I thought this month we would not have any public holidays to enjoy after all the long stretches in May; well, I thought wrong! Today is a public holiday, being the King’s birthday. Long live our King!
It’s also a welcomed opportunity to recuperate from yesterday’s tediously long drive back from hubby’s hometown. After this, it’s back to the grind and daily routine.
When a public holiday falls on a Monday, I lose track of time. I thought yesterday was a Saturday and today a Sunday. But, no, this is a second Monday public holiday, two weeks in a row already for April. I better not get used to this! But wouldn’t it be nice if our life schedule could be like this, with a three-day weekend and just four days for work?
Let’s not be complacent and get used to the lull because there are no long stretches of public holidays anymore in May. Reality sinks in tomorrow but with one last hurrah for another public holiday on Thursday. Then, it is full steam ahead for a regular ho-hum month.
You could say the chill and fun period of the holiday break is over for now, until next week, the holiday break repeats! Unbelievable. Malaysia is a country full of public holidays. So what’s going on next week?
Well, Labor Day is Monday, followed by Wesak Day on Thursday. That’s two days of public holiday again. But the holidays are between two working days during the week, thus a tad disruptive to the week. Am I complaining? Of course not! Hehehe. I should enjoy such breaks whenever they occur.
It has been hot and uncomfortable these past few days. And to make matters worst, the haze is coming back! Ugh. When it is so hot, many vulnerable areas will be prone to open burning, and this will lead to the occurrence of haze. I guess donning the mask again when being outdoors is best.
We are currently experiencing a heatwave due to less rainfall. Funny how quickly situations change with a shift in the weather pattern. Thankfully this would not last because we expect rain in the next few days. But until then, I am staying indoors as much as possible.
Every day I was on the prowl looking for the TaylorMade Spider Mini putter. I was determined to get it, come what may. Perhaps it can bring better fortune and lesser or no three putts?
Thankfully, my search did not last too long. I stumbled upon the Spider Mini on a Singapore buying/selling site instead of a location further, thus saving time and shipping costs. The condition of the pre-loved putter is almost mint. Wow, what a godsend find!
I enlisted my cousin to close the deal on my behalf, and bless her; we lucked out with an additional 20 percent discount off the listed price. Yay! Every dollar counts because the Singapore dollar is much stronger than the Malaysian Ringgit.
And my dear cousin brought it along when she flew in to visit during the Lunar New Year festive holiday break. So now I have another beautiful red putter to add to my collection. The best part of this latest acquisition, it’s a 32-inch putter, just like my Peanut Putter. I love it!
It’s been a month now since I last played golf. I am sure my muscle memory is all gone for the game. Oh well, better be healthy than risk any further problems.
When I am fully recovered and able to play golf again, this latest red Spider Mini putter will be in the bag instead of the Peanut or Scotty putters. I can’t wait.
It seems like the holiday is never-ending! It has been extended with a public holiday today. Unexpected but anticipated (because of the General Election results) and appreciated nonetheless.
Bali was fun, and I was doing things, not up my alley, which was nice for a change. I got to know my high school friends better, and we did things together.
Throughout the week, we indulged, ate, drank, laughed, shopped, swam, and luxuriated in our private apartment and villa (we stayed at two different places) together. We also pampered ourselves with not one but two three-and-a-half-hour and four-hour spa sessions.
There was no golf, no playing tourist but merely enjoying the presence of each other and having a good bonding time to catch up. I am thankful that, at this age, I still have such friends. It was as if we were never part despite all these years.
After this trip, we understood each other better, with our friendship forged to a deeper degree. I look forward to the next trip with this bunch of besties.
Sometimes when we return from a hectic vacation, we need to go off on another one to recover from the trip. And I did just that!
We reached home almost midnight after touching down in KLIA. The eight-hour layover in Doha was too long. And when we got home, everyone was so tired. But I wasn’t jet lagged, or I couldn’t feel it, even though I did not sleep much for the last 20 hours of traveling.
I was like an Energizer bunny, unpacking and clearing stuff away. But on Saturday, I flew off again with my girlfriends to Bali for a break to recuperate from the UK/Ireland trip.
Although Saturday was a big day for Malaysia, being Election Day, I did my part and then left. So this break is a break from writing and sharing and will return to routine after a week.
It has been a whirlwind trip for us, with the big city lights, attractions, crowds, sights, cold, smells, food, wind, graduation, colder temperatures, sceneries, and smells.
We took it all in stride. When we see what the other side of the world faces daily, I think it makes us appreciate our home more.
The cold weather and the wind were a challenge. And wearing four to five layers is not something we enjoy doing, but we have to do it to stay warm. The wind is the killer factor, and that makes it unbearable at times.
The graduation ceremony was the highlight of the trip. It is hard to describe our pride and joy in seeing our baby receive her degree. A new exciting chapter awaits her life.
As much as we enjoy going on an extended holiday, I’m glad our adventure is coming to an end. We now have to prepare for hot and humid conditions back home. It will be uncomfortable to readjust, but we have had enough of the cold and wind.
Goodbye Ireland, we leave with good memories.
I woke up at 3.44am, a minute before the alarm rang. The body knows when the situation calls for it. Our pick-up arrived on time, and the journey to the airport was long enough to nap a little for the loss of sleep.
Every step of the way, it was pleasant to start the trip well! And before we knew it, we were boarding! That’s when the hiccups started. Instead of departing as scheduled at 9.05am, the plane pushed off at 9.38am and took off only at 9.55am. A good solid 50 minutes late! Hmm.
I was so glad the first meal was served an hour after take-off because I was ravenous! The Airbus A350-900 seating configuration was a three-three-three in the economy section and comfortable enough for us small-sized people. But the comfort level may not be so for a larger built or bigger-sized passenger.
Anyway, I watched two movies and slept whenever I could; likewise, hubby and the girls too to pass the time. I lost track of time, and suddenly, the aircraft was descending! Oh yay! We are almost there.
We touched down at 3.22pm local time despite departing 50 minutes late. That’s good. Immigration clearance was smooth, but baggage claim took a little longer. So yay, here we are in London!
Today’s the day! We left in the wee hours of the morning. It’s been ages since I last woke up so early, and my usual 5.30 am wake-up for golf pales compared to this ungodly hour. I might as well not sleep and get ready for the airport straightaway.
It will be a long day ahead with our direct flight. I have forgotten what it’s like to be on a long-haul flight. And this journey will take 14 hours and 20 minutes, a little longer than the last time we flew to Amsterdam. Oh boy, my butt and body.
Separately, I’m a little bummed that my Move, Exercise, and Stand activities will be disrupted, thus ending my long record of 1,053 days in the Fitness app on my AppleWatch. Oh well, it is for a good reason; we are off to England, sadly not to see the Queen (God bless her soul) but the new King!
Angieneering 
Remarks