Honeymoon Trip

Mich~
It was a whirlwind trip to Japan (at least we felt the time we spent there was simply too short), and in a twinkling of the eye, we are back in SG..time flies, especially when u are having fun.
We embarked on a 7 day trip to various parts of Japan, and visited a mix of cities and village-like places. Indeed, Japan amazes us, for its cleanliness and warm people. Within a span of 6-7 days, we marvelled at the vast land areas, and its scenic environment. It was winter time when we reached, so most of times, you would see us being covered with layers and layers of thick clothing.

Day 1

We departed Singapore in the wee hours of the morning, flying towards Osaka, taking about 6 hours to reach our destination. Our first stop upon arrival was to visit the Osaka castle, which was left by the samurai in the earlier days. The castle was huge and while we were taking a tour of the place, we could sense its grandeur and magnificence. The people in the olden days must be pretty smart to be able to construct such a castle. After lunch, we proceeded to our next stop, which excited me very much!! What was it? Shopping...of course. We reached the Shinsaibashi shopping street, which is a long shopping street lined with boutiques and shops. With their colourful flashy signboards and lightings, one would be attracted to walk into the shops. I especially enjoyed the leisurely walk along the streets, keeping my eyes wide open for nice shops which attracted me. It also struck me that the Japanese gals make the effort to dress up, and I felt so under-dressed there. Alas, we did not have sufficient time to tour the whole place in detail, but I supposed it was enough for me to soak into their creativity and culture.


Osaka castle......

Shinsaibashi shopping street....

With aching legs and tired bodies, we headed back to the hotel, before we were given time to explore the night life in Osaka at dinnertime.

Dinner was on our own, and we took a stroll to a bustling street near our hotel in search of food. The shops would close around 8-9pm, thus we had to take a very quick tour of the restaurants before deciding what we wanted to eat. In the end, we settled for Yoshinoya, and which was one of the more economical restaurants around...

6 Jan Wedding

Tom~

6 Jan 2007 (Saturday) was a wonderful and memorable day for me and michelle. Lots of friends, ex-colleagues, relatives and loved ones came and support us, as we pledge our love and sworn to take care of each other and live our life together.

I never imagined that this day would come true, it was like a dream for me throughout the whole day. I suppose every couple would feel the same way as mich & I do on that special day.

I was glad that the events of that day went on without much hiccups. For the daytime, it was the usual gate crashing, photo-taking, tea-serving session & mingling with relatives.

For me, the real climax and wonderful moment would be the dinner hosted. It was a romantic wedding that michelle and myself had always yearned. Once we stepped into our bridal suite and the ballroom, we were welcomed by warm lighting and splendid decor. I could sense that Michelle felt happy, with smiles on her face, as she was wearing the wedding gown and pink evening gown. Oh my! She was in a charming princess style throughout the evening. For me, I was decked in a black and a white suit throughout the dinner.

This was one of the photos we managed to take before the dinner commenced.

I was having a wild time of my life, going around the tables, friends toasting me with red wine, hard liquor and beer....i was the only one there to defend them (I do not know where my brothers were.....hmmn, how unrighteous they were!!). At that moment, i felt like a warrior fighting a battle. After completing the table photoshoots, i still managed to change into my white suit to send the guests off. But I suppose I was getting tipsy by then, as I started talking incoherently. Finally, i was drunk by the time i returned to the hotel room and my poor wife took the task of taking care of me.....gosh......not to mention being there for me while I behaved like a "merlion".

The next morning, there was american breakfast being served in our room, what a good way to pamper ourselves!! I think both of us felt like we were in heaven............

I would update this blog with more photos once it is ready...till then and off we are to Japan...kawaii....!! :)

Back to work....

Mich~

Back to work today....after the 4-day long break. Today was like a mad rush in my workstation, with discussions, troubleshooting going on...I had to clear my work and hand over some tasks to my colleagues while I am away for 3 weeks....yah, 3 weeks man!

In the midst of the hectic work, I received some pleasant surprises from my colleagues. Some of them came up to me, showering their blessings and wishes, and it was like the sunshine after the rain which brightened me up. What a difference people would make in your life!

At that moment, it made me realise that no matter how disheartening your work could be at times, it was the people around you that would make you move on and put in your heart when doing work. I guess it were these little acts of kindness that could move u on...in ur work.......