it’s nothing personal

i was just re-watching friends and i came across my all time favourite wedding on tv - phoebe's wedding. i love the girls' outfits of course. the silver on the bride, the embroidery on the BMs' tops and the different coloured skirts that follow a winter palette. the "snow" on the ground and how the streets were lit up by Christmas lights and lanterns. so pretty and wonderfully romantic. the only thing i'll change were the tuxs the guys wore.

oh i always wanted a simple throw together wedding. i don't know why with the colours we chose and how everything came together it became a lot more formal. it probably be a more formal modern affair because part of the venue has patio enclosed by floor to ceiling glass panels and the colours. no hippie garden affair i guess. however, it was really difficult agreeing on a colour palette cause luke is such an active participant in the aesthetics of the wedding.

the other day he asked if i could make him a fabric bouteneerie so he could reuse it. i was like who resuses such things?!!! he promptly sat me down in front of the computer and pointed me to a few sites, he got the design picked out too. i'll have a surprise for him though. i was planning to make most of the flowers-stuff for the wedding party anyways so i'll just make a design easy for me to replicate. if this project turns out to be a success we can save money and keep those things as souvenirs or reuse them in luke's imaginery formal 60's mad men party world.

for the first time luke and i have a week long paid vacation that coincided. we were pretty excited and we tossed around many different ideas like visiting the capital, a beach resort, go back to his ancestral hometown or mine. after looking at our budgets, we came to the conclusion that the adult thing to do was to spend it exploring this city which we would bid adios to soon. however, we did take a 2 day trip with others to visit the city we're moving to.

day 1 & 2
it was a real short trip considering we spent like 11 hours squeezed in a small van. our main happiness was drawn from food as usual. we got starbucks then cheesecake (pic 1) and creme brulee (pic 2) for dessert. pardon the bad plating (especially the creme brulee, the pink spots reminded me of a sick chicken) cause the food was really fantastic!

day 3
traffic was horenduous. not a day we'll like to relive

day 4
home bound and a quiet dinner

day 5
we decided to go bowling. we've been going to this bowling alley for ages and we've been bowling badly for ages. that day the staff stuck with the holiday shift decided to give luke and i some pointers. i'm happy to report that we're now over 100 points using the proper technique! we got lots of cheap REAL Cds that day too. one of the few good perks we get.

day 6
i think it was similar to day 5 except that we went to the gym and ended the day with our favourite handroll for dinner. since we weren't going anywhere we thought we'll splurge on our favourite comfort food here. the secret is the tempera bits dipped in mayo that is wrapped into the roll. yummy! mayo like bacon makes a lot of things better!

day 7
we went to this famous ancient academy. it was next to a mountain and the architecture was pretty amazing

day 8
luke brought me shopping. luke has been trying to bring me around to buy something for ages but all our previous attempts have been big fat failures. however, that day the shopping spree happened and i even snagged something really useful. got a porter women's "briefcase" for really cheap. apparently (according to luke), it's all the rage amongst savvy buyers as clamied by gq magazine. i just like it cause it has a double zip and i'm not going to be afraid of being pickpocketed with this utlitarian chic baby.

               

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october-fest_lorelai_luke_styl.zip (8597 KB)

this summer home was quite painful. one would think it's cause of the postponement but in reality the cause of my pain is living at home. the drama and the anger was too much to bear. 2 weeks in and i was going to call it quits. therefore, next summer luke is going to be by my side at all times (if possible), like a shield. he's not quite family yet so they are very decent around him. the great thing too is right after the wedding we're going to move to our new place and i won't need to hear arguments (that i'm pretty sure my neighbours can hear) on a beautiful saturday morning.

one thing worthy of mention was baps fabulous sit down dinner party. it was almost vegetarian save for the anchovies in the pasta sauce. i think there was pate made using artichokes (no picture), gazpacho, a (homemade) feta cheese on cucumber amuse bouche, a (i don't know but i remember it had ricotta? cheese on tomato sauce with...), pasta and passionfruit meringe pie! what an accomplishment. i'm planning a few dinner parties post wedding to thank our families and all but i wonder to what extend will i go. in any case, i bet luke will want to try our several recepies from gq.

           

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when_im_home_its_about_the_foo.zip (7346 KB)

if you haven't heard or are completely clueless and wondering... the L&L wedding has been moved to 2010. i was kind of disappointed in the beginning but it all made sense as time progressed. yesterday luke and i counted and realized we were once again 10 months or so away from our wedding. we really needn't have pushed the date so far back. in fact, i think a 4-6 months postponement would have been ideal (plus i would save on my photographer price hike!), but the rest of the danes wouldn't be able to make it for a late winter wedding due to school. oh how i miss snow but i digress. was talking to mani-j today, i feel kind of weird to be engaged for 2 years. a fact which i mentioned to luke too. his solution was that we can un-engaged and he can propose all over again. i told him that was just silly but i would do it if i would receive another ring. of course, the whole idea is scrapped.

yesterday for me was like the straw that broke the camel's back. at one point, i thought "enough!" and i wanted to just grab my unpacked luggage and fly away, except that wasn't possible. my wallet got stolen you see.

it was mid-morning and i was strolling in a somewhat clutter free street for this city. i was struggling a little as i was carrying a big bag filled with our new wii fit accessories so i slinged my hobo pouch over my right shoulder. as i reached luke's apartment i move the pouch in front and was going to fumble for the security card when i realized that my pouch was unzipped. i knew at that very moment something was gone. it was my wallet. not my cell nor my camera, just my wallet. i quickly called luke and he welcomed me with a hug. i sat on his couch stunted for a minute and started to frantically make calls and cancelled every single card. within 5 mintues it was all done and then it struck me... i had luke's apartment key and security card in my wallet! as if things weren't getting worst, there was a sticker indicating which apartment it all belonged to. we ran down to the management office to ask if we could cancel the code for the the last cardbut to no avail. all they said was "change the locks". Didn't they understand? He has access to every single unsecured apartment too. i was really upset cause my neglience would potentially cause harm to befall on others too. i could only pray for a miracle.

hours later, after changing the locks and replacing my card, i got a phone call from some guy who claimed that he found my wallet. I was very suspicious and a little scared. I wondered how on earth he got my number? I also wondered if he was the thief trying to trick me and get me out of the apartment. again, we prayed for intervention.

an hour later, luke and i put our fight face on and met the guy. initially, he wanted us to go to some back alley which we refused. so he turned up and we realized that he was a street cleaner. he brought us to the back alley and we followed but stopped after a short distance. we were still doubtful and was ready to attack if necessary. a minute later, he walked towards us with my wallet! i asked him how he got my number and he produced my receipt for topping up my cell phone (which i completely forgot was in there). he told us that he found it in a bin. i was so happy that i took my wallet, thanked him and took off.

yay i was not going to be the building pariah. not the one who buzzed the jewellery thief in!

it took a few hours before the events of the day felt real to me. at that moment, i felt really bad because i let my bad experience earlier marred my interaction with the old man that returned my wallet. i remember his look of confusion when he just ran off with the wallet. luke felt bad too with how we treated the old man. our body language was terrible. so later we're going to call him to apologize and thank him.

i remember many moons ago, someone asked me what i really wanted to do with my life, i replied that i would love to lie in a hammock and bum away on a beach. he got really upset and said i've got to be kidding. when i insisted that i wasn't he said i can't be so lazy. then it occurred to me that he really didn't understand me.

this summer i've been on 2 mini-breaks. both mini-breaks brought me close to nature. i've to say i'm not a fan. i marvel at creation. i love the respite that valleys, caves and forests provide in this heatwave but i find it hard to perserve just to savour the delightful scenery one sees at the mountain top. however, i love water. there's something very calming when i see moving water and when i feel it against my skin. therefore, breaks by the beach are always welcomed. maybe it's cause 2 out of 3 of the places i lived is by the coast. if i needed it, it was always a close ride away or better yet a walk away during the better years of my childhood.

so thank goodness luke loves the sea too (oh and he can't take the other parts of nature too). he promised me that we can go for as many beach vacations as i want. he's going to come back and we'll be going to read a book or 2 by beach. then at the end of our summer vacation he's bringing me to a mini beach break in his ancestral hometown!
see i found my fellow beach bum.

one thing though i do love the starry nights out in the desert and the deafening silence in a safari. so that will be luke's next test.

hmmm...maybe the parts of nature i like are those that don't involve high intensity climbing or trekking. i just like those where i can bum and soak in all of God's creation.

officiant
photographer
venue
guest list
my invitation designed proofed (not printed)
most of wedding outfits (alterations not done)
wedding party partially confirmed (best man is undecided. i try to be patient as he has to sacrifice a lot to come to our wedding.)

to-do
MARRIAGE LICENSE (my biggest concern)
confirm flowers (my florist emailed me months ago and i have yet to confirm cause i have yet to make a decision. i feel so ashamed when i see her email.)
decide on program or no program
flow of service
print and send invitations
decide on centerpieces (and deal with venue's florist)
decide on guy's outfits (luke's responsibility)
trials (hair & make-up)
music (luke's responsibility)
rings and other accessories
what else?
honeymoon (lowest priority at the moment)

i've tried to shave things down to the minimum while still try to make everything look tied together with what's hopefully an ethereal quality that will hang around on our day (please don't rain!).
with supposedly a lot of free time on my hands i'm still doddering. my mum is especially anxious. when we met a month ago she told me "it's coming soon" and on wednesday she called and said "you'll have no time for alterations!"
while i do like to procrastinate, i think it's my repressed frustration that is causing the delay.
i'm annoyed that to file for marriage we have to be there for X number of days and wait for Y number of days after. why can't i just file it now?
i'm annoyed with paypal for making it difficult for me to purchase stuff because i fall into some statistical bullcrap. hence, my veil is still with the seller!
i'm sad that i don't really like my tea ceremony dress. i think it makes me look fat! luke said that it's just way too big and once it's taken down it'll look great. he says he really likes it. luke is a fashionista in his own rght but i'm having a hard time trusting him this time. i'm going to be photographed a lot! i don't want even the smallest chance of looking like a beluga whale.
the worst thing though is my complexion. i've avoided talking about it. about 2 months ago i have pimples popping everywhere. it's the crazy weather here that i'm not used too. anyways, i've never had worst looking skin in my life and boy couldn't it have come in a better time. sookie told me to get on the bc pills asap but between the pounds and the possibly better looking skin i'm really afraid.
bottomline: if i know i'm gonna be looking good on that day i'll definitely be working on that list.

We have been going to the gym 4-5 times a week for the past weeks and yesterday we were on our third lesson with our trainer. while waiting for luke to finish a set, our trainer commented that my tummy looked smaller. so after all the weight training she weighed and measured us.

so these are the results
lorelai's losses
weight: 3kg
tummy: 3 inches
arms: 1.5 inches
hips: 1 inch
thighs: 1 inch

luke's losses
weight: 2kg
chest/man-boobs: 2 inches
tummy: 1.5 inches
hips: 1 inch

Woohoo I made more progress than luke! the trainer asked whether he changed his diet and frowned when he admitted to still eating after 9pm. poor luke. it's really difficult though cause his schdule changes from day to day. we're definitely racking our brains to try and change that.

Our regime is if you're interested
10 minute warm-up on the threadmill
2 sets of 20-30 reps each on 8-10 machines
20 minutes 0n the threadmill at a higher speed
4 to 5 times a week

hopefully i can keep this up for a few more months.

what a pain! i always have date issues when redeeming my miles.

the 1st weekend of May the gilmores invited luke and i to a 3 day food extravaganza with them. it was the first time we were traveling together and i was glad there was no mishaps! although luke may have committed one or two faux pas, richard gilmore shrugged it off as cultural difference. yes, while luke and i may look the same, we have few cultural similarities. the danes really didn't bother retaining their heritage that many immigrants tend to do when they moved. one can argue that their identity aren't rooted in their culture, hence they haven't felt the need to instil any values that are cultural based. it is such a shame really cause luke's heritage is one that I have been fascinated with since i was a child but he knows nothing! i would have loved to incorporate it into our wedding but it's really pointless cause only his grandma knows what are the traditions and i can't really communicate with her. she only speaks malay and some other chinese dialect, both of which i am severly handicapped in, so we didn't really talk much the 2 times i have met her.

anyways, as promised the gilmores fed us throughout the long weekend and commented many times that both of us were getting fatter and fatter. poor luke was getting very self-conscious by the end of the trip. so the day we got back he dragged us to the gym. we've been going every other day since and have also signed up for private training sessions. i don't really have much determination but luke is very motivated so i'm panting along. the annyoing thing is his tummy is already smaller(!) and mine still seems like the same. i do feel much fitter and more energetic though. hopefully by the end of this month, i see more tangible results, such as less jiggles.

i do have to mention that along with going to the gym, we have been cutting down on meat, oil, sauces and food after 9pm. we have also tried to sleep more, drink more water and eat more raw veggies and fruits. it's quite the overhaul really.