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Some Things Do Change

20 Dec

While some things never change, some things do and we have to learn to go with the flow. Otherwise, we will be more dinosaur than ever.

When I went off to college and came home for the holidays, the aircrafts that I flew in were mostly the Boeing 747-400 model and I thought this aircraft was very comfortable. I loved the B747.

When M1 came back last week, she flew on United Airlines. And for the SFO-NRT leg, it was a B747 and because there were no personal entertainment units, she did not appreciate the aircraft like me. The final leg home was with a Boeing 787-8 and she thought, thankfully that was much better. 

I believe the B747 model has been replaced with newer and younger fleets by most airlines of the world except a handful like United Airlines. And you realize things change when your experiences that you cherish differ from your offsprings.

When I was younger, I would save every penny of my allowance and waited until there was an opportunity to go buy a cassette or two of my favourite musician(s). Then with my Sony Walkman (also purchased with endless savings), plugging in to my music was the best thing in life.

These days, like me, my M2 says she cannot function without music. So her iPod and a set of headphones go wherever she goes. And how does she get her music?

Spotify.

In fact, recently she asked if she could subscribe to Spotify Premium and hubby allowed; she ‘paid’ for the monthly subscription with her allowance. Now this makes you really open your eyes and acknowledge that things and time have changed when the need for the same thing has evolved with technology. Going out with the girls, I have also evolved, allowing them to plug in their music in my car instead of subjecting everyone to my CD choices of Jacky Cheung or Michael Buble.

Hmm… Maybe I should consider getting Spotify and perhaps plan a vacation flying off somewhere long haul with any aircraft other than the B747-400.

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Some Things Never Change

15 Dec

Technology today sure is amazing, changing the way we live, how we lead our lives and keeping us connected 24/7. When M1 went off to university in 2015, we were able to track her flight path live online. And we did just that with anxiety but also with comfort knowing exactly where she is. And when she came back on Tuesday night, we did the same and went through the same again.

When I flew off to college dinosaur years ago, there was nothing of these sorts or even the Internet available. So poor Mom and Dad waited anxiously for 24 hours or so until I arrived and heard from me.

With M1 for every step of her journey, we get an update – leaving for the airport now, checking in, boarding soon all via WhatsApp, see a location checked in status update on Facebook yet unaware of more updates on other social medias that young people use (this dinosaur does not use SnapChat, Instagram, Twitter and goodness knows what else) and of course track online with flightaware.com to see the flight path live.

For all these, I am thankful we live in this era now. But I still fret anxiously like Mom and Dad did. Some things never change. Technology may make our lives easier and more connected but it just cannot replace the human emotions. 

So thankful and happy that she arrived home safely and without much delay or problems.

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Anxious Parents

13 Dec

Since last night, there’s anxiety. It was a restless night but for a good reason. M1, our firstborn is homeward bound! Finally. Yesterday evening at 6.30pm, way before she headed to the airport, I had wished her a safe flight and told her we will see her in 30 hours.

Yes 30 hours. But when this is published, we have another 13 hours to go. Like her previous trips, we were tracking her flight path on flightaware.com

This trip home, she is not flying the usual flight path because she’s taking a different airline. There’s an additional San Francisco stop before Narita International but minus a Singapore Changi Airport stop before Kuala Lumpur. That’s why we are not down in Singapore to pick her up like last year.

A long journey for her – slightly more than 20 hours of flying sans delay hopefully, and not inclusive of the layover time at the different airports and change in time when crossing the International Date Line. I lose track counting with so many time zones involved. Shudder… All I know is that she started at 5.30am (Pacific Standard Time) on Monday morning and we see her at past midnight (our local time) Tuesday night.

So did I sleep well or not at all last night? Forty winks probably or maybe just 38 or 35… 

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An American Thanksgiving

24 Nov

This year’s Thanksgiving somehow made me recall the one we celebrated four year’s ago in the most coordinated fashion. It may be one celebration that we don’t do often but when in America, we have to do what the Americans do! And it was by far, the best Thanksgiving ever.

2012 was the year of our Great Adventure Road Trip in the US. And it was the year my niece and nephew – the twins, were studying in Kentucky. And I thought it would be fantastic for them to fly out to California to meet up with us. And their sibling – my niece, K1 can join us too, flying in from KL since she was old enough to travel by herself. And we would all spend Thanksgiving at the happiest place on earth, Disneyland.

It took me more than a year to plan for our impending trip because there were so many stops, friends, activities and lodging to consider. And this extra family get-together time in California needed more attention because the three parties were coming in from three different locations. Very exciting that it culminated with good timing and no delays.

During the Thanksgiving week, we were just wrapping up the Las Vegas stop. By Tuesday, we left for LAX to pick up K1 who was flying in alone from Kuala Lumpur. The great mastermind–me–had planned for her to arrive that afternoon and estimated that she would come out to the Arrival Hall by 1.00pm and we can just pick her up curbside if we started our journey at 9.00am. The timing had to be perfect and it was. 

When we got her, the poor child was so zombied after the 18-hour plus journey whilst we were still fresh from our pleasant unhurried drive. We tried our best to keep her awake to adjust her to the new time zone. It wasn’t easy.

Staying close to the airport at Travelodge LAX minimized the travel time for the airport runs and was without a hitch when it was time to fetch the twins; it was most convenient and sensible especially to avoid the busy highways. The twins flew in by midnight after their last class and the next day, our fun began…

We played tourist and visited downtown Los Angeles for a day excursion to see all the famed attractions. Then by late evening, we made our way to Anaheim. It was to be our base for the next few days. On Thanksgiving morning, we were off to Disneyland and had the most memorable American Thanksgiving.

The seven of us had the best times of our lives with all the rides, sights, food and fun. And although dinner was just a simple meal at Flo’s V8 Cafe, what mattered was the experience and time spent together. The crowd was relatively small, yet there were still long queues for the more popular rides and we took it all in stride.

The Disney experience continued the next day at the main park and Universal Studios the following day. By Sunday, the Thanksgiving break was over and the twins headed back to Kentucky with K1, while we stayed on in Anaheim for three more days before heading north to San Francisco via the Pacific Coast Highway.

After that awesome Thanksgiving experience, our Road Trip continued and all other Thanksgiving was never the same again for us.

   
 

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Road Trip Again

14 Nov

We enjoy road trips every now and then. Four years ago, we went on our most epic road trip and what I called ‘The Great Adventure Road Trip‘. It was a 21-day trip that covered three states and a driving distance of 2,285 miles of the West Coast of the USA, flying distance not inclusive.

We started off from Phoenix getting in from LAX with Southwest Airlines. From Phoenix, we picked up the keys to our rented MPV and headed off to Chandler, Flagstaff (to visit my college), the Grand Canyon, Henderson, Las Vegas, Anaheim, Long Beach, Los Angeles and San Francisco. 

It wasn’t so much to eat but rather to see old friends, places and do things; to share with my family places that I’ve experienced and to enjoy new sights together. Aahh… What an adventure we had and I would do it again if the opportunity came around.

It sure is nice to reminisce and while we don’t do such lengthy road trips anymore, it is equally nice to go on one, albeit shorter. And of late, the short local trips taken focuses more on food. 

Over the weekend, we took a 3D/2N trip to Penang to attend a cousin’s wedding, skipping work and school on Friday. And while we were there, the local Penang food was top most on our mind. This gave us an opportunity to compare the flavors of Penang with Ipoh, which we visited two weeks ago.

I must say there is a difference and conclude that the Char Kueh Teow, Lobak and Assam Laksa in Penang are simple mouth watering while the Loh Shi Fun and Chicken Rice with Beansprouts in Ipoh are tops. So be sure to have these items at the top of your checklist of must-eat before you try anything else.

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The Little Escapade, Part 2

1 Nov

The plans for the ‘Little Escapade’ was a little different from our previous trips to Ipoh. We stayed at Z Hotel this time, a new boutique hotel with an impressive cafe offering a wide range of artisan coffee, tea and cakes. But these drinks and desserts were not on our mind, local food was.

We walked quite a fair bit going on a food trail during this trip. I think Ipoh can rival Penang as a food paradise. We had two dinners at two different locations which were very good. Simple and cheap, we were definitely sated.

 

Day 1, dinner #1

  

Day 1, dinner #2

 The ‘hor fun’ in Ipoh is really, really good. It’s a known fact that it’s the water source at this place that makes the ‘hor fun’ and beansprouts taste different. Besides these two, we find that we also like the local coffee and snacks.

We made many foodie stops, trying a little of everything so that we get to eat as many varieties as possible. And with everything within walking range from the hotel, we did not have to feel guilty with the input.

 

The long breakfast queue for dim sum

  

Day 2, breakfast #1

  

Day 2, dessert after breakfast #1

  

Day 2, breakfast #2

 The peanut snack is one amazing snack. We found ourselves queuing up twice to buy it. On Saturday we were in line for half an hour only to abandon the attempt because it would derail our golf plans. So the next day, we went again and ended up queuing for an hour and a half! A friend asked was it that good and worth the wait? Yes I would say. The taste is definitely unique.

  
On Sunday, we had two breakfasts so lunch was not even on our mind. Working off the breakfast, we walked and discovered Concubine Lane, an interesting lane that has quirky shops as well as street vendors selling trinkets and snacks. With such wonderful discoveries, Ipoh is fast becoming the choice option for a getaway for us.

 

The little boy with his ice ball

 
By mid-afternoon, it was time to leave and head home before the traffic built up. And with a car full of food and snack purchases, I think this ‘Little Escapade’ was a deserving one. I sure look forward to our next destressing trip!

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The Little Escapade

31 Oct

Last week work in the office was very trying. I was kept so busy, the iPad was ignored as in managing my virtual games. Instead I had to manage my design projects with my team on the challenges we faced. Initially I thought I would set up my canvas over the weekend and exert some creative energy into painting but when a friend suggested an impromptu overnight getaway with them, we readily jumped at it without hesitation.

The destination? Ipoh.

For all my life, I have never frequented Ipoh as much as the last two years. All this due to friends, food and golf. This trip was termed the ‘Little Escapade’ simply us to getaway from the work stress. With Saturday being a public holiday, the thought of a possible traffic crawl did not even deter us to make the trip.

We had a really gastronomic time and a wet golf outing over the weekend. The weather did not stop us and we ended up playing in the rain, and being totally soaked. The wrist felt good, there was no nagging pain and the condition was not that hot with the clouds and rain.

There were many firsts as far as golf was concerned. My raincoat was totally utilized throughout the game. And for once, my umbrella was used to shield me from the rain instead of the sun. Despite such measures, everything was soaked – the golf bag, the shoes and socks, the cap, myself, right down to the sports bra and undies. But I didn’t care nor felt any discomfort. In fact, I was having the time of my life!

We were also very naughty, sneaking in three cans of imported beer. But we drank only the 12% ones for we felt if we did the 16%, everything would go downhill. So we decided to tell the flight behind to bypass us to save ourselves some embarrassment. However, when the rainy condition persisted and no siren sounded to abandon game, not many flights stayed on to continue like us. We basically had the place to ourselves. It was a really fun outing.

We completed 16 and a half holes before calling it quits. Not so much from the rain but rather due to darkness. We could hardly see our balls flights. We really had a blast and after a nice hot shower, a good dinner capped off the day.

 

Day 1 lunch before tee off

  

The beer choices

  

After the rain…

  

 

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4.30am, Twice

22 Aug

As you know I have always dreaded the 5.30am wake up calls during my golf trips. Well, over the weekend, it was far worst than 5.30am. It was 4.30am, twice! After a late Friday night out, sleep was pretty much eluded as we had to wake up at 4.30am to ready ourselves for the journey down south for golf. Hubby and I were joining the Club entourage to Johore and Singapore, two bus loads of enthusiastic golfers, departing at 5.30am. Tiring needless to say.

Orchard Golf and Country Resort was our first stop for a Saturday afternoon game, which was hot, breezy and super hot. Amazingly I played one of my better games but in the process I think I aggravated my old wrist injury. The next day, we checked out to head on to Singapore for an 8.00am tee off at Raffles Country Club. So being an early tee off, 4.30am was the wake up call because we had to cross the Tuas checkpoint. And for the second time I am in Singapore for golf, it rained, just like the other visit back in April. We had to wait it out. Tiring needless to say.

This time around, the pain in the wrist flared and despite the course being scenic and relatively manageable, I did not enjoy myself as much. Sigh… 

Actually both games were not that tiring because they were buggy on course instead of being limited on just the tracks. It was more of the timing for logistics, the lack of proper sleep and the travelling time that made it tiring. However, I am not complaining. We had a good time and look forward to the next opportunity.

Now to get that wrist looked at…

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Trains, Planes and Automobiles

9 Aug

Last Friday, taking the KTM ETS train back alone from Ipoh was my first time using the improved service. It was on time, smooth, clean and comfortable. Although it was cold in the coach, I didn’t mind and do recommend at least trying this once.

My other time taking the train was dinosaur years ago with Dad. I recall it was when the train service first started, I thought it would be quite a fun experience to take the train down to Singapore instead of driving to visit Grandma. It was the longest journey ever to Singapore! Seven hours and certainly not fun. That was my first and last time until now.

When I was in the US, I usually travelled by road or air. Never the rail, never took the AmTrak service. The only other fun experience taking the train was when hubby and I were in Italy. Hopped on the train from Rome to Venice. It was comfortable, smooth and the sceneries were very pleasant.

Back to my experience this time, would I do it again? Certainly if logistics work out well, why not?

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Day 5: Goodbye Ho Chi Minh City

30 Jun

Four rounds of golf is so taxing even though there is enough sleep and rest. The spirit is willing but the body is not. By the time we finished our last game today, everyone is so tired. Thank goodness we are leaving this evening.

All in all, it has been enjoyable. I made some new friends. Played some decent golf and terrible golf too. What can I say? This is my standard.

Looking forward to going home.

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