During the pandemic, when we were under lockdown, I learned new recipes to cook our meals to pass the time. I also accumulated a lot of spices to experiment with. When there were no more lockdowns after the pandemic, I cooked less as we went out more often to eat.
Recently, I decided to make Tandoori Chicken with the spices in my pantry instead of using a Tandoori ready-mix. I have most of the ingredients required, and it was effortless, but I did not realize I ran out of chili powder. So, I improvised and ground some dry chili as a replacement.
It did not quite work out, as my effort resulted in a Spiced Chicken instead of a Tandoori Chicken. Taste-wise, it was good, albeit a tad spicy, but the color was off, brown instead of red. It was the chili powder that made all the difference.
Apparently, Kashmiri chili powder is preferred because it gives the red color without the spicy taste. I managed to buy a box online, and I can’t wait to try the recipe again with the correct chili powder!
Every year, when our wedding anniversary comes around, it is a public holiday. We chose the date to coincide with the country’s Merdeka Day celebration, 31st August, so we don’t have to work on this special day. When Malaysia celebrates her birthday nationwide, we celebrate our anniversary with a trip or a dinner.
This year, we decided to have a low-key dinner. We didn’t even order a bottle of wine to pair with our meal, just a glass each. But it was just as lovely despite the boisterous ambiance of the restaurant.
Lovely anniversary dinner
I have lost count of the years, but does it matter? Happy anniversary, and a toast to us!
The golf game downtrend has continued. My handicap has recently gone up at an alarming rate! It’s disheartening and embarrassing. Have I been playing so bad? Reality check here to relook at my game performance.
I should not focus on putting stats only because it does not reflect the whole game. I should look at all aspects of the game and see how to play better. I recently resolved my approach shots, but unfortunately, not helping to return with better scores. Then again, I do find lately, even in Jakarta, the passion to excel at the game is not quite in me.
Separately, my weight is also on the uptrend, like my golf handicap! It’s just as disheartening and alarming. I have not been eating a lot nor binge drinking beer after my golf games. Something is causing an imbalance, thus the uptrend.
I have to do something to tackle these two issues because they are bugging me to the core. Perhaps a little more disciplined with food and well-being to manage the weight, and be more focused to improve all aspects of the game and rediscover the passion again.
The past few days were tiring! I did not have time to gather my thoughts on the golf trip, and before I knew it, we were back in KL yesterday.
The third day’s schedule was slightly better, waking up a wee later for an eight o’clock tee-off. I found Suvarna Golf Club not as picturesque as Royale Jakarta. But the course was challenging, as I ended up in the sand bunkers more than ever.
Suvarna, the satay was super delicious!
I was aghast each time my ball went into the sand bunkers until I developed a phobia! Shivers. It was a forgettable round of golf with far too many bunker nightmares. Oh well, we had one more day of golf.
The last round was at the links course, Sedayu Indo Golf. I’ve never played at a links course before, and it was quite an experience. How quickly the golf fortune changed with a different golf course and new challenges.
My Bebek lunch was good, course was excellent
There were no bunker issues but the wind! Despite the strong wind and the undulating terrain, the last game was most enjoyable. The course layout next to the ocean also made this experience the best compared to the other two courses.
The five days, four nights golf trip was coming to an end. After three games, I did not lose any balls to the course challenges, which was a morale booster. My putting had its ups and downs, but generally pleased. However, sand bunker shots need improvement, likewise, my approach shots.
Our tour operator treated the group to a sumptuous farewell Indonesian dinner on the last night. Soon it was time to say goodbye to new friends and the city. The horror stories of being stuck in the traffic jam were not too bad. Kudos to the tour operator for selecting Hotel Santika, which was quite central to the three courses we played at.
Messy power cables
The city impressed me, although certain older parts reminded me of Bangkok. Generally, Jakarta looked like a developed nation’s big city, if not better, and not what I envisioned. Golfing in Jakarta is now a happy memory stored away. Hubby and I enjoyed ourselves tremendously and look forward to returning soon or another golf escapade.
Yesterday after lunch at the club, we went for a day tour of the city. We visited the Jakarta Cathedral and the Istiqlal Mosque.
Beautiful architecture
Both places of worship had very different and fascinating architecture. I even felt a sense of peace upon entering the premises, which was unexpected but embraced nonetheless.
Then it was time to head back to the hotel to rest. But some of us detoured to have body massages and foot reflexology. I opted for the foot massage to ease my pain from the plantar fasciitis. My masseur was excellent, as it did help tremendously.
The final touch using a hammer to my legs!Simple yet satisfying
By nightfall, I was drained of energy and had an early night after a simple Bakso dinner. So far, I am very impressed with Jakarta. We play Suvarna Jakarta Golf Club the next day.
The trip to Johore for Interclub games was fun but tiring because of the ungodly wake-up hours and the return journey. Once the second game and luncheon concluded, we left for KL. The weekend traffic jam along the Plus highway contributed to a longer-than-usual trip back.
The second Interclub game on Sunday was against Ponderosa Golf & Country Club, half an hour from our hotel. A morning game this time around, the course challenges were very different from the first day’s outing. However, both days had the same strong wind external factor, creating challenging conditions to play.
The four-seater buggy
Hubby and I had an unusual four-person buggy instead of the typical two-person buggy. A first for us to be using this for a tournament! It took a while to get used to being in the four-seater with the opponents to move along the golf course.
Although hubby and I won against our opponents, my putting was terrible. I made 37 putts, with two 3-putts and TWO 4-putts! It was so demoralizing to have such horrid putting stats.
Being a Matchplay format again, our side lost by a substantial margin to our host this time, 9.5 points versus 20.5 points. But everyone was happy and enjoyed the hospitality and outing tremendously!
Sometimes it is not the outcome but the moment that matters most – the fellowship, the fun, and the experience. The memories are stored away but reminisced fondly again with time passing.
We will sign up for the next away Interclub outing without hesitation, should the next one appear on the club calendar again!
My golf game has been up and down. It’s on a downtrend lately, and not because of putting. And sadly, my weight has been on an uptrend! What is going on?
I need to fix this alarming pattern. The weight must go down, and the game must improve. Play more, eat and drink less!
The recent golf game yielded mixed results. The weather did me in, being an afternoon game. The scorching heat affected everyone, not just me. Of late, I have been playing quite a few afternoon games. It’s the company more than the game itself that I realized I’ve come to appreciate.
I had all sorts of disasters to start the game, with water, bunker, and a three-putt! Ugh. It took me a while to settle down before I started playing better. The mini-tournament and company were enjoyable despite the heat. We were all rewarded with a hearty early dinner upon completion.
Is there a need to go back to the drawing board as far as putting is concerned? I think I’m doing okay. Although I did 33 putts this time, it shouldn’t make me want to change the putter. So my Scotty Cameron will still stay in the bag.
It slipped my mind of another significant celebration because of the recent wedding. As of yesterday, my blog reached its tenth anniversary! Gosh, where did the time go?
It never crossed my mind that when I started this a decade ago, I would go on for so long. It seems that there is so much to write and share. Ten years is a long time. Honestly, it was simply to write and keep memoirs of significant moments in my life covering my travels, hobbies, and adventures. Who would have thought this prevailed all these years and still going strong?
Well, happy anniversary to my blog, and a big thank you to all my readers and supporters for keeping my blog going! A toast to many more years ahead.
Saturday was an eventful day for the family. The fun part was when the groom and his merry best men arrived and had to overcome the challenges prepared by the bridesmaids before being allowed entry. There was laughter aplenty, and the expressions were priceless.
The Chinese tea ceremony went well in the morning. Before we knew it, the whole affair was over, and soon, we had to get ready for dinner that evening. The Wedding Dinner was a cozy affair. My niece was gorgeous in her gown, and her new hubby was equally dashing. They make a perfect couple. My heart is bursting with love for them!
Seeing all the aunties, uncles, and cousins again was a boisterous affair. I discovered I had a niece (my cousin’s daughter) that I never knew existed! Oh, my goodness. She lived in Australia all these years and recently came back to visit. It’s nice to have family celebrations to discover the family tree has grown.
Like the previous wedding dinner (of my nephew), we dressed to look our best. I opted for a Cheong Sam this time instead of an evening dress. I don’t dress up often, so it’s nice to be able to do so once in a while. And it will be a while before we all gather again for another family celebration.
Angieneering 
Remarks