Tag Archives: golf

Indulgent Shopping

25 Jan

The Lunar New Year is next week, my goodness! There are a lot of last-minute preparations to usher in the Year of the Tiger. Like shopping for new clothes, for instance!

The last two years, with the pandemic and lockdowns, we were homebound and did not venture out to the malls at all. There were grocery runs to our local grocer nearby, and basically, essentials but not indulgent shopping.

During the MCO phases, online shopping was my go-to if I wanted to buy non-essential things. And even then, it was mostly to buy my miniature sets and carving tools. But no clothes.

So over the weekend, we took the opportunity to go on a shopping spree to buy new clothes as it is the last weekend to shop. With no more restrictions on interstate travel, it will be a traffic nightmare next weekend when city-dwellers begin the exodus for Reunion Dinners with the family and loved ones afar.

I, for one, who usually buy golf clothes, suddenly find myself buying Chinese New Year clothes. I bought not one but two Cheong Sam outfits! It must be the festivity in the air or the sudden freedom to be able to go out and try clothes on.

My two lovely and elegant outfits

For someone who does not wear or buy dresses often, the purchases were an incredible feat by my standards. Well, lockdowns change people and their outlook in life, I suppose. I look forward to wearing the outfits to welcome the Year of the Tiger with good vibes and have a roaring celebration, pun intended.

Lion Dance at the mall

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DIY Project #23, Part 2

24 Jan

DIY project number 23 is moving on at a good pace. I had the weekend off from golf and had time to sit down to work on it. But I fear this pace will be interrupted because Chinese New Year is just around the corner!

And there is much to prepare before we usher in the Year of the Tiger. Nonetheless, I’ll try to squeeze in as much time as possible on my project. Hopefully, during the Lunar New Year holiday, there is time for me to continue with it as we anticipate minimal visiting or going out.

Perhaps I should set a deadline to complete it instead of just going with the flow and mood.

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DIY Project #23

21 Jan

Towards the end of last year, I was not in the mood to craft miniatures and took a break from this activity. I was playing a lot more golf and ended up taking a much longer break than intended. Besides the circumstances, I was side-tracked with felting which was less time-consuming but equally enjoyable.

But now, I am ready to indulge in crafting miniatures again and have started on DIY project number 23. Yes, number twenty-three, but the first for 2022. That’s a lot of miniature sets I completed in the past two years during the lockdowns we had when the pandemic disrupted lives and created new routines.

DIY project #23 kicks off!

This latest set is a classroom setting, different from what I have done thus far but apt to kick off the new year as schools are reopening again under strict SOP after two years of disruption.

I hope I will not take too long to complete the set. It should be fun.

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Short Staycation

18 Jan

A short staycation is just what we need to get away from the daily routine. I have been playing golf for almost the whole week. A game on Tuesday followed by a stretch from Thursday to Sunday – I need a break!

It’s a good thing M1 had her work leave approved on Monday. And today is a public holiday – we took advantage of the situation.

We went off to Awana Genting yesterday. But being in Awana, how can we not play golf? So we decided to play a game, my fifth in a row.

Cable car ride and our customary game selfie

Thankfully, I wasn’t too tired because the weather was not hot, and the pace was very leisurely. We had the golf course to ourselves, save for a few holes when the monkeys came out to watch us play.

Overall the holiday destination was not very crowded, which was good to maintain social distancing. We were, of course, being very careful and had our masks on the whole time.

An indulgent dinner at Burger & Lobster
Vertical soil-free farming at the hotel

It was a short break but a much-needed one. With good food, some shopping, and cool air, it was a wise decision to have this short staycation.

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Iron Challenge 2022

17 Jan

After two years of postponement, the club finally held this year’s Iron Challenge tournament yesterday. In 2020, it did not happen because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Then in 2021, it was scheduled but only to be derailed by the pandemic again. Thankfully, this year with no more lockdowns, the tournament was held.

So how did I fare?

Well, I think I did okay save for a few holes. And this is always the case. One or two tee shots going errant, landing in the rough on the left or right next to a tree root, or a couple of duff shots are enough to derail the momentum and return with an ugly scorecard.

But it was good fun, and I have always enjoyed this tournament. This year I was lucky and came out a winner in the Lucky Draw contest during the prize presentation. A bag of iron covers! I sure feel like a winner with this unexpected good fortune.

My lucky draw prize this year!

I look forward to the tournament again next year.

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Change in Fortune

14 Jan

I have always said that golf is one funny game. Lately, I find myself consistently playing inconsistently. It is either playing too much or not enough. Sigh.

In the last few games, putting became an issue with the Peanut Putter. It failed me several times, with many three-putts. So I decided to go back to my Scotty Cameron putter and retire the Peanut for the time being.

And suddenly, putting improved tremendously! It’s a great feeling with the improved putting performance, and I am pleased. I hope this streak will remain for subsequent games.

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A Terrible Start, Part 2

4 Jan

It looks like the negative vibes coming into the New Year have continued. Boo hoo hoo. When will I shed this?

On New Year’s day, we caught a rat, only for it to escape the next day! How did the rat manage to open the cage door? What stumped us was the unexplained fact that the cage was across the garden and on its side, and not at the original spot where we left it? Did the rat have assistance from the garden squirrels or otherwise? Creepy.

Lucky rat, it survived this round, but we will get it next time.

My first golf game for the New Year was a disastrous outing. Strange, considering just a week ago, I played one of my best games. And as if this was not demoralizing enough, I slipped and fell on the second hole. Although I was not injured, the mishap was enough to wreck the mental approach to the game. It was a downhill performance for the rest of the 16 holes. Sigh.

And last night, the aquarium pump started acting up with strange noises! It’s a brand new unit, hardly a year old, and this happened. I can cry with all these unfortunate happenings.

To top off the terrible start, my golf game this morning was even worse than Sunday’s game! I hope this is now rock bottom because when you’re right at the bottom and cannot go any lower, moving upwards is the next step.

I can only hope this belief will hold when I play my next game on Thursday. Let’s hope this terrible start to the New Year ends by then.

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The Year That Wasn’t Again

31 Dec

The never-ending year 2021 finally concludes today. I look back, and what a year it has been! I feel history has repeated itself, with the year being another year that fell short of expectations like 2020 because the pandemic has dragged on.

When the nation went into lockdown again in May, we were short-changed for several months to have a good year. And the lockdowns implemented under the Movement Control Orders (MCO) had so many versions, I lost track of it all.

But life goes on. With what we had experienced in 2020, we handled 2021 a little better. We became more accepting of the situation and were more productive, and the hobbies picked up in the year before continued. We also got vaccinated against the Covid-19 virus, and it was our passport to venture out (if needed) without hassle.

Towards the end of the year, I picked up another new hobby – felting. What fun this turned out to be! Felting is immensely enjoyable and therapeutic when I am not carving or crafting miniatures as it is a short and fast activity to complete.

Looking back, being home this time around wasn’t so bad because there’s so much to do at home, and I love it. There is no rush or fear but simply comfort and ease. As long as there is good time management, the days go by quickly.

M2 came back for her Summer holidays, and it was great to have her home. My cooking skills improved from last year, and there were many great mealtimes together at home as a family since we couldn’t go out at all.

Then M1 came home for good after completing her Master’s degree, and both of us are very blessed to have the family as a complete unit. But soon after, M2 returned to Ireland, and M1 started working. By the third quarter, we were juggling work, albeit not much, and playing golf when the country reopened to more activities.

But just when we thought things were improving with vaccination and economies opening everywhere, the world saw a new virus variant! The Omicron. The pandemic management globally was sucker-punched with this new development. Travels, activities, and economies were restricted once more, and many countries faced fresh lockdowns. When will this onslaught of the unknown ever end?

So we start 2022 with uncertainty again. I see no point in toasting the New Year for better fortune and goodness. Just brace yourselves to stay negative (Covid-wise) in a positive way, stay healthy, and stay safe. Goodbye 2021, I wouldn’t say it was the best, but we survived. Happy New Year, folks!

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Felting is Fun!

6 Dec

So I have been felting when there is an opportunity to do so. Suddenly crafting miniatures or carving seem tedious and time-consuming. I have to admit, I have been busy and have not had much time for my hobbies. Even with my golf outings, I have reduced my playing time.

After the thrill and satisfaction of completing the Totoro character, I started on another felting piece. This time, it is my interpretation of Mike from the animation movie – Monsters, Inc.

My version of Mike from Monsters Inc.

A little thinner than the actual cartoon character, I think my attempt is not too bad. After all, this is only my third piece, and practice does make perfect. I need to do more and often. And it looks like crafting miniatures and carving will be taking a backseat for now.

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A New Hobby

29 Nov

M1 recently gifted me a new hobby kit – a complete felting kit. I talked about wanting to try felting but never followed through because I was obsessed with crafting DIY miniatures. She must have remembered and bought the kit for me to try. Of course, I was thrilled when I received it.

The latest activity to try

But I was also afraid to even start on it. What if I don’t like this new hobby? What if I do like it? Then, how do I plan my schedule? As it is, I have so many things to do to keep me busy.

There’s the crafting of DIY miniatures. Currently, I am at the tail-end of DIY project number 22. And there’s carving on balsa and meranti wood to make my Citizens of Gigglesville and gnomes of all shapes and sizes.

Let’s not even delve into painting, which I have my easel and several canvases sitting there collecting dust. Throw in the cooking, cleaning, golf, and occasionally, some design work – there’s hardly any time left. And now, with a new hobby venture, how do I divide my time? Tough.

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