Tag Archives: Shopping

Escape to the Highlands

4 Aug

This golf trip was spontaneous in the sense that it was slotted in between other golf trips! Heheheh. Remember the Seremban and Johor Interclub trips? Somehow, we decided on this trip before our next adventure, and we escaped to Resorts World Awana Golf Course for a 2D/1N Stay and Play golf package.

Breathtaking views of Awana

The weather in Awana was gorgeous—cool and refreshing. The newly renovated golf course was also fresh and provided a new challenge. Our two flights of golfers totally enjoyed the course. After the game, we checked in but did not meet for dinner. Instead, four of us opted to shop at the Genting Premium Outlet (GPO), while the other four did their own things.

There were some really good deals at the GPO, and shopping was a priority over dinner. So many choices, so little time, and the evening went by quickly. A good round of golf, good company, good after-game activity – what more could one ask for? A simple dinner!

The following day, we checked out of the hotel and headed to Berjaya Hills Golf and Country Club for our second round. The undulating course proved to be quite a challenge, and I seemed to have lost my groove. Nothing was going right, but I still enjoyed the company, the weather, and the beautiful natural surroundings.

We had a scare at the Par 3 hole during the crossover. All three of us were so focused on watching our friend’s ball fly toward the green when, suddenly, a fierce giant pig-tailed macaque appeared out of nowhere and jumped onto my buggy—just two feet away from me! Our immediate screams startled the monkey, though, and it quickly jumped away. Thank goodness the encounter was brief, but it was scary nonetheless. After that, we lost all motivation to make par on that hole and drove away quickly!

The remaining holes suddenly became much harder to manage after that incident. Perhaps because the sun came out and the heat was cranked up, or we were all still having palpitations from that encounter? We played on to complete the round without further interruptions. This incident was not the best highlight of the trip. Hahaha. Everyone concluded that the weather takes precedence, and already, there are mentions of returning to Resorts World Awana Golf Course for another round or two of golf in the near future!

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A Mini Break

24 Mar

Last week, we had an extended weekend break for Hari Raya, as the government declared Friday and Monday as public holidays. It was a welcome mini-break for many, which was evident from the jam-packed Plus highway filled with outbound travelers, from where I could see.

Rather than planning any trips or day excursions that would leave us stuck in traffic, we decided to stay indoors. We spent our time shopping, dining, and people-watching at the mall. Although the weather was too hot for outdoor activities, I did manage to play a round of golf. And was terrible at it! Hahaha. I think the heat got to me. Oh well, I know I’m on the downslide again as far as my golf is concerned.

There may not be another long stretch of holiday again so soon, but this is not going to stop me from planning a trip! So I am setting the wheels in motion for my next mini-break, minus the traffic and crowd.

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Two More Weeks

16 Dec

Gosh, 2025 is coming to an end soon! There are two more weeks left in the year. And what a year it has been for me. As always, there were ups and downs, as well as memorable and sad moments, to mark another eventful year.

For me, the highlights have been my international travels! This year, I visited Bangkok, Halong Bay, ZhangJiaJie, Kyoto, and Osaka. And not to mention several local road trips within Malaysia. A good mix with family and friends, I would say, in terms of activities like shopping or golf, sights, and gastronomic adventures.

2025 saw my golf skills fluctuating up and down too much. I experienced both great games and frustrating ones, whether it was putting issues, chipping challenges, or just inconsistencies in my swing – I have encountered it all!

When the mindset leans more towards treating the game as a social outing, the focus on doing well tends to falter. If I want to play to win, I have to be very disciplined and change my mindset. We shall see.

2025 was also when hubby and I became serious pickleball players. We invested in better paddles, balls, and shoes, thus making our weekly games more enjoyable. When one has the right equipment and apparel, it makes the outing more comfortable and fun. And it’s a great alternative to golf, especially during the rainy season, because we play the sport indoors, covered from the weather in an air-conditioned space!

Thank you, 2025! But it’s time to store these wonderful experiences and memories away soon, and make way to usher in 2026 with a bang!

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We Loved Kyoto and Osaka

28 Oct

It has been two weeks since our return from Japan, and I have not wrapped up the story of our adventure! Two days after returning, I developed a cough, just as I had in April when I returned from Zhangjiajie. From that moment on, the will to do anything, much less writing or thinking, was not there. I just needed to rest and recover. It is alarming and cumbersome to fall ill each time upon return after a wonderful holiday.

Sights of the last two days in Osaka
Okonomiyaki lunch

Looking back, we loved Kyoto more than Osaka, as it felt more laid back and relaxed. There was no hurry in the world, and we both learned to appreciate the surroundings with a leisurely pace. Although Osaka felt more crowded than Kyoto, we managed and did enjoy the last two days before flying home. Both cities had very different vibes from Tokyo.

The highlight from the last two days in Osaka was my purchase of seven brand new Honma Beres NX irons from the golf pro shop! It was a steal of a purchase as the offer coincided with the Osaka Expo 2025. Changing my irons had been on my wishlist, and I’m thrilled that I was able to fulfill this on this trip.

My new irons, Honma Beres NX. Love ‘em!!!

So Kyoto and Osaka are a wrap for us! We enjoyed ourselves tremendously. Don’t be surprised if plans are in the pipeline for another trip to Japan next year! Why not? The country is so vast, and there are still so many cities to explore.

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Land of the Rising Sun, Part 2

9 Oct

Typically, having an agenda for a holiday trip is good. And when it is a self-planned trip, it is all the more important. Our overall agenda is rather ambitious as it covers seven to ten places per day. However, we have not been able to follow through with our plan since our arrival. Hahahaha.

After the delayed departure from KLIA, our Day Two agenda was in disarray. We had to adjust accordingly, and Day Three was affected too. So, are we upset? Funnily, no.

It has been very chill and at our own pace. Day Two was an impromptu plan, discovering Kyoto Station itself and the surrounding area from our hotel. And what was supposed to be Day Two became the agenda for Day Three. Being flexible was best.

So for Day Three, we spent the whole day at Arashiyama strolling along with no urgency despite covering only three points of interest: the Bamboo Forest, Tenryuji Temple, and Togetsukyo Bridge.

Honestly, the shops lining the streets were more interesting, and I had a great time browsing in them. The two Snoopy shops had me excited like a kid in a candy store! Hahaha. It was a good day of sights, eats, purchases, and experiences. Overall, the crowd was not too huge, the Matcha drinks and ice cream were heavenly, the sights were impressive, and the walking pace was manageable. But the weather was a mix of conditions. When it became too hot, I used my umbrella for protection.

Our Matcha being prepared
Drinks and food of the day
The dinner spread

Day Three ended with 9.97km covered, a cold draft beer, and a hearty meal to wrap it up. Let’s see how we adjust our plans for Day Four.

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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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The Overwhelming Trip Continues

29 Apr

On the fifth day of our trip, we visited Wulingyuan, a different historical and scenic site of Zhangjiajie National Park. We see so many rock formations that I have lost track of what is what and where. My knowledge of this place is terrible, as I didn’t do any research before coming.

There was another queue for a cable car to the peak to see more rocks! Hahaha. Another long trek day. I was hitting all sorts of records on the Fitness app in my AppleWatch. Yay!

Wulingyuan

That evening, we decided to attend the large-scale musical, the Fox Fairy Show. The live musical performance was very entertaining and colorful. I was most impressed by the outdoor theater setup at the foot of Tianmen Mountain. Costume and character changes were instantaneous without glitches with AI technology. Very impressive!

The Fox Fairy Show

The next day, we queued again (what else is new?) for the Bailong Elevator. Although we paid for VIP tickets to cut down our time waiting in line, it was still an hour before we could go up to the top. The Avatar Mountains were the highlight of this trip, but again, for me, the crowds marred the experience of seeing the floating mountains. I think the depth of the terrain was hardly visible, with so much greenery below. It was hard for me to grasp the sheer beauty of the place.

The floating Avatar Hallelujah Mountains

At all the attractions we visited, it felt like the whole world was there to see what we wanted to see. And if I thought it was the last of the long queues at Bailong, the next day’s attraction at the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge was another one for the record!

At the Glass Bridge

We gave up the last tour to visit Orange Isle when we saw the queues again. Hahaha. After so many days of long queue experience, we could not handle another long queue to see the statue of Mao Zedong. Everyone agreed we should go shopping instead.

Mass crowds from every attraction we went to!

All in all, this trip was all about nature, crowds, and queues. I have never been so overwhelmed surrounded by people. The trip culminated in the final two days at Changsha with a colorful cityscape skyline, more people, interesting food, and shopping.

So colorful!
Array of street food. Bottom right: bowl of cut chili is called a dipping sauce

Nine days were rather long, and although there were more downsides of crowds, queues, and packing the wrong clothes as far as the weather was concerned, I am taking the positives from this trip, checking off my bucket list, and cherish the time I had with the friends I grew up with.

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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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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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