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Call Me Spencer, Angie Spencer

24 Feb

KLIA2 is always crowded with travelers. Everything went smoothly from leaving home, checking-in to departure; we were on time. The one hour 20 minutes flight went by quickly yet I still had time to enjoy my pre-ordered Bukhara Chicken Briyani lunch on board.

Upon touchdown, everything went smoothly also. We got our bags in no time and walked out to look out for the pick-up board with my name on it.

We looked to the left and to the right of the sidewalk but we couldn’t see my name. Or even his name. Uh-oh. Where’s our pick up? After ten minutes, hubby said to call the number to ensure the pick up has been notified. So I called.

We waited another five minutes and suddenly a guy approached us. He had ‘Angie Spencer’ written on his paper! Not sure where this came from but it’s supposed to be me. No wonder I didn’t recognize my name! Hahahaha…

I looked at hubby and asked since when he became Mr Spencer? I thought it was funny.

Soon we were on our way to our hotel, Yorkshire Inn, home for the next three nights. We wait for our two friends to arrive later this evening. And will have a cold Singha shortly to toast this trip and perhaps, my new name, Angie Spencer. The holiday has begun!

Game one is on tomorrow at Loch Palm Golf Club.

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Yes, We Are Going Away

24 Feb

I wouldn’t say this was impromptu nor was it planned months before; we just decided we needed to go away. Enough festive eating and celebration, a time away to realign ourselves to ourselves.

We are off to Phuket this time, a first for us as it has always been Bangkok for us whenever Thailand comes to mind.

There will be golf, of course and food. I guess the eating cannot be avoided but with golf thrown in, I think there is lesser guilt.

Looking forward to this first getaway of the year!

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Who’s Lying?

25 Jan

Some hotels like to put a weighing scale in their room bathrooms. Whatever the intention is, for better or for worst, I don’t appreciate it. I could don’t stand on it but sometimes resistance is futile. Or curiosity kills the cat.

When we were in Singapore last December, Ibis Bencoolen being a small city hotel, did not have a bathroom scale. So it was pretty much a guilt-free vacation. But when we were in Lone Pine Penang, there was an electronic scale.

And the freaking machine stated that I was 2kilos more than my usual trusted scale at home! Who’s lying?

Am I really that heavy? Is my trusty home scale whom sometimes I battle with, not telling me the truth? Hmm…

M2 was philosophical. She said resort scales don’t want guests to overeat, hence the extra numbers. Gee thanks, either I was over-eating in Penang or I am really two over.

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Chat

Sleepless Nights

29 Dec

Monday morning was a zombie day for me because the night before I did not sleep at all and a little headache was building throughout the day. Anxiety, fits of cough and stomach cramps all rolled into one the whole night as I willed time to speed up a little so that we can know M1 is safe. 

Thanks to technology, we were able to track her flight path through flightaware.com and managed to connect with her when she transited in Narita. She told us they departed 20 minutes late from Changi but yet managed to arrive 20 minutes early. Amazing.

Even with such connectivity, there was worry in us. Parents. I simply cannot fathom back then how Mom and Dad felt when I went off to college with the wait and anxiety. Maybe like this but worse without the two things we have nowadays, technology and instant connectivity.

There was one year I came home for Christmas and it took a total of 36 hours, starting with a bus ride down from Flagstaff through the icy roads to Phoenix to catch my flight at LAX but was rerouted via San Francisco instead to head on to Hong Kong, Singapore and finally, Kuala Lumpur. 36 hours, what a marathon.

M1’s journey was not as crazy as mine, thank goodness but still, it’s a long way. It was slightly after 1.40am my time when she landed and two hours later, we heard from her. I then slept better. 

No more sleepless nights!

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A Little Bit of Everything

21 Dec

Saturday was a little bit of everything. We had a leisurely breakfast, then we walked along the beach enjoying the breeze and watching the busy activities. As we strolled along, we discovered a pod-like jelly creature, which we initially thought was a jellyfish pod carrying eggs. How ignorant we were.

Accordingly to the local chap who came up to us and educated us on this creature, it is not a jellyfish but something else, and it’s not poisonous but edible! One should just gut its innards out and then throw it into a Kerabu salad. Hmm… Interesting but I don’t think I will be adventurous enough to try this. Furthermore it’s a little too slimy for my liking.

After the stroll, we went back to our room and packed, getting ready to check out. As much as we enjoy Penang, it’s time to say goodbye. But not before making a stop at Kuantan Road to buy some ‘Beh Teh Saw’ biscuits and then to Sunshine Farlim Mall for another biscuit purchase. 

We decided to have an Assam Laksa, Chee Cheong Fun and Chendol lunch before we left the island. After all, these have yet to be checked off the ‘to eat’ list.

By two, we left the island and headed further North to visit hubby’s parents. We had a good dinner with his parents that evening since it’s hubby’s birthday and it’s been awhile since he last celebrated this occasion with his parents.

By Sunday, we had to make our way back home, detouring to Ipoh again – this time to buy a Salted Baked Chicken for dinner. The drive was rather tiring because traffic was quite heavy along certain stretches and it rained every now and then. Traffic on the highway will get worse as Christmas draws closer with loads of holiday makers on the road.

It has been a whirlwind week with M1 back; we’ve literally covered from South to North of the Peninsular. This week, we are staying put in town to finish my Christmas shopping and to fulfill M1’s checklist of ‘food to eat’, ‘people to see’ and ‘things to buy’ before she returns to university.

Yes, it’s a short time we have with her but better to have something than nothing at all.

  

Incoming para-sail!

   

Check those innards out!

  

All line up please

 

 

Everything was so good!

 
 

Brinjal, Tofu, Steam Fish, Chicken & Veg

 

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The Sun is Out!

21 Dec

It’s a good start to the day as after breakfast, I lounged by the poolside with the sun beating down. Let’s see how long I can endure baking under the sun while the girls went exploring along the beach. So did my tan even out? Nope. It got too hot!

A very lazy day, hubby and I went for a massage too while the girls just hung out by the pool after their beach stroll. Without any solid plans, we just chilled and then had lunch at The Bungalow again because we were not in the mood to drive out. We had the Lone Pine Sandwich, a Chun Piah (like a giant chimichanga), Inchi Kabin and of course, a nice cold beer.

By mid-afternoon, we decided to venture beyond the Ferringhi area. Perhaps some shopping and eventually dinner! I anticipate street food and definitely looking forward to it.

We ended up at Sg Pinang Food Court, meeting up hubby’s sister and her family. It was a good catch up time although we saw her not too long ago during the wedding several weeks back.

As far as food was concerned, more items were checked off M1’s list as tonight, we covered Char Kueh Teow, Prawn Mee, Chicken Wings, BBQ Stingray, Grilled Squid and Lobak. Burp…

All in all it’s a good end to the day. Tomorrow we leave Penang and head further north to visit Hubby’s parents.

   
   

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Noo… It’s Raining

17 Dec

Lone Pine is nice, very nice. It’s actually one door away from Shangri-La Golden Sands Resort and a much smaller outfit than Golden Sands; in other words, less crowded which suits us fine.

Our room is great! Comes with a balcony and big enough to fit four, it’s definitely comfortable. The sun was out only for a short while and by dinner time, it rained. I guess we will just dine on premise at The Bungalow and later enjoy the room. Tomorrow I hope the weather will be kind and let the sun come out!

  

  

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Eat Again!

17 Dec

It is literally a gastronomic adventure. We detoured to Ipoh for their famed Chicken and Beansprouts Kueh Teow. Stopping at Restaurant Lou Wong, which we did several months back when we came to Ipoh for golf, we can never be tired of this combination. Ipoh has the best beansprouts!

Coupled with Fish Ball soup and Chicken Feet, all I can say is burp!

As we make our way slowly into the island, just catching the rush hour traffic, the warm sun greeted us. I am simply dreaming to be by the poolside with a cold beer in my hand. Mmm…

Lunch in Ipoh

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Penang Again!

17 Dec

I’ve lost count the number of trips we’ve made this year to Penang! But it doesn’t matter, the place is awesome. 

I must say it’s not a habit that we practice often to have back-to-back trips, it’s just too tiring. But here we are, doing a back-to-back road trip, with a day’s rest in between upon returning from Singapore. All for M1 because she’s back for a break from university.

Our last back-to-back trip was early this year: flying off to Hua Hin/Bangkok for golf and then a week later, to Tawau in Sabah, East Malaysia also for golf.

Penang is a food haven. It is for this reason we are going there. Forget my scale’s wrath. I should live life to the fullest, eat and worry later! Otherwise when M1 returns to the US, I’d just go play golf more to work off all the intake.

This trip we are not staying at our usual Shangri-La Golden Sands at Ferringhi but at a different hotel. Looking forward to sun, sand, surf and of course, food!

Almost reaching the island. Yay…

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A Food Trip

17 Dec

Singapore was exhausting, filled with lots of walking, eating and very little shopping but we had a good time. We left the island on Tuesday to come home, having a huge Nasi Lemak for breakfast to kickstart the journey. And we had a lunch stop at Tangkak for beef noodles after an hour or so into the drive. When we were arrived home by six, a good rest to recharge and we were out again at the mall for some shopping and dinner; choice of porridge this time, with Kung Po Frog, Fu Chok and a side of vegetables.

I know my scale in the bathroom is just fuming at me, with all this intake. So to kill the guilt, we actually had a gym session last night to work off the Roti Bom breakfast and Steam Chicken, Siew Yoke, Char Siew Rice/Noodles lunch. As there’s less walking somehow when we are back home, a more conscious effort is needed to burn all those calories.

But it doesn’t stop here! Surprise… Surprise…

We head up north to Penang today for more foodie adventure and hopefully some sun. It rained the whole time we were in Singapore. A good tan would be nice especially with all my uneven golf tan lines but I suspect we are all looking forward to the food more than the sun. With a planned lunch stop at Ipoh, it will indeed be a gastronomic trip!

 

Biggest Nasi Lemak pack in Singapore!

  

Claypot Beef and Beef Koay Teow

  

Porridge time at One U, LG Level

  

Very good Siew Yoke in SS2, PJ

 

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