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My girlfriend’s two birthdays!

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Birthday #1

ling birthday

This was my brainchild and happened on the day before her actual birthday (we flew to Siem Reap for her birthday vacation). I had planned a series of surprises for the week leading up to her birthday. 🙂

Patchi chocolates

patchi

The first was chocolates from Patchi. This has a special meaning for us (not the brand itself) but coz one of the first gifts I gave her was from Royce, followed by Godiva and this the trilogy of “premium chocolates”.

patchi chocolate store

I got their signature collection from MidValley – she was actually wondering what shop it was and I remember walking in the first time, saying I’ll get her a box and she looked at the price tag and said she doesn’t want it. I know, she’s really an *awesome* person like that.

patchi chocolates

I decided to drop the subject since I knew her birthday was coming up and I wanted this to be one of the presents…and thus, I gave it to her as the start of the birthday gifts. 🙂

24 pink roses bouquet

pink roses

I also planned to walk into her office with a bouquet of flowers that I got from Bloom (which actually has great service compared to Giftlab, the latter has rude delivery guys). I got the 24 stalks of pink roses at my condo, and drove out to her office with the intention of surprising her by walking in unannounced.

girlfriend birthday

It was foiled coz she was already standing outside, ready to go out. I didn’t make it in time before she headed out for lunch. Oh well, it was still a good attempt. 🙂

Giant macaroon birthday cake

giant macaroon

She didn’t want a birthday cake coz she already had some and I remember her saying something about macaroons when we first met that I’ve kept in my mind ever since. I ordered a giant macaroon in lieu of a birthday cake – I got two of them in fact, one pink (salty chocolate) and one red (lime flavored).

macaroon cake

I also got 3 candles for her 30th birthday and pretended I was too tired to stay up…before surprising her with the giant pink macaroon. Well, it’s not exactly gigantic (there are bigger ones) but it’s hard to maintain the crispiness when it’s huge. This size was pushing it.

macaroons

She liked it though and that’s all that matters.

Pandora’s box(es)

pandora

This was a series of surprise gifts I sprang on her. She was staying over since we had an early morning flight (turned out we didn’t have time to sleep at all). I bought her a charm bracelet and three charms from Pandora coz I remember walking through a mall with her and the little ones once and she looked wistfully at the collections.

I made a mental note then to get this for her birthday. 🙂

pandora charm bracelet

I actually asked the Pandora sales person to wrap it in 3 different packages (one of them I just took in the box since I wanted to present it to her in Siem Reap and it’ll be hard to pack a bag without her noticing) so I can do my sequential surprises. smirk

I gave her the charm bracelet first and apologized coz it’s empty and I didn’t have money to buy her charms.

pandora box

She said it’s okay, she’ll just wear the bracelet like that.

I said I bumped into a friend who told me I needed to get a charm chain coz if the charm bracelet accidentally opens, all the charms will drop out (thanks Wendy!).

pandora bracelet

…and I gave her another box.

I said that’s it, sorry about it being so empty and while she asked if I was going to put it on for her…

pandora charm protector

I then presented her with the third box, which contains a pink heart charm. It’s supposed to mean something which I only told her.

pink heart charm

I said that’s all I had, no more surprises (but notice I only gave her 3 boxes when I bought 4?). She was touched though and I’m glad I managed to make her happy during her birthday. 🙂

Birthday trip to Cambodia

birthday trip

We didn’t sleep at all and I drove to the airport the next day. I had booked a very nice boutique resort in Siem Reap which did all my requests for her birthday trip.

happy honeymoon

They wrote “Happy Honeymoon” on the bed and had a bottle of champagne chilled in an ice bucket waiting in the room.

campagne

I also arranged for a Cambodian birthday cake to be presented to her. I got this in advance since it was her birthday the *very day* we flew. We arrived in the morning so we had a day of going around Siem Reap (will post more on our trip soon) and I had to pay for the birthday cake without her knowledge, pretending to go out or forgetting stuff in the room while I was actually talking to reception about when to reveal the surprise.

The birthday cake was presented to her by the poolside (she was puzzled as to why I wanted to hang out there and was annoyed by the mosquitoes). The staff came out and sang “Happy Birthday” and a bunch of French guests there wished her a happy birthday too!

cambodian birthday cake

It was a 3D/2N trip, I told her to bring her passport and I’ll handle everything, from flights to currency, it’s her present so just bring herself! I gave her some USD so she can get back to the resort in case of emergencies though. I’ll write more on the trip later, the last surprise was close to midnight of her actual birthday when I gave her the Pandora charm that I had secretly packed to complete the dual charm collection.

It’s “I LOVE YOU” with a heart made of pure gold which I had hidden all the way from KL. <3 Birthday #2

checkers

This just happened last weekend! Ling and the two little ones came over to my place coz it’s closer to town before getting ready. We had a sit-down birthday dinner at Checkers. It was Florence’s idea – cheers for making it two weeks later so I could do the birthday vacation surprise! 🙂

cakes

The food was pretty alright – they had a decent cheese and bread selection…

hors d oeuvres

…and they had some nicely plated hors d’oeuvres.

lamb

But I thought the best part was the mutton / beef / chicken satay station and the fresh oysters.

tiramisu

The little one took this so it’s a bit blurry:

birthday photo 2013

Happy birthday dear, I hope this was a memorable one for you. I love you always. *hugs*

We’re heading to Cambodia!

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birthday cake

It’s my beloved birthday today and after spending the day with her, we’re now packing for a trip to Cambodia! It’s part of her birthday present – I also surprised her with a *gigantic macaroon* at 12 am just now. 🙂

charms bracelet

I also presented her with something that I noticed her looking at a couple of weeks back (she didn’t know I would get it for her) and I still have a couple of things up my sleeve. On another note, I wanted to post about the kangaroo meat roast, and had indeed written most of it, but the girlfriend tells me we have to leave for the airport soon NOW so this will be a quick one from me.

yee ling birthday

I’m glad that she had a wonderful birthday and I’m glad that I helped to make it happen. I love you Yee Ling! As I said in the card with the flowers – Here’s to new beginnings and a chance at happiness! Happy birthday dear! <3 P/S – Next update will be from Cambodia, we’re off for her birthday trip! 🙂

I’m 32 today!

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birthday present
Best birthday present ever!

It appears that I was born on this very date, 32 years ago. 1981 to be exact. I’m not big on birthdays coz I’ve never really had positive experiences with them. However, certain things have changed. I’m totally clean now (except for the cancer sticks) and I’m in a very happy relationship.

ling hb
Photo taken by the big one

That’s the best thing that happened to me. You’re the best thing that happened to me. 🙂

dinner

I just came back from dinner at McDonald’s (it’s the place we had our first date – the Kota Damansara branch) but I didn’t have the food there. I ordered an iced caramel latte from McCafe and the little ones had sundaes and chicken nuggets.

roasted chicken dinner

I ate a very nice home-cooked dinner made by my girlfriend instead. It’s roasted chicken (there are 2 drums and a thigh inside) with potato salad and rice, all packed into a large Tupperware the size of a large pizza.

huge dinner

I’m not kidding, it’s huge!

I’m surprised no one told me that I shouldn’t be eating outside food. Haha!

cupcakes

I know you spent a long time in the kitchen making this and I’m thankful for the food and the chocolate chip cupcakes.

They’re delicious! I appreciate the effort you put into making all this. <3 eating birthday dinner

I also like hanging with the kids, it makes me happy to see them happy and I like talking to the big one and taking care of the little one. I brought a round of Ramune (the Japanese drink with the glass ball) coz no one seems to have heard of it before and I wanted everyone to try it.

glenfiddich 125 anniversary edition

She also got me a Glenfiddich 125 Year Anniversary Edition box for my birthday. I was looking at it on the trip back from Melbourne but didn’t want to get it coz I still have a lot of single malt whisky.

birthday gift

…but while I was in the toilet, she *ran* back to the duty free shop in Tullamarine and bought the damn thing! She said it’s coz I wanted it and also coz the “25” in 125 years is our anniversary date. I thought that was really sweet of her.

present

I’ll be off tomorrow for a surprise weekend birthday trip that Ling has arranged. I don’t know exactly where we’re going but I’ll update after my birthday trip. 🙂

Thanks for everything dear!

32 birthday

I don’t think I can be with anyone else but you. You’re everything that I’ve been looking for, someone who loves me for who I am, who accepts that the past is the past and who can tolerate this emu cassowary. I always say I’m lucky to have you and I always mean it. I love you Yee Ling! *hugs*

P/S – Cheers for all the birthday wishes, everyone! 😀

Food swap!

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ling hb

I have to admit, I have been lacking in my updating duties lately, primarily coz I’m in love and I’m spending a lot of time with Ling. I often come home exhausted but happy. That’s what it’s all about ain’t it? 🙂

The good life…

Anyway, today I’m going to write about our food swap. It wasn’t intended as that per se, I just turned up with McDonald’s take away (she wanted a Spicy Chicken McDeluxe) for two but she had already cooked for me so I swapped with her instead.

curry chicken
Curry chicken with potatoes!

I felt bad coz she gave me all the good bits of the chicken. I’m particular that way. I only eat dark meat (thighs, drumsticks) but I don’t think I told her that. I don’t remember telling her that anyway but that’s what she packed for me.

It was piping hot, very good stuff.

mussels peanuts

Ling also had some pork rib soup going with mussels, peanuts and gourd. I was telling her about the gourd after I ate it. I asked her if you’re supposed to peel the (rather furry and rough) skin. She said no, it’s supposed to go in like that.

pork rib soup

Well, I was wondering out loud why someone would eat that skin, considering the less-than-palatable texture, and she said you’re not supposed to eat it. It’s meant to be peeled before eating. You’re not supposed to eat the seeds either (which were kinda sour).

bones

I ate everything and left only bones.

I then washed all the containers and put my favorite candy into each one of them so she’ll find it when she opened it up. I also managed to stuff a can of Milo inside one (so she’ll have something to drink when she gets gastric). It took me quite a while to get everything into the various shaped Tupperware and tiffin carriers.

happy ending

Baby, I forgot to tell you this but your t-shirt that day sounds a bit wrong. smirk

I do want that for us though. 🙂 Not the alternate version, the literal meaning.

How does she know who I am?

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…and why does she give a damn about me?

ling

I was out with Ling for the whole day and the reason she has a name now is coz the topic came out while eating pan mee after running through the heavy rain, of all things. She asked me to call her (beep) Ling in the blog. That’s not exactly her real name but sounds like her real name.

I said cannot.

I already have a friend with that name.

Coincidentally, there are a lot of people who’re called Ling (the “Ling” part is her real name BTW, the *beep* bit is not) so thus, the anonymous person now has a name. smirk

books

Anyway, we were at a book store earlier that day. We went to Paradigm Mall and looked at kids workbooks and board games till we lost track of time.

Oh, and stickers!

stickers

She stuck one in my car too. I thought she’s damn cute coz she was looking at these fluid filled stickers and was so entranced by them. 🙂

Ling told me about this Adrian Mole type book by a local writer with illustrations and while walking past the travel section I noticed she was flipping through a Singaporean book but when I wanted to buy it for her she said she didn’t want it coz it’s expensive.

I thought girls like this were extinct dy. *touched*

tong pak fu

She had an appointment for a massage and aromatherapy session so we had this dessert at Tong Pak Fu.

tracka durian snow ice
Tracka Durian Snow Ice (RM 14.80)

It’s quite good and supposedly made from Tracka durian. I was sulking throughout dessert though. Haha! Sorry baby.

I sent her and a friend to a massage and aromatherapy session and immediately came back to buy the book she liked. I asked for it to be gift wrapped but Popular does not provide that service.

However, I managed to sweet talk convince the girl working there to wrap it for me. She said it’ll not be nice but she’s willing to help, which was very nice of her.

popular girl

I had already decided to buy it for her when I saw her reading it but wanted it to be a surprise so I slipped it into the bag of purchases and didn’t tell her about it.

I wanted her to find it when she opened the bag. I love you dear.

contact

Listen to Iron Maiden baby with me.

I’m lucky to have you. 🙂

The Star, free chicken and my FMIL

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star interview

I was interviewed in The Star on Monday. It’s in News on page S10 in the Sarawak Edition done by Calvin Yeo. You can also view the entire interview in the link. Cheers mate! 🙂

Anyway, some updates about today:

Free chicken!!!

free chicken

We just got back from grocery shopping at TCM. She wanted to eat the oyster mee sua at Shihlin. I ordered two bowls and two bottles of mineral water. The person asked if I ordered chicken. I didn’t and told him so.

Nevertheless, he asked me *again* while we were eating and finally put two pieces of takeaway chicken on my table. I was rather puzzled by this since I already have home cooked food from her but well, since they were so insisting… 😉

My FMIL

It sounds remarkably like something rude but the acronym stands for “future mother-in-law”. I hadn’t dared hope to use that moniker but since she called it, I’m happy. 🙂

tiffin dinner

The soup is from the FMIL. The rice with home made fish cake in the tiffin is done by her and she also baked her trademark lemon cupcakes (hesitate to call them muffins coz a muffin means something entirely different to me smirk).

I jokingly told her that the previous rice box she packed me had a kid-sized portion of rice and she gave me a lot this time. Haha.

I love the lemony cupcakes dear! There’s no spoon this time around though. T_T

Neither do I condemn you: Go, and sin no more

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weekend

I just had a great weekend with her! 😀

room

It’s like a mini vacation of sorts where we mostly chilled in the room.

thai green curry

I think the only thing we ate was this Thai Green Curry Chicken with Rice Vermicelli that you dip into the creamy curry.

mango sticky rice

…and mango with sticky rice. The mango was unripe and has practically no taste at all though.

gloria jean beef lasagne

I did eat again later last night though – noticed I was getting really tired with low blood sugar so walked out and went to the closest place to get something to eat. Beef lasagna of all things. She doesn’t eat beef so I reckon I’ll eat as much of it when I’m alone. smirk

She did leave some the clothes she was wearing yesterday though.

clothes

I noticed that only one side has been slept on. Haha! That was where we were and when she left I slept on that side too. You smell nice. 🙂

Spoon included

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spoon

There is no a spoon! smirk

This is a pleasant surprise, albeit a rather funny one. I couldn’t stop laughing when I saw the spoon.

She actually packed a home-cooked dinner for me – complete with prawns, beans, and a fried egg at the bottom of the rice. It’s very nicely done, packaged and delivered.

I opened the paper bag and saw the Tupperware containing the dinner.

…with a spoon.

Me: You even packed a spoon!
Her: Haha! Used to it dy.

I do have spoons at home, contrary to popular belief. I do appreciate the effort though and seeing the spoon made me laugh.

homecooked rice box

I love you dear. <3

You can have your cupcake and eat it too

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cupcakes

Waiting is something I’m traditionally very, very bad at.

I think most Aries do not wait. It’s just not in our dictionary.

(we leave that for the other star signs)

I could eat the batter of the cupcake. However, won’t it be nice to wait until the cupcake is done?

I have run out of analogies. Honestly, today has been one of the most emotionally draining experiences I’ve had.

Emotional highs and lows – it’s like the roller-coaster ride from hell.

It’s the constant “What if” game:

What if I didn’t see you today?
What if I have behaved differently?
What if I made you less nervous?

Well, you get my point – Would things be different?

There’s honestly no answer to that. Time only flows in one direction (unless massive breakthroughs are made in fringe physics) so a better question to ask would be:

Am I happy with this?

It’s a bitter-sweet answer. I keep thinking of The Longest Line (it’s a NOFX song) where the lyrics go “I think of Chinese food when I think of life. It’s sweet and sour.”

I’m happy and sad at the same time.

However, if that’s what I’m feeling, I can’t imagine how you must feel.

You must be feeling a million times worse.

I know it can’t be easy.

I really hope I can be there for you. I really hope that I can earn your trust. I hope for a million things but above all I hope that you’ll give me a chance.

I’m sitting here eating your cupcakes and I couldn’t bear to eat the last one, not knowing when I’ll see you next. They’re delicious (no chocolate chip “surprises” inside smirk).

love

I have three cupcakes. They’re all packed nicely into a 3-cupcake box and I didn’t even throw away the paper on the two that I’ve eaten, knowing that you put so much effort into making them, and knowing that it’s handmade by you.

I *do* think you’re worth the wait.

We’ll do it right. 🙂

Listening to: Alanis Morissette – Head Over Feet

My girlfriend just broke up with me…

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rainie breakup

Rainie has broken up with me. I really have given it my all. Maybe I could have done more. I don’t know if it even matters. She has now moved back with her ex-boyfriend. I will neither assign blame nor vilify her.

It hurts like hell. I feel an emptiness and I have to keep myself from calling her and begging her to come back.

I usually fail.

I really, really loved her and I did a lot of things and accepted a lot of things about her which I usually won’t.

It’s no one’s fault.

I don’t even know how to begin to write this but for myself, I need to.

She’s a really great person and I really loved her. I still do.

I have trust issues which I felt was very justified. I will not vilify her, she’s a great person that maybe I could have saved but I wasn’t strong enough.

I’m glad things moved this fast though. I never regretted a moment we had together. However, it really hurts to be treated like this.

She left me while I was in Phuket. We had an argument over my trust issues and she packed her bags and went back to her ex-boyfriend (which would make that her current boyfriend again) instead of waiting until I got back as we agreed. I now know things that I didn’t.

I have forgiven her for things which goes against my very principles. She was one the only 3 people I’ve ever loved like this.

I won’t go into details because it’s her life. I will not assign blame, if there’s anyone to blame, let it be me.

I just wished she could have told me instead running off when I was in Phuket. I wish she hadn’t taken the easy way out. I would have understood.

Worst of all, I know that if she comes back I know I’ll still love her and forgive her.

Perhaps people with the dark triad of personalities is destined to only get the girls during that crucial period before their ovulation.

Never to be together with someone, only to be a temporary fling as you seem more attractive during that time, forever, and ever, and ever.

…and that is a very dark thought.

It’s so disheartening that once I stopped being a player and started to be a nice guy, the ladder theory proves true. It’s so easy to get girls when you’re being a player but when you’re being serious in the relationship, the tables are turned and you get played.

However, I won’t go back to being what I was. I want to be a nice guy and I want my partner to love me because I love her, not because I’m a manipulative player.

No one can take that from me. I know I’m ready for a serious relationship and I have really tried and I’ve given it my all.

I saw a cute little girl while out tapao-ing food I won’t eat just now. She’s adorable and I looked at her parents and it made me think that maybe nice guys won’t always finish last.

In a fit of Zen, I have looked at it another way. It could be that the dark triad of personalities tend to attract some type of girls but I don’t think that your personality is set. I wasn’t a player before and I stopped being a player now, ergo, I have discarded the attributes that used to fit the dark triad of personalities.

There is someone out there waiting for me. Someone I will love and cherish and who will reciprocate. Someone who will not lie to me and whom I will not lie to.

A relationship built on trust.

That is what keeps me going during this difficult period.

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