today. And it feels like Sunday thrice over. The weekend golf differed from the usual schedule, with a Saturday game and a tournament on Monday.
The four-day weekend was due to two overlapping public holidays on Monday. But Tuesday is considered an optional holiday for some. For us, if it’s a holiday, enjoy it!
Since we had a round of golf on Monday, we opted to sleep in today and skip the regular Tuesday golf. The cool weather added to the comfort of a lazy Tuesday that feels like a Sunday. Nice!
Last Friday, hubby and I celebrated our anniversary a day early. A toast and happy anniversary to us! I had a Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri, and it reminded me of the first time I had this drink. Ahh, those were the days.
It was during the Summer when I was still in college for my final year. That year, I visited the bar with my roommate, who introduced me to this delicious cocktail. Back then, it only cost a dollar!
A brain-freezing Strawberry Daiquiri. Nice!
The drink I had on Friday cost more than that without question. Nowadays, I hardly drink cocktails anymore, but an occasional one for a special celebration is always nice. Happy anniversary to us again, and many more to come! Cheers.
It was the third day of our golf escapade. After breakfast, we left Forest City for The Els Club Desaru Coast for our third game. The drive was not too long, and we arrived early.
We found the golf club a tad plain. There was no grandeur in the architecture of the clubhouse. Maybe it’s meant to be like this?
As we arrived early, we could tee off earlier than our allotted tee-off time. Big mistake! There was a four-ball flight in front of us that was so slow and a two-ball flight behind us that was too fast! Ugh. And it started to drizzle. Sigh. The wind picked up, and my hands were cold. It was not the best experience playing at the Ocean course of The Els Club.
To our angst, the sand bunkers were flooded and looked like mini ponds on the fairways and beside the greens! Not nice. Hubby lost a ball in the flooded sand bunker. It was mildly shocking that maintenance was not up to par for an award-winning golf course. We’re not talking about one or two sand bunkers but several throughout the Ocean course.
Golfing on the Ocean course is supposed to be easy, but it was not in the best conditions to live up to it. Sadly, it was a forgettable round for us. I wonder if the outcome would have been different had we teed off at 12.30 pm instead of two hours earlier? Hmm.
There was some consolation when we checked into Four Points by Sheraton. The room was spacious and very comfortable. Dinner was equally comforting. The generous tray of Briyani rice and meat fulfilled the urge for carbo after two nights of dinner choices without rice. We have one more game tomorrow, and hopefully, the trip will end on a better note.
The Els Club, dinner and a huge green side bunker that was flooded
Last week, hubby and I escaped the doldrums of our daily routine for four days of golf! You would say that the golf part is the same, so how can this be different from the usual routine? When we play at other courses outstation, it’s exciting because the anticipation and expectation are different.
We left on a Thursday for Forest City Golf Resort. The drive was pleasant without too heavy the traffic. We detoured to a nearby town for a simple lunch at a coffee shop. Contented, we headed to Forest City for the 1.00 pm tee-off.
Played Legacy on Day 1, and Classic on Day 2
The golf course was pristine and in tip-top condition. We had a competitive round and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Dinner after the game was a good choice of chunky chicken satay and grilled fish. We requested that the spicy sauce be on the side instead of over the fish. We topped off the meal with hot ginger tea instead of beer. Nice.
Satay and grilled fish on Day 1, and burger and wrap for Day 2
On the second day, the situation changed though. We had an 8.45 am tee-off, and the pace was horrible. Every other hole and every shot, we were kept waiting. My momentum was out, I was angst to the core, and it was the worst game I played in a long while. Sigh. How can this be fun? Dang. I couldn’t wait for the game to be over. Double dang.
It got worse after that. Dinner was too heavy, and I was bloated. Ugh. An early night might be the remedy for the shortcomings. Thank goodness, the next day, we are checking out and headed to Desaru.
Angieneering 
Remarks