The Overwhelming Trip, Part 2

25 Apr

Day Two began with our visit to the Phoenix Ancient Town. The girls decided to do the photoshoot in Miao costumes, and I couldn’t opt out! It was quite an overwhelming experience for me, but I survived. After that session, we explored the vibrant night lights of the town, went on a boat cruise, and enjoyed some delicious street food.

On the third day, we visited a Miao Village. Although the walk was not too draining, it was the beginning of more challenging walks and paths. The steps and distances we covered increased daily as the terrain became more difficult. Having strong knees is essential when visiting China, especially if you plan on visiting all the natural parks. Another challenge is the public toilets, which are the squat type.

Miao Village

By the fourth day, the feeling of being overwhelmed kicked in. The crowds, the queues, the waits, and the walking! Our guide took 15 minutes to purchase the cable car tickets for Tianmen Mountain, and we then stood in line for almost two hours for the ride. It was the start of many long queues and waits. Such situations bring out the worst in a person or persons. There were some uncouth individuals—older women, mind you, and not young adults—who hopped over the barriers to cut in line without any shame. We could only look in disbelief.

Tianmen Mountain

From the cable car—at quite a distance—we could see the large hole known as Heaven’s Gate, or Tianmen Cave. It’s a natural archway formed by a cave that runs through the Mountain. And below the cable car, the 99 Bends road was a breathtaking sight. I was more impressed by the road than the gap in the Mountain, to be honest.

Spectacular!

After all that time and effort going up, it’s time to come down! The 999 steps await us. Dang, it’s a long way down. I kept my focus, looking at the steps going down, as I didn’t want any mishap to happen. I’m proud to say I took 18 minutes. What a day.

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The Overwhelming Trip

25 Apr

It was supposed to be an epic trip, postponed from last November until this April. But I’m still trying to find the appropriate words to describe the Zhangjiajie and Changsha trip, which has been overwhelming.

What better way to kick off a trip than a beer and char kueh teow past midnight at the Premier Lounge before boarding! We departed from KLIA on Saturday at 3.00 a.m. Unfortunately, our seats were not the best, being a row in front of the emergency exits, which meant they couldn’t recline. Sigh. Luckily, the five-hour flight was still bearable.

Upon arrival, everything went smoothly, and we boarded our private bus for just the six of us, along with our English-speaking guide. The bus ride was scary as the weather was quite extreme, with wind gusts up to 42km/h. I could feel the bus swaying on the highway! We stopped once to allow the driver to rest, and we had our first meal in China: a simple spread of rice, mui choy with pork, stir-fried potatoes, and some fried donuts.

Gusty wind made the bus sway on the highway!

The first attraction was Liuye Lake in Changde City, northwest of Hunan Province; it was strange. It was supposed to be a tourist resort, but hardly anybody in sight— it felt like a ghost town! We wondered whether we were in China, a country known for its crowds. Here we were, at an attraction without visitors. We then proceeded to another attraction, which I can’t recall the name of, but there were plenty of people, shops, and street vendors.

Liuye Lake
Cute little cooking stations to test your cooking skills!

We spent our first night at the Zeyun Hotel in Changde City and checked out the next day to head to the next attraction and hotel.

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Back from the Travels

22 Apr

I’m struggling to find the right words to describe my recent trip to China, especially my visits to Changsha and Zhangjiajie. The best word to summarize the experience is “overwhelming” of the natural scenery, vast crowds, and buildings with their vibrant night colors, be it the city or the villages.

I need a little time to collect my thoughts and fully process everything before I can articulate everything. Arriving home at the ungodly hour of 4:15 a.m. hasn’t helped either, and it has only aggravated an unsuspecting sore throat.

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Time to Travel Again!

11 Apr

It has been a while since I had an entry on Friday. There used to be so much to share, but life has become predictable and unexciting lately, leaving me with little to write about. However, this is changing because it is time to travel again!

My all-girls trip is finally happening. My high school friends and I were supposed to travel together in November, but with unforeseen circumstances and issues some of us had, we all agreed to postpone our trip to China until this year. The girls are the same friends I traveled with to Bali in 2022.

The excitement has been building this week, and I am packed and ready to go! We are meeting up at KLIA tonight for our wee-hour flight on Saturday to kick off the busy nine-day itinerary. I may be unable to update daily, but I’ll have plenty of pictures and stories to write about afterward.

Looking forward to the adventure ahead! Whee!

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Misaligned and Realigned

8 Apr

Recently, I’ve been experiencing loud cracking and popping in my left foot, especially when I wake up and move. It gets worse as I try to stretch out the kinks. Something is not right with my body. This morning pattern has been ongoing for several weeks and is annoying, especially when I want to be quiet; the cracking noise gives me away!

Deciding to take action, I visited my regular physiotherapist. The diagnosis revealed that my issue stemmed from improper walking due to my knee. I suspect from navigating the undulating terrains of the golf course whenever my ball does not land on the flat fairways, causing muscle stress, misalignment, and bone-cracking—quite a complex set of problems for the left leg! I even learned a new term for my problem: crepitus.

During the treatment, I was stretched, pulled, and kneaded for an hour or so. I could feel the difference after the session. My misalignment is gone! Phew. I can’t help but wonder if this problem has contributed to my recent struggles in my golf game. Hmm, the possibility looks that way.

I hope to play better golf as my misalignment problems are resolved. I don’t expect an immediate improvement in my game yet, as I’m still trying to get back into the groove, but being realigned and not having any pain while golfing is already a win.

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Another Long Holiday

2 Apr

I’ve lost track of the days during this Hari Raya festive holiday as my weekend and weekday seem to have merged into one long stretch. As a result, my activity schedule has become quite disorganized. Throw in a lunch get-together with friends that stretches into teatime – it’s no wonder I’ve lost track of time!

Recently, my golf game has not been going well, so I’ve decided to cut back on playing to focus on recovering my mental strength before I tackle the sport again. In the meantime, I’ve been playing more pickleball!

My usual twice or thrice-a-week golf has been reduced to once a week, while my pickleball has increased to twice a week. I find that the latter sport is less of a mental challenge. Although I’m still new at it, I’m making progress. The two-hour pickleball session can be tiring but not as draining as a round of golf that lasts four hours or more.

Golf has always posed a mental challenge for me to play better. And at times, I worry that I may aggravate an old injury or acquire a new one. Unfortunately, it has not been as enjoyable for me lately. I’m surprised I’ve reached this point with a sport I’ve enjoyed all these years. Perhaps the long holiday or my disorganized schedule is contributing to these feelings? Or simply, I’m just overthinking things!

P/S I have really lost track of time! This post is out on a Wednesday instead of the usual Tuesday. Eeeks.

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Golf Shoe Obsession, Part 2

25 Mar

I love buying golf shoes because I tend to wear them out quickly, playing so often weekly. My collection of golf shoes is at different levels of wear and tear. The Skechers pair is the worst among the several brands I have, not surviving even a year and falling apart.

My peach-colored Adidas is still in good condition. It is a little dirty, but a good scrub can resolve this. On the other hand, my white/grey/green Adidas pair is showing significant wear, especially with both heel sections starting to detach. The end is near. Perhaps I can manage a couple more rounds before discarding them? I have to be careful and should not wear them until the bottom sole falls off during a round of golf!

I gave M1 a new PGM and used Inesis, Decathlon’s house-brand shoes to use if she joins us at the driving range. Lastly, two pairs of used shoes (FootJoy and another Inesis) are merely sitting on the shoe rack, not seeing any action and collecting dust. Looking worn and tired, maybe it’s time to say goodbye to them.

With all the inventory accounted for, I shouldn’t have to buy more shoes. But I did! Hence, the G/Fore and FootJoy shoes. And as if those two were not enough, I bought another pair of golf shoes last week! I think I am obsessed. I have to say, the latest Callaway purchase was a steal of a bargain. It was only a fraction of its original retail price, so why not?

Another lovely pair of golf shoes

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Golf Shoe Obsession

18 Mar

I have a well-known obsession with shoes, especially golf shoes. My older golf shoes are starting to fail me. The last purchase, a Skechers Go Golf Elite 5, was a disappointment after less than six months of usage. Mind you – it was a second pair after returning the first Skechers that fell apart in less than two months! Thank goodness the warranty for exchange was honored and utilized.

After that episode, I was ready for a new purchase, but it was not a priority when we were holidaying in Japan last October. I wasn’t looking for golf shoes in particular, but I did come across a pair of G/Fore during a shopping excursion in Tokyo. It was the last pair available at an irresistible price! How could I not buy it? The shocking pink color would stand out when taking photos on the golf course, and I caved in on this idea.

But I resisted wearing the new shoes because it rained constantly towards the end of last year. I didn’t want my pretty shoes stained with mud. I was in a fix! To wear or not to wear?

I decided to buy another pair of golf shoes to resolve my predicament! And save my G/Fore shoes from wet mud, dirt, or grime. Hahaha, silly or obsessed? For the record, I wore my G/Fore when we went to Vietnam, and it’s still looking clean and pretty after that trip. Phew.

New golf shoes!

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Up and Down Again

11 Mar

Lately, my golf game has not been the best. I have to confess the games played in Vietnam were underwhelming, especially putting. Then again, the erratic putting was due to using a new and different putter. I have to elaborate on this next time.

However, I was not too bothered by my performance. After all, the trip was more about enjoying the company, the sights, the food, and the weather. As an afterthought, if the weather during the three games had been more comfortable and not that cold, would the results have been different? Oh well, that’s golf for you—filled with ‘what ifs’ and ‘could haves’ and ‘should haves’ thereafter.

Subconsciously, I was careful not to aggravate my tennis elbow, so the shots I took were more cautious or held back. It’s interesting to note the cold weather may have helped prevent further flare-ups, so I am grateful for this!

However, upon returning to hot and humid conditions, I couldn’t strike the ball well for the few games I played. It was as if I didn’t know how to play golf anymore! What is happening? Sigh.

I hope I can fix my problem soon; otherwise, any upcoming game will be more down than up!

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Apple, You’re Kidding Me?

4 Mar

New Year, new resolutions, new purchases! In January, I treated myself and bought the new Apple AirPods 4 Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) version.

Initially, I was using a hand-me-down first-generation AirPods from M2. After some months of usage and getting used to it, I felt it was time to get my own. The old AirPods were having battery health issues, being five years old already.

And when we were in Bangkok, I found the perfect casing to protect my AirPods. By the way, the ANC worked exceptionally well in blocking out the loud hum of the aircraft engines.

I love my Snoopy case for my AirPods4 ANC version

Recently, I noticed a peculiar issue with my new AirPods. Despite using both pods equally, their battery levels tend to differ significantly. I hardly use the microphone or use only one side. In short, I use the AirPods evenly.

Whenever I place the AirPods back in the casing, the battery level differs, sometimes by 15 to 20 percent! The right side would be lesser than the left. What is going on? I checked online for solutions and followed the suggested measures, but it did not help. So, I scheduled an appointment with Machines, the Apple Premium Reseller in Malaysia, to diagnose the AirPods.

Two different occasions, uneven battery levels

During the diagnosis, the AirPods are okay, with good battery health. But, the feedback was that this battery imbalance is a characteristic of the AirPods. Unbelievable! For such a premium-priced device, it has such an issue despite equal usage. Why Apple why? I feel so let down.

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