Las Vegas (Dec 26-28, 2006)

Day 1: We arrived Las Vegas at around 2pm in the afternoon and first order of business is to check into our hotel at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino. MGM Grand is the largest hotel located along the Las Vegas Strip. Since we had tickets for the David Copperfield show at MGM that night, we opted to have dinner at one of the nice Japanese restaurants, SHIBUYA. Shibuya offers traditional ingredients with a modern twist and it offered a big selection of sake. Rod and I enjoyed their kani salad, Australian wugyu steak, salmon and black cod and a nice sushi platter. Rod wanted to try their Kobe Beef from Japan, but we almost choked on our drinks when our server said that an 8oz piece of beef costs US$320, hahaha. So we opted to go with their Australian beef instead, which was really good as well. David Copperfield’s show was performed at the intimate Hollywood Theater, and after all these years, he still looks the same. Although I’ve seen his show previously in Singapore, he still managed to make me say “wow, how’d he do that” with his magic acts.

Day 2: Spent the day showing Rod around the different beautiful hotels along the strip. We visited Caesar’s Palace (and the Forum Shops), the famous Bellagio, New York New York, and Monte Carlo just to name a few. We also got to see Cirque du Soleil’s “O” at the Bellagio. The show was simply breathtaking, complete with a magical stage that changes from water to land, and graceful dancers and acrobats performing.

Day 3: It’s our final day in Vegas before we leave for Vancouver tonight. We spent the day walking around and had lunch at Emeril’s. Wanted to try his food, just to know why he’s so famous on tv. The food served was not bad, but I won’t say it’s great as well. I enjoyed Shibuya more than this meal. Before leaving for the airport, Rod played a few rounds of Paigaw at the casinos and lost US$400, ouch! Good thing we had a plane to catch or he would’ve lost more. I guess lady luck wasn’t on his side this time.

Los Angeles, CA (Dec 23 – 26, 2006)

Day 1: This was my first time to meet Rod’s Go-i. She is Mama’s youngest sister and she also happens to have a twin Si-i. She lives with her husband Uncle Valentin, but Uncle Valentin left for a business trip and Goi wasn’t able to join him because she wasn’t able to get a leave from work. My first impression of LA was that people there were not as friendly and laid back as people in Hawaii were. The drivers there were crazy as well! They drive fast, as in really, really fast on the freeways it’s scary. Anyway, this day was a rest day for us. We just had lunch with Uncle Valentin’s sisters at a local Chinese restaurant and had dinner at Whole Foods Grocery store. Rod said the food at the Chinese restaurant was good, but the food at Whole Foods was yuck. Guess he didn’t enjoy all the organic food they were serving for take out.

Day 2: We joined a tour group for the next two days as Goi does not really drive on the freeways of LA yet. First day was going to be spent at Universal Studios, but since we were a bit early, the driver took us for a drive around Hollywood. We dropped by theKodak Center where they hold the Oscars, Graumann’s Theater and Rodeo Drive. After half an hour of taking pictures, we were off to Universal Studios. The whole day was spent enjoying the rides and movies. Some of the attractions we went into were:Shrek 4D, Studio Lot Tour, Jurassic Park Ride, Waterworld, BackDraft, and The Mummy Ride. Jurassic Park featured a huge drop at the end of the ride, while The Mummy Ride was a fast roller coaster, zigzagging its way through tombs and dark alleys. It was the first time that I’ve ever heard Rod scream, hahaha. We had a lot of fun.

Day 3: It’s Christmas Day and we are off to Disneyland! As expected, there were so many people today as most people like spending Christmas at “The Happiest Place on Earth”. We were off to spending the day walking around, going on the rides and eating lots of junk food. We went into rides like Indiana Jones Adventure, Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, and Big Thunder Mountain. We also had a chance to watch the Parade where all Disney characters came out in beautiful and colorful carousels. We ended the night by watching a spectacular fireworks display at Sleeping Beauty’s Castle. This was definitely a Christmas Day to remember. We are off to Las Vegas tomorrow.

Maui, Hawaii (Dec. 19-22, 2006)

Day 1: Our plane arrived Honolulu at 7:45am after a 10-hour flight from Manila. Whew, it was tiring! After going through immigration, we had to catch a short 30-minute flight to Maui, which got Rod worried. Short flights within the States usually mean small airplanes, which carry less than 100 passengers! True enough, it was a really small plane, but the ride was smooth. After getting our luggage and picking up our car from Budget Rent a Car, we’re on our way to our hotel. The drive to the hotel was about half an hour, but it was an easy drive… nice weather and beautiful scenery and beaches along the way.

For this leg of our trip, we stayed at the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa. This is probably the nicest hotel that I have ever stayed in. The resort features tropical landscaping and exotic wildlife within the grounds. The staff and the service are top-notch. Our room also featured a beautiful view of Kaanapali Beach. Once we’ve checked in, we immediately went to sleep as we were so tired from the long flight. After a short nap, we drove down to Whaler’s Village to have dinner at one of the seaside restaurants. Food was just ok, but we enjoyed walking around and visiting some shops.

Day 2: We were planning on going to Hana today, as all guidebooks feature the Drive to Hana as the place to visit in Maui. But we were so tired that we woke up late and decided to postpone the trip to the next day. So we just stayed at the hotel today and lounged at the pool. There are two free-form outdoor pools with an underwater cave. We spent the morning and the afternoon lazing around, walking around the resort grounds and just relaxed. Our nighttime activity was the Drums of the Pacific Luau, which featured a full buffet and a traditional Polynesian show. It was a high-energy show, complete with hula dancing, singing and fire-knife tossing.

Day 3: Road to Hana

We woke up early and set off for a one day trip to Hana. The Hana Highway is a 60-mile stretch of road that connects the small town of Hana to the rest of Maui. The Hana Highway winds its way past waterfalls, beaches, bridges and spectacular ocean views. The road going to Hana initially was smooth and wide. But the closer we got there, the roads became narrower and more winding than we’ve ever seen. Many parts of the road would only fit one car at a time so the drive was really slow. We stopped by some beautiful spots to take pictures and rest like the Hookipa Overlook, Hana Bay and finally Haleakala National Park. All places featured beautiful waterfalls, hiking trails, streams and the Pacific Ocean. Our drive from the hotel to Hana and back was a total of 160 miles, that’s why this was a whole day affair. We left the hotel at 8am and got back at around 5:30pm

After the long drive, we decided to stop by Kobe Japanese Restaurant for some authentic tepanyaki style food. We ordered Kobe steak, lobster tail and some sushi. The chef showed some impressive cooking skills and the food was delicious.

Day 4: It’s time to say goodbye to Maui. Our next leg of the trip is Los Angeles. We’re going to stay with Rod’s aunt in Monterey Park. Our flight arrives at 8pm LA time so this day was totally spent on travel.

Forevermore

Dear Pappy,

I was looking at our wedding website and it hit me that I only have 1 month and 17 days left before I officially become Mrs. Rod Chua. I thought I should write you this letter before things start to become more hectic for both of us with all the planning for our wedding and our house that I forget to tell you these things.

First of all, I’d like you to know that I’m very happy and excited that I’ll be your wife soon. When I was a little girl, I believed in fairy tales and my favourite cartoon was Cinderella. Being rescued by Prince Charming from the wicked stepmother and stepsisters was the most romantic thing in my mind. And I thought that’s how all people found their partners in life and lived happily ever after. Then I grew up and realized that that wasn’t always the case.

In our case, I don’t expect you to sweep me off my feet and rescue me from whatever troubles I may have in my life. I don’t expect you to be Prince Charming or the guy we see in romantic movies. And I don’t expect you to always be perfect. We’re human, we all make mistakes. But in our marriage, I do expect a few basic things from both us. And those are love, respect, trust, commitment and honesty. I think if we have these between us, there’s nothing that will be too hard or too difficult for us to face.

For the past year that we have been together, I have learned a lot about you. Your likes and dislikes, your pet peeves, how quiet you get when you are pissed off at me, which parts of your body are ticklish, your favourite spot for me to kiss you, your favourite foods, how you treat your family and friends, how you look when you sleep, how much you love Shanghai, and so much more. But I think the most important thing that I learned while we were together the past year is how important I am to you. No matter how mad or “pikon” you are with me, or how tired you are from work, or how busy you are with all the wedding plans and our house, you always make me feel and know that I am your number one priority and top concern. And for that, I love you even more.

My dreams for us are simple. I don’t expect us to be rich, or to live in a big mansion, or travel the world. I just want us to grow old together, maybe have a couple of kids together, and share the good times and tough times together.

Pappy, thank you for making me so happy. You’re not only my husband, but you’re also my Prince Charming, my lover, my beloved, my rock, and my happily ever after.

I love you, forevermore.

A Girl's Bestfriend

They say "Diamonds are a girl's best friend." Although I am sometimes inclined to agree with this statement, I think everyone should be so lucky to have a "diamond" like my best friend, Cheryl.

You see, Cheryl and I have known each other since we were in Grade 1. She was the smart and popular girl in class, while I was the tomboy with the funny Afro who hung out with the tall girls in class. Little did we know that when we entered Grade 4, we'd get along so well and we've been together ever since. I later found out that she was scared of me coz I was always surrounded by the big girls, and I told her I was also intimidated with her coz she was always so soft-spoken and well-groomed, hehe.

Fast forward to more than 20 years later and we are still the best of friends. We’ve gone through everything together. From moving to a new country to moving back home again, from the pressure of having to get into a good university to graduation, new jobs, new friends, new loves and breakups. For all the important events in my life, Cheryl was there with me.

I believe it is fate that God has blessed me with a wonderful best friend. Talking and just hanging out is always fun. We can talk about anything forever and it’s never boring. I think she was given to me so that I would have a sister that I never had. Being born the eldest and only daughter in the family, it's sometimes hard to relate to boys how we girls are. They can never understand how crazy we get when our hormones fluctuate, how PMS works, how we cry just because, or how happy we get when we get to eat a good piece of chocolate truffle. And I think God gave me to Cheryl because she's born an only child and she can share all the good stuff that she gets from her parents with us mere mortals, haha... I was given to her so that she’d have an ally.

Now that I am getting married in a few weeks, there’s no one else who can take the place of my maid of honor.And even though I will have a new partner in my life, Cheryl will always be my best friend and partner in crime. I see us growing old together, with our kids playing together and us sharing more long talks over a good cup of coffee or a great bottle of tequila depending on the situation...haha! Cheers!