What a month!

OK, we've all had those kinds of months, where things just don't happen they way you want them to. October was the month that our car was totaled due to some guy careening into it due to driving too fast in the rain. Karen has spent the past few weeks studying really hard for her GRE. We've had lots of condo meetings about the three big things that need to get done--soon before the main winter rains come! I'm sure there are other things that have happened in the past few weeks but I can't remember them.

But, the past few nights, Karen and I have ended our days reading a few(turning to many) strips from Calvin and Hobbes. It is my favorite comic strip of all time. When Karen came to America, she had in one of her suitcases her complete collection of Calvin and Hobbes books and we put them on a shelf for easy access whenever we need them. Just turning to a random page will turn both of us into laughing nutballs! In the 10th Anniversary book, the creator explained many of the strips and the meaning behind them. Some of the reasons were quite subversive! But anyway, reading the books have been a great way to end the past few days. Lots of laughter that makes the day drain away...Who can have a grumpy time when Calvin and Hobbes are giving out their insightful views of the world? Just look at the picture at the top again and try NOT to smile!

The Teacher Strike- Is it Justifiable?

One of the top stories in the news lately is the Kent (not far from Seattle) school district strike. My immediate thought when I first hear about it was" "What?! A strike at a time like this?" The economy is still in shambles and many are jobless. I found out later that the central issue is smaller class size. Other demands are fewer adminstrative meetings for more time with students and an increase in salary. Having been a teacher for many years, these issues are all too familiar, particularly about class size and workload.

In a family conversation about the strike and the central issue about class size, the question came up, "Is there really a difference for a teacher of a class size of 32 compared to a class of 30?" I've been thinking about this. I think it really depends on the demographics of the class and the characteristics of the 2 additional students. It also depends on the total number of classes that teacher has.

I think about the classes I myself have taught. For example, one year I had five classes of 39-40 students. I had 4 different lesson preparations and the classes were of different levels and subjects. In one particular class, I taught general science. It was a class of forty 14 year-olds. About thirty do not have a good grasp of English, two of whom can barely write their names, at least six with serious discipline problems, seven of whom want to learn but can only make it with extra help. Adding even a single student to this large mix is unthinkable. In contrast, when I was teaching in junior college, the students were more able, more mature and relatively motivated. Two hundred 17 year-olds in a lecture theater was not ideal but still doable. In my opinion though, the real learning still took place when they were in their smaller tutorial classes of 20-30 students. I had more time for out of class one-on-one help. At this level and with these category of students, was there a difference between a class of 24 and a class of 30? A definite yes!

When I was teaching, class sizes of 40 was the norm in secondary schools in Singapore (equivalent to middle and high school in the U.S.). I had expected class sizes in the U.S. to be no larger than 25 or at most 30, so it's a surprise to find out that (though I expect rare) some classes are as large as 45 in Kent. Surely it did not get this bad overnight.

If one were to claim there is no difference between a class of 32 and a class of 30, how would a class of 34 and a class of 32 compare? Or a class of 36 and 34? Or 38 and 36? You get the idea. My point is, someone allowed things to get THIS bad.

I have not verified this, but I read that the Superintendent of the Kent School District, who is a Government employee, gets paid more a year($240,000+$833 car stipend) than the Vice President($227,300) of the United States. Assuming this is true, for a salary like that, I would expect problems to be fixed before escalating to this point and in fact, Kent should be expected to progress to nothing less than a top class education system for that salary to be justifiable. It makes me wonder how else educational funds are being (mis)used. It is conceivable that, despite the economic situation, these funds could be better prioritized.

Where I come from, strikes are unheard of. The only means of protest for poor job conditions in teaching, as in most jobs, is to quit. There have been changes made over the years. Efforts were made to improve promotional opportunities and improve salaries for teachers. I think this has really made it more competitive to get into the teaching profession and, as a result, has made it possible to hire better teachers. There are also plans to reduce class sizes, starting with the elementary schools, which is reason to be optimistic about the future of education. Still, too many great teachers had to leave the vocation before the higher-ups took notice.

Though I think the goals of the Kent teacher strike are worthy, I am still unclear if the strike is a justifiable means. Is mass quitting the only other alternative to get the wheels turning in the right direction?

Dentist update

Well, I finally had my dentist appointment for my toothache. The dentist did all sorts of tests to figure out where the pain was coming from and finally discovered it--OUCH!! She felt a root canal was the best way to go since it was a tooth that had periodically bothered me through the years. Who am I to say no to two hours of drilling and picking? And now I get to have another session later this month to complete the root canal. What I can say is right now, I feel the best I have in four days and when this is done, I shouldn't have any more discomfort. But, I do get to have the pictures! I've always wanted to get a picture of me in a dentist chair. Why? Just because...

I've got a toothache!

Saturday night, while at work, my tooth started hurting a bit. I thought it was nothing, maybe just a temporary soreness due to biting on something. I took some ibuprofen and didn't think about it. Sunday night, it got worse. I couldn't get to sleep; I'd get close and then the pain in my tooth would wake me up. Monday morning, 6am, I woke up and knew I had to get some help. I called in sick and then called the dentist. They could squeeze me in at 9am--relief!! They discovered a bit of decay under an old crown. They gave me an appointment for 2pm Wednesday to get it fixed. They also gave me two prescriptions, one for Vicodin to help with the pain, and one for pennicilin, in case there were any infections. I've spent the last two days taking that medication and it really seemed the Vicodin had no real affect on me. For most of the past two days, I've gotten very little sleep and the pain in my tooth would come and go. I couldn't go to work on Tuesday since I could barely see straight at times-maybe the medication was having some sort of an effect after all? So, the past two days have been spent at home with Karen. She's been great, tending to my needs. I've spent my time sleeping whenever I can, reading two books from the library, watching some TV, and having great conversations with Karen.

I'm really looking forward to going to the dentist tomorrow. Maybe I need a root canal, maybe not. Whatever happens, I just want to be able to sleep without pain and not worry about any side effects of medication.

Thank you, Karen for all you've done the past two days!

Block Party

Tonight, Karen and I went to a neighborhood Block Party. My friend David and his family were co-hosting a block party at their home just a few miles from us. I thought it would be lots of fun to go and I'm glad we did. Karen made some delicious and spicy chicken wings and we also brought some fruit salad. When she was making the marinade for the chicken wings, even she was affected by the Jalapeno Chili Peppers! I wish I had a picture of her with her face all contorted--those things are stronger than onions and black pepper combined.


We had a great time, getting there a bit early to help set up tables and the food. There were lots of people there, from at least 8 houses in the area. Two propane grills were brought out for cooking and the tables were full of food.



The street was blocked off, allowing all the children to ride their bikes and draw with chalk on the streets without fear of cars. We met most of the people there. laughing and talking. They would ask us which house we lived in and I would tell them that we were friends of residents, but that we were also 'auditioning the neighborhood' since I know at some point we will be buying a home--maybe in this neighborhood? It reminded me of my own childhood in Salem, Oregon where kids could play in the streets without worrying about strangers, cars, or whatever, and everyone knew everyone else.




Thanks David and Susanne for inviting us!

Devil's Curry

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

"Devil's curry (also known as curry debal in Kristang or curry devil) is a very spicy curry flavoured with candlenuts, galangal and vinegar from the Eurasian Kristang (Cristão) culinary tradition in Singapore and Malacca, Malaysia. "

My first, not so successful attempt at making some curry devil.
Way too spicy.
I could almost handle it but did not chance it on Chad.

Thank-you, Rhonda for getting my mom's recipe in the Family recipe book wedding gift and thank-you Mom, for the on-the-phone extra tips.

I did not think I could do it, but I did. I made some, just like my mom makes it. Well, perhaps not EXACTLY like my mom makes it, but close enough. And it only took two tries to get it 'close enough'!

My second attempt.

Lets explore!

Wednesday was such a fun day. Karen and I woke up early because we wanted to get out and explore the region on my day off. After a blueberry pancake breakfast, we headed up north. My plan was to show Karen the eastside of King County, where the smaller towns and berry fields are. She's seen a lot of Seattle already during her driving lessons and since we had all day, I wanted a road trip! We started up in Monroe and went south from there. Going through the cute towns of Duvall and Carnation, we stopped at Remlinger Farms for lunch. I also wanted pie, since I really enjoy their frozen pies at home. But, they didn't have any available to eat(just a huge warehouse of frozen pies!). We continued south to Snoqualmie, past Snoqualmie Falls. Entering in the town, there was a stand selling cherries. Big sweet cherries, two big boxes for $11. We got two boxes of Rainier cherries, which are not as common as other kinds.


After we got the cherries, we stopped at the Snoqualmie Train Museum. Walking around the trains, we ate cherries and spit the pits at each other, just like I used to do to to Mark, Scott and Linda when we were all children. We found out that on the weekends, there are train trips around the area--I wish I could have weekends off from work!



After enjoying the trains, we continued south when Karen said, "I'm thirsty. I want something cold." Well, I knew where to go!

Starbucks? Not this time! In Issaquah, there's an iconic restaurant called "XXX Drive In." I'd only been there once, but loved it. They make their own root beer, which may be the best I've ever had. Great burgers and the best onion rings. But, we actually weren't very hungry, just thirsty. What to have? Lets have a look at the menu, shall we?


Karen: "What's a XXX root beer float?"

Chad: "How about a milkshake? They make 'em big and good here."
Karen: "Which flavor? Chocolatecherryraspberryvanillaoreo...there's a million here! I think I'll just get a chocolate one this time and get a different kind every time we come here."


Chad: "You get a milkshake and I'll get a root beer float."



Karen: "I want both!"

We got a chocolate milkshake and a root beer float, both which were yummy! We shared them, and also shared the sugar buzz afterward.



After a stop at Gilman Village to explore the cute shops, we headed home. How can a whole day have gone by already?

Forward!

It was yesterday. An email update from USCIS. These two lines caught my attention:

Application Type: I-485 , APPLICATION TO REGISTER PERMANENT RESIDENCE OR TO ADJUST STATUS

Current Status: Card production ordered.

In 30 days, I expect to have that green card in hand. This means that, I can travel without an Advance Parole, visit Canada and not need a Visa, settle what needs to be settled in Singapore so I can do my Masters, and the to join the workforce.

The waiting period has been like being in a state of limbo in some aspects for me. Especially in terms of education, job and career. Not being able to go forward or backward. All we could do was wait. Not knowing for sure how long. The wait is almost over.

Where do I go from here?

Forward!

10.5 lbs

Chad and I woke up early this morning so that I could go strawberry picking with his mom, Maeve and brother, Scott. Chad had to work so he drove me to his mom's house before heading back home and then to work in the early afternoon.

After a 45-minute drive in Chad's mom's car (Scott drove), we were at the strawberry fields. The strawberries were smaller than I imagined they would be- a result of a June which is uncharacteristically dry and sunny. The bad news: Lots more picking to fill up the box. The good news: They MUST be concentrated with flavour.
It was a wonderful morning. There were many mothers with their young children there. The kids' were excited and every other word I heard from them was "Strawberry". For many of them, it could have been their first time picking strawberry picking. Like it was for me.

The mild weather helped make it relatively easy first time strawberry-picking for me. Extrapolating from my experience with it for a mere hour or so, however, I could tell that that doing it all day would be back-breaking.

After about 75 minutes, I had about filled my strawberry box/basket and decided I had enough of berry-picking and enough strawberries to satisfy both Chad and me. Aunty Maeve and Scott were already on their second box and continued picking for another 20 minutes.

My box of strawberries

The weigh-in for our day's pickin' : Aunty Maeve: 16 lbs, Scott: 25 lbs and me :10.5 lbs

In an 'Experimenting' Mood

I've been in the mood for experimenting in the kitchen lately. Here's the dinner I prepared and packed for Chad, chicken tandoori skewers with saffron rice pilaf. Packed dinner is not always this elaborate. I usually prepare them in the morning BEFORE Chad makes breakfast for us. Sometimes, all I do is assemble a sandwich using store-bought cold-cuts, but lately it's been briyani or poached and roasted soy chicken or split whole tandoori chicken or saffron rice pilaf or chicken tandoori skewers or chocolate lava cake. As it is with any experiment, there are successes and failures. The briyani was a disaster, the chocolate lava cake was a bit too much 'lava' and a bit too little 'cake' and when I made the saffron rice pilaf the FIRST time (SECOND attempt shown in photo above), it did not look 'saffrony' enough and it had so much cardamon, it smelled a bit like cheap perfume! Lots of cheap perfume!

The poached and roasted soy chicken was really good. It tasted like the roasted chicken you find at chicken rice stalls in Singapore. So the next thing I want to try is to make the rice and chilly sauce so we can have something akin to Singapore chicken rice right here in Seattle. The tandoori chicken was so good the first time I made it using split whole chiken, I decided to tweek the recipe and make the chiken skewers using boneless, skinless chicken thighs we already had in the fridge. I also tweeked the recipe for the saffron rice pilaf by reducing the cardamon and including golden raisins and cashews.

Chad loves the Sichuan chicken we had at a restaurant in Singapore and the Portuguese Curry Devil ('Debil') my mom made while we were in Malacca. These are among my favourites too. Looks like I'll be taking further advantage of this 'experimenting mood' of mine this week. I've had lots of fun doing these experiments. It would be even better if I could find someone willing to clean up AFTER me (*wink* Yes, I'm looking at you, Chad).

Ballard Locks

Here is a beautiful montage of pictures that Karen put together of our trip to the Ballard Locks last Thursday. With the sun shining so bright and the promise of warm weather, we decided to go on a picnic. We packed lots of food(a sandwich, a few pieces of chicken, potato chips, cookies and frozen lemonade to keep things cold) and ventured out to the bus. We wanted to take the bus there so we wouldn't have to worry about finding parking, paying for parking and then having to look at our watches to make sure we didn't overstay. Taking the bus is so easy and cheap, just $1.75 each way for Karen since I get a bus pass from work. And it drops us off one block from the entrance, right at a 7-11 store where we each bought an ice cream treat for dessert.

It was really warm, and I wore my short pants for the first time since being in Singapore. We found a small hill with a big tree for shade and ate while watching all the boats coming in and out of the locks. Afterwards, we walked around and explored most of the area, walking across the locks and getting close-up views of the boats going through. The air was definitely cooler by the water!

In all, we were there more than three hours. Such a nice relaxing afternoon, and I know we'll have more of them through the summer. The last two summers were very cold and wet, even for Seattle, so I think we're due for an extra long, extra warm one this year!

Balloons

We went to see Pixar's latest movie yesterday- "Up" in 3-D! Just before the movie, Chad came home from the grocery store and surprised me with.... (look at photo below).


I just love helium filled balloons. Not those shiny mylar ones though, which are not really balloons to me. And balloons without the floating factor are nice but don't hold my interest.

My earliest memory is, like for many, I suspect, when I lost one as it floated out of my 5 year-old hands and into the blue blue skies. I remember chasing after it but it was quickly blown away by the wind. That first experience did not sour my feelings about floating balloons though. I love them and hope someday I can go up in one of those hot-air balloons, just like the old Mr. Carl Fredrerickson in his house with his thousands of helium filled balloons (watch movie below).



Click here for direct link at Youtube.

That night, Chad tied my balloons to my bedside table. They were happily floating high above. Then I woke up in the middle of the night and saw them still floating but barely so and when I woke up, they were looking just a little bit sad on the floor. I guess their short floating life is part of what makes the balloons so special. I find myself ignoring the most beautiful silk flowers but appreciating fresh flowers before they fade away-seizing the moments to enjoy them while they last.

Click here for an interesting blog entry that ties the movie "Up" to Seattle's urban legend Edith Macefield.

Becoming 'Legal'

From the USCIS website:
A "green card" gives you official immigration status (Lawful Permanent Residency) in the United states.

So here's where I'm at as far as being 'legal' here in the U.S.

Chad and I went for the initial interview for my application for permanent residence last Thursday (21st May). My memory is a bit fuzzy on the questions we were asked. I think basically the questions were very much like the ones I had for the interview for the Fiance (K1) Visa in August last year: How did you meet? How did the relationship progress? ...and so on. I was also asked if I was already working. In fact, I have not yet been able to work because I am still missing the Employment Authorization Document (EAD) and when I informed the interviewer about this, she checked on my application on her computer, she found that I've been APPROVED for the EAD. Since FEBRUARY!!!

She then asked us to check at the information counter because we never did receive the document in our mail. The interview continued and we showed her a bunch of evidence to show that we have a bona fide marriage.

Just when I thought everything was going smoothly with the interview, she asks about my middle name and why I had dropped it and indicated that this might be a problem when or if I wanted to apply for naturalization (US citizenship) down the road. To make a long story short, we had to decide on the spot to change my name on the green card to avoid having to legally change my name on my Malaysian passport. This means, however, that I will have to backtrack and have my name changed on at least 3 documents here in the US-social security card, state ID card and my bank accounts, after spending considerable time to get those documents in the first place.

As for the outcome of the interview, we were told that the decision of whether I've been approved or not will come after the 'final review'. If everything goes the way it's supposed to, the application should be approved and we should expect something in the mail within a month.

Which brings us back to the question-What has happened to that EAD? As suggested, Chad and I went to the information counter expecting to get answers. We did not get any answers but were told we needed to arrange an appointment and to do so we had to get to such and such website. Harrummph!!

We get home, I get on the computer, arrange an appointment, the earliest being a week away (which was last Thursday, 28th May), we go back to the USCIS Seattle Field Office in Tukwilla, pay ANOTHER $6 for parking, ask the question, the guy at the counter makes a phonecall and finds out yes, I've been approved, yes, since February but...

We find out my Biometrics (which I did in February) was only linked to my I-485 (Immigration speak for my green card/PR application) and not my I-765 (Immigration speak for my EAD application). The Biometrics data should have been linked to both. So they linked my Biometrics up to my I-765 and the guy at the booth said he was 99% sure, though he would not stake his life on it (his words) that we will be getting my EAD in 10-14 days. We are counting...

So what has this done about my confidence level about receiving that green card in good time, without any problems? I can only say I HOPE everything will go smoothly. I need to have everything I require to be 'legal' here to really rest easy and go on the the next phase in making Seattle my home.

Queueing for Ice-cream

I'm almost always feeling to warm or too cold. Chad teases me about the very narrow range of temperature I consider comfortable.

The temperature in Seattle this afternoon happens to fall within this narrow optimal range. The sun was shining. Not much of a breeze. On my walk to Wallingford, I could wear what Chad calls my "Singapore clothes"- short pants and a cotton blouse. I found that being in the shade was just as comfortable as being in the sun.


There were many people about, sitting outside, enjoying the warm day. Many were queueing up for ice-cream at Molly Moon's. The flavour which caught my eye- Pormegranate Curry Sorbet! I could kick myself for not joining in that queue today. I'm not making that same mistake tomorrow! Warm sunny day and Pomegranate curry sorbet- here I come!

Visiting Mom and Dad in Malacca

My parents' were born and grew up in Malacca and I was born there too, though spent most of my childhood and teen years in Batu Pahat. They have since relocated back to Malacca. In our April trip, Chad and I visited Malacca whenenever we had a chance.

The slideshow below is dedicated to both my Mom and Dad, Albert and Philomena.

The audio soundtrack of this slideshow is dedicated to my mom and mothers everywhere.

To best enjoy the following slideshow, please view in HQ for best quality and mute/pause the music on my playlist player found on the right hand side of this page. Do turn down the volume if the audio gets too loud.



Click here for the direct link to the slideshow on Youtube.

Happy Mothers' Day to My Mother

This is my mom and dad's one and only wedding picture (my mom showed it to us when we were at their place in Melaka). I remember this young woman from my early childhood. And I remember her working hard for her family.

In this picture (40 years later), you can see my mom continue her work for her family- the spices that she washed, cleaned and prepared just so that I could have a taste of home in Seattle.

Since Malaysia will be celebrating Mothers' Day 15 hours ahead of Seattle, I'll write this now:
"Happy Mothers' Day, Mom! Thanks for all you've done and still do for us"

The heart of a home is a mother
Whose love is warm and true,
And home has always been "sweet home"
With a wonderful mother like you!

Family and Friends; Wedding Thank Yous (Part 2)

Thank You, Mom and Dad

Dad, your speech/poem warmed our hearts (I'm still waiting for the copy to keep for posterity).

Mom, the cake was delicious. Thank you, Aunty Fidelis for making it and you for arranging it all. The cake was transported all the way from Malacca, Malaysia and stayed intact and beautiful.

Thank You, Scott

Scott, Chad's brother was also his Best Man and witness to our Sacrament of Matrimony. Thanks for coming such a long way to celebrate the day with us. We hope you had a good time and that this will be the first of more visits.



Thank You, Florence and Deepak

When I first arrived, Florence and Deepak put me up for more than 2 weeks in their home. It was easy to see which room was mine when I was there. Florence and Deepak are really what I call neat freaks while I am ruled by chaos. Thanks for your hospitality and putting up with my untidiness.

Florence, thanks for all your help and advice as my Matron of Honour. Thanks for also being a witness to our marriage. After looking for an outfit for a long time, I have to say this one you found (probably 2 -3 days before the wedding) is perfect. You look beautiful.




Thank You, Nancy

Nancy, you were a wonderful bridesmaid. Thanks for lending me your listening ear, helping me with the florist, helping my mom with her make-up and finding such a perfect dress. Perfect fit, perfect dress and you looked so beautiful.

Since you caught the bouquet at the toss, keep me posted on the outcome!



Thank You, Marcus and Marcus

Marcus, my brother, sang the 'Road that never ends' while Marcus, my former colleague played the guitar, while we signed the church wedding register.

Thank you for making the ceremony even more special, you two.


Here are the lyrics to the song.

The Road That Never Ends

-sung by Marcus De Silva accompanied by Marcus Chan on guitar

Here we are
In this holy place together
Bearing witness as the two of you become man and wife
On this day
As you join in heart and spirit
You begin another chapter in the book of life

Chorus:

Love… is the circle that surrounds you
You can find it on the faces of your family & friends
Love…let it wrap its arms around you
And guide you on your journey down the road that never ends

There’s a song in your heart
You can hear it if you listen
As it whispers through the branches

high above the family tree
And as time
Lay it’s melody upon you
You can rest assured in knowing that you’re right where you should be [Chorus]

Thank You, Vernon, Anna, Erica and Aiden

Thank you all for coming all the way from Kuala Lumpur to celebrate the day. Vernon drove both Chad and I to Mallacca and back on the weekends. That made it so much easier for us to visit my mom and dad. Thank-you so much for that.

My brother Vernon, his wife Anna, and Aiden

Erica saying hello

Thank You, Aunty Luciana, Pio, Whitney, Megan and Eddie

Pio, thanks for helping us get the champagne and wine. Thank you all for the help we so needed. We truly appreciate it.

My cousin Eddie (also my godson), Whitney (Pio's wife), my cousin Pio and brother Marcus.

My Aunt Luciana helping out as Chad pops the champagne

Thank You, Chee Mun and Heiny

We invaded Chee Mun's home for over two weeks. Chad, Scott and I stayed at Chee Mun's on a fair bit of ou stay in Singapore. Thank you, Chee Mun! Heiny, thanks for sharing Chee Mun on his birthday (also Apr 18th). I found a way to always remember your birthday, Chee Mun!



Thank You, Sharlene

Sharlene, thanks for being a part of the ceremony. You did it so well.


Thank You, Friends from SAJC

Thank you all for your help. Carol for volunteering your help with the flowers and transport. Meixiu and Charis for helping with the cupcakes. All of you who helped with the guest table, gifts and ushering. You helped everthing go smoothly and knowing you were there helped keep me sane!

Joanne, Charissa,Carol, Sharon, me, Meixiu (front), Oon Hui, Charis, Marcus

Here you see Geraldine and her son
(Faizah not in picture)

Thank You, All Our Guests

Our relatives and friends and students, thank you for your love, support and being present to share our joy and celebrate the day with us.

(all photos on this post taken by Christopher Lim
www.chrisppics.com)

Wedding Thank-You Note Part One

Thank You, Father Anthony Ho

I met Father Ho early last year when I was looking for a church to have the ceremony. Since then, he called me periodically to check if we were getting along OK with the paperwork and preparations, even when I was in Seattle and Malacca. As Chad is non-Catholic, we needed to get something called a dispensation from the bishop in order to be married in church. Father Ho really helped me follow up with that and he really gave me the assurance that everything that needed to be done was being done.

"Two children in three years is what you said, right?"

On the blessed day, Father Ho helped make the ceremony extra special and intimate. The guests, many of whom are non-Catholics, were made to feel really comfortable and included. Chad and I cannot thank you enough, Father Ho.


Thank You, Desmond and Dorla from Stamford Catering

When Desmond Lum from Stamford Catering contacted me regarding my request for a quote, he immediately suggested that we meet. He was also always very prompt when it came to replying my email queries. I was about to re-locate to Seattle at that time, so this was very important to me. Meeting him face-to-face early, and being assured that we could maintain an email discussion easily are just two things that convinced me that Stamford were the people for the job.

Since I was not having a big hotel dinner, I wanted to make sure the lunch reception at the church canteen was not only delicious but also looked celebratory and attractive. I also wanted all my friends and family to be at the ceremony and not be fussing too much getting the cake and decorations in order i.e. dealing with those details.

Desmond really listened to what I needed and recommeded Dorla Liew and her bag of tricks for the job at a very reasonable price.




Dorla, I do not have a photo of you but the photos here show the wonderful job you did. Thank-you.

Desmond and ... (oops, I forget her name, but she's from Penang)

The reception area looked really beautiful as you said it would be, Desmond. I've heard only good things about the food. One of my friend's daughter even said, "Mommy, we want to come back here next time for lunch!"


Thank You, Photographers Christopher and Calvin

When I met Christopher Lim (www.chrisppics.com) again, I was surprised to be reminded that I had first met and engaged him as my photograpger as early as July last year. Talk about being kiasu! All the photos you find in this post are by Christopher. You'll also find his blog entry about our wedding here.

A couple of months before the wedding, Dave, my student from 2006-2007 in St. Andrew's Junior College contacted me about Calvin (www.twoheartsonestory.com). Calvin was my student in Outram Seconday School in...(I forget) probably 2002. Dave and Calvin are apparently in the same camp doing their National Service and Calvin is also a wedding photographer. Long story short, I engaged Calvin as my second photographer.

Thank-you Christopher and Calvin for doing such a good job documenting our special day. Both of you did awesome with the photo slideshows. Viewing them helped those who were there relive the special moments. For those who were not there, it was almost as if they were.


Thank You, June from Arts and Roses

It was 8 days to the wedding and I still hadn't found a florist for the bouquets and corsages. Then, my bridesmaid, Nancy, helped me find Art and Roses near Novena MRT. June was really wonderful to work with. June even opened her shop early so that the flowers could be collected. The flowers were beautiful.



Thank You, the many helpers from the Church of St. Francis Xavier

I was still very confused about the order of the service before meeting Mabel Lee. She was more than the organist. She took the time to meet me and helped with the selection of songs, walked me through the order of the ceremony, and gave me sound advice. Thank you so much, Mabel.

Jack Chew, thanks for your time, helping us with the rehearsal and on the day of the ceremony.

Tnanks also to the soloist from the choir with her beautiful voice. I did not even manage to catch her name (I think it's Geraldine).

The soloist from the choir of St. Francis Xavier

Thank you, Vincent Choo and other church volunteers who did a wonderful job with the church flowers.

Pew flowers were lovely

Not forgeting everyone else (caretakers, parish office workers, other volunteers) from the church of St. Francis Xavier who helped us in one way or the other.

Thank You, MUA Sophia Chia

Not being someone who wears makeup often, I still wanted to feel and look like myself. Make-up artist, Sophia listened to my needs and I was pleased with the results. Thank-you Mark, my hairdresser from X-Zen for recommending Sophia.