Tag Archives: United States

Adieu 2024!

31 Dec

It is the last day of 2024! What a year it has been for me. There were more travels than ever, more memories made as the year progressed, and sadly, a new injury. Let’s recap for the record.

My DIY crafting and building miniatures waned and came to a complete halt when my travels kicked in. It’s unfortunate after four years at it, project after project. Well, maybe come 2025, the interest will return. Only time will tell.

At the beginning of the year, I went to Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Singapore, for golf and leisure. My flight distance and time increased dramatically with an app I downloaded to track these things. In October, I added Japan to round up my travels abroad. I figured I had reached a milestone, so I should travel more. In total, I flew 19,768 km with a flight time of one day, six hours, and 38 minutes. I’m wondering if I can top these stats with the new year. We will find out!

Wonderful memories are created with the travels and truly cherished. We played at new golf courses in Vietnam and Indonesia, and I savored the time with my golfing friends. What more can I ask for? My best memory is meeting up with an old college friend in Hanoi! The precious few hours we had is something I will never forget. We talked as if we were never apart for the last few decades that flew by.

The family trips were all about food, sights, and new experiences. Bangkok was all about walking, shopping, and eating. Likewise, Japan, but more. Wonderful, wonderful time together. I hope we can do such trips come 2025!

My golfing ability has been up and down for the year. The top highlight was being crowned the Overall Champion for my Tuesday Group’s annual game in August. I guess I peaked at the right occasion! I hope I can rediscover my momentum for the new year because I picked up a new injury right after that game.

The right tennis elbow sucks. As such, the golf has been on a downslide. But I’m not upset by this disability because hubby and I picked up pickleball to stay active! And I play with my left hand, thus preserving the right side from further aggravation. I wear an elbow guard, just to be safe, though.

Toward the end of the year, I reconnected with another old friend who migrated and was visiting. She’s my bestie’s older sister and an ardent golfer, so it was wonderful to host her. Despite the elbow woes, the time together was more important.

As 2024 winds down, I reflect on what has happened and look forward to the new year ahead. I’ve stopped making resolutions but tend to keep a positive mind as I believe in ‘you are what you think you are’ to face what’s ahead. Attract the good vibes and keep the bad ones away or at bay.

On a global scale, sports, politics, war, world peace, and climate challenges share the headlines. I’d rather not elaborate as details on these issues are available freely online. I am thankful I survived the year.

I take this opportunity to thank all my readers and supporters who have kept me going in my blog and to wish everyone a Happy New Year! May 2025 bring peace and prosperity to all.

Cheers and adieu 2024, it’s a wrap, and thanks for the memories!

Saying goodbye 2024 and hello 2025 with Chandon!

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NCAA March Madness 2024, Part 2

9 Apr

The NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship is over, and my prediction fell flat. Hahaha. My earlier choices to advance to the Finals did not survive the Sweet Sixteen and Final Four stages.

And the team that I was rooting for in the Finals were not the champions. A heartache for the best player to end her college basketball career, but that’s life. Like golf, the ball is round, and anything can happen. Regardless, she has my utmost respect and awe.

A whole new world awaits some of these talented young ladies who are Seniors and graduating. The prospect of playing professionally in the WNBA looks good, and the women’s basketball league has never been more exciting!

I relish my renewed interest in women’s college basketball and look forward to the March Madness next year.

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Meeting in Hanoi

19 Mar

Hanoi is fast becoming a preferred destination. Not only my recent golf trip there was memorable, but it was there that I managed to meet up with an old friend from my college days! It was not coincidental but planned.

More than three decades have flown by since leaving Northern Arizona University. We were both pursuing the same degree, a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design then. We had the same classes, the same lecturers, and all. Upon graduation, we parted ways, each following her career paths and dreams. Years flew by, and we lost touch.

Thanks to technology and social media, specifically Facebook, we reconnected and kept in touch now and then online. It was recently when my dear friend talked about her bucket list trip to Asia that mooted the meeting in-person idea.

Bangkok was the initial city to meet, but the timing clashed with Chinese New Year and the Reunion Dinner occasions for me. However, all was not lost, as I had a golf trip to Hanoi and decided to adjust the dates to coincide with her arrival. And after some changes, she swapped her hotel choice to my hotel to save commuting time because we found a window! Isn’t it wonderful?

Words cannot describe the feeling when we finally met on the second last day of both our trips. It was an emotional moment when the hotel elevator doors opened, and I saw this towering person with a familiar face inside! I had tears of joy upon the bear hug.

We had five precious hours together and couldn’t stretch it any longer because both had flights to catch home the next day. Friendship is beautiful and precious only if we put our hearts into it. These days, distance or time differences are not an issue because we can connect online, on the phone, or eventually, in person.

Let’s not wait decades-long again to catch up with old friends. We can meet in my country, your country, or any country mid-way!

My towering American friend!

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Moving Around

12 Nov

Car rental in Dublin is so easy, unlike in the US. There is less paperwork required. Our spanking Ironman red hybrid SUV is comfortable, spacious, and easy to handle. With a built-in navigation system, finding our way out of the city was easy. The weather was good, and hubby drove along the non-toll roads toward Galway.

I am Ironman (hahaha) with this car!

When it drizzled, we stopped at a pub for lunch. I think we ordered too much. But then again, with the cold, we were famished. The portions always have a lot of chips (or mash) that we cannot finish, unfortunately, famish or not.

Lunch at this pub

We arrived at Galway by 3.30 pm, and just nice to check into our hotel. After a short rest, we headed into the town center. We were delighted to discover a Christmas fair at Eyre Square with things to see, buy, and food to savor.

Heading towards the Christmas fair

We had a good time browsing despite the large crowd and weather. For a change, dinner was at a tapas bar, with drinks, of course, to celebrate M2’s graduation.

The streets of Galway
We tried the Chimney Cake
Christmas atmosphere at the fair
Satisfying dinner

It was a long day, and we decided to call it a night earlier than usual.

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The Big Day

11 Nov

Thursday was a chill day without any sight-seeing activities because it was the big day for everyone, M2’s graduation ceremony! After three years of hard work, determination, and dedication, it has come down to this moment!

The proud moment

The ceremony was very different from the one we experienced when we attended M1’s graduation in the US. Held in the campus auditorium instead of an open stadium, it was a cozy and personal affair. Both graduation ceremonies are moving for us nonetheless.

We could not be more proud as she had graduated with First Class Honors in her Bachelor’s Honors degree program. Our responsibility as parents to ensure both girls are well-equipped for the world is complete with this latest milestone in the family.

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The Blundstone Travels Again

2 Nov

The first thing I earmarked for the impending trip was my Blundstone boots! It’s been three years since they last saw some serious action, having gone to the US for M1’s graduation. But as I was unboxing my boots from the shoe cabinet, I found another pair of boots!

Uh-huh, my Blunnies have a rival in the calf-high boots. I have forgotten about this pair because it’s an impractical pair of boots for hot and humid holidays that I mostly do pre-pandemic time. However, for this upcoming trip, calf-high boots might be suitable. Hmm.

I like wearing the Blundstones to travel because they are super comfortable for walking (even after re-soled), but calf-high boots may be good to ward off the cold! There’s still space in the luggage, and I can always do the last-minute packing. We’ll see how it goes.

Decisions, decisions…

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Losing Track of Time

2 Sep

Two days ago, we celebrated our wedding anniversary. When one is married for so long, like me, the tendency to lose track of time is prevalent. I have stopped counting how many years we have been married.

Typically, we would go to our favorite porky restaurant to enjoy a platter each and a bottle of wine. But this year, we opted for something different – going with Chinese food and no wine. No wine?! Yes, for a change. The spread was sumptuous, and the four of us had a delightful dinner as the restaurant was not packed nor noisy.

The sumptuous dinner menu

When the girls were away the past few years, we never considered dining at a Chinese restaurant, especially to celebrate our wedding anniversary. It would be hard to order for the two of us, being small eaters. But now that both girls are back, we can have more options for dinner celebration venues. Isn’t it wonderful?

Here’s wishing us a happy anniversary, good health, and happiness throughout the year!

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A Welcome Celebration

29 Apr

What a difference with another year passing by for birthday celebrations! The existence of Covid-19 makes it hard for us to predict what can happen with its spread making daily situations so volatile. We cannot plan special occasions so far ahead because things are constantly evolving. Even as I write, the SOPs will change again come next month.

Two years ago, my birthday dinner celebration was a muted affair. We stayed home because of the pandemic and had food delivered. There were scores and scores of containers for the meal. It wasn’t the best in presentation, but being at home made up for it, given the virus fear and lockdown circumstances. Last year, it was a blur, and honestly, I don’t remember what we did on my special day.

This year, things are a little bit different. A spontaneous four-day gastronomic journey that began on Sunday to celebrate instead of a golf getaway like we usually do. Moreover, we just went on a golf trip to Forest City recently, so another trip now is too soon. This mission to discover new food to savor in the run-up to the actual birthday is much appreciated for the chef in me to have the week off from making dinner nightly! Woo hoo.

Lovely fine dining Japanese dinner
We ate to our fill!
We came home to cut my yummy Lemon Pistachio birthday cake
We played a post-birthday round of golf!

The birthday dinner was also a welcome change for various reasons. It was the first fine-dining experience after the many lockdowns we had during the pandemic. Secondly, it’s the first year with M1 joining us, being away for her education, and missing my birthday celebrations for the last six years. All in all, a welcome celebration. A toast to a good year ahead for me, and be in the best of health and mind.

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Some Good Cheese

21 Mar

I love cheese, and I used to eat it a lot. But sadly, in recent years, my body cannot handle the cheese intake. The dairy is too much for my tummy because of my Endometriosis issue. Sometimes it is not just uncomfortable bloating – there are accompanying aches of varying degrees.

So I stopped eating cheese to protect myself from the unnecessary pain, avoid pizzas especially, burgers with melting cheese slices, fries with gooey cheese – you get the idea? Last year, this changed.

When M1 returned from the US, she introduced lactose intolerance supplements to me, something we were unaware of before. And what a lifesaver this supplement has been for me!

When I feel like having cheese for my meals or even a big cup of boba milk tea, I will pop the supplement first before consuming the food or drink, and it helps. There is no bloating or discomfort. My life has changed for the better when it comes to having dairy.

Recently, we bought some good cheese to eat. Creamy, rich, and bursting with flavors, the cheeses are just heavenly. Thanks to the lactose intolerance supplements – I eat happily without pain or discomfort.

Good cheese these two

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Something New from the Garden

11 Jan

Our garden is full of plants and edibles. But I have to admit I am not the green fingers person managing our garden. It was only during the lockdown phases the last two years that I learned to appreciate it. I can identify Creeping Charlies and unwanted weeds and even made an effort to plant vegetables for our consumption.

You can find the usual air plants, stag horns, and bromeliads that hubby has besides some other plants, small trees, shrubs, and the one big frangipani tree that we love very much. Then there are the edibles like chili, curry leaves, fruits, herbs, and some vegetables spread out here and there. The space is balanced between plants to appreciate and food to eat to be sustainable.

When M1 came home last year, she brought back some corn seeds, glass gem corn, to be precise. At that point, we were not sure whether the corn could grow in our environment. Hubby, being the green fingers maestro, tried. After almost five months, he has successfully grown some glass gem corn! Wow.

Glass gem corn from our garden!

It does not matter that they are small and puny in size upon harvest. The fact that the species can grow in humid and wet conditions is good enough. Both corns are not as colorful compared to what we see on the internet. Nonetheless, they are very pretty looking, and we are most pleased with this new thing from our garden.

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