Love Is...

Care, Concern, Sacrifice, Reliability, Understanding and...

Bodyaches.

* Apologies for the lousy quality of the photo. Taken with my phone... from my (hospital) bed, in dimly lit condition...

P.S. Love you too, Baby... =)

A Proposal and Blessings A Plenty...

Just so all our memories are on the same page... :)

*As previously recorded on the 29th of June 2009...

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He did it... despite me mentioning numerous times that I don't require A Proposal...

In his usual ultra sweet manner, the proposal was thoughtful yet not too elaborate, simple yet close to my heart...

Hotel staying has always been part and parcel of our relationship. It's a treat that we give ourselves once in a while since we established a more secure state of financial independence. To date, we've stayed in Oriental, Amara, Pan Pacific and Somerset at Cairnhill. Out of the 4 stays that we have had in our 9 years together, he always takes the initiative to make plans and with each stay, some little element of surprise.

We have been talking about planning one for this year, some time close to his birthday in June. However, what I thought was yet another simple hotel stay, turned out to be one of the biggest event in our lives... =)

An event that took weeks of planning from his side, while I was mostly kept in the dark.

I kinda knew where this was headed, when he asked for me to be blindfolded, while he drove to the hotel. When he was parked, I made a fuss about a million other people seeing me in that state and requested for the blind fold to be removed.

'Do you trust me?' was all he had to remind me, and what could I say? To a guy whom I love dearly?

I played along... and I let him lead me into the hotel lobby, while protesting that there must be one million other people looking at me. All the time, he was just calmly assuring me that the lobby was empty and the lift was right beside the reception table, beside the entrance.


He brought me all the way to the hotel room, and with blind faith, I followed his instructions and his reassuring voice for every step that brought me closer to our room.

Before we entered the room, he asked me to think of things that I don't like about him. I thought hard and long, and I realised that the issues that I used to have about him, are no longer as important as I used to think they were. My mind was churning but I really couldn't bring up anything about him that I disliked, simply because I know that he's been trying and putting in an effort to better himself.

As we entered the room, I strained my ears to listen out to the ambience and I couldn't pick up anything unusual, than a really quiet room.

He brought me to a sofa, and I felt him move around a little before he knelt down before me and held my hands. At that point, I knew it was THE moment. He asked and I said "Yes'...

I removed my blindfold, he proposed with the ring that we both picked out in 2004... It has been waiting for 5 years... =) Somehow everything was a blur as I started tearing, saying at the same time that 'I already told you I don't need a proposal...'

That was when he said,




I looked around in shock to see closet doors sliding open, toilet doors opening and my dear dear friends of 18 years rushing out with party poppers, heart shaped balloons and cameras taking pictures none stop.

My tears couldn't stop flowing as I hugged each of them tight and close... with my heart overflowing with emotions and happiness...

And if it wasn't enough, I had another surprise during dinner when he invited another group of friends who are as close to me as family, for an engagement dinner celebration.

And so on the 27th of June 2009, in New Majestic Hotel, in a room decorated by emerging local artiste also named as 'Lee Meiling', we got engaged 'officially'.

I can't help but keep counting my blessings, for the blessings that I have from my friends I love dearly, for all their efforts and well wishes and their participation in such a dear part of my life, my memory.

Most importantly, the blessing of having a guy who understands me so thoroughly in more than one way, and of an unfailing, unfaltering love that I often think I'm not worthy of.

Thank you Baby, for everything. It's not the bubbling champagne, or the foie gras and cod fish, it's not the luxurious hotel stay, neither is it the flowers or diamonds... It's these memories, and happiness in its most simple and sincere form... thank you for loving me so selflessly... I love you too.

P.S. These are little notes that I just had to keep - In response to my note of thanks to them:

Charm - "Yey!!!!!!! Congrats :) its about time! Very happy for u both.. Have a fantastic night ya."

RT - "U're most welcome my dear frens, yes both of u included. I'm personally touched tat the two parted and patched and i can feel that your love for each other now is much stronger than before separation. Keep it up and God Bless. ;)"

RL - "Heehee... Wish we cud make it more memorable 4 both ya! Bery honored & happy 2 be part of the whole proposal event. Congrats, wishin both eternal happiness! :-*"

Wil - "Our pleasure pls :) we feel family!"

Mel - "It was totally our pleasure to be invited by Robert to share in yr joy!!! You and robert are a very dear part of our lives. I hope u guys had a memorable engagement. See u tmrrw night!"

P.S. Just to add so that the event is complete, I found out very much later on that Rob actually bought 4 chocolate cakes and he made his rounds to seek blessings from my parents, my cousin and 2 of my aunties for his proposal plan! I was just... speechless... :'')

Pleasant unexpectations...

Sometimes, the unexpected is the nicest...


Thanks Baby!

The Proposal - 27th June 2009

9 years 4 months 23 days have passed since we first held hands after a late night show at Bishan Junction8.



Everybody who asked us how long we've been together never fail to follow up with the 'so when?' question. Even our family members will ask us once in awhile to test water (but mostly because they've become tired of asking) including Aunty Lena's menacing you-better-buck-up look which she shoots at me when the topic arises.

We were never pressured into tying the knot but somehow the time seem right. So off to planning I go...

Details are abit blurry but here goes:-

Time before D-Day

months: Crack brain thinking of what to do.
months: Decided to do it at a Hotel since we made it a point to have a Hotel stay each mid -year to get away.
17 days (100609): Arranged with Wilson to view the rooms at New Majestic (Poor Wil got summoned after. No cashcard in IU when we drove through a gantry). Met babe for Dinner. Babe got suspicious cos CK and Wil starting msging and calling me with congrats and offers of assistance.
16 days (110609): facebook-msged and msned Meiqin & Liqin to arrange for the surprise.
7 days (200609): CK msged to confirm the date while we were at Bel's. Realized I booked the wrong date! Panicked and hurriedly sneaked off to the balcony to change the dates. Lucky room was still available. Wil called me champion.
1 day before (260609): Ordered four cakes for visiting at night. Covered babe's parents first then Aunty Lena, Jean-Jie and Aunty Tina who was out for movie

D-Day (by now babe thinks we're just going for a weekend Hotel stay at a surprise venue)
10.00am: Woke up secretly to call the Hotel to make arrangements for Meiqin to checkin on my behalf. Encounter difficulties in getting the reception to understand what I wanted. Brain must still have been sleeping.
3.00pm: Meiqin msged to say to delay. Liqin went to Swissotel instead.....
3.15pm: Babe suddenly became interested in watching some Channel 5 show... (Checkin time was 3.00pm)
3.30pm: Leaving house. Meiqin msged to say her heart racing.
3.35pm: Got to car. Made babe wear blindfold. Reluctant but consented and lowered chair to lowest possible angle to hide.

3.50pm: Reached open-air carpark across the Hotel. Assured her no-one was looking as we approached the Hotel. Concierge was quick to pass me a spare key to the room. Kuddos!

And the rest is history as they say it...

Actually it's here. I'll stop here.

For now.

P.S: LTA joined in the celebration by leaving a small gift on the car when we left. Thanks!

Ring-a-ding-a-ling....

I know I know... it's probably like... so EARLY...

But just thought I'd like to get things that can be done earlier out of the way so that we can space out the things that we have to do over a longer period of time and ya-da ya-da ya-da...

And SO... We've got our wedding rings!! Customised, paid and collected today!

As it was customised, we could only rely on samples to tell the jeweller what we wanted... and took a leap of faith to hope that it will turn out nice... and it did! *smiles*

It's been a month!!!

Time flies and it's been a month since I've last updated this blog!

We've been to Bangkok and back but there's a realization that I may have outgrown the bustling flea and night markets that Bangkok has been famous for. This trip hasn't been as fruitful as I would have liked it to be! However, what I have gained, is probably kgs which I'm supposed to SHED!!!!

No matter, the company was great as I trotted to Bangkok with 16 other great people in my family!

Separately, Rob also made a major purchase in his life! He bought a 2nd hand Mazda 3, whom I've come to name Mazzie! Lol... Nothing like the champion of a beauty peageant, but we love it anyway and I suppose, will be enjoying our ride as long as he is here!

On a more artistic front, chanced upon some beautiful ring pillows when I was browsing through Etsy and kudos to their creator Irene Lam of 5eizen! Really like them!










On a completely different flavor, these are beautiful too! Creations of a local Singapore, Karen Yee of Eternal Covenant!

Churchie!

And we have finally reached a 80% confirmation of our church venue.

After some months of non-action, due to various various reasons... we decided to get our butts moving and specially attended the 7am mass at St. Iggy's to catch Fr. Colin to confirm our church venue on Sunday.

And we managed to get most of the paper work done for phase 1. There's phase 2 to be completed, but supposedly that will take place only 3-4 months before the wedding.

It was really refreshing to have attended a 7am mass, and it was both the first for Rob and I. Surprisingly, despite only having 4 hours plus of sleep the night before, we did not dose off nor feel sleepy during mass! =P

The feeling was good as well... I really look forward to the face that we will be having our wedding there... =)

Slowly but surely...

Slowly but surely, our planning is coming along.

To-date, we have:

1. Confirmed our wedding banquet venue - Orchard hotel
2. Confirmed our bridal package - Sattine Bridal Couture
3. Confirmed exterior design of wedding invite
4. On the brink of hooking up with photographer


Things that are yet to be done -
1. Confirmation of church
2. Designing of Invite inserts & Church mass booklet (& Hymns and readings and procession details)
3. F&B reception in Church
4. Floral arrangement in church
5. Selection of wedding bands

And most importantly, LOSE WEIGHT!!!

Wouldn't want to be the bride that falls through the bridal cake! *bleagh*

But at least the bulky stuff are firmed up! =)

I can't help myself but gripe how weddings are such expensive affairs! Sigh... And I don't expect the economy to be on the up-turn anytime soon. So... may God Bless us!

Yummy Cakes!

Was surfing around for some pictures for work illustration purposes when I came across The Yummy Cake Company site... It's so cute! =)