Happy Surprised Birthday to Ray!

After spending 2 days thinking about where to go for dinner on Ray's birthday, I decided on a fine dining restaurant that overlooks Coal Harbour. I thought, this is supposed to be good...good reviews, great ambiance. So I made the reservation 2 days in advance and even confirmed the time before we left. I only gave Ray the direction to the restaurant, I didn't want to tell him the name because I want to give him a surprise and wow him. So there we were, drove all the way to Denman street and paid $8 for parking, walked over to the restaurant. Then I realized something was wrong...how come the name is different...errrr...didn't seem right to me...the address was right though. But I went ahead and walked into the restaurant and was greeted by some Japanese. "Is this Bravo Bistro?" They looked at me and said, "this used to be Bravo Bistro, but they closed down half year ago" I couldn't believe what I heard, I was 100% sure that I made the reservation, how could this happen? 2 possibilities: 1. I made the call while I was dream walking. 2. I was on crack.

After a few urgent phone calls to friends, I got the restaurant's contact and found out that it's not Bravo, it's a Moroccan Restaurant located in gastown. Nice! BIG surprise for Ray and I did WOW him. Thanks to Entertainment Book!

Caitlyn is Walking!

After 15 months, Caitlyn finally has the courage to take her hands off the furniture. She's now able to walk freely around the house. Watching her walk back and forth transporting her toys is amazing...I would be satisfied just standing there all day and look at her.

I Overheard...

A husband and his wife were happily shopping at the mall. I overheard the following conversation:

Hubby: You look chubby in that outfit!
wife: ignoring his comments
hubby: (after 3 mins) you walk like an old woman in those heels.
wife: ignoring still....
hubby: you have so many fine lines, you should work on your facial mask
wife: no comment...
hubby: you have no fashion taste, your clothes don't look nice.
wife: .........

After dinner:

hubby: you're not allowed to have the whole mini ice-skin mooncake! you eat too much, you're too overweighed. You always have big lunches...you eat more than I do....blah blah
wife: exploded!! finally...

Another Farewell

Holey! more people are leaving the bank. There seems to be staffing announcement every 2 weeks. This time it's Phuong's turn! Congrats! Your dream came true! Wish you best of luck in your new job.

I Thought of My Old Colleagues

As I walked into Blackboard the other day to meet with Ray, I could see the walls are up. The old WebCT no longer exists. Although I don't work there, I can totally understand how Ray feels. This made me thought of my happy old days at the branch with my best colleagues. I thought of Kathryn, my good mentor and partner, who passed away not long ago. I thought of Vince everytime I pass by reception. I thought of Suzy who always tells funny jokes. There's a Chinese saying "桃花依旧,人面全非" Everything remains the same, except the people. I had a strong indescribable feeling, especially in the first 2 weeks of going back to work. I was very depressed. But reality tells me I have to look forward and do my very best. There's still a long path ahead of me. Looking back and thinking about the past is not going to get me anywhere.

Caitlyn's First Step

After almost 14 months, Caitlyn can finally make her first independent steps. She has recently learned to stand up from a squatting position. Today, while I was playing with her, she stood up and started clapping her hands as usual. I reached out my hands and surprisingly, she took 3 steps and fell into my arms. It's an amazing experience to see how she develops and learns new skills.

Happy 2nd Anniversary

Time flies. It's our 2nd wedding anniversary today. I thought Ray would come up with some innovative ideas to celebrate this day, but unfortunately, he didn't!!
What happens to my rewards for working so hard in the past year? I'm a little disappointed. The good thing is, he still remembers what happened exactly 2 years ago...or maybe he doesn't. I guess men don't bother to remember or plan for surprises after they get married.

We ended up going to our favourite Greek restaurant, a place where we have lots of memories. Nothing fancy, no pricy food, just a place for us to enjoy our meals and have some quiet moments. Although I didn't get a BIG surprise, I did enjoy our time together.