Married and loving it!

It has been a hectic four months. But Arnie and I finally made it out alive...


WE ARE FINALLY MARRIED!!!


Amidst all the drama and preparations we had to endure, the end result is what really mattered: we have taken the step that people have been waiting for us to take, that both of us have wanted to take for a long time. I finally get to call Arnie my husband, and me, his wife.


Arnie and I did nothing but laugh and smile through the whole affair. The event was filled with people who loved us and truly celebrated the moment with us. A lot of tears were shed because of happiness. Arnie's family have always loved me from the moment we started dating. My mum loves Arnie like her own son.


I never felt as lucky as I do now that I have bagged this wonderful man and I feel like I have won the lottery a million times over for being able to call him mine.

The day I was born...

It's amazing how much people change as they get older. I remember when I was a kid, I used to love having my birthday around. It meant having all the attention of your family and friends, and getting all the wonderful gifts.


Today, I turned 29. Not such a big deal anymore. I am currently in Sydney, working. I left my mother, Arnie, and two (doggy) kids behind. Not really fussed, I just miss spending time with them whenever my "special" day comes up.


My work mates are taking me out tonight which I think is so nice of them. When you get older, birthdays don't seem to matter much. In my case, all I long for is the company of my loved ones...


But it doesn't hurt that you get excellent gifts though... like the one Arnie gave me 3 weeks back. I mentioned 2 doggy kids, right?

This is our new baby pugalier (Pug x Cavalier) boy named Gimli. Isn't he a sweetheart?


Happy birthday to me...

Daniel love 2

At the risk of getting Harry Potter fans' parents angry, here is another pic I saw from the promotional shots of Equus. I lifted the photo and caption from today's Sydney Morning Herald.





Daniel Radcliffe and Joanne Christie are seen in the stage play Equus.
Photo: Reuters


I can't believe that some parents think that Daniel's parents have made a grave mistake by allowing their son to take on this wonderfully mature and dark role. Please, give the boy a break. He's an actor for crying out loud! Some people are so hypocritical. Kids nowadays have sex in such an early age. I believe we should educate them rather than hide them behind rose-coloured lenses. Daniel is no longer a child. He is a 17-year old who is turning 18 - a young adult - in a few months. We should congratulate Daniel on his efforts to grow as an artist. I don't want him to turn to another Macaulay Culkin!


As for me, allow me to drool... for a second or two before I get jailed for mentally molesting a minor :p

Daniel Love

It's been a while since I drooled over Daniel Radcliffe. It may be the fact that he is only a 17-year old boy but when I saw this, I couldn't resist but go "hubba-hubba."

Yes folks, THAT is Daniel Radcliffe, starkers! Would you believe that the boy wizard is all grown up? This photo was from the official shoot for the promotion of the play Equus. This is Daniel's West End debut and his first serious play. He plays the role of a mentally-disturbed stable boy by the name of Alan Strang who ritualistically blinds horses. You may have read the play. If not, go read it!


The play requires the character of Alan to ride a horse naked - very Lady Godiva. There is also a failed sex scene between him and his girlfriend (lady in picture plays the part). So yes, Daniel is going to prance around the stage in all his naked glory!


Okay, I'm bordering sicko territory here. It's just fantastic that Daniel is breaking out of the cute Harry character he's played so well.


And speaking of breaking out of character, check out this scene from "Extras", one of the funniest shows I've seen for a long time.

Relaxing weekend

This past weekend has been very relaxing. Arnie and I went away to a town called Warburton which is along the Yarra Ranges close to best wineries in the state.

We checked into a self-contained cottage called The River Cottage.







The cottage was absolutely beatiful. It was a home away from home. Very inviting with a fire place, a double oval spa, and a kitchen with a well-stocked fridge!


The inviting double spa which Arnie and I thoroughly enjoyed and relaxed in


On the decking


Such a cozy cottage!

I just loved the whole atmosphere. We were surrounded by the beauty of nature and relished our stay.

For afternoon tea, we went to a place called the Patchwork Teahouse. I am a big lover of Devonshire Tea. Arnie and I enjoyed each other's company over a nice cup of tea (him, Earl Grey, and I, English breakfast) and freshly baked scones.


Outside the Teahouse. Friendly atmosphere and friendly staff. Yummy scones too :)

Dinner was a quiet affair. I prepared fresh natural oysters for our entree and Salmon steaks with zucchini for our mains. Arnie and I also shared a nice bottle of Brown Brothers Muscato. It went perfectly well with the fish!



Preparing dinner :)


Cheers!

It was a lovely way to celebrate our anniversary. I hope to do something like this again with the man I love.

It's been a fantastic six years and I am looking forward to spending more beautiful years with him.

My Gold Coast holiday part 3

The last day of my holiday was by far the most exciting and the most fun I have had. Arnie and I started the day off again with a hearty breakfast. This time, he was the only one who went for a swim before breakfast since I wanted to sleep in a bit.

We dressed quite lightly. I had my bathers underneath my clothes while Arnie brought his in a light carry bag. We were both quite looking forward to swimming later in the afternoon. So, off we went on the bus and headed off to Seaworld.

It was surprisingly close to Surfers Paradise. It was right along the water, next to the famed Palazzo Versace, close to the Mirage Marina, and the famous Sea World Nara Resort.

Check out the pictures below and enjoy.


Outside Seaworld


Checking out the penguins


A real life "Sirenia" otherwise known as a Dugong


At Shark Bay


Arnie at awe with the huge Bull Shark


Cool but icky looking Manta Rays lazing about under the sun


Cute polar bear enjoying some chicken


Outside Dolphin Cove


Arnie and I waiting for the Dolphin show to start


Cutie!


"We're flippin' little dolphins!"


Taken at the seal show titled "Quest for the Golden Seal"


Cute and smart creatures, seals...


After all the attractions, it's time to cool off :)


Fell in love with the Dugong that I had to get me one of these :)

The whole trip was fun. Arnie and I enjoyed it so much. We can't wait to go back. As a matter of fact, we have plans of going back for our 6th year anniversary in September! Can't wait!

Next: back to our regular programme...

My Gold Coast holiday part 2

February 8, 2006

Woke up from a rather non-relaxing sleep. My head was still bothering me from the flight the day before (I know, pathetic to have jetlag considering it was only about a 2 hour flight) and it was so humid.

Arnie was already up and about by 7:00. The curtains didn't block out the sunlight much. I woke up to the smell of bacon, toast, eggs, and English Breakfast tea (my fave).


Still wanted to sleep, but Arnie kept on bugging me to get up!


I don't have a habit of eating breakfast, unless someone else cooked it :p

The day was still hot, but much more tolerable. The sky was nice and blue compared to the day before. After breakfast, we headed to the pool and spa for a quick dip.


Nice sunny day.


Nice bubbles!

Arnie and I had a very busy itinerary for the day. After cleaning up, showering, and changing to decent clothes, we took a bus and headed to Dreamworld. We spent close to 5 hours in the place and had an absolute blast. We went to the rides, took heaps of pictures, played with some of the animals, and checked out Nickelodeon town as well (the child in me was just screaming). Here are some pictures.


Outside Dreamworld.


Heading off to the Big Brother house.


Outside Miner Ride.


Wanted for being a Horse Thief!


Strapped for being too cute :p


Furry, cuddly, and cute! (not Arnie :p)


Can't get enough of this cutie!!!


Check out the white Bengal Tiger!


First time I have ever touched a kangaroo!


Sponge Bob! Sponge Bob! Squarepants!!!

It was a fantastic yet tiring trip. We went back to our apartment around 3 pm and headed off to the supermarket to shop for dinner. We ended up having steak, salad, and potato wedges. After resting and watching the news, I talked Arnie into taking me to this place that we spotted the night before and have been dying to go since I first laid my eyes on it.


Whoever thought the Restaurant at the End of the Universe was just a short plane trip away from home?


In front of the teleportation pad that will take us to the Restaurant.


The most famous drink in the universe. The Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster!

Arnie and I didn't try the drink. For one thing, the mix was feral - it is a three layer drink composing of Ouzo, Southern Comfort, Contreau, and other things. I wasn't feeling particularly keen to get plastered on alcohol. The Restaurant's theme was, obviously, space. It adjoins a space themed attraction Spacewalker. There were humanoid aliens (hah!), entertaining us with their scripted lines when they serve us like referring to the drink menu as "human re-hydration menus". It was a corker. Arnie and I ended up ordering coffee - too be specific, I had a Meteor Mocha and Arnie had a Lunar Latte. We also shared a Delta Wing Cruiser Crepe. Arnie and I made a mental note that we will have a full meal there and visit Spacewalker next time we're in town.

Next: Seaworld!

My Gold Coast holiday part 1

It has been 5 years since I was last strolling along the malls and the beaches of the Gold Coast, Queensland. Back then, I have just arrived in the country - barely 3 months - and tried to look for a job that had something to do with my Japanese language credentials. That whole month ended up like a holiday for me since I didn't find anything, work wise, but I did do a lot exploring and of course, shopping!

So, when Arnie and I planned our holiday back in October right after our engagement party, I was very excited. I was actually going with someone this time. What also makes this extra special is the fact that this is our first holiday together. We booked our flights with Virgin Blue, a cheaper alternative to Qantas but with excellent service. It only cost us $222.00 per person instead of what Qantas was asking for which was $410 per person. I first booked a hotel room at the Islander Resort Hotel for a measly $90.00 a night, but changed my mind only a couple of weeks before our flight. I found a self-contained apartment for $92.00 a night at the Cosmopolitan Apartments which is situated right in the heart of Surfers Paradise, one of the more popular destinations within the Gold Coast.

February 7, Tuesday

We were on our merry way. The flight was only an hour and 50 minutes long, and Queensland was not on daylight savings time so we virtually gained an extra hour when we got there around 12:40 pm. The flight was uneventful to say the least, except for my usual motion sickness. I had to purchase some anti-nausea tablets the day before! I have booked our airport transfer shuttle bus in advance ($54 return) and we arrived at our apartment around 1:30 pm. This annoyed me a bit since Surfers Paradise is only 20 kilometers from Coolangatta airport but since we had to drop every Tom, Dick, and Harry in front of their hotels, it took much longer than expected.

We finally got to our apartment, all hot, sweaty, and hungry - bad combination. As soon as we landed in the airport and stepped out into the tarmac, Arnie and I felt the huge difference weather-wise. It was so humid and muggy in Queensland. We were both not happy with the weather (reminded us very much of Manila) and we both hoped that it wouldn't be the same the next day when we go to Dreamworld, one of the few theme parks situated in the Gold Coast.

Before heading off to grab some eats, we took a few photos of the view out in the balcony of the apartment. We were pretty lucky to get an apartment on the 10th floor, with ocean viewws, and airconditioning. Apparently only half of the apartments in the building have airconditioning, which is a total disaster if it gets too hot!



Out in the balcony of our apartment before heading off to grab some eats and explore



The view outside our apartment. It just rained so it was cloudy and humid.


Our apartment is right across from the Hard Rock Cafe. I have hunted down a few vouchers available on the internet which entitled us to a free main meal for every one purchased. We rushed down, crossed the street, and was welcomed by the cool interior of Hard Rock cafe.



Taken from our balcony - "Love All Serve All"



Pigging out on burgers, onion rings, and chips. Yummy, greasy food!


After our very late lunch, the shops beckoned (of course, it's not a holiday without shopping!) and we went to the shops along Caville, Orchid, and Elkhorn Avenue.



Welcome to Surfers Paradise! Along the beach.



Surfers at night.



So many shops, so little time!


The great thing about staying in a self-contained apartment is that we had the freedom ofshopping for food we wanted to cook and eat and not limit ourselves to the not-so-great restaurants surrounding Surfers Paradise. Unfortunately, most of the good restaurants are situated in other suburbs and since we didn't hire a car we were stuck. So anyway, we went to the local supermarket (Woolworths) and shopped for breakfast items, sandwiches, meat, and Baskin Robbins Macadamia nut ice cream. Summer just isn't complete if one is not pigging out on a tub of scrumptious ice cream.



Ice cream, you scream, we all scream... Agrh!!!



View at night. Just beautiful!


Thus ends our first day in the coast. What fun!

Next: Our visit to Dreamworld.