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they got it too
swim hard, bike fast and run like the wind
23 December 2009 @ 04:28 pm
Then it was back into the suite for me to wait whilst Chris greeted the guests at our cocktail reception in the hotel. There was much mingling and drinking and nibbling whilst everyone arrived and before they were all seated at the tables, but I saw none of it since I had to wait upstairs. Well, hopefully everyone had a good time!
Entrance to the ballroom at Goodwood Park Hotel
Stepping in
Chris greets our guests
My new in-laws :P
YAY
The reception table - that big box is where all the money packets go into :P
And we got some lovely gifts from friends and family too!
Little gift bags of Australian and Asian candy - heh
Everyone was seated at around 8:00PM and I came down to do the 1st walk-in with Chris, in my wedding gown to "Where Do I Begin". It was a bit like deja-vu walking in wearing my wedding gown, but different because it was a much more relaxed atmosphere. But it was still an awesome moment and I loved every second! Unfortunately, too short, it should go on for a minute at least :P So before we knew it, we were up on stage and cutting the wedding cake. This is a huge fake one that we cut into just for photography purposes.. just as well because we had our perfect cake earlier :P
A little note to our guests, placed on each table
Our "1st walk-in song"... one of my best love songs of all time.
Worth listening to below - see if it makes you tear up :P
Where do I begin
To tell the story of how great a love can be
The sweet love story that is older than the sea
The simple truth about the love she brings to me
Where do I start
With her first hello
She gave new meaning to this empty world of mine
There'll never be another love, another time
She came into my life and made the living fine
She fills my heart
She fills my heart with very special things
With angels songs, with wild imaginings
She fills my soul with so much love
That everywhere I go I'm never lonely
With you my love, who could be lonely
I reach for her hand-it's always there
How long does it last
Can love be measured by the hours in a day
I have no answers now but this much I can say
I know I'll need her till the stars all burn away
And she'll be there
A quiet moment, before we walked in
*siiigh* :)
And so, we enter!
Amidst a flurry of petals and dry ice smoke...
...especially when those petals get chucked all over us ;)
Very surreal, having all eyes on us
Entrance to the ballroom at Goodwood Park Hotel
Stepping in
Chris greets our guests
My new in-laws :P
YAY
The reception table - that big box is where all the money packets go into :P
And we got some lovely gifts from friends and family too!
Little gift bags of Australian and Asian candy - heh
Everyone was seated at around 8:00PM and I came down to do the 1st walk-in with Chris, in my wedding gown to "Where Do I Begin". It was a bit like deja-vu walking in wearing my wedding gown, but different because it was a much more relaxed atmosphere. But it was still an awesome moment and I loved every second! Unfortunately, too short, it should go on for a minute at least :P So before we knew it, we were up on stage and cutting the wedding cake. This is a huge fake one that we cut into just for photography purposes.. just as well because we had our perfect cake earlier :P
A little note to our guests, placed on each table
Our "1st walk-in song"... one of my best love songs of all time.
Worth listening to below - see if it makes you tear up :P
Where do I begin
To tell the story of how great a love can be
The sweet love story that is older than the sea
The simple truth about the love she brings to me
Where do I start
With her first hello
She gave new meaning to this empty world of mine
There'll never be another love, another time
She came into my life and made the living fine
She fills my heart
She fills my heart with very special things
With angels songs, with wild imaginings
She fills my soul with so much love
That everywhere I go I'm never lonely
With you my love, who could be lonely
I reach for her hand-it's always there
How long does it last
Can love be measured by the hours in a day
I have no answers now but this much I can say
I know I'll need her till the stars all burn away
And she'll be there
A quiet moment, before we walked in
*siiigh* :)
And so, we enter!
Amidst a flurry of petals and dry ice smoke...
...especially when those petals get chucked all over us ;)
Very surreal, having all eyes on us
Current Location: Singapore
Current Mood: 
loved
loved23 December 2009 @ 03:37 pm
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
See you tonight at Tangos....see I am kind...I didn't say how old you are today :P
Current Mood: 
chipper
chipper22 December 2009 @ 11:12 pm
Hey guys, I used to run 15-20 miles a week and then after an ankle injury I fell out of it. I want to sign up for a half marathon for July of 2010. Do you think its possible to be ready for it by then?
23 December 2009 @ 02:49 pm
Yesterday's run was a failure. The intended 10km run turned into a 5km walk. My sniffles decided to return and I was feeling under the weather.
The hot yoga sesh earlier on was refreshing. I had a good stretch and I knew that I was working hard when I felt a constant stream of sweat trickling down my back, face, arms and legs.
One of my 2010 resolution is to improve on my flexibility. I am inspired by this girl in class who had a rubber like body. As she laid down on her back to stretch and brought both shins to touch her face - legs straight and toes over her head, our jaws dropped. She reminded me of one of those Chinese gymnastics.
Stretch stretch stretch. It can only be beneficial for the body right? :)
Posted via LiveJournal.app.
23 December 2009 @ 02:22 pm
Anything is possible, but you have to believe and you have to fight.
By Lance Armstrong
Posted via LiveJournal.app.
22 December 2009 @ 09:52 pm
Thanks to everyone who commented on my whiny injury rant post.
I talked to the PT today and she said that my hamstring is probably tight again because I ran on my ankle, which is still kind of weak. We're doing strengthening stuff for the ankle (which I've sprained many times), and for the hamstring, we're focusing (again) on strengthening my weak hips.
I brought up that many of you suggested yoga. She agreed, and said I should go for pilates instead, to really focus on building strength. It absolutely makes sense that my lack of core strength could be the reason behind all these injuries, especially when you combine that with flat feet and overpronation. I signed up for a pilates class that will start in January.
She also said I'd be ok to use the elliptical, so I'll keep doing that, and I'll keep doing the rowing (yes - I looked it up and I've been doing incorrectly - thanks, to the person who suggested that).
Overall, I'm relieved that we might have an answer. Hopefully this means that when I finally do get back to running, I won't just end up with the same injury.
Thanks again for your suggestions and support!
I talked to the PT today and she said that my hamstring is probably tight again because I ran on my ankle, which is still kind of weak. We're doing strengthening stuff for the ankle (which I've sprained many times), and for the hamstring, we're focusing (again) on strengthening my weak hips.
I brought up that many of you suggested yoga. She agreed, and said I should go for pilates instead, to really focus on building strength. It absolutely makes sense that my lack of core strength could be the reason behind all these injuries, especially when you combine that with flat feet and overpronation. I signed up for a pilates class that will start in January.
She also said I'd be ok to use the elliptical, so I'll keep doing that, and I'll keep doing the rowing (yes - I looked it up and I've been doing incorrectly - thanks, to the person who suggested that).
Overall, I'm relieved that we might have an answer. Hopefully this means that when I finally do get back to running, I won't just end up with the same injury.
Thanks again for your suggestions and support!
23 December 2009 @ 11:02 am
The Fur Rug turns 9 years old today! I'm not at home today to give her hugs and cuddles.. But she's definitely having a whale of a time because she won't get scolded today, will have long walks and car rides and can eat tons of doggie snacks.
Happy birthday FBB! We all love you very much! :)
Posted via LiveJournal.app.
23 December 2009 @ 10:44 am
After the ceremony and lunch reception, we were whisked back to our Bridal Suite at Goodwood Park Hotel, where we had a mere 1 hour to rest/sleep. Surprisingly, we actually fell asleep, probably because we were so exhausted! It was painful waking up when the makeup artist knocked on the door shortly afterwards :(
Our very first piece of mail, addressed to us :P
The entrance of the bridal suite at Goodwood Park Hotel
View of the private pool and garden for suite guests
There were 2 of these big bathrooms in the suite, so big I couldn't fit it in the photo :P
A welcome tea set, fruit basket and chocolate/hazelnut wedding cake
Doing the final lipgloss application
We had our wedding photoshoot at 5:00PM around the hotel, since the hotel has a very English feel and suits our wedding theme very well. A lot of posing here and there, and sweating our butts off, even though it seems so effortless in the photos :P It was a lot of fun, but also a lot of hard work - it's seriously not that easy prancing around looking good! You're in these poses that you have to hold, so your legs and arms get really sore after awhile, and you're battling the heat of the sun and traipsing around looking for 'that perfect shot'. Much respect to fashion models that do this for a living.
Our very first piece of mail, addressed to us :P
The entrance of the bridal suite at Goodwood Park Hotel
View of the private pool and garden for suite guests
There were 2 of these big bathrooms in the suite, so big I couldn't fit it in the photo :P
A welcome tea set, fruit basket and chocolate/hazelnut wedding cake
Doing the final lipgloss application
We had our wedding photoshoot at 5:00PM around the hotel, since the hotel has a very English feel and suits our wedding theme very well. A lot of posing here and there, and sweating our butts off, even though it seems so effortless in the photos :P It was a lot of fun, but also a lot of hard work - it's seriously not that easy prancing around looking good! You're in these poses that you have to hold, so your legs and arms get really sore after awhile, and you're battling the heat of the sun and traipsing around looking for 'that perfect shot'. Much respect to fashion models that do this for a living.
Current Location: Singapore
Current Mood: 
happy
happy22 December 2009 @ 01:02 pm
This past weekend, I ran in my very first race :):) It was our annual Christmas Race, where many people dress up in costumes and all festive, and it had a HUGEEEE turnout for little Boise, Idaho.
( Christmas Race 10k Report! )
( Christmas Race 10k Report! )
22 December 2009 @ 09:59 am
I've been running since I was 14 years old and I'm 26 now. No other exercise makes me feel this happy, fulfilled, healthy, and energized. Even when I hate it, I love it. It's been part of my life for 12 years, and I have no intention of stopping.
But this past year I've been really frustrated with the recurring injuries. I started running more consistently in January, and subsequently tore my hamstring in April. Between January and April, I lost 15 lbs. Thank you, running! But the hamstring tear took six months to heal. Over those six months, I did everything I possibly could to keep the weight off - aquajogging and rowing, which I couldn't stand - because I knew that eventually I'd get back to running and it would be fine.
I started training again, and within a matter of months, I sprained my right ankle. Really? Another injury? I stayed off of it for another month, and it was feeling much better. I powerwalked 2 miles on Friday and ran/walked 3.25 miles on Sunday. Now, not only is the ankle sore again, but once more, my right hamstring is very tight and uncomfortable.
I don't know what I'm doing wrong. Everything I know about stretching, training properly, RICEing, slowly building up mileage, etc...seems to be failing me at this point. I have flat feet and I overpronate, so I've always used really good, motion-control/stabilizing shoes with orthotics, so I know that's the culprit. I've gained 5 lbs and I'm not happy about it. I haven't really changed my eating habits, so I can tell this is from the lack of exercise. Rowing bores the hell out of me and it's not really that much of a cardio workout anyways. I don't know what to do instead, and I don't want to just get injured again every time I go back to running.
I'm not ready to give up on it - ever. But I really need to know how to stop this from happening. Am I just getting older, is my body getting tired of the pounding, have I been reduced to a perpetual beginner, now that I'm always in a state of injury or rehabbing from an injury?
I hope the PT will have some good suggestions, and that those suggestions are not simply "um...pick another sport?" I'm so tired of hearing that.
I just want this to stop happening :-P Any other runners out there with recurring injuries? I'm so frustrated! What have you done to make it stop? Thanks for hearing the whining, and thanks in advance for any words of advice you might be able to share. *sigh*
/rant.
But this past year I've been really frustrated with the recurring injuries. I started running more consistently in January, and subsequently tore my hamstring in April. Between January and April, I lost 15 lbs. Thank you, running! But the hamstring tear took six months to heal. Over those six months, I did everything I possibly could to keep the weight off - aquajogging and rowing, which I couldn't stand - because I knew that eventually I'd get back to running and it would be fine.
I started training again, and within a matter of months, I sprained my right ankle. Really? Another injury? I stayed off of it for another month, and it was feeling much better. I powerwalked 2 miles on Friday and ran/walked 3.25 miles on Sunday. Now, not only is the ankle sore again, but once more, my right hamstring is very tight and uncomfortable.
I don't know what I'm doing wrong. Everything I know about stretching, training properly, RICEing, slowly building up mileage, etc...seems to be failing me at this point. I have flat feet and I overpronate, so I've always used really good, motion-control/stabilizing shoes with orthotics, so I know that's the culprit. I've gained 5 lbs and I'm not happy about it. I haven't really changed my eating habits, so I can tell this is from the lack of exercise. Rowing bores the hell out of me and it's not really that much of a cardio workout anyways. I don't know what to do instead, and I don't want to just get injured again every time I go back to running.
I'm not ready to give up on it - ever. But I really need to know how to stop this from happening. Am I just getting older, is my body getting tired of the pounding, have I been reduced to a perpetual beginner, now that I'm always in a state of injury or rehabbing from an injury?
I hope the PT will have some good suggestions, and that those suggestions are not simply "um...pick another sport?" I'm so tired of hearing that.
I just want this to stop happening :-P Any other runners out there with recurring injuries? I'm so frustrated! What have you done to make it stop? Thanks for hearing the whining, and thanks in advance for any words of advice you might be able to share. *sigh*
/rant.
22 December 2009 @ 12:30 pm
23 December 2009 @ 01:07 am
I love Christmas. The carols, the gift giving, the atmosphere, the decorations and everything is warm and fuzzy. It is my favorite time of the year. I get broke from all the gift giving but then I love giving someone a gift, knowing that it will put a smile on their face. Most of all, Christmas is a time where I sit down and reflect and be grateful for all that I have.
The first celebrations started for us over the weekend. We were invited over to Jwang's and we were excited that it was going to be a traditional Christmas dinner. B.T was over the moon when the email stated - TURKEY. I think he was counting down the days to the dinner more than anyone else.
So firstly, we had to sort out the secret santa. And J's smart boyfriend D, wrote, yes wrote a software program to randomly assign the secret santas to each one. In the automatically generated email, it stated who we had to buy a gift for and specifically stated that we weren't supposed to reply to it. Of course, my brillant boyfriend was so excited and clicked reply to D saying that it was awesome. D said that he deleted the email without reading it because we weren't supposed to know the details of the secret santa. Sigh. And this is the same boyfriend that asked me who else I wanted to invite for my surprise birthday party this year. *facepalm
B.T proudly bought a gift and refused to divulge who his recipient was. In the end, he blurted out the person's name and I was laughing my socks off. There were other funny stories too. Like how E landed up being B's recipient and we all said that it was unfair! Or the amount of time the guys took to wrap their gifts - B.T obviously got his wrapped at the store. Anyway, the gift exchange part was fun and we all had a good laugh exchanging stories. We also pulled Christmas crackers and wore Christmas hats at the table.
Besides watching Charlie Brown, Pankun and James (on Youtube), we watched Victoria Secret 2009 not once but twice on the big screen. Yes. The boys were so excited and they were caught staring a the screen completely mesmerized. I have to admit, we gals enjoyed it too. Abs, legs, pretty faces. Sigh..
And what is a party without food?!
The food was fantabulous. Yummylicious. We were all happily stuffed with turkey, honey baked ham, stuffing, roasted potatoes and vegetables, cheese and crackers, Christmas pudding, pork roll, bacon... it was so good. There is something about home cooked food that tastes better than whatever is available outside. I guess it's all the effort and love that is put into the cooking! Everyone contributed to the dinner too be it wine or some starters or side so it really felt like everyone had a part in the dinner.
By the time we left, we had been over for 7 hours! It's amazing how time flies when you are having fun :) Thanks for the invite J - it was a great party!
( More pictures here )
23 December 2009 @ 12:38 am
I have never had mulled wine before so when we were asked to bring it along for the Xmas party, I had to ask, Where can I buy it from? It turns out that I have to make it!
The recipe is simple and it turned out great! We are hooked on it! Try it this Christmas and it will go perfectly well with the festivities :)
Here goes..
In a saucepan, over low heat, stir in a bottle of red wine, 1 cinnamon stick, a pinch of nutmeg, 1 bay leaf, 2 tablespoons of sugar (we used regular but apparently brown sugar is better!), orange rind and juice from half an orange. Mix until the sugar melts and remove from the heat before it boils. Do ensure that the mixture doesn't boil. Let it cool for a bit and serve warm!
Different recipes have different ingredients. Some add gin or rum, you can add cinnamon sugar or whatever you wish to experiement with!
23 December 2009 @ 12:08 am
This is a 100% girlie post so for those that don't appreciate it - you can skip it :P
Yes. I have been on a bit of a bag splurge this year. Well, I got two branded bags so I guess that's a splurge to me! My black Miu Miu was subsidized by B.T for my birthday so that was lovely - he paid for the side that came with the inner pocket :P
My evil shoppaholic girlfriends got me into big trouble when I was enticed to shop at Zappos. I love online shopping and I do a fair bit of it but never for big price items like a Marc by Marc Jacobs bag! So this one a nervous first..
I spent a few nights surfing through the site, narrowing down my choices - B.T helped! And finally decided on the Twisted Q Lil Riz. The espresso color is gorgeous and well, I have leather bags in white, pink and black so a brown will be a nice addition.
So tada! Here is my new bag which I love very much. TS brought it over from the States and she was gushing about how lovely the leather smelt and coincidentally, she was eyeing the exact same bag but in purple. B.T likes it in fact :P He commented that it was made well with quality materials. Hhehee.
P.S TS, if you are reading this, thanks once again for bringing my baggie over. Muaks!
( More pictures here )
22 December 2009 @ 11:51 pm
I was introduced to this Australian tea shop called T2. When I had a first whiff of the tea, I was completely sold. The aroma was amazing and it smelt delicious!
I headed on down to the shop and the selection was massive. There was every tea available possible! Black, red, green, white, fruity, flowery in all types - loose or in bags. Also available is a wide range of tea cups, strainers and what have yous. Admitedly, I was quite lost and didn't know quite where to start. I didn't have much time either to sniff and pick out what I wanted since my team was outside waiting so it was a good thing that I had browsed through the catalogue the night before and knew what I wanted.
I am not a compulsive tea drinker but when I do drink tea, it's usually green tea. Currently, I have packets of green tea (with roasted rice and bits) from Japan. I decided that I would get some green tea in two different types to share with my Mom.
I picked out Gorgeous Geisha (isn't the name pretty?) which has hints of strawberries and cream and Sencha vanilla which well, has strong notes of vanilla! Lovely! It costs AUD$12 for a 100g box. I was tempted to buy white tea as I like it but it is very expensive - AUD$26 for 50g. So I decided to give it a miss.
We have been drinking the tea and I half wished that I bought more! So anyone visiting Australia should visit T2. They have outlets all over - the one I went to was at Chadstone shopping mall.
22 December 2009 @ 11:30 pm
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22 December 2009 @ 11:25 pm
Everyone adjourned downstairs for morning tea and we also cut our wedding cake.
Yep, THE Wedding Cake.
Lychee Martini, Baileys Chocolate Crunch, Orange Chocolate flavours, one per tier.
I was totally blown away when I saw the wedding cake.. it was GORGEOUS. Not being biased or anything! :P You see, I have an aversion to the regular standard wedding cake, with the thick marzipan layer and fruit cake interior. EWWW!!! I don't like any of it. And so Dad declared he wanted me to have the cake of my dreams and they got us this one. It actually couldn't have been any more perfect - the delicious layers were encased in a light, freshly whipped cream and wrapped in a satin green ribbon, with cream roses strewn all around it.
Looking at the cake just gave me goosebumps, because it was EXACTLY how I pictured our wedding cake to be like. And the flavors? DIVINE :)~ It was probably the star of the whole wedding.... so many people came up to me afterwards and raved about it, so I'm so glad our guests liked it too :)
Thanking all our guests after the ceremony
Chris making a short speech downstairs
Lychee Martini, Baileys Chocolate Crunch, Orange Chocolate - one per tier
Cutting the cake!
We served a lunch reception for all our guests
Tucking in - I was HUNGRY!
Yep, THE Wedding Cake.
Lychee Martini, Baileys Chocolate Crunch, Orange Chocolate flavours, one per tier.
I was totally blown away when I saw the wedding cake.. it was GORGEOUS. Not being biased or anything! :P You see, I have an aversion to the regular standard wedding cake, with the thick marzipan layer and fruit cake interior. EWWW!!! I don't like any of it. And so Dad declared he wanted me to have the cake of my dreams and they got us this one. It actually couldn't have been any more perfect - the delicious layers were encased in a light, freshly whipped cream and wrapped in a satin green ribbon, with cream roses strewn all around it.
Looking at the cake just gave me goosebumps, because it was EXACTLY how I pictured our wedding cake to be like. And the flavors? DIVINE :)~ It was probably the star of the whole wedding.... so many people came up to me afterwards and raved about it, so I'm so glad our guests liked it too :)
Thanking all our guests after the ceremony
Chris making a short speech downstairs
Lychee Martini, Baileys Chocolate Crunch, Orange Chocolate - one per tier
Cutting the cake!
We served a lunch reception for all our guests
Tucking in - I was HUNGRY!
Current Location: Singapore
Current Mood: 
calm
calm22 December 2009 @ 11:22 pm
Hello all,
If you're free on the evening of the 29th, head down to Post-Museum and listen to five speakers provide a sectoral round-up of the developments within their community. They will be speaking about:
There will be a break-out discussion sessions with the individual speakers after the presentation, with a special session with members invited from the youth wings of political parties.
The event is jointly organized by The Online Citizen and Talk Politics All Night.
The Facebook event page is here If you wish to attend or have any further queries. For directions to Post-Museum, gothere.sg/directions#109%20Rowell%20Rd
If you're free on the evening of the 29th, head down to Post-Museum and listen to five speakers provide a sectoral round-up of the developments within their community. They will be speaking about:
- historian Loh Kah Sengt: the changing manner young Singaporeans are reading history,
- research fellow/playwright Tan Tarn How: debate and its nature in the non-public sphere
- Arts NMP Audrey Wong: the recent activism within the arts community,
- Coordinator of MARUAH Braema Mathi: human rights development and priorities in Singapore and Asia,
- Vice President of Singapore Society of Finance Professionals Leong Sze Hian: finance and the economy
There will be a break-out discussion sessions with the individual speakers after the presentation, with a special session with members invited from the youth wings of political parties.
The event is jointly organized by The Online Citizen and Talk Politics All Night.
( Read more... )
The Facebook event page is here If you wish to attend or have any further queries. For directions to Post-Museum, gothere.sg/directions#109%20Rowell%20Rd