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East Coast Escapade

12 Jul

Towards the end of last week, we drove to the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia with the girls to escape the hustle and bustle of our daily lives. It was not a golfing trip but an escapade to catch the sea breeze and eat local fare and fresh seafood. The drive was pleasant, without much heavy traffic, and we arrived on time.

A colorful display of all things old and older

The resort we stayed at, Adena Beach Resort, was a pleasant discovery and was not too crowded because it was a Thursday. We thoroughly enjoyed the warm sea breeze and the beach with its soft sand. The weather was perfect to build a sandcastle, and we did. We found some left-behind tools, which made it easy, and we had so much fun building and seeing our sandcastle come to fruition.

Our sandcastle with a moat

Mealtimes, we ate a lot of spicy food, not our usual choices but very flavorful. In terms of activity, there wasn’t much to do besides chilling and eating. After all, this was a chill-and-do-nothing trip.

The busy tablecloth added more zing to our colorful and spicy meal!

But, the next day, we decided to visit the Kemaman Zoo. At the zoo, the thrill for me this time was seeing the pair of Malayan Tapir. The enclosure for the pair did not have high fencing, only a moat separating them from us. It was quite a sight to see. The biggest thrill was when both tapirs decided to walk into the moat and swim towards us! So cool.

Strange but interesting animal

This East Coast trip is not just about food and tapirs. We discovered several jellyfish washed up on the beach on the third day. These creatures look very alien, being out of their comfort zone. Thank goodness, we did not swim in the sea, as there were signages warning of the jellyfish danger.

Aliens?!

The short trip ended with a glorious grilled seafood dinner on the final night. Sumptuous and fresh, the delicious spread was a fitting cap to end the East Coast escapade. I look forward to our next escapade again!

The banana leaves added more oomph to the taste

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Jakarta Again! Part 4

31 May

On Sunday, our final day in Jakarta, we had our Interclub game against members of Jakarta Golf Club (JGC). It was my first time playing in such an old golf club, established in 1872. Matured trees lining the side of the fairways made the course narrow and quite challenging.

The hospitable host welcomed us with a hearty buffet breakfast before teeing off. JGC is a walking course – and almost everyone walked, save for a few who needed the buggy. The mode of play for the tournament was Texas Scramble, which was very enjoyable.

Awesome prize but no Hole-in-One that morning.

The halfway huts provided all sorts of beverages for all golfers to enjoy that morning, and everyone took advantage of it! Initially, I opted for lemon juice, but as the weather got hotter, I decided a cold Bintang beer would do me wonders. Two Bintangs later, I was teeing off further with my “Bintang power” – and it did feel like my ball flew further. Hahahaha.

My partner and I had many good opportunities approaching the greens and putting, as our partnership worked well together. And we returned with a much improved second-nine score compared to the first-nine. However, our opponents fizzled out due to tiredness when we crossed over.

When everyone completed their rounds and returned to the clubhouse, a sumptuous buffet lunch spread welcomed us. But our entourage had a plane to catch by six (the earliest batch), so the program went by quickly, and we could leave the club by 3.00 pm. There was no outright winning club for the Interclub Texas Scramble tournament, only winning pairs, which was enough to make everyone happy. We had a police outrider again to ensure our two buses arrived at the airport on time.

This trip did not start well for me but ended on a good note. Each day, the games improved. I played my personal best game during the duel with the hubbies. And I thoroughly enjoyed my time with my micro group of golf buddies.

As for food, opportunities to try different things were scarce due to time constraints and transport logistics. Nonetheless, I managed with all the chili and spicy offerings, and more importantly, I did not experience any tummy ache.

Hotel breakfast was standard choices, but the chili condiments caught my eye! Soto ayam (top right) was a must for dinner.

While there were some shortcomings in managing 60 golfers, it did not put a dampener, and I can file this trip away on a good note. I await the next Interclub trip organized by my golf club again.

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Jakarta Again! Part 3

28 May

On the third day in Karawang, we played our second game at Lotus Lakes Golf Club, and it was a late morning tee-off. The cloudy atmosphere was perfect for golf, so the umbrella did not come out. The company was enjoyable, but the game was challenging, whereby we ladies were battling with our husbands. Losers had to buy drinks.

There was much back and forth. We fought hard to narrow the gap from three down to one down, but running out of holes to win. That morning, my short game was sensational, likewise my putting. I was on fire! We had to win the last hole to call the duel a draw.

At the last hole, there was a lot of drama. You could tell the fight was very intense. My partner’s hubby sent his ball into the water on the right with his third shot. Then my partner sent her ball to the water on the left as well! Oh no.

Hubby and I were on the fairway, 60 meters from the green. It was a Par 5, and anything can happen. And it did! Hubby unexpectedly chunked his fourth shot to three feet in front. Gaining confidence from his misfortune, I sent my ball flying towards the pin and landed four feet from it! Yes, maybe we can still pull it off and win.

Soon after, the other two were on the green with their fifth shot. It was a do-or-die situation at this point. But I had a slight advantage over the rest, being the only one on the green with my fourth shot.

Hubby struck his ball but missed the cup, creating an opening for us!

My turn to putt. My line was perfect as my ball rolled towards the cup. But it stopped two inches from falling in. Nooooooooo. I tapped in for a bogey. What a bummer.

My partner two-putted for a seven, like hubby, but her spouse rammed his ball into the cup from six feet for a bogey to square the hole. And we lost.

The adrenaline was exhilarating! What a game, what a duel. I played my best game that morning. Golf can be arduous, but it can be rewarding as well, despite the circumstances sometimes.

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Jakarta Again! Part 2

27 May

Traveling with 58 other golfers is very challenging, especially for the organizer. There were, at times, miscommunications or ignorance that delayed everyone being on the two buses on time. We had a 7.15 am tee-off for the first game. The late check-in the night before did not help! 

I was constantly taking big and deep breaths to stay calm and take things in stride. I focused on my micro group of friends to make the most. I didn’t even drink! That’s how focused I was.

The first game in Karawang was terrible for me. I could not find the golf course on my Hole 19 app as the Palm Springs Golf & Country Club that appeared was a different one, located in Nongsa, not in Karawang. So, I played without the app and relied on the caddy instead. It worked out well, but I had so many three-putts–38 putts in total–it was rather demoralizing! Luckily, my flight mates made up for the putting yips; they were most entertaining, and we laughed more than golfed. 

Later, after requesting Hole 19 for a mapping update, I discovered that the course was previously known as Sedana Golf & Country Club. No wonder I could not find the golf course! This info is now updated, thanks to me!

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Jakarta Again!

27 May

Last Thursday, hubby and I flew to Jakarta with 58 other golfers from our club for an Interclub golf game hosted by Jakarta Golf Club. It was fun returning to Jakarta again for golf, having been there only last year in August. However, the experience this time from the beginning was not so fun.

It started with a retimed flight from 1.00 pm to 1.40 pm. We did not reschedule our transport pick-up time since it was only a forty-minute delay. However, when we were on our way to KLIA2, messages in the group chat alerted us that the flight had been retimed again to a 5.00 pm departure! Oh no.

Thankfully, a friend who arrived early managed to negotiate for eight of us to take the earlier flight. Phew, all worked out well, and before we knew it, we arrived safely in Jakarta. And this was when the logistics became a nightmare.

One group was flying in at a different time on Batik Air, the same terminal, but another group on Malaysia Airlines arrived later and at a different terminal. The final group on AirAsia (the flight we were supposed to be on) arrived at the latest, but we did not have to wait for them.

The long wait we had to endure was not the end when everyone from the Batik Air and Malaysia Airlines flights came on board, save the last batch, but the bus ride to Karawang for our first two games was another long journey before arriving for a late dinner and check-in. 

Spicy, spicy dinner

There are plus sides, however. We had a police outrider to ensure we didn’t get caught in traffic, dinner at Cabe Ijio was spicy but delicious, and the hot shower made up for all the missteps. What a start to golfing in Jakarta!

Our police escort on a mean machine!

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Reversing the Fat Week

3 May

With April over, I sigh with relief, knowing the big birthday month is over. So, it is time to reverse the Fat Week. We are into May, and there are fewer birthdays to celebrate within my circle of friends and family. And when there’s no birthday gathering, this means no big meals or sinful cakes!

Golf has resumed full swing upon our return from the recent Singapore Escapade. And I give myself a month to shape up! Perhaps I should also consider doing some morning walks within the estate on non-golfing days to shed the fat and stay fit. Hmm, something to think about. One month to see the results! Yes, I can do it.

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Birthday Escapade

30 Apr

Every year, we go away for a twosome celebration for my birthday. Typically, it would be a golf game or two and a fancy dinner. There was one year, we went to Awana Genting.

This year, I opted not to include a golf game for the birthday escapade. Instead, it was a sightseeing and gastronomic trip. Where did we go? Singapore!

Taking the Aeroline bus to Singapore

It was pleasant, not needing to drive and deal with traffic for a change. We took the Aeroline bus, which was quite comfortable despite taking six hours to arrive.

The Jewel rain vortex waterfall

We had a super fun weekend exploring the Jewel at Changi and being mesmerized by the rain vortex indoor waterfall. Being a tourist at Marina Bay Sands, it was hot and superhot outdoors, trying to capture the perfect shot of the area when we ventured out from the air-con mall.

The perfect Singapore skyline shot?

But we were also super tired from the walking and being in the super humid outdoors. I guess you can’t have it all good. Humidity aside, we had some mouth-watering food discoveries. However, there was only so much we could eat as the short escapade ended too soon. 

We managed to cover fast food, community food court, mall foodcourt and fancy restaurant.

I’m glad this year we did this for a change. I look forward to next year’s birthday celebration! 

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A Clever Hack?

29 Mar

Nowadays, we see people staying connected with their devices all the time, regardless of location. It’s so bad being so attached and dependent on our devices 24/7. If it wasn’t for staying updated with news or social media, it is for games, music, or movies. It is as if a minute of not being connected, one will be so out of touch. Isn’t this terrible?

I confess I am just as guilty, but only at home, with my attachment to my devices. The iPad Mini is mostly for games and movies, and the old iPhone 5S or iPhone XR is for my Spotify music on loop. I leave my iPhone 14Plus for communication and occasional news updates. Separately, I have a Kobo eReader for reading my novels, sparing my eyes from the glare of the iPad.

However, when I travel, I abide by the airline rules and don’t fuss with my devices, keeping them in the bag and turning on the flight mode. After all, the airline does offer some entertainment as an alternative, especially the long hauls. And anything less than a three-hour flight, I have learned and can live without my devices for that few hours being airborne.

On my recent return journey from Hanoi, the passenger in front did not put away his iPhone as he was deeply engrossed in watching the sitcom “Friends.” I couldn’t help but admire his clever hack of using the Air Sickness Bag to feed his sitcom fixation.

The tray table had to be closed, so he used the bag to hold his phone in place to watch hands-free! So clever. But clever as it seems, you won’t catch me doing this for my trips on a flight and leaving the bag intact for its actual usage.

Hand-free using the Air Sickness Bag

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Meeting in Hanoi

19 Mar

Hanoi is fast becoming a preferred destination. Not only my recent golf trip there was memorable, but it was there that I managed to meet up with an old friend from my college days! It was not coincidental but planned.

More than three decades have flown by since leaving Northern Arizona University. We were both pursuing the same degree, a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design then. We had the same classes, the same lecturers, and all. Upon graduation, we parted ways, each following her career paths and dreams. Years flew by, and we lost touch.

Thanks to technology and social media, specifically Facebook, we reconnected and kept in touch now and then online. It was recently when my dear friend talked about her bucket list trip to Asia that mooted the meeting in-person idea.

Bangkok was the initial city to meet, but the timing clashed with Chinese New Year and the Reunion Dinner occasions for me. However, all was not lost, as I had a golf trip to Hanoi and decided to adjust the dates to coincide with her arrival. And after some changes, she swapped her hotel choice to my hotel to save commuting time because we found a window! Isn’t it wonderful?

Words cannot describe the feeling when we finally met on the second last day of both our trips. It was an emotional moment when the hotel elevator doors opened, and I saw this towering person with a familiar face inside! I had tears of joy upon the bear hug.

We had five precious hours together and couldn’t stretch it any longer because both had flights to catch home the next day. Friendship is beautiful and precious only if we put our hearts into it. These days, distance or time differences are not an issue because we can connect online, on the phone, or eventually, in person.

Let’s not wait decades-long again to catch up with old friends. We can meet in my country, your country, or any country mid-way!

My towering American friend!

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Eating in Hanoi

15 Mar

Food in Hanoi was glorious! Bursting with flavors and almost similar to the tastes in Thailand, one can easily forget the waistline! Food aside, coffee is a big thing too. Our hotel was very central in its location for food and shopping.

During the day, nothing was out, but by nightfall, tiny chairs and small tables lined up along the sidewalks in front of all the buildings, ready for customers to dine in these pop-up street restaurants. It must be the French influence that has all the chairs facing the street for people-watching. Correct me if I am wrong on this.

So vibrant!

The narrow streets became more narrow when the dining furniture was all placed outside. Yet, vehicles of all sizes still come into the streets from both directions! Yikes. Even the big canopies were insufficient to deter the traffic from the area. It was quite a sight to behold.

The ushers of the pop-up eateries were rather aggressive, fighting for customers to patronize their places. The trick not to succumb to their pushiness is to avoid eye contact and walk as fast as possible on the crowded street. Don’t even peek at the menu shoved in front of your face.

The few streets near our hotel had all sorts of offerings. Besides food at a proper restaurant, by the sidewalk, or from the street stall vendors, drinks or dessert in a café, tourists were spoilt for choice for shopping, massages, pubs, and even pharmacies. The only thing stopping one is the lack of money from going all out at everything!

Food, salt coffee and coconut ice cream that I tried
Fried chicken wing and chicken feet(!) with beer

For us, we tried some here and there. We ate, drank beer, and sat on short chairs. We also shopped, had ice cream, and drank coffee but skipped the pubs and foot massages. All these were achieved in just the two streets near the hotel after golf, unlike in Bangkok recently, where we walked so much and everywhere to do the same things.

Street performance on the first night, plus the places of interest we visited

Hanoi was fun. We also managed to take in some sights, visiting the One Pillar Pagoda, Tran Quoc Pagoda, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, and the Vietnam Military History Museum.

Would I return? Most definitely, but plans have to factor in which time of the year for the nice cooling weather. Then, only the experience of Hanoi for its flavors, sights, sounds, and golf would be the best!

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