little bitty girl

Another horrid day, padding up our registry. Marie called it "bare bones" but at least we're asking for things we really need and not miscellaneous junk. I can see how people can go nuts though. That scanner thing is addictive.

I keep telling people that there is no need as I can't see anyone buying us a gift, not because we have no friends, it's because we really don't expect anything after all, WE ELOPED!

Anyways, went to my favourite store, Urban Outfitters to check out the Spring merchandise and found the PERFECT LAMPS! Stefan and I have been looking for lamps to go on the dresser that is in our living room. Our loft is really lacking in light. In the summer, everything is fine because of our large windows but there simply isn't enough light in the winter.

Stefan and I have similar but different tastes. He likes clean lines and I like to mix things up with vintage pieces. This was a great compromise, somewhat retro but not too ornate. We're quite happy with our new purchase.

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Posted in Delectable Design

I can barely move my tired stomach from all the good eats at chez Mama and Papa Kang. This is just a quarter of what was offered, and then I got completely distracted and started gorging myself. So, there are no more pictures. My mum always overcooks, which I don't particularly mind but I just realized in all my tiredness from overindulging myself, that I forgot to grab some leftovers for myself. How dumb was that little move? Since Mama doesn't cook like this all the time, I really should have taken more advantage of the situation.

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Posted in Family Shenanigans

I had the worst experience today registering my gifts at The Bay. Unfortunately in Canada, they are the only thing going in terms of having everything you need for the home. We had initially gone to the one on Queen Street, since they were the largest location and I felt that they would also have the best selection.

What a mistake!

The woman we encountered was so unbelievably rude to us and told both Stefan and I, that they could not accomodate us, despite the fact there were all these attendents there just making personal calls on the phone. Out of spite, we decided not to register at the store.

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Posted in Delectable Design, What's Buggin' Me

I must admit that I have been feeling less than stellar lately. I am not sure whether I can put my finger on the reason why but I think the lack of sun and warmth plays a big part in how I feel.

Tonight, I stumbled upon this little goodie. It's by Abigail Percy, a designer from Glasgow. How unbelievably delicate and beautiful. Most who know me, know that I have a huge fondness for jewelry, especially earrings. I checked out her Flickr pictures as well and was so inspired by her work.

For some reason, it just made me happier just to see really good design. I know it sounds so weird but I can't explain it. But, I thought I would at least share my new find.

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Posted in Delectable Design, Fashion Smashion

As my friend once said, "Sandra Oh's character stereotypes Asian women as stoic and devoid of emotion and contrast drastically from the frazzled and emotional (and more attractive) Meredith and Izzy. She needs double eyelid surgery, a facelift and breast implants." The Bastardly

I really cannot even begin to start to explain how much this type of bullshit just pisses me off. People need to accept that there are many different types of beauty and not everyone fits into a certain mold. This is why our society is so fucked. Why does anyone need to change their boobs, or their laugh lines? Why do we all need to be plastic to fit into the definition of someone else's beauty? Why is it always women who have to do this? Most men do not have hard bodies and yet they feel they have the right to define what a woman should look like.

Plastic surgery is such a personal choice but I really don't believe in having to radically alter one's self. I hate those Extreme Makeover shows because it gives people, especially women, this false sense of beauty. If you get all your teeth replaced and capped, are the size of your teenage daughter, and get your bones restructured, then you suddenly become a worthy person in society?

The knock against Sandra Oh -- and directly taking a shot at her Asian features -- is completely unacceptable. No person should have to change a part of themselves that is so much a part of their heritage to be considered "beautiful." I am so against the double eyelid surgery. There is a growing trend in Asia for people who do it because it gives them an edge, to look more western and I think it's disgusting. It definitely doesn't help for those who are not of the Asian race, to say that the Asian features need cosmetic help. We're not judging you by your race's facial definitions.

I think this is also another reason why I refuse to change my last name. There are, of course, so many other reasons for this, but one of the main ones is that I am an Asian person. I am proud to be Asian. I am proud to have an Asian name. I am proud to have Asian eyes. I am proud to be who I am.

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Posted in Glued To The Tube, What's Buggin' Me

I figure I should write this while they haven't started deporting us coloured people out of the country and still have freedom of speech.

I guess the result wasn't completely unexpected but I still can't believe that the devil in the turtleneck won. Who was he trying to fool with that get up? And could you not tell how difficult it was for him to smile at people? Sigh!

The upside to this all is that it gave the government the shake-up it needed, it's still a minority government and Paul Martin has stepped down as leader of the Liberal party.

Now when are we going to have another non-confidence vote and oust the current one?

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Posted in What's Buggin' Me

I thought I should get this part over with before it gets way too late and everyone goes,"Bloody shut up about your stupid wedding already!!!"

Please click on the pictures and it will automatically redirect you to my Flickr account and reveal a photo slideshow. If you want to see my individual comments on each picture, all you have to do is click stop slideshow and manually view it.

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Posted in Stefan, Travel

Ah, nothing like an Election Day to start the week.

It will be a very tight race I think. It was a very hard decision for me because frankly none of the parties truly represent me, so the next course of action was to pick the one that is closest. But then, I think that we're so lucky not to just have a two party system form of government. Because in that case, either party can be extreme on either side.

I understand the process of voting is tedious. You have to wait in long lines, people have to take the time to verify who you are but we are so lucky to even be able to do this. There are so many disenfranchised people out there in the world with no voice to speak out for what they want. As much as it can seem annoying at times, the stupid ads and the false promises, I still am proud and grateful that I can do this.

Regardless, whatever the outcome, I think it will still make me unhappy unless some completely dramatic changes are made. But I know that at least I made a choice. Don't not vote and then complain about problems after. Be responsible. After all, a single whisper added to a thousand others becomes a deafening roar. Don't waste your whisper.

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Posted in Much To Do About Nothing

The online application for passports is supposed to ease the pain of the process and to help you avoid the long line at the passport office. Well, the whole process took over an hour because the system kept crashing. I think I would have been better off waiting in line.

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Posted in What's Buggin' Me

Another good thing about being married to Stefan is that I get technical support for life.

Stefan! I am trying to apply for my passport online and it says it's missing some plugin.

Just download the Java runtime.

I did, it's still not working.

Let me see....

Fiddles around the computer

Try again.

Still not working. Oh, I think I've got to do it on I.E.

Hmpmh! Most likely because the government sites usually don't support Firefox. Because they're STUPID. That's the technical explanation.

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Posted in Much To Do About Nothing

My lovely boy and his beautiful blue eyes. My week old husband. My kitty litter picker upper. My rescue king in rocky waters. My powder white wonder, who needs at least three months to work on the slightest tan. My backgammon buddy. My fellow plotter and eloper. My lily pad boy.

Happy Birthday!

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Posted in Stefan

I thought I would impart some age old knowledge now that I am a married woman. HAH! As if I've acquired any, it's only been 6 days after all. But I thought I would share some random thoughts about what I think so far about getting married and eloping.

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Posted in Family Shenanigans, Joy-Friends, Stefan

We did it!

I am not sure whether many brides get to really enjoy their weddings (I've heard plenty of horror stories) but I definitely did.

It was really funny because once we got to Jamaica, all the stress of planning the whole thing just melted away.

Our neighbours in the next villa were so shocked when they went on their balcony before the sunset and realized that they were witnessing a wedding taking place on the gazebo. They said they had to get out their binoculars to make sure that it was really us.

I think it was because we had the chillest day. We went swimming in the warm ocean, then laid in the sun, read books and spent the whole day just enjoying ourselves. Then we realized it was almost time for our wedding and we got dressed and off we went.

Both Stefan and I were a bundle of nerves. But once the ceremony started, all of that also melted away. We both had our own vows in addition to the ones the minister had. There were some tears but mostly laughter.

For the next few days, almost every couple at the hotel were telling us how if they had to do their wedding all over again, they too would have done it by themselves.

I am glad that we did it the way we wanted to because we really had the perfect wedding.

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Posted in Stefan

December 24, 2005
We finally picked up our rings. Oh, that Stefan and I, we sure like to live by the ants in our pants. Talk about stressful. My ring is absolutely beautiful and much larger than we anticipated. I keep thinking people are going to think it's fake or try to rob me. We both can't stop looking at it on the street. We go home and we both put our rings on. I love the fact that they are both so different from each other, they're so uniquely a part of ourselves and yet it symbolizes our unity.

I like the fact that I did not go for a solitaire engagement ring and a wedding ring. It's just a thick band because I figured I wear rings like that all the time and it had to be comfortable. Plus, there was no need for an engagement ring since we were eloping. It really was a very personal choice and it made sense for me. A friend told me once, that in her culture, a lot of people don't wear their engagement rings on the ring finger once they are married. When I asked why, she said it's because a solitaire is a broken circle and a marriage should remain unbroken. Funny, but now that I think about it it just gives my choice more significance to me as my ring is a really solid, unbroken ring.

I wear my ring all night long to get used to wearing a ring all the time. I can feel Stefan trying to get a better look at it while I am sleeping. It's quite comfortable. He said the words," Wife..." this morning. WE-IRD!

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Posted in Stefan

December 2, 2005
We finally decided on a place! We've made a reservation at The Rockhouse, it's a smaller, boutique hotel that's gotten really good reviews. Stefan keeps saying we're going to jump off the cliffs but he doesn't get that people who wear bikinis and jump tend to lose their bikinis in the landing. I'll stick to using the stairs. I am excited and nervous that it's all coming about. And also tremendously relieved, I don't know why brides like long engagements. Painful experience, I think. Just think of it like a bandaid and rip it off, I say. Now I can worry about more important things like Christmas.

You know, I'm thinking I would have been just fine with a used car as an engagement thing and getting married at City Hall. I'm pragmatic like that. Stef is more the romantic and he wanted somewhere beautiful and sunny because I've come to dread the winters here. He's such a nice guy, I am really very lucky....

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Posted in Stefan

It's not really a gunshot wedding, but sounds so much more dramatic when you say it that way, don't you think? Stefan and I always said we would elope when we got married. I believe we brought up the subject up on our third date and after, we were a little creeped out that we both were so in sync straight off the bat. We said we wanted to go somewhere hot and it would just be the two of us and that is exactly what we did. Here is a short diary of our engagement and the planning leading to the BIG DAY.

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Posted in Stefan

I must say I had my doubts about this movie. First of all, I wasn't sure how they could make a short story into a full feature film. Secondly, I could not imagine Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger could convincingly play star crossed lovers.

Both Ledger and Gyllenhaal give unbelievable performances. The relationship they play is not an easy one but wrought with confusion,self-doubt and despair. On the surface they're both the ultimate Marlborough Men, rugged and tough. For some reason, they're inexplicably drawn to each other. Neither want to want each other but they can't stay away. Yet, they are stuck to the life that society forces them to lead and both lives are ultimately destroyed by their inability to be true to themselves. Not having been fans of any of their previous works, this movie definitely elevates their craft to a completely different level.

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Posted in Reviewing

I have been thinking about our New Year's party after seeing everyone post pictures. I haven't posted mine because frankly I had hardly any. I know. Me, the shutterbug queen, with no pictures? My bloody battery died halfway.

We really had the perfect New Years. About twelve good friends, antipasto, Portuguese BBQ chicken, rice, potatoes, veggies, playing games, and laughing hard. All over by 2:30 am.

Yet, I can't help but think about the ones we used to have when Stef lived in his huge 3,000 square foot loft. They were legendary and people still talk about it today. The last we had was beyond insane. We had about 4 DJ's, about 300-400 people, most of whom thought it was a club and half of whom we didn't know who the hell they were, one bathroom, lots of beer and puke to clean up after. I think that's why I said, "No More!"

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Posted in Joy-Friends

Someone asked me about my expectation to read more books in the new year. They wanted to know how it's possible since I read an average of four books per week.

I guess the bad thing about being a speed reader is that it makes less of an excuse to read less than that amount. Since I read so quickly, I also read a fair amount of "junk food" books. You know the kind, feeds the craving but has no real substance so I usually don't count those as "real" books. (Sorry, bestseller lists out there!) However, they are absolutely essential in cleansing the mind before reading something substantial. After all, no one wants to be maudlin all the time.

Anyways, I just think there are so many books in the world and I should try to read as many as I possibly can before I die. That's all....

I still won't read the Russians though.

Posted in Me-ness

Sharing a bed with someone else is weird. I've always thought so. Sharing a bed with someone twice your size, in a bed meant to be for a teenager is simply ridiculous.

Stefan and I always argue about the stupid bed. It's his old one from university days and how he ever fit into that thing in the first place, I'll never understand. It's a double, the size in between a single and a queen for those of you who don't know. I've almost always been in a queen size bed and having done so, am not apt to share my space.

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Posted in Stefan

I don't like the idea of resolutions.

Maybe it's because I am the youngest child and have a tendency to be a bit rebellious. If you tell me to go left, I'll go right. I see resolutions as some other rule to follow. Besides, my resolutions are never the typical ones, like lose 10 pounds, or learn to swim. Although learning to do something you don't know is always a good thought.

However, I just wanted to say what a crazy year 2005 has been for me - getting a new job, leaving the job, starting my own business, losing a grandmother, making amazing new friends, writing more, laughing and learning. This year felt like an insane roller coaster ride and yet it's also made me realize how blessed I am in my partner, friends and family. Every year makes me appreciate them all more. So, thank you all for being in my life.

So, instead of resolutions here are some things I'd like to try to do in the new year -

Eat more seafood, cooked in different ways.

Spend more time with my girlfriends.

Get in touch with my creative-crafty side.

Not to be such a workaholic.

Give back more to society.

Spend more time teasing parents and brothers.

Read more books (this is a permanent MUST TRY every year).

Go for more walks with Stefan.

Remember to laugh out loud.

Hope everyone else has an amazing 2006!

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Posted in Me-ness