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We celebrated a day early by going to the spa and splurging on a nice dinner in Sonoma. I chose this spa because it offers a "bathing ritual" that's coed. Finally, a place where we can be together instead of separated into men's and women's rooms. Soaking in the baths and sitting in the steam and sauna rooms really helped to relax and prepped for the massages.
But it was dinner at Sante that was the winner. We both got the prix fixe dinner; Albie added the wine accompaniment and got smashed yet again. I had to blog tonight while I still remember our food selection:
- Amuse bouche: Marscapone on cucumber and a broth that's in French but forget the name...
- Cauliflower custard topped with caviar (Champagne) - best item of the night
- Hearts of palm salad with beets and greens (Rose)
- Butternut squash and black truffle risotto with truffle foam (unfiltered Chardonnay)
- Lobster, mushroom tart (Pinot Noir - Albie's favorite!)
- American Kobe ribeye, roasted eye grilled calotte, and savory pain perdue topped with tomato marmalade (Cabernet Sauvignon)
- Cheese cart selections: Humboldt Fog, gouda cheese "fudge," and Roquefort bleu cheese (something light...)
- Apple sorbet over champagne gellee topped with apple crisp
- Chocolate molten lava cake, banana ice-cream with nuts (Port - not Cockburn)
Disclaimer: We rarely eat like this. But yes, we are a bit of food snobs. You can't not be when you live in the Bay Area...
Props to Johann for taking us out to San Tung. The fried chicken really is finger-licking good!
- Mood:
satisfied - Music:ãã»ã Kiseki - Greeeen
There has been some changes. We've upgraded some of our kitchenware and appliances (OMG, where has a citrus press been all my life?!). We took a major step toward making real coffee. But other than that, I don't feel much like a Mrs. yet. Maybe after I have my name officially changed and people start addressing me as Mrs. Chu, which in my mind still refers to Albert's mom. Addressing people "Mom" and "Dad" other than your Mom and Dad is just weird. Even weirder is addressing them by their first names.
Jason is right. Having more expensive cookware really does allow you to have a completely different mindset about cooking. Having produce delivered to your door (a very nice off-the-registry gift!) is quite nice too. But that means I have to cook!! I still can't whip up food on the go, and I'm not very good at finding recipes. It's a learning process.
The one thing that's different is being on baby mode. Good thing I have future nephew(s) and/or niece to practice with first! O:p
| Originally published at fumofu. |
- Mood:
relieved
- Seeing my boyfriend of 10 years puke for the first time after drinking a wee bit much.
- Washing my car (which was already scrubbed clean earlier during the day) at 2:30am to eliminate the incriminating evidence.
Fej thought my car was 2-door and tried to get in the back seat by shoving forward the front seat, with Albert already seated. "Fej, what are you doing? There's a door in the back!" Albie was a bit squashed.
Drunk, puking people were a lot more fun when they're not your husband-to-be. But, I guess it had to be done. Stupid high school friends, grrr...
- Mood:
good
Bridezilla is starting to come out (soory sweetie)...
I can't wait to get married. I really can't wait til after I'm married. When it's just Albie and I frolicking at home in our undies.
6 lbs of prosciutto sounds like a lot of meat. Reminds me of when Giada was in Italy at the prosciutto factory with the lard slathered meat hanging in a line.
Must be from that bastard at the mall who coughed right on my face. I was so pissed.
Oh well. Let's hope I'll fully recover in a week.
I'm so looking forward to Albie's birthday!! Food and football (blah...) with the boys on one day, spa & more food the next day. Woohoo!
All these goodies that I've, errr...we've always wanted but just couldn't put his money down (muahaha). Thank you so much!
- Mood:
sick
- Kumamoto oysters & the like and clam chowder from Hog Island Oyster Company at the Ferry Building. The clam chowder had lots and lots of fresh clams still in the shell. Each serving is individually cooked on a cast iron pan with bacon and potato. I complained that there weren't enough potatoes!
- Half naked men prancing around in "Buzzer Beat." Nothing happens in every episode, but when I see Yamapi's meaty boobs, the day just gets a little better. O:)
- Mood:
hungry - Music:Albert on the work phone call - surprisingly quiet today
I have sworn to not own a minivan. I will try my best to keep that promise. I'd rather buy a Volvo than a minivan.
We went to eat at Cupertino today, then stopped by Daiso to look for placemats. Next door to Daiso was a Beard Papa's and I finally got to try a cream puff, green tea flavored too! It was quite yummy, very light and not too sweet. Now I understand why the Japanese love their choux kuriimu.
After this one, it's "Smile." I have a feeling I will also be let down by that drama.
Must finish the episodes so I can clear off some drive space! :D
- Mood: sick
I felt pretty good when we got all our vendors booked and deposits paid before we left Taiwan in mid-August.
Taiwan was a lot of fun because all we did was eat and shop. I didn't buy anything but tea and teaware. Oh, and a cell phone strap from ! We went there thrice: Once at the original store with Albert's uncle & aunt, and twice at the basement of SOGO for two consecutive days. The 's there are unbeatable. They're so juicy and tender. The skin is so thin. I like to eat them with a little bit of sliced ginger and a good bit of vinegar. The shrimp fried rice was pretty scrumptious too.
We went to Taiwan with two items on the agenda: 1) Go to Joy & Richard's wedding banquet at the Grand Hyatt; and 2) Have dinner with Albert's relatives and family friends. The banquet was like a Cirque du Soleil show, minus the acrobats. Joy's parents pulled out all the tricks in their (money)bags and brought a circus show to life, including a live band, epilepsy-inducing flashing lights, flames, and countless number of staff. The food was pretty good, considering there were 600+ mouths to feed. Dinner with the relatives and family friends was pretty impressive as well. Albert's grandpa is 88 and looking quite healthy. It's great that Albert's mom still keeps in touch with her elementary school and college friends. A pity that no one in Taiwan can make it to our wedding, but quite fortunate that we were able to meet them. So both missions successfully accomplished!
Right after Taiwan we scrubbed the house clean to welcome Albert's parents back to California. We ate on the dining table about twice after they left in June, and we started eating on it again when they returned. We barely cooked rice, and if we did it was 2 cups at most. The first day Albert's parents used my trusty red Zojirushi 3-cup rice cooker it was filled to the brim. Big red is such a little trooper. Gambare!
Now it's just the finishing touches for the wedding. RSVPs are almost complete. We're starting to receive some wonderful gifts from our registry. It is just so exciting!! I'm so happy people are buying things that I really would like to receive but just can't put my money down on them, like the Cuisinart 1o-piece stainless steel cookware and the saute pan. Albert wants to leave the gifts unwrapped so we can take a photo of the mountain of generosity at the end. But I just want to unwrap the gifts once I get my hands on them! But after I look at the items, I obediently put them back in their respectful boxes and put them in the pile on the kitchen counter. We can still take a photo of the gifts; they just won't be prettily wrapped.
Today I went to the bank today with my parents. I'm borrowing some bling from my mom for the wedding that needed to be retrieved from the safe deposit box. When she and Dad got married, the default gift was gold jewelry. So she received lots and lots of yellow gold necklaces, rings and bracelets. I'll be sporting some of the bracelets she wore on her wedding night, along with a pair of bracelets that Albert's mom gave me. She told me her mother-in-law gave them to her for her wedding. A family heirloom, just like in the movies - how cool is that?!
OK, this is getting too long. And Albert's saying it's loud... *pfft* So I bid you adieu.
- Mood:
tired - Music:Helpless Night - Crystal Kay featuring Akanishi Jin
I was downloading subs for Arashi's latest appearance on MUSIC STATION, a Japanese music show. The program starts by showing guests entering the recording the studio. I'm seeing if there are any musicians I recognize, and from the right enters three foreign men in tight, black pants with eyes lined black. Hey! that's Billie Joe Armstrong! Hey! that's Green Day!!!!
The show usually features one performance with fans surrounding the performing stage. I only watch boybands perform on these Japanese music shows, so I expected rabid fangirls going "Kyaa kyaa" over 20-something boys. But this time there are mostly guys in t-shirts and jeans with green curly-haired clown wigs moshing and jumping around while Green Day performs "Know Your Enemy." In the middle of the song Billie Joe yanks a guy up (while a bald, white security guy regulates the frontline) and tells him when to stage dive. That guy must be a hero that day to appear on Japanese national television. Green Day is nostalgically awesome. Their music style hasn't changed much, but lyrics wise they've come a long way. The fans were cheering so loudly at the end they drowned out the interview for the next guests.
Apparently it was Green Day's first time on a live music show recording in Japan. Who knew Tre Cool speaks Japanese like a native?! "Bokutachi ichiban!" (We're number one!)
I got my Japanese boy band and my California punk all rolled into one. It's been a good day. *rubs belly*
- Mood:
chipper - Music:Green Day - Know Your Enemy
My sister, Winnie, and her husband Eric are expecting a baby! Expected due date on either Eric's birthday of January 14 or the next day, which happens to be my birthday. Albert immediately gave me the "I told you so!" when I called him with the news. We had talked about which of my sisters would get pregnant. And I was dead set on Winnie and Eric not to have children at all. Actually, I was pretty convinced that we would be the first to get pregnant. So...now I have a lot of catch up work to do. :D I guess we skipped step one, which is to get married. ;)
Anyways, half-Asian half-Caucasian people are insanely gorgeous. It's really sad when a person of this mix is not hot, because that's like 5% of the population. I'm really happy for Winnie and Eric. I wish them a smooth and healthy pregnancy!
I was reading a profile of an Asian nerd who wondered why he hasn't gotten laid yet. It made me realize that smart, Asian nerds are completely and only my type. I don't think I can have it any other way. So Albie's safe...for now.
- Mood:
mischievous - Music:NEWS - Koi no ABO
I wonder how people feel when they get their hair cut. Are they upset that they have to let go a part of themselves? With me, I don't have much attachment to my hair. So long as the hair that does stay on my head looks decent, I really don't give a shit. I was way overdue for a hair cut though, the longest I've ever put out for. I seriously cut half my hair's length - about 6 inches from the tip of the longest strands, then a lot longer for layering. I looked on the floor and there was a big pool of black.
Now my head feels a pound lighter, and I use half the amount of shampoo & conditioner.
Why didn't I get my hair cut sooner?
Procrastination. I learn from the best. :)
- Mood:
nostalgic - Music:Green Day
Let's rate the trilogy:
"Sukoshi wa, Ongaeshi ga Dekitakana" - 4 tissues
"Marathon" - 3 tissues
"DOOR TO DOOR" - 3 tissues
"Sukoshi..." really hit home because it provoked similar feelings I had when my mom was ill. And the courage and inspiration Kazunori gave to his older brother at the very end. I started tearing up early in the movie and just couldn't stop crying. And I really like Otake Shinobu - she plays such a endearing mom!
Nino is such a great actor. He really gets into character and makes them credible. You don't see much of Nino's personality in his characters and he rarely overacts - proof that he's a true talent. Most JE acting is all one note - same personality no matter what character he plays - it's so boring.
When I see Hide-chan trying to tie his tie, I just wanna do it for him and hold his little hamburger hands! I'm glad they didn't link the lead actors romantically, coz that would completely ruin the story.
Hands down, Nino plays a damn good retard.
And I love the song "Smile." I first heard it when I saw "My Girl" (or was it "My Girl 2"?). It's a very calming song, like a lullaby.
I definitely prefer one-shot tanpatsu vs. serial drama renzoku, especially if the writing is bad and the series drags and discourage me from following the series week after week. If a tanpatsu is bad, you just need to endure it for another hour and still be able to know the ending. If it's good, it leaves you with a good impression of the actors and you'll look forward to their next work.
- Mood:
melancholy
Nonetheless, my birthday was spent lazily and leisurely with Albie. We walked along Geary to a couple rental/photography places. I even tried on a couple of dresses. The conclusion is, I need to lose weight. A lot of it. I have 9 months to get fit. Anyways, it was nice just strolling around the city in sunny weather. He bought me this beautiful flower arrangment! (Dammit, I forgot to get the camera again, I wanted to snap photos...) It's been a while since I received flowers. I'm not big on them, because...why spend money on something you can't eat? ;) But, once in a while it's nice. The arrangement really was beautiful. And the flowers smell heavenly.
For my birthday, I requested new glasses. For both of us. So now Albie is one big step closer to fobby Azn geekiness. His Belgian coworker laughed at him when they returned to work after shutdown. Poor Albie. At first I wanted to go back to plastic frames. Then i realized the pair I wore before had nosepieces that propped the glasses up. These new ones sans nosepieces either kept sliding off my nose or were so up close to my eyes eyelashes were brushing against the lense. Good thing LensCrafters have that 30-day guarantee. So I exchanged for these eggplant purple metal frames. They're nice. I like them. Nosepieces - they're a good thing.
I've been under the weather lately. Like today, I had very bad nasal congestion. As if a very heavy paperweight was placed on the bridge of my nose. And my senses were dampened. Like I couldn't stop scratching an itch that needed relief because I couldn't completely savor the much needed abrasion. But Albie's good at scratching. ;)
A couple of things I've noticed lately:
1. My chopstick skills have plummeted. Even though I've eaten Chinese at least one meal every day since moving back home.
2. I have a hard time remembering people's names. Like, when I was emailing on Christmas Day, I couldn't remember the names to a lot of my friend's SO's. Note to self: Must ask Hana what Yama's real last and first names are.
3. My intellectuality (if I had any to begin with) has also gone down. We were at Petco yesterday, looking at birds. I said to him, "If we had a finch, I'd name him," and I hesitated for a second just to think of the name because I couldn't quite grasp it, "Abacus." And right after I said it, in my mind I slapped myself in the face. He said, "You mean Atticus?!?!?!" FUCK. I'm an eediot. I knew it was Atticus. But now the damage is done. If we own a finch, we'll just have to name it Abacus. And two seconds later, that was what Albie suggested. Then tonight, I mentioned how tiring it is to pretend to be social and enjoy people's company when my entire family is antisocial. Here's the IM conversation:
[09:56:14 PM] albeesgirl19: and she's cranky because faking to be social is tiring work
[09:56:16 PM] albeesgirl19: i agree
[09:56:30 PM] DRather19: it is
[09:56:33 PM] DRather19: it's better just to hate everyone
[09:56:36 PM] DRather19: except for the circle of trust
[09:56:44 PM] albeesgirl19: and aunt is definitely not in the circle of trust
[09:56:50 PM] DRather19: hehe
[09:56:55 PM] albeesgirl19: there is no penn diagram
[09:56:59 PM] DRather19: venn?
[09:57:03 PM] DRather19: ...
[09:57:08 PM] albeesgirl19: because the circles would never overlap
[09:57:19 PM] albeesgirl19: i am THORWING a lot fo domyoji's this weekend, aren't i?
[09:57:54 PM] DRather19: you're my little abacus
[09:58:06 PM] albeesgirl19: so secretly i'm hoping that new years dinner would be split into 2 tables
[09:58:28 PM] albeesgirl19: because the circle of trust of 8 will be a closed circle
Yes, I am officially an eediot.
I've completely thrown myself into the fandom that is Johnny's Entertainment. Turning 28 just further accentuates how old I am for fangirling over boy bands. At least Oh-chan is older than I am. By 1-1/2 months. Yay! And this winter's drama season is going to good. So many series with people I like!
Sorry this entry is so choppy.
Watching the Arashi interview/performances on Shonen Club Premium right now. Best "Kaze no Mukou e" performance to date. "truth" makes me realize how hot red and black outfits can be. AND Aiba-chan did the kick this time! Love those long, long legs of his.
| Originally published at fumofu. |
- Mood:
pensive - Music:Arashi as guests on 2009.01.18 - Shonen Club Premium
There's a character in the drama, Takayama Hisanobu (played by Kiritani Kenta), who's obsessed with Toda Erika's character. He has these long, sideswept bangs. Albert got a haircut before he left for Korea. His hairstylist molded his hair that looked like a short version of Hisanobu's bangs. Unfortunately, I didn't snap a photo (dammit). But here's a recent photo of Albie and screencaps of Hisanobu-san. I call him by that name now. ;)
(RnK screencaps by yanie02 at ryuseinokizuna on this post)
Overall I enjoyed the drama a lot. There were some fun scenes, like Erika cosplaying a shojo manga character and Ryo pretending to be an Azn. There were some really cheesy scenes that made me cringe. But without them it wouldn't be a Japanese dorama. My least favorite part is actually the last episode. I thought the ending was rushed; it felt like it was quickly slapped together. The murder scene was somewhat unreasonable - why use a knife? and how did the wife get killed also? Another annoying thing was Sagi. I love Nakashima Mika and "ORION," but...Sagi did nothing for the drama. I think having her in the drama was a marketing ploy to boost ratings, which I thought was guaranteed to be high when you have two Johnny's covering three fandoms.
In other news, we finally watched "WALL-E" on Saturday on Blu-Ray. MO was so adorable! It's a cute movie. Watch it if you haven't!
Christmas is just around the corner. Stay warm, everyone!
- Mood:
amused - Music:Tsubomi by Tegomass
- Mood:
sleepy - Music:BLUE TUESDAY by KAT-TUN
Testing 1, 2, 3.
- Mood: hungry
