Tag Archives: Ipoh

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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The Peanut Putter Retires!

10 Nov

I was horrified to discover the grip of my Peanut Putter shedding when we were away for the last two games! It was fine just last week before the trip. I don’t know how or what happened, but I am dismayed by the unexpected deteriorating condition.

My heart breaks
Hurts to see the grip like this. Sniffle.

So, during the two games, I was extra careful not to aggravate the shedding any further each time I was putting. I have to say my Peanut Putter has been giving me some fantastic statistics lately. My putting confidence has grown with it in the bag for this recalibration effort in place of the other two putters.

Distances between one and four feet are very accurate. The putter does not wobble, and the ball-striking has been firm. And anything from four to 20 feet is mostly two putts to save the score.

Occasionally, there were some three-putts, but not as many as six or seven three-putts in a game like my other two putters’ erratic performances. The blemish is mostly misreads of the putting line and not the putter’s performance.

I would certainly like to continue using my Peanut Putter, precious as it is. However, with its condition like this, I have no choice but to retire it to prevent further deterioration. It is unfortunate and untimely when I am doing so well with it.

Perhaps I can find another from Amazon? I’m keeping my fingers crossed. Until then, the TaylorMade Spider Mini is in the bag, and I hope it will serve me well.

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Bat Alert

7 Nov

We played our second game this morning at Royal Perak Golf Club (RPGC). It was a good challenge duelling with hubby. The game came to a draw after 18 holes.

Always enjoyable to play at RPGC

In RPGC, we saw all types of birds while waiting to take a shot when the pace suddenly slowed. The soaring eagle caught our eyes and was quite breathtaking. There was one particular hole – we even saw bats! How strange to see this creature on a golf course.

This fella had its eyes open unlike the others

The bats were hanging upside down on the branches of the short tree next to the buggy track. Our close presence did not bother the nocturnal creatures at all, and they went about just hanging around, pun intended.

I had to whip out my iPhone XR to take a picture because I’m not sure when I will have the opportunity again to see bats in close range, on a golf course, of all places.

Well, if we return to RPGC again for a round or two of golf, we may still see them at the same tree! Who knows? Only time can tell.

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The Peanut Putter Prevails

6 Nov

We drove up North, not to hubby’s hometown, but closer for a round of golf at Kinta Golf Club this morning. The last time we played here was ages ago, so it was a pleasant revisit.

The club’s initials, KGK – Kelab Golf Kinta, in the background

There were hardly any golfers, so the pace was good. However, memory failed us, as at several holes, we were unsure of which direction to go.

It was a hot afternoon game!

There was even one hole, Hole 6, where we couldn’t find the Red tee box! The tee box placements were a tad haphazard. And sometimes the buggy tracks disappeared!

Nonetheless, we enjoyed the outing despite the scorching heat. As we holed out the last hole, the threat of rain was about to start. We finished in good time! Phew.

The Peanut Putter did well in an unfamiliar golf course. I guess my putting recalibration is working out well. I’m happy. I hope I can sustain this for the next game.

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A Break From the Usual

3 Apr

Whenever we traveled up North to hubby’s hometown, we would stop at the same place and eat the same thing in Ipoh. You could say we are creatures of habit.

On this trip, we decided to break from the usual. So we stopped at Big Tree Foot (Dai Shu Geok) in Pasir Pinji instead. The last time we ate here was before the pandemic broke, four years ago, if I recall.

At the stop, we decided to try new food choices, deviating from our usual and typical. Suddenly, we are so adventurous. Hahaha.

We had Ipoh Chee Cheong Fun, something we hardly eat. It was very smooth and bursting with flavors with all the different sauces on top.

The mouth watering choices of Chee Cheong Fun (top left), porridge (top right) and Popiah (bottom).

And we also had Popiah, which was just as good. Rounding up the spread was a Pork Porridge with Mixed Innards and Iced Black Coffee each. Yum, so good. How come we never considered these choices before?

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New Discoveries

3 Oct

Over the weekend, we visited hubby’s parents for a quick escape. The trip also became a discovery for new food along the way. Typically, we would stop over in Ipoh for lunch, but this time, we opted to stop in Taiping instead.

We went to a new restaurant as the one we had in mind was closed. It was a pleasant discovery – the lunch was very yummy even though they were simple choices!

Fried mullet and seafood porridge. Yummy

As for the drive, it was tedious because there were a lot of cars on the road. It’s strange, considering the weekend was just a normal one, not a long public holiday stretch.

Heavy traffic on the way up North!

And it was the same tedious drive on the return journey the next day, albeit a little longer. It was akin to driving during the festive holiday, clocking in six hours towards North and eight hours on the return. Nonetheless, the visit was good.

Return journey was worse!
Flavorful dinner at Tapah.

We stopped at Tapah for dinner and discovered new dishes at our regular stop. The choices were very satisfying for the palate and easy on the wallet too! Before we knew it, the weekend was over, and here we are, back to another busy work week ahead.

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Golf Getaway, Part 3

19 Jul

The afternoon Interclub game was a blessing because we did not have to wake up so early as the day before. After breakfast and checking out, the entourage was on the way to Ipoh. Again, the journey was pleasant, and we arrived early at Royal Perak Golf Club. We were warmly welcomed and soon ushered in for lunch.

Fishing farms dotting the waters along the Second Penang Bridge

The weather was hot, so the air-conditioned dining area was nice. But one must not get used to it because, after lunch, we tee off at 1.00 pm under the hot sun! Dang, the weather was hot.

Luckily, it was buggy on the course like the previous game, so this helped with managing the heat factor for the game. As this was an Interclub game, playing well was important. How did I fare this time around?

I played better. The greens here felt better, and putting was not a letdown. The course was very long, especially for the Red tee boxes. Many a time, I had to pull out the wood or utility clubs for the Par 3s.

Before we knew it, the game ended. The cold shower was refreshing to cool down the body, and the after-game dinner spread was sumptuous. There were some controversies, and the outcome was not what we expected; I will not elaborate on this to mar the positives of the trip.

It has been a fun outing and the Club’s first away trip after two and a half years of living with the pandemic and the restrictions. We will host our opponents at our Club for the return match soon.

We left Ipoh and arrived on schedule at our Club. All too soon, the short golf getaway is another chapter to store away in the memory. I look forward to participating in another Interclub match, home or away.

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Golf Getaway, Part 2

18 Jul

It’s a mixed-feeling golf trip. Sometimes one can’t have it all.

Although it was nice to play at outstation clubs for a change, waking up early for the trip was not. We had to wake up at 4.30 am and then did a Covid test before leaving the house. The test was to assure everyone was safe to travel together on a bus.

The bus departed at 6.00 am, and the journey was pleasant enough without any traffic woes along the highway, and we arrived in good time. After a simple lunch at the clubhouse, we teed off for a round of social golf among ourselves at Penang Golf Club.

The course is very undulating, and buggies were allowed on the fairway, which was nice. How did I fair for this first game? It’s an unfamiliar course, and there were mistakes or mis-hits here and there. And for this trip, I opted to use my Scotty Cameron putter. Alas, putting was my biggest bane again. Sigh.

Penang Golf Club

After the game, the bus left for the hotel. Soon after checking in, we met with hubby’s sister (and husband) for dinner. It’s nice to catch up with family again after two and a half years of lockdown and not see each other. There was a lot to talk about over a delicious dinner.

Not local Penang food but Dallas BBQ duck!

They brought us to see another side of Penang. Typically, we would be around the town center or Tanjung Bungah area. But as we were in Bukit Jambul, we saw a different side of the island. All too soon, it was time to say goodbye. We parted ways, and sleep beckons after such a long and tiring day. We depart for Ipoh for the Interclub match the next day.

SPICE Arena Penang
View from our hotel room

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Golf Getaway

15 Jul

It has been ages since we last participated in an away Interclub golf game organized by our Club. Over the last two years of living with the pandemic, strict SOPs made interstate travel and activities with large crowds difficult. All these are a thing of the past now.

If I remember correctly, interstate travel has been allowed since May this year, and golf tournaments are happening again. There are fewer restrictions, although we still need to mask up, especially in enclosed public areas. So it is nice to represent the Club for the away game, going for the trip via a chartered bus.

We are traveling to Penang first for a social game amongst ourselves. Then on Saturday, the entourage will leave Penang and travel to Ipoh for the Interclub game. Ipoh again – just last week, we were there for lunch!

Well, it is a nice change to play two rounds of golf outstation and not have to drive. I hope the trip will be a good and memorable one. Good outing, good company, good games, and good food!

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Short Excursions, Part 3

11 Jul

The short excursion plan continued over the weekend, but this was a little more than a short drive outstation. We decided to visit hubby’s parents up North.

The weekend was yet another festive holiday, and with Monday being a replacement holiday, traffic would be heavy. So, we left on Friday instead of Saturday, which turned out well for traffic that morning was not too bad.

As always, we detoured to Ipoh for lunch. But this time, we opted for something else instead of the usual Chicken Rice and beansprouts that Ipoh is famed for, and it was a pleasant change. Although our Nasi Ganja portion was not excessive, it was just enough for us. I have to say the coffee was excellent.

Nasi Ganja and iced black coffee
Curry noodles and Nasi Lemak for breakfast

For once, we did not play golf and just savored food that was under our radar previously. We even drove to the north-most state, Perlis, which I have never been to in my whole life. But sadly, there was nothing much to see there.

My first time visiting Perlis
A quick hello and goodbye

The weekend came and passed quickly. All too soon, it was time to return. The drive home was equally pleasant, without traffic jams on the highway. I’m glad we made the trip to see the folks who are well.

Love the green of the padi fields

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