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I Need to be 40kgs

24 Jun

“Mummy! I am 37 kgs!” M2 announced proudly one day.

“I need to be 40kg so that we can travel again!” she continued.

It is no secret that I set some unusual guidelines when it comes to family travels. Besides the Carrots Reward Program that I have for the girls for doing well in school, there is this weight requirement rule.

Two years ago, when I was planning our US Great Adventure Road Trip, I imposed the ruling that M2 needs to be 30kgs to withstand the 30-hour journey from here to the Land of Opportunity. She hit the target (besides the both of them meeting the school targets) and off we went.

It is 2014 now and while there is talk of going here, there and far away, the travel plans are still up in the air. So whenever the girls ask where we will go this year, I would remind that M2 needs to reach 40kgs.

“London? Paris? Australia? New Zealand? Florida?”

“40kgs then we talk.”

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The Breakfast Test

23 Jun

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Do you realize that those breakfast menus that you find available in hotel rooms, either hanging at the doorknob or placed on the table, are fun things? When the girls were younger and we traveled without them, we always made it a point to bring this home for them.

The menu was known as ‘The Breakfast Test’ because looking like a test paper, it was a ‘challenge’ to fill in the blanks and check the boxes, like in a real exam except that there’s never a wrong answer! Such a confidence booster to prep for real exams. Back then, it was such a big deal and something both girls looked forward to having besides the usual gifts galore.

They are much older now and sadly, this little fun thing to do seems trivial to them now.

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Oh No! My Pants Don’t Fit

6 May

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You know you had a good holiday when you come home and find that your work pants don’t fit. I was aghast! I had to suck it in—not a whole lot just a tad (but still!)—to wear my work pants yesterday. Oh dear… I thought with four rounds of golf in Batam, sweating it all out under the sweltering heat, I would be fine. And it’s not that I ate excessively, my portions were normal. I didn’t even drink beer on the course on this trip.

But looking back, the four rounds was all buggy on course unlike a month ago in Chiangmai, the three rounds, we walked and walked and walked. Now comparing the stats – in Chiangmai, it was close to 20,000 steps each time at the golf course, and this is not inclusive of the before and after game walking. All in, I’d say a good 23,000 steps a day, more than the 10,000 steps quota for a day.

In Batam, it was slightly over 10,000 steps but with the before and after, I’d say it wasn’t even close to 14,000 steps each day. I remember by the third day, I decided not to wear my pedometer because the earlier stats were not very impressive and I did not want this to distract me.

Could it be the food? Or the drinking? We had hard liquor for four nights in a row, single malt and blended whiskeys: 12-year old Chivas Regal, Glenfiddich, 12-year old Dewar’s and Label 5. We drank as well in Chiangmai but that was a 4 day/3 night trip versus this recent one of 5 days and 4 nights. By virtue of an extra day and an extra bottle of whiskey, my pants don’t fit? My personal trainer would have a fit if she knew!

Looks like I have to do something about it and it’s not buying new pants nor skipping going to the office! Sigh…

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Back to Routine

5 May

Every time after a good holiday, the energy is sapped and the Monday we face is almost with trepidation. The act of getting ready for work is lagging and the thoughts are running wild.

How many emails will I be looking at? How much work has piled up? Will I be stressed immediately? Will I have to work late? That’s the reality of being back to routine. I guess we have to just take it in stride while at the back of the mind, a little seed to plot the next getaway is taking shape…

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Batam: Goodbye

4 May

We say goodbye to Batam today. It has been very enjoyable, with the plans and the people. I now look forward to going home to see M1 and M2 whom I must admit, we did not talk to the last several nights. It’s not that we have forgotten them but with our coming back late every night and them being an hour ahead, the timing was not good.

Anyway, I look forward to planning the next trip. Soon.

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Change of Plans

4 May

Sometimes things does not go our way during the holidays. The earlier plans to return to the food court had to be shelved as one of us had taken ill. It was most unfortunate to cap the ending.

We returned to the hotel then to settle the sickie but we still had to eat and there’s that last bottle of whiskey. So what did we do? We ate in the hotel and drank our whiskey, with corkage charges incurred.

Not too bad I guess considering it’s such a change from the local fare that we’ve been having. Several packs of whiskey later, I am ready to call it a night and have a good night’s sleep. Tired from four days of golf and heat, aided by the massage today, I think I will sleep well tonight. The big plus being no 5.30am wake up call!

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Same is Good

3 May

People are quirky. When we find something good and comfortable, we tend to go back to it. Creatures of comfort and familiarity? The whole group agreed that the massage place was good and we will be going back to them, with the request for the same masseurs.

As for dinner, all also agreed that the choices at the food court during lunch was good, so we are going back to the same place. Tonight, our fourth bottle of whiskey will accompany us to mark the end of yet another enjoyable golf trip consisting of the same people. (Remember the Chiangmai trip in March?Same people.) With same drinks (whiskey), same fun (golf) and same company (same group of people), same is good.

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Finding Things to Do

3 May

We opted for an open food court to eat Chinese food. I think everyone agreed enough of Indonesian food. The food choices at the food court were indeed a welcome change from the curries, spices and chilly that we’ve been having of late.

Sitting at the food court after the satisfying varieties that we ordered, the skies finally opened up and ensured we stayed there for a longer while. But the minute there was a break, we got onto our van to go buy Batam’s popular layer cake.

Basically we are finding things to do to wait out until 6.00pm for our massage, which could not be booked for an earlier slot.

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And Off We Go

3 May

Breakfast this time around was light and fast. We left Harris Batam Center five before seven to make our way for our final game at Indah Puri.

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Batam: Day 4

3 May

My alarm went off at 5.15am. I groaned and tried to move. My goodness! This ungodly hour is crazy!!! Three mornings in a row, I must be mad or rather we golfers are a crazy bunch.

Today we hit Indah Puri Resort & Golf Club, our last game and the resort being slightly further than Southlinks, we had to allow a little more time (to battle traffic) to get there for our 8.00am tee off. So breakfast awaits but I don’t think I can eat as I can still feel last night’s dinner in me.

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