Although tomorrow is the last day of the Chinese New Year celebration, there is an overlap of festivities today, hence, a break in between with a public holiday. Nice.
It is Thaipusam, a Hindu festival celebrating the victory of good over evil. Typically, during this holiday, we would sleep in or do nothing. However, being a couch potato may not be a good idea, what with eating all those festival cookies and meals for the last two weeks.
I think once Chap Goh Meh is over, full-swing exercise, or better yet, full steam ahead to play golf. With all that time away from the golf course, I think I had enough rest to allow my tennis elbow to recover.
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!
We often use this colorful Hokkien dialect phrase – luak kaw gong, when describing eating something spicy beyond one’s tolerance. It directly translates to ‘spicy until stupid’ because the spiciness hits you to the core, and you go numb and see stars.
Over the weekend, I flew to Bangkok with my two girls for an impromptu trip, and it was a much-welcomed escape! M1 had planned the trip for a fan meet-and-greet event with some Thai TV stars, and both M2 and I decided to tag along for fun.
Hello Bangkok (again)!
And fun it was! It was leisurely-paced without a packed schedule like our trip here last year. Food is always an adventure, especially Thai food! On this trip, we tried various choices, from 7-Eleven quick-to-go meals to food hall and street food, and the gastronomic discoveries were delightful, albeit spicy. Shopping was the other thing on the agenda.
Dinner on Friday night was at Zaozen Artisan Noodles in Siam Paragon Food Hall. The Pork Bone Broth soup was an unexpected killer. Laden with bird eye chili and more chili, the first careful slurp of the steaming hot soup packed quite a punch. The Pad Thai and Lao Salad with Grilled Pork Neck were equally flavorful and bearable. But the fiery soup was nothing compared to dinner on the second night.
Top left: Pad Kra Pao at the airport; Top right: Zaizen, bottom right: leftover chili from the Pork Bone broth; Bottom left: Killer noodles
When M1 went to her event on Saturday evening, it was just M2 and me to explore. We decided on Thai Boat Noodles for dinner after a foot massage and exploring Siam Square, and this was where the earlier mentioned phrase applied. I was punched in the mouth with the spicy level, and we had asked for the medium level, thinking it should be safe. The bowl of noodles was not a lot, probably two mouths full, but the chili. Hot damn!
Typically, my tolerance is quite good, but this time I was numb. My lips felt swollen, and I could not go on. There were no tears, but I was floored and saw stars! Indeed, I was struck by the spicy until stupid. It’s funny to point out that M1 saw human stars live on stage while I saw stars in my vision from my dining experience! Hahahaha.
It took some time before I recovered. I had to suck on ice cubes constantly after that to douse the fire! Who would have thought a petite bowl of noodles could be so devastating?
The last time I was in this predicament was also in Bangkok with hubby ages ago, and it was a Som Tam dish. One must remember that when in Thailand, a medium spicy level may not be what you think is safe despite having an above-average tolerance.
A safer choice: burgers from Shake Shack. The Pandan Sticky Rice shake was too much though. Burp…
So, for the next meal at the airport, I requested for my Pad Kra Pao to be less spicy, yet the oomph was still there. I shudder to think what normal would taste like. I did not relish being numb and seeing stars again before flying.
The short getaway ended too soon. The three days of lovely, cool weather with low humidity were perfect for walking outdoors without breaking out in sweat and feeling sticky. Although it is now January, Christmas decorations are still up inside the malls and along their perimeters outside. They are a delightful sight to see.
Bangkok will always be a favorite destination for food flavors, shopping choices, creative decorations, and, of course, pristine golf courses. I look forward to another trip to this vibrant city again!
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.
Once in a while, some spicy food is good. Day in and day out, we eat the same thing – it can be mundane and predictable. Even when I don’t cook and eat out, we go to the same restaurant and order the same thing! Life is such when you are a creature of habit.
Over the weekend, we decided to be more adventurous and try something new. A different location from our usual spots to a new restaurant with rave reviews. Why not? Let’s be a bit more adventurous, right?
The Indian curry house turned out to be a gem of a discovery! But goodness me, the fiery spicy flavors had us sweating profusely and our mouths burning! Everything on the table was oh-so spicy.
So many bowls, quite a spread, isn’t it?
Luckily, the four types of curry were served in individual bowls instead of the typical method of dousing the rice on the banana leaf. I think we wouldn’t be able to take the heat! Despite it all, the best discoveries were the crab curry and fried lamb, not grilled. Both were very flavorful and, of course, spicy!
It was good to be adventurous with the pleasant discovery, and we look forward to returning.
It is always wonderful to be back home after a holiday. Japan was enjoyable, but home is where the heart is. On the last day at the airport, while waiting for the check-in counters to open, I overheard a tour group leader telling her entourage they would need three days to recover from the trip.
Three days?! Wow. If this is true for an hour’s time difference, no wonder I take longer to get over my jet lag when I return home from countries with time zones that are more than an hour. However, I don’t recall needing such length to recover when I returned from Bangkok, Hanoi, or Jakarta this year. Hmm. Recovering from golf trips and non-golf trips could be different.
We departed from Narita International Airport on Friday at 10.30 pm with good memories and touched down at KLIA the next day at 5.00 am. Whether I liked it or not, the next few days were a blur, and I felt like a sloth. So yes, I did take three days to recover. Dang! The lady was correct.
Homeward bound!
How fast the holiday went by! Japan was fascinating, fun, and enjoyable. We lucked out with substantial savings for our flight tickets and a good travel deal when we signed up for the Omakase package to Japan, where we didn’t have to follow a fixed itinerary but customized to our preferences.
We had a comfortable MPV and a driver to drive us around to see what we wanted to see, stop to buy things if something caught our eye, and eat whatever we fancied. There were places we spent longer than intended, but our driver patiently waited for us. Such is the beauty of customizing a travel package.
The weather was excellent, contributing to our enjoyment for the first few days. Rain was predicted only for the last two days, but it never happened. Eventually, it did rain when we were already on the aircraft, ready for departure!
Now that the family holiday and recovery are over, it is back to routine, and I’m happy to be home until my next trip!
Today is our last day in Japan. How quickly a week went by. We had an incredibly fabulous time with great weather and mouth-watering food. Even the McDonald’s here tasted good! Hahaha.
A McDonald’s dinner
After the many shrines, temples, and landmarks, it was time to explore the city. However, we did not see much as shopping got the better of us!
Crazy crowd at the famed Shibuya Crossing
At Ginza, Shinjuku, and Shibuya areas, we spent two hours or more at each stop on our checklist: Don Quijote, GU, and Loft, to name but a few. I bought several knick-knacks to add to my wanderlust collection while the girls did a little better than me.
We leave Japan this evening with good memories of what we saw and ate and plans to return to this spectacular Land of the Rising Sun again.
Angieneering 
Remarks