Back-to-back Breaks, Part 2

16 Sep

September is a month of public holidays! We had another four-day weekend to chill and relax. So, we decided to do a KL city staycation to avoid driving along the Plus highway outstation with the two million travelers. However, the plan did not pan out.

A little past midnight on the night before our staycation, I received a WhatsApp notification informing us that our host had canceled our booking. Unfortunately, I did not see the message until the next morning. It was unbelievable, as it was the first time I had encountered such an issue on booking.com!

The poorly written message stated that the air conditioning in the apartment was not functioning. Upon testing, the electricity sparked and caused the main switch to shut down. Although the caretaker tried to fix it, the service provider decided to replace the air conditioning unit. However, they are unable to do so because it was a public holiday. Hrmph! What an elaborate reasoning! Or should I say, excuse?

By the way, I feel I need to write a bad review for this experience on the Booking app to highlight the incredulous last-minute reason and cancellation by the host. I need to navigate my way through the app or website to do this. What if I came from another state? All my plans would have been up in smoke!

We decided to still stick to our plans for all the activities and brush aside the disappointment. After all, there was a full refund for the cancellation. It was them who initiated the cancellation, not me after all.

In the end, the weekend turned out pretty relaxing. We ate, we walked, we braved the crowds, and we saw interesting things. The difference is that we came back home to sleep in our rooms, not in an apartment overlooking KLCC with faulty air conditioning.

Sunday’s eats and sights
Monday’s sights. Wait was too long Ho Kow, so we went somewhere else.

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Thirty and Counting

9 Sep

Towards the end of last month, during the Merdeka celebrations and a series of public holiday breaks, we celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary.

It’s hard to believe that 30 years have passed—where did the time go? Reaching this milestone feels incredible and almost unfathomable.

So, happy anniversary and a toast to the two of us! Here’s to good health and good times ahead, more golfing escapades or travels, and facing the years ahead together, hand in hand.

A toast to us!

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Back-to-back Breaks

2 Sep

Time has flown by so fast, suddenly. September has arrived with several public holidays for the month. Over the weekend, Malaysia celebrated its 68th National Day. Since the auspicious day fell on a Sunday, Monday was a replacement holiday. The coming Friday is also another public holiday, making the work week the shortest with only three days in between. 

I could get used to this short work week/long weekend schedule, because it is so relaxing and I have ample time to do things at a leisurely pace. But I chose to immerse myself in a new game on my iPad Mini. Silly, as it takes so much of my time, and I could have done more productive things instead! 

The game I normally play, Homescapes, has become so routine that there is not much challenge any longer. Yet I’m still at it, I don’t know why. And I wait patiently for new levels to open every single week. For the record, as of today, I am at Level 18292.

So, a few days ago, I downloaded Tasty Travels innocently, thinking to just try it for variation, but I found myself hooked on it, playing it into the wee hours of the past few nights! Terrible, isn’t it?

Will I continue to be hooked by it with the back-to-back breaks? We will find out.

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Escapade Again

26 Aug

Over the weekend, hubby and I did an impromptu golf escapade again! It was one of those impulsive decisions that a getaway is a solution to rejuvenate the body and mind. Hence, a golf trip out of town. We decided to do a Stay & Play at Damai Laut Golf & Country Club.

At the signature Par 4 near the beachside
Damai Laut

The drive to the country club was leisurely paced. We took the new WCE Highway and arrived just in time for a simple lunch at the clubhouse before teeing off. There was hardly anybody there. We literally had the golf course to ourselves, save for the troops of monkeys on several holes. Being a resort course and allowing the buggy to be on-course, we completed our 18 holes in three and a half hours! Nice.

Enjoying the sunset at the adjacent resort, DoubleTree by Hilton

Our studio unit was spacious and included a well-equipped kitchenette. We even had Netflix, unlike some hotels with limited TV channel choices. For meals, we weren’t fussy and enjoyed simple local fare at the golfer’s terrace.

We ate Nasi Lemak, Pattaya fried rice, fried kueh teow and Roti Canai

During the two nights we were there, it rained late into the night, but we stayed indoors. The Netflix choices were very gripping! During our second game on Saturday morning, we discovered some fallen trees on the golf course. We had to drive around the mess to move forward. Other than this, the course was not affected by the heavy rain, and we were still able to drive the buggy on the fairways.

The two games were very fun as we battled hole by hole. Who won? Heheh, that’s our little secret! The escapade ended all too soon, and I can’t wait to have another impulsive trip soon.

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The Carving Continues

19 Aug

Excited about carving again after seeing the Three-Gnome piece evolve, I decided to carve more gnomes, but single pieces instead of a trio. I found three wooden blocks from my stash and decided to work on them simultaneously.

On days when it was too hot to be out on the golf course, I alternated between the four pieces for the past several weeks. It wasn’t a daily process, though, and it took time. And since I completed the Three-Gnome piece last week, my focus is now on the three single gnomes. 

The task at hand is very exhilarating, especially with the new carving tools that I recently purchased online. When an unassuming block of wood evolves and becomes something creative, done with love and focus, the satisfaction and joy are immensely wonderful. 

I hope to complete the three pieces before the end of August!

Three more gnomes coming along swell!

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Reviving an Old Project, Part 3

12 Aug

The Three-Gnome piece is a done deal! Typically, I use oil varnish to give my carvings a nice gloss, but there was a big hiccup at this final step.

The varnishes in my collection

The DecoArt DuraClear gloss varnish that I have used to varnish all my past carvings has gone bad! Four years since my last carving piece, the liquid left unused has somehow separated. To make matters worse, my other bottle of varnish, the Daler Rowney brand, cannot be opened! Something has disintegrated on the push-turn cap mechanism. A full bottle unutilized unless I drill the cap to salvage the varnish.

And I wasn’t sure if my oldest bottle of varnish, a Talens brand from my college days, that’s dinosaur years ago, can still be used. Dang! So many problems.

Taking a chance, the Talens acrylic glossy varnish came to the rescue with whatever I had left! But it won’t last for the next project. So I bought a new bottle of varnish gloss, a new brand called Marie’s. As for the other two, I might drill the cap of the Daler Rowney and throw away both the DecoArt DuraClear.

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Reviving an Old Project, Part 2

5 Aug

It has been time-consuming completing the Three-Gnome piece, with more waiting than the actual time spent working on it towards the end. Being patient is essential, as it takes time for the wood putty to dry before sanding the surfaces down. Then, after putting a coat of white acrylic, I wait again for it to dry. And the cycle repeats to ensure a smooth surface overall. The days pass by so quickly with these steps.

I found myself repeating the process twice before being satisfied with the result and applying the final colors of the gnomes. There was a slight hiccup when I discovered the skin tone acrylic color had dried up in the tube! Oh no.

Top: ready to add color; bottom: new Jaune Brilliant (left) vs old Pink Blush (right)

I ended up purchasing a different brand, so now these new gnomes will look different from the others! Then again, after a four-year break of carving gnomes, a darker shade for the nose would not be so drastic-looking, would it? New start, new colors.

With the final step of applying the varnish, this piece will soon be ready! I’m so proud of pushing myself to complete it, albeit four years later. Better late than never.

Top: original piece; bottom: latest piece. Note the color of the noses.

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Reviving an Old Project

29 Jul

Two months ago, the weather was unbearably hot, and I reduced my outdoor activities, meaning my golf games. Being home, I decided to revive an old and forgotten carving project, rather than spending my time constantly on my iPad playing games. I was playing too much!

It felt good to carve again, as it had been ages since I last used all my carving tools. The piece is not new, but a second take on my Three-Gnomes piece. Slowly but surely, I will complete the piece and not leave it sitting there forgotten.

Reviving this project!

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Back-to-back Trip

22 Jul

Last week, soon after I returned from my Interclub trip to Johor and Singapore, I had a day’s rest before heading off on another trip! This time, it was with M2, and we took the train to Ipoh.

The ETS ride by KTM was on time and comfortable. Within two hours, we arrived at the train station. It was a hot day, but M2 and I chose to walk to discover the city.

During our short 3D/2N stay in the city, we were on a mission to eat as much as we could. However, we could only manage 11 choices of food, being small eaters, not counting the Citrus Yuzu Matcha and white coffees.

Lunch on Day 1: Fruit Rojak and Kai Si Ho Fun
The start of Day 1, after lunch drink, Lamington cake and chicken rice dinner

There was time for us to even go for a short excursion to Tasik Cermin. It’s an interesting and new tourist attraction. It was there that we had the most wonderful Ipoh white coffee! So satisfying on a hot day.

Day Two brunch was half boiled eggs and toast with the best coffee!
Day Two Tau Foo Fah and Nasi Ganja breakfast and excursion; and train ride back to KL

Other than discovering food, there was not much else to do except go into every shop to browse the Heong Peah and biscuit choices. Some were very tempting, but as we were traveling by train, it was a constraint to return with additional bags on top of the two we brought. In the end, we packed everything properly and had just two extra bags, albeit a bit bulky.

Dinner on Day Two was moonlight kueh teow and blanched octopus

The short getaway was very relaxing, but ended all too soon. Both of us had some delicious eats, and both agreed that Ipoh’s pace was a tad too slow for us. Before we knew it, we were boarding the train for home.

Duck rice and pork lard noodles for breakfast before leaving Ipoh

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July Interclub Down South

15 Jul

The Interclub trip down South over the weekend came and went by in a blink. Waking up at 4:30 in the morning is not something I wish to do often, but it was necessary, as everyone had to meet at the club to depart by six o’clock in two buses.

Although there were 60 players, some chose to drive instead. The journey was comfortable with fewer people on board, and traffic was manageable along the highway. Despite taking a couple of wrong exits, our group arrived on time.

Our first Interclub match was against Ponderosa Golf and Country Club. After the welcome lunch, the shotgun start matches began. It was a good fight, but our club lost out with a score of 13.5 points versus 16.5 points. However, Ponderosa, being a gracious host, declared everyone a winner! The losing team players received silver medals, while the champion host team members collected their gold medals. What a friendly way to build friendship in a golf tournament.

The next day, the entourage traveled to Singapore via Woodlands to visit the Keppel Club for our second Interclub game. The format of play was a bit different, which initially left everyone confused. It turned out to be a team event; our players were paired with the opponents, meaning we were playing with them rather than against them. The team with the best ball score for Stableford points will be declared the winner.

Keppel Club is not an easy course to play. It may look short, but the distances to the pins were deceiving, especially with the undulating terrain. I felt so drained after the game despite the cool and cloudy weather. The early confusion on the game format aside, I would say everyone left Keppel feeling satisfied and happy.

On the final day, we had a casual game amongst ourselves at Palm Resort Golf & Country Club (Cempaka course), which was not an Interclub match. I played with my regular group, and it was quite an enjoyable round of dueling to see who would end up contributing less money for lunch! Hahahaha.

I’m just glad to be home after the hectic and tight schedule for three rounds of golf.

Keppel Club with a glaring OB spelled out guarding the Par 3; approaching Woodlands on the Causeway, and sights of the other golf courses.

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