City of San Francisco

The city of San Francisco is just sheer madness during Christmas time!  I once thought Singapore was just absolutely the craziest place to be during shopping season but one walk into H&M stores here, the pure amount of people that greets your sight is just unbelievable!

I started the day off with meeting the beautiful couple Rina and Clement at the Ferry Building for lunch.  The Ferry Building is just an absolutely gorgeous place (no doubt totally touristy but still gorgeous) and they have the most amazing gourmet markets selling all sorts of cheeses, hams, meats, and I swear I even saw them selling rabbit sausages!  We shared a platter of a dozen oysters and had the most delicious clam chowder ever.. so far.. mind you this is only the second time I have had this dish and I love it!  I wish I had taken more pictures of the building but unfortunately that totally did NOT come to mind then. :( 

There are actually two types of oysters on this plate.  Can you spot the difference?  Neither could I... :S

After lunch, we proceeded to spend the rest of the afternoon with a full on girls only shopping spree!  However on the way, I spotted the dog of my dreams!  Isn't he a beauty?  Mountain Bernese... such an adorable boy who was absolutely giving me a side profile pose.

Union Square is the main centre of the city of San Francisco.  It is however just a square!  It's just surrounded by the biggest departmental stores and branded shops such as Macys, Saks 5th Avenue, Christian Dior, Bulgavi and the main office for Tiffany and Co.  Shopper's Paradise!  This year they set up an ice skating rink in the middle of the square and a huge giant christmas tree next to it!!  It just reminded me of the scene from "Home Alone 2" in New York City.  :)

As far as shopping days goes, this day was absolutely warm and beautiful with clear blue skies.  Yet we are in the middle of December and where is my white Christmas???

Unfortunately this day did not turn out to be such a great shopping day as we did not have the patience to queue more than 30 minutes for a changing room and another 30 minutes just to pay for the purchases!  It was great to see all the people shopping around for Christmas presents, all the bags they were carrying and the happiness and laughter that was going around. :)  So even though we both ended up pretty much empty handed after hours of walking, it was still an extremely fun day which totally heightened my Christmas mood and excitement!

My favourite view of the day?  I saw a Coach!  Literally!  Smiles :)

Merry Christmas!

Our first real Fir Christmas Tree!!  

This is the very first Christmas that I have ever spent away from my family!  But also, this is the very first Christmas I spent as a married woman with my husband. :)  We decided to have a small little dinner party, and the guests of honour was Jannine, Dave, Aunty Barbara, Mikey, and James.  It was a challenge trying to fit everyone into our living area, but we managed with 4 people happily sitting on the floor and the remaining 3 in our sofa.  With drinks in hand, it was definitely a perfect night.

Turkey marinated and stuffed and ready for the oven!

This is my very first time cooking a turkey!  Usually I tell everyone every year that I played an integral role in being Lisa's helper when we cooked the turkey but honestly, I don't.  So this year, after begging Lisa for her recipe, she emailed me an extremely detailed recipe with step by step guide on how to cook the turkey.  In this recipe, it called for the turkey to be cooked breast side down as that's the secret to having moist, juicy and tender white meat.  Makes sense really... 

After being in the oven for roughly 2 hours, I was suddenly hit with a revelation!  This turkey came equipped with a red tab that was embedded in the breast meat which pops up and indicates that the turkey is perfectly cooked.  So how was I going to know when the tab has popped???  A few desperate messages to Lisa asking her how she did her turkey and this was her answer : "Oh, ignore that part of the recipe.  Cook it breast side up so it will also brown!".  Great!!!  So how was I going to turn a 13 pound turkey?  With a lot of sweat and muscles and teamwork.  :)

Perfectly cooked turkey!!  I know because the red tab popped and told me so. 

Being chinese, I always have the tendency to over feed people.  I absolutely have no concept of the right proportion of food per person which is why our fridge is filled with leftovers right now.  Which is why for Christmas, I prepared a 13 pound turkey, a leg of ham, roast potatoes and grilled asparagus with freshly made cranberry sauce and gravy for a total of 7 people who unbelievably are all extremely small eaters!  Not to mention Mikey brought along homemade stuffing and James baked awesome cookies.  

It was a great night of eating, drinking and plenty of laughter and to round up dinner, Dave and Jannine provided dessert which was an awesomely moist coconut rum cake with whip cream from a can!

Dessert took a while to be served as someone was having too much fun with the canned whip cream! :)

Dave got aggressive when Jannine hid the whip cream.. :)  such a cute couple!

I am ordinarily not a dessert person and I usually shy away from any coconut flavour products other than the real fruit.  But this is potentially one of the BEST cake I have ever eaten!  But then again it might be due to the amount of rum they put in the cake. :)

The damage done at the end of the night?  2 bottles of Mumm Napa Champagne and 6 bottles of red wine!  Cheers!

Fiji Wedding.. Gwen's Style! (Part 1)

I love western style weddings!!  The ceremony was set to begin at dusk, 5pm by the side of the lagoon, as the sun sets in the background.  Therefore the entire morning and afternoon was dedicated to full pampering with champagne and wine!  Well that's for the ladies.  Sorry guys! :)

However when 4.30pm rolled around, the clouds came and then rain poured heavily.  But throughout this whole time, the beautiful bride sat calmly on her make up seat, bravely saying she didn't care where she got married and she just wants to get married!  The venue was quickly shifted to the beautiful seaside chapel.

No anxieties from the groom nor his men! :)

I absolutely love what the groom and his merry men were wearing!  Everything was matched up, right up to their ties and shoes.  The bridesmaids were dressed chicly in a fun hot pink dress with bling shoes that I would die to own.  I love the twist of Gwen appointing an "overgrown" flowergirl who proudly did her role of scattering flowers as she walked down the aisle. :)

There was absolutely nothing traditional about this wedding!  The flowergirl, bridesmaids and the beaming bride walked down the aisle to Bruno Mars "Just the way you are" and the bride and groom exited as husband and wife to Bruno Mars "I think I wanna marry you".  Brilliant choices!  

Gwen looks absolutely gorgeous in her custom made Maggie Sottero dress.  Absolutely loving the thigh high split! :)

The ceremony itself was the fastest I have ever sat through.  The bride and groom came up with their own vows, which was the sweetest vows I have ever heard!  

Signing of the registry :)

Congratulations to Mr. & Mrs. Darron and Gwen Rowe!  In true fashion of Gwen's style, check out their first kiss as husband and wife! 

Now we know why her dress has a split! 

Cave visit.. or is it??

Another fun feature provided by Intercontinental Golf and Spa Resort is that they run different types of activities every day to entertain their guests.  Snorkeling, city visits, island hopping, and a visit to a nearby cave that dates back to over a million years ago.  How very interesting isn't it?  I thought so!

So we signed up for this exciting trip which they promised would take no longer than 2 hours.  Where is this cave?? In fact it's on an island which is literally five minutes walk away from our resort.  We just needed to wade through some corals in low tide and we stepped into a whole new island.  Beautiful...

This island was built up from volcanic rocks and centuries ago was the centre of some kind of war... please do not quote me as I was too busy oogling at the beautiful scenery rather than listen to our guide talk.  Anyways, the war is long gone and the island is still inhabited by the Fijians who now rear goats and pigs on this land.  

The waters surrounding the island was super crystal clear with plenty of tiny tropical fish swimming around.  Unfortunately there was no signs of Nemo nor Dory among these corals.  After trekking some distance on the edge of the island, we entered the forest where the guide proceeded to show us some plants which the locals used as natural remedies for different ailments.  Funny how one of the plants look suspiciously like "chilli padi" to me... 

So as the guide continues to tell us about this cave we are about to visit, he brags about how there were many tunnels in this cave and how very dark it is.  In fact his ancestors used the cave during the war to hide out from their enemies.  He did warn us that when we see the lighted end of the tunnel, don't run to it because it is a cliff at that edge.  OoOOooo.... doesn't that just sound incredible???

Believe it or not, that's the entrance to the cave that we're suppose to visit... Yup.. I kid you not.  As my vietnamese counterparts joked, it looked more like the Chi Tunnels in Saigon!  It's just about the right size too! :)

After duck crawling for a distance of 5 metres past this entrance, we emerge in a large dark room.  Our guide only brought a measly flashlight for our group of 7 and I am not ashamed to say the moment he asked who wanted to hold the flashlight, I immediately volunteered.  Last thing I wanted was to walk into a spider web!!  

Finally when we all entered the room, I shone the flashlight around and my first reaction was "THIS IS IT??"  That room was no bigger than this apartment that I am living in right now and how did the guide come about with the theory that this cave is over a million years old??  No, there weren't any cave drawings (well there were some but I am pretty sure they were relatively new...) and there were no prehistoric bones, only one femur which apparently belongs to an animal and looks suspiciously planted there.  This cave is over a million years old because of the stalagmites, or was it stalactites... I ain't no cave expert.

The reason why I couldn't get a group picture inside the cave was because there just wasn't enough space.  As dark and small as it was, it wasn't very exciting nor spooky and to be honest I was quite disappointed!  In fact the scariest thing was probably the guide's toothless grin as you accidentally shine the flash light in his face in the darkness of the cave.  

The "cliff" was quite real, cause the end of the tunnel leads straight to a drop off.  But don't be scared.  At a height of no higher than one and a half storey, you will most likely only break some bones.  The sand below will no doubt break your fall. 

So after 5 minutes, we crawled back out through the same entrance as we entered.  Have you ever tried duck crawling?  Again, one of the best workout ever.  You work out your quads and your butt, your thighs and your calf muscle!  Only problem is trying to stand up after doing the duck crawl.  Not recommended for many people... :)

Thus ends our cave visit.  Although I must say that they neglected to mention a very important fact in their brochure.  They neglected to tell you that you have to walk 15 minutes after this cave, under the hot Fijian sun, along a stinky track littered with horse poo to get back to the hotel.  Slippers are definitely not advisable.  I should know, cause the only souvenir I got from this trip was a massive cut under my foot from tripping over some sharp rocks.  

I have to thank Bert, who immediately took on the role as a paramedic as he attended to my wound as I bled helplessly.  I would also like to thank Jacq for sacrificing her water to wash off the blood.  And I would like to thank Phong for holding my hand.  :)

Reunited and it feels so good...

All of you know that it has been three months since Phong moved to San Francisco whilst I remained in Kuching for certain reasons.  Therefore this made our Fiji trip more special as not only were we there for his beautiful sister's wedding ceremony, it would be the first time in 3 months that Phong and I will be together again!

The best thing about this resort I have to say, is the infinity pool that is reserved for adults only!  That's right.. adults only!  If you guys are thinking it is something along the x-rated style, Please!!  With the blue ocean background and nothing but open skies around, the peacefulness of this pool is beyond incredible.  There's nothing more satisfying than being perched along the edge of the infinity pool with a cocktail in hand, blissfully ignoring the real world that is coming soon to knock you back down to earth.

And that was exactly what Phong was doing in this infinity pool.  Again, unfortunately I am not skilled enough to capture the true beauty of this scene on camera!!  I decided to take on a beginners class on diving (wasn't really my decision, Bert pretty much called me a chicken and I am not one to back down on that threat!) which pretty much just involves an instructor teaching you how to breath with the apparatus and diving down to the bottom of a 3 meter pool.  Lets just say I don't think I will be attempting diving any time soon as I have commonly proclaimed that I am the only girl who is incapable of multi tasking!  Diving is one tough job.. breath.. equaliser.. sink.. breath... it was just all too much that i panicked at the bottom of the pool and made the decision never to do that again!  Kudos for the instructor who immediately asked me the moment I took off my mask whether it was the last time he will see me diving.  He knows me so well....

After running back to the infinity pool with my tail between my legs, I found Phong snoozing at the edge of the pool, beer in hand, and a serious burn covering his back!  Told you this pool was just utter peace and serenity! :)

Randoms..

So after being a couch potato for 3 whole days, I finally decided to get off my butt and venture outside of the apartment and buy some groceries.  Yes, after three months living apart from my husband, I have to say that his fridge looks like it has been robbed....

Don't be fooled!! You may see a tray of eggs at the side of the fridge, but I dared not open it in fear of furry chicks flying out at me and clawing my eyes out.  

At the intersection outside of Safeway supermarket, I was surprised to see several traffic cops directing traffic.  This gave me a nostalgic feeling as it is a super common sight in Kuching!  But I soon got irritated (again, just like in Kuching!) after I noticed that the cop has failed to let us pedestrian cross the road after standing in the cold for over 5 minutes!!  Imagine shivering and knowing that a warm supermarket is only right infront of you but you can't get to it!  Only then after eavesdropping on other pedestrian then did I find out that they were actually filming a car commercial and closing the streets every 5 minutes!  It was indeed very exciting as I caught my first glimpse of the car speeding through with a camera car chasing it.  

After purchasing all the necessities, I started the journey home and it was only then did I realise why my husband's fridge is empty.  It was probably only a 10 minute walk between the apartment and Safeway, but imagine doing that journey with two bags load of groceries!  I felt as if I have been weight lifting for 2 hours minimum and even though the wind is blowing, boy did I work up some sweat!  

Therefore I have now decided that grocery shopping will now be limited to the weekend, where Phong can be the official bag carrier.  :)

My most important purchase today?  Shampoo!!!  Have been using Phong's for the past two day and I am tired of my hair smelling like Men...  :(

BULA!

Bula from beautiful Fiji!  For those of you thinking of an image of me jumping out from behind a bush yelling "BULA!", this is actually the official saying for Hello in Fijian.  After taking an 8 hour flight from KL to Sydney, spending a night in an Airport "Hotel" which shall remain nameless as I do not want to get sued for defamation (message me if you are thinking of staying in an airport hotel and I will tell you all the what nots of this place), and then taking another 4 hour flight into Nadi, Fiji, and finally travelling an hour by car, we finally arrived on heaven on earth, the Intercontinental Golf and Spa Resort.

Everything you have ever heard about Fiji, how they have miles and miles of white sandy beaches, beautiful sparkling blue clear waters, beautiful ocean life, expensive prices for everything... they are ALL true.  

The first view we were greeted with was from the balcony of the hotel lobby.  The breathtaking blue ocean and the pure serenity of the whole place really makes you feel like you are on some paradise island and suddenly you know why "Lost" ran for so many seasons, it's because the cast did not want to leave the island!  Ok fine, they were in Hawaii but there were times I felt like I was in Hawaii too!

The two views above were actually from the windows of my sister-in-law's room.  They were upgraded to a lagoon view and I invited myself over after her husband informed me they had a bottle of wine that came complimentary with the room!  As beautiful as the pictures looked, the true beauty did not get fully captured by my camera.  

As the sun set beyond the coconut trees, I sat back with my chilled glass of New Zealand chardonnay (Yes, they served NZ wine!) and reflexed about the grueling two days it took me to travel to Fiji, as well as the two different time zones I experienced.  I just have to say that it was all worth it as the magical island dissolved every tired bone in my body and revitalized every ounce of energy that was drained in the past two days.  Do not believe me?  Just look at this two romantic couple to feel the magic of Fiji......