Wedding favours

Ever since we decided to have a destination wedding, we concluded that it's definitely necessary that we put a bit more thought into the wedding favours as a way to show our guests that we really appriciate their attendance.

So the choosing criteria are:
1. we want something that's meaningful.
2. Practicality. Basically, I want to make sure the favour is actually a favour, instead of becoming some useless item that we force our guests to take home and fill up their storage space.
3. Another consideration how easy it is to transport them to dubrovnik.
4. Price. Yes, we do want to spend a little money, at the same time we don't want to break the bank.

Research of wedding favours started from internet, wedding planner, friends who has been to wedding a lot. Here are a few items we have considered so far:

Souvenirs from Dubrovnik such as natural cosmetics and local art work. Local weddding favours seem to fulfill the criteria 1 and 3. They will definite remind our guests where they attend our wedding. The wedding planner kike is able to order them for us locally, so no tranportation problem. However, local art work and practicality they dont' seem to go together. And I don't think any of our male guests will consider natural cosmetics practical. Also as a thumb of rules, souvenirs are never reasonably priced.

Next we moved to consider wedding favours from Taiwan. The first thing I thought of was the traditional pastry that groom's parents would send to all the family and friends. It is a sweet and savory tasted pastry. I didn't know what exactly it is, the only thing I know is that I love eating those, and if I can order some for my guest and save some from myself that would be super nice :)
After consulting with my mother, she convienced me that it is a lot of trouble to ship them to Dubrovnik. The pastries are very heavy. My mom also revealed the myth of the ingredients in the pastry: pork fat!!! Importing meat to Dubrovnik might get my mom into trouble. So this option is definitely out of the picture. There are a lot of little things that I found on line, like little rice gift boxes, small bottle of soy sauce, but again they are just too heavy to ship to Dubrovnik.

The quest of searching for a perfect wedding favour continued. So I was reminded that a while ago I found some wedding favour that was very meaningful, practical, and easy to ship. However, the price was skyrocket so we had to give up on that idea. But recently, I have found someone in Taiwan producing something very similar (with no packaging) for much lower price. I have sent my wonderful mom to contact the person and negotiate the price. Bargaining - that's something my mom specializes, I figure why waste it. So I am not revealing that the favour is since I think there is a very good chance this will end up to be our wedding favour, and I think it's more fun to keep it as a secret until the wedding day.

Are you curious? Come to our wedding to find out what it is!

I want an iphone 4

Bear bought himself a HD Desire this trip to Taiwan. Even bear has a smart phone now, I just can't resist it anymore.

I am so shallow, everything has to be pretty, so I am always the biggest apple fan, and I would only go for an iphone. And yes, coz of my ocd, i only want iphone 4, coz the shape of iphone 4 is more consistent with my ipod nano.

My contract with rogers will end Dec 11th 2010. After talking to customer retention, i have got everything i want for 52.98 plus tax.

everything I want is:

500 mb data, 200 daytime min, 2500 text message out, early evening 6pm, call display, voice mail, unlimited canada-wide my 5 calling...

This is the best deal compare to other provider...but the problem now is i need to wait for iphone4 to be in stock....is that going to be forever? no idea...what's the best thing I can do at meanwhile?? I googled about iphone4 availability earlier, someone say they got customer retention to ship it to them, maybe I should try it? anyone has any idea?

Travel Itinerary-Taiwan, Australia

So...bear and I have been planning this trip for a few months, now it's slowly coming together. I have decided to post our trip plan here, so I can easily share the info with the friends we are visiting. (Also servered as a reminder for the forgetful bear).

Trip Overview:

-Duration: Oct 9th - Oct 31, 2010
-Destinations: Taiwan and Australia

Trip Details:

Oct 9:
-Departing Vancouver at 01:55am Sat, Oct 9

Oct 10:
-Arriving Taoyuan at 06:05am Sun, Oct 10. Connie will pick us up :) and hopefully we can go have some traditional taiwanese breakfast
-Meeting Cathy at Paul's international for brunch at 10:00 am
-Hotel Check in at 1:00 pm
-North-East Coast Tour and dinner with mom's family (meet at 1:30 pm)

Oct 11:
-Jiufen (九份) and Jinguashi (金瓜石) tour with Connie (additional travel info at http://wikitravel.org/en/Jiufen)
-jilong miao kow night market
-go up to taipei 101

Oct 12 - Oct 14:
-Formosa Express Train Tour: depart 8:00 am at Taipei Train Station
http://www.eztravel.com.tw/event/2008formosa/2.html
-Tour Ends at Tainan Train Station

Oct 14:
-meeting Mom at Tainan Train Station in the afternoon and head to mom's home town in tainan county
-Hot Spring at Tainan county at mom's home town

Oct 15:
-Visit Dad's home town in Chiayi county
-heading up to AliShan and stay over night

Oct 16:
-explore AliShan
-Heading to Taichung (yay, I wanna try high speed train) to meet paul

Oct 17:
-sun-moon lake
-heading back to Taipei
-meeting sundy for dinner at 6:30 pm

Oct 18:
-National Palace Museum
-hang out at YangMingShan with Cynthia

Oct 19:
-Explore Danshui

Oct 20:
-To be planned, maybe Shopping before leaving taiwan
-Depart Taoyuan at 11:55pm.

NO SPECIFIC PLAN for Australia yet
Oct 21:
-Arrive Sydney at 12:05pm, Thu Oct 21.


Oct 22:
-Heading to Melbourne in the evening

Oct 26:
-Back to Sydney

Oct 30:
-Depart Sydney at 10:10pm

Oct 31:
-Arrive Taoyuan at 4:40am
-Depart Taoyuan at 11:30pm
-Arrive Vancouver at 7pm home sweet home

Wedding Card for Cyn

This is the wedding card for Cyn. I feel really bad that I can't attend her wedding, to make it up, I made her a Wedding card. I printed out one of their pre-wedding photo from facebook. The quality isn't super, but it's reasonable (didn't wanna ruin the surprise so I didn't ask them for the photo). Again, first I picked the colour scheme, brown and pink, then I started my design from there. First picture is the front of the card, second picture is the back.

Birthday Cards

This is my first attempt to handmade birthday cards. It's actually quite simple once the layout is picked. I was flipping thru paper craft book, one of the project in that book inspired me to this layout. When I was trying to put together the ideas for this card, I realized the importance of "eyelets". Yes, it seems very small and non-significant, but guess what, this little metal thing is the key to make a card or a tag look much more professional.

This layout is very simple, the most important thing is to pick a colour scheme. From there pick a solid colour paper stock and a patterned paper stock. I made two birthday cards using the same concept.

If you have any comments about my cards, leave me a line. I would love to have feedback from people, so I can get better :)

here I begin again!

So...I have abandoned this blog for almost 5 years, just yesterday I have decide I should clean it up and really start recording all the fun things I am doing these days.

I think this time around I would have better motivation to keep the blog going, 'coz I don't like to be called a quitter, well that's only one reason, but I decided to dedicate this blog to my hobbies. So it would be mostly about climbing, crafting, snowboarding and cooking.

Anyway, let's hope I will be successful this time :D

笨蛋又出現了

昨天晚上颱風來襲, by the way, I am still in Kingston, 對, 就是因為這裡很少會有颱風, 大家都大驚小怪的, superintendent 還挨家挨戶的敲門, 叫大家記得關窗.....晚上也沒怎麼樣, 就下了點雨, 小小的颳了點微風

第二天早上, 草笨蛋, 看到地上濕濕的, 又一廂情願的打起了傘, 往lab走去.......一年前的笑話再度重演....根本就沒下雨, 害我還白白痴痴地撐著傘走在路上 (refer to 16度C的八月天).....改變不了的笨....

其實人常常就是被侷限在一個框框裡, 只看到外表, 沒辦法用心的體會真正的事實, 就算我明明後來也知道沒下雨了......還是想要據續撐著傘.....了解一件事對我並不困難, 最辛苦的是接受事實,但願有一天我會有勇氣, 去接受真正的事實

軌跡

那一天, 我們很用力的在沙灘上踩下自己的腳印, 是想寫下永恆嗎? 其實晚風吹過的那一刻, 永恆才在我心中劃下不可抹去的痕跡...

let me kiss you LuLu!!! 

Trying hard! 

Mt. Gabrial 

飛到哪裡 愛在那裡...

在人群中 他們背對而行了
她突然叫住他 他回過頭來看她的笑
小心翼翼的把那張笑臉印在心裡
她揚揚手上的紙袋 大聲的說"剛剛忘了謝謝你..."
短短幾公尺的距離 她卻不自覺地放大聲量
她跟他都懂 是宿命在他們之間放了一段最長的距離

看著她篤定的眼神 他更確定
這是最後一次機會 那麼近地看她笑
紙袋裡裝著的是 他一直想給她的祝福

遠離了喧鬧 她打開了紙袋
是一對love bugs 輕輕在她耳邊細語
"飛到哪裡 愛在那裡..."
"........你們叫我們花媳婦 洋人叫我們love bugs"
"不管叫什麼"
"都是愛..."

她 終於懂了...

snowboarding 3 

yeah, you can laugh at this one :D 

Jack and Ali 

Snowboarding 2 

Snowboarding 1 

FOB的煩惱

一堆FOB, 回到台灣後就不停的Complain...
台灣沒那麼糟吧..
只是.....
買不到可以吃的Bagel
muffin 1個100NT
你跟他們要butter,
櫃檯小姐嘴上禮貌的告訴你他們不提供
心裡想著 "肥死你"

但是也沒那麼糟吧

Kingston 的負38度C教會了大家
知足常樂.....
這幾天很開心, 因為天氣回升了25度C
零下11度C的幸福
只有被凍傷過的人懂!

台灣遊記 part 3

阿阿阿, 真的快忘了, 還是快寫吧

12月29日
呵呵...也不記得早上是怎麼混過的了
但是今天是我和Ke的3rd anniversary
晚上去桃園找他, 我自己做火車去的唷
很勇敢吧, 好啦好啦, 我知道我不是3歲小孩啦
我們去桃園的衣蝶, 要修我的項鍊,
可是他們竟然撤櫃了
但是熱心的衣蝶小姐還是幫我們找到了contact info
晚餐在地下街吃吃
吃完後, 又吃可麗餅當點心
Ke不喜歡台灣的可麗餅, 他說太硬了
就是吃軟不吃硬的意思啦
後來...因為覺得停車費太貴了
Plus, 有點無聊,沒收穫的感覺...
克去買了個上班包
然後就慫恿我買了件Fur Jacket...
最後, 我逼他送我回台北, 呵呵...
害他天天睡不飽

12月30日
今天又混了一整個早上
下午跟MOM去水療館
看到一堆無聊的阿公阿婆
晚上跟Cal出去
TI的工程師...還滿...有趣的
哈哈, by the way, an IEEE paper is very different from your application notes!!!!

12月31日
New Year Eve 說...
本來SK說要來個Queen's Reunion
但是turn out 大家都沒空,
可是還是約好, sk, rick 吃飽後大家一起去市政府count down
於是我跟克心酸的塞車塞到8點多
終於到了中山北路的王品
東西還不錯吃, 只是Kind of unexpected.....
很Chinese 的Steak!!!
然後....那個, 廁所是滿乾淨的啦, 但是還是很臭說
WHY????
我不懂!!!!!!
anyway, 晚上塞了很久的車, 終於快到市政府時....
有人要回家了, 有人又說要換地方了..
後來End up 在美麗華count down
天氣很冷....場面也滿冷的

1月1日
跟Ke 同事去天母, 阿勇還有Vivian
說實在....沒啥逛到, 跟不熟的人逛街, 不太容易
因為呀...要試衣服也不太好意思
那既然不能試, 就沒啥好逛的了
而且, 逛到一半就....尿急
所以就放棄了
跑去喝下午茶, 順便上廁所
那餐廳....not exactly the type I like
太美式了, 但是名字還滿屌的
"隨意鳥地方"
喝了一杯啥...我也忘了...應該不是特別好喝,
要不然也不會忘 , 餐廳招待了一份Tiramisu
說到"Tiramisu" according to Paul Wang 的妹妹, Miya,
it means "思念" in Italian

後來去看電影, Ocean's Twelve
大家都說不太好看....
可是我跟Ke都覺得不錯呀!!!
他看Brad Pitt, 我對著Catherine Zeta Jones流口水

看完電影後去陽明山喝茶
叫草山xx, 忘了, 但是氣份不錯
娃哈哈, 說到這, 就好笑...
我們點了一碗白飯
結帳的時候....發現上面竟然寫150...
真是-_-, 那米是不是有想刻LV在上面呀
後來就問老闆....原來是waiter 寫錯了...
但是他有努力的改唷, 他說他已經改成15.0
哈哈哈哈, 台幣還有人在寫點幾嗎??
所以他還是被老闆罵了...然後他還很客氣的給我們打了8折

跟克回到永和後....偷偷又跑去樂華夜市吃東西...
難怪...會越來愈胖

1月2日
克眼鏡斷了
Connie and me 陪他去集文堂配
順便在那裡玩眼鏡
之後去逛微風, 克說看起來很好逛,
但是我們的目的是找Diesel 鞋, 所以還是跑去SOGO
到那裡也沒看到喜歡的, 就去吃米粉湯
8:30跟TOM 約在216巷
他遲到因為車被拖走了
之後大家到一個Lounge
叫....BALI, 氣份不錯....沒啥人...
跟Tom 很久沒見面了...
他一直說我變悶了....
我哪有....是他自己一直再講電話

1月3日
今天陪Ke去拿眼鏡
老般還沒弄好,
我們就在附近找東西吃, 順便等眼鏡
一直想吃鐵板燒說...但是錦州街竟然沒有...
後來我突然想到...再復興北"雲城"旁邊的小巷子了
有一間...為啥我會知道...因為呵呵....
我可是地頭蛇呀...每年回台灣工作...都會很不小心
找到那附近的工作(復興北, 民生東路3段....)
希望下次可以再往東一點(敦化北, 民生東)
IBM, intel 之類的
anyway, 吃完飯就去拿眼鏡回家了...
還滿悠哉的一天

台灣遊記 part 2

趁我還沒忘記前趕快寫吧

12月23日
今天感冒中.....下午還是忍不住跑出去玩了....
跟蓓蓓到台北光點喝下午茶, 在晶華酒店附近.
後來去逛了逛衣蝶, 晚上跟蓓蓓還有他朋友阿忠去吃燒烤(牛角).
阿忠真是年輕有為, 胸腔外科醫生, 聽說很辛苦, 24hours on call
吃飯時,隔壁桌的還在那裡說 "天蠍座的都這樣",
是怎樣啦, 真是三條線

12月24日
早上想去洗頭,有點奢侈,當然要找人陪我去,才不會太guilty.
所以就把Connie挖出來了,
去小林洗完頭後, Connie 就陪我去永和的SOGO買Ke的聖誕禮物
買了一條皮帶, 因為Ke 的AX壞了.
買完後就去Connie家玩, 他自己一個人住一層樓...太幸福了
晚上跟小白約在公館吃飯, 結果Ke塞車塞到8點才到我家
後來公館也都沒停車位, 只好停到辛亥路去了, 然後去吃飯
到處都客滿, 後來終於找到一間小吃店
可惡的小賽, 沒電了...後來又好了..怪怪的
晚飯後, 就跟小白一夥人去貓空泡茶
在那裡過聖誕節....還滿奇怪的, 11年來第一次在台灣的聖誕節
就這樣過了, 還算滿開心的...

12月25日
跟以前同事吃飯, Joe, 文正, 方方土, 小O, Chris, 韋如,
Leon 跟 Sharon 睡過頭了....聽說Leon加班到半夜
我們到竹圍吃海鮮,吃得好撐唷, 回家前還買了魚丸
在車上就偷吃起來了:P

下午跟Ke回中壢, 因為小賽怪怪的, 要帶他去檢查一下
晚上去台茂吃飯, 看功夫, 粉好笑唷.
我的喉嚨在看完電影後就完全沒聲音了, very weird
by the way, 台茂的廁所, 真的很臭


晚上回家時迷路了, 因為板橋跟中和, 都有中山路
兩條差不到500公尺遠...天呀, 害我們以為是鬼擋牆

12月26日
今天是boxing day, 但是台灣沒這回事,
所以我跟Ke就在家裡拼命睡
睡醒之後去吃牛肉麵, 下午去"藝術家'喝茶,
順便plan一下我們的花蓮trip

晚上, Ke被mom騙去針朻, 我也順便去看了一下中醫,
因為一直失聲中
看完後就找Connie去夜市,買了滷味跟潤餅就回家了
mom煮了一鍋雞湯, 老樣子, 無色無味

12月27日
一早就出發往花蓮去了
我們走北宜公路, 好暈唷
一路開到太魯閣, 可惜天氣陰陰的
看起來...真的不太美...:P
後來小賽又開示抗議, 體溫一直升高
只好趕快在帶他去看看....
小賽看完醫生後,我們就往飯店出發

哇, 理想大地, 真的很美, 跟圖片上的一樣
超級推薦的! 晚上很累了, 我們就到飯店的餐廳吃buffet
貴是貴了點, 但是很好吃唷!!!

晚飯後還去做船, 飯店裡有人工運河
到處走走, 拍照, 還玩了有點像高空彈跳的東西
晚上跟克, 悠悠栽栽的在房間的陽台看夜景,
我感冒只能喝茶, 克一個人很痞的喝著海尼跟
not exactly a great day, but it was a great night!

12月28日
一早就起來吃飯店的buffet早餐
還是一樣好吃
買完麻薯之後, 就去泡溫泉
溫泉還連到游泳池, 草差點玩瘋了, 呵呵

12點就上路回家了, 陸上經過7星潭,
那裡的海很美
我們走濱海回去, 路上很驚險
都是Ke, 愛亂超車, 雖然都是我在旁邊慫恿的:P

晚上還到基隆廟口吃豬腳, 吃了520NT
嚇暈了Ke, 後來又去吃豆花壓驚
哈哈