So it's been approx. two weeks sinceI got back from Cuba. I'm a married woman now, under the eyes of Castro. Cuba was truly breathtaking. It was so beautiful and the weather was really nice. It was very hot, but very nice for the wedding. So here is a run down of what we did. If you want more info just ask! Pictures will be coming up shortly.

 

We woke up (some of us didn't even sleep) around 2:30am and got ready to go to the airport. Our flight was leaving Toronto @ 6:30am and we had to be there 3 hours early. Not very fun. I think most of us just slept on our way there. We met with our travel agency's rep and he escorted us to the shuttle bus to our resort. Slept most of the way there too. We were greeted with huge smiles and amazing hospitality. After settling into our rooms, some of met at the main buffet restaurant for lunch. We were famished! Everyone mostly took a tour of the resort to see what they had to offer. I hung out with my girls at the pool (bar) the rest of the day.

 

Eric got sick for a couple of days. I think it was because of all the food that he ate. Today, the girls and I headed to the beach. The water is beautiful. So clear and so green in colour. It was so nice. I only went to the beach once b/c I don't really like the salt water.  I prefer the swimming pool. After, we took some salsa dancing lessons. I think our teacher thinks we suck! Didn't do much besides lay by the water and sun tan. For dinner, Drew and I got invited to a special dinner with some other couples. A trio of musicians just went around the room playing music for us while we enjoyed our dinner. It was so romantic.

 

To be honest, I don't really remember what we did today. Maybe when we get the pictures back from the photographer, I'll remember... I'm sure I was by the pool suntanning. That's what I did pretty much the whole time in Cuba! Oh wait, in the afternoon, I went to the newly opened Spa and got a french mani & pedi. They look so pretty. Drew's sister Sarah and her husband arrived at the resort today from England. We all went to some Creole Restaurant in the evening for dinner. It was ok, it was really hot in there and I was not in a particularily good mood because of it.

 

W-Day today! Last night, had some butterflies in my stomach, but I was ok this morning. So I just relaxed in the morning, b/c I didn't want to do a lot. After a light lunch, I got my hair and make up done at the Salon & Spa. Jamie, our photographer took pictures of me getting ready. It was weird b/c the camera was just there! He even took pictures of my nicely painted fingernails and toenails!

 

Getting ready with the girls was fun, although a couple of them were under the weather. The only bad thing was that my sister Christina, who is also the maid of honour was really sick. She got ready for the wedding, but just could hardly stand, neverthelss stay for the whole ceremony. I felt horrible for her because she seemed like she was in so much pain. I knew that she was upset and felt terrible for not being able to help me with the wedding dress and standing up with me at the ceremony. After walking down the aisle, my very good friend Tiffany had to take her back to her room and watched over her. She was not feeing well either. So my other very good friend Benita took over Christina's role as the temporary maid of honour. I'm so glad that I had all of them there with me under the circumstances.

 

So for the actual ceremony, we got married at the wedding gazebo which overlooked the ocean. I entered the garden area in a horse drawn carriage. And of course, there was enough room for me and my girls! When I saw Drew, he just looked so handsome. I'm glad that he wasn't wearing a suit or tuxedo, it was really hot! The ceremony was given by the JOP and it was in Spanish. We had someone there to translate to us though, so it wasn't too bad. After the ceremony, we took pictures all around the resort, mostly at the gazebo and the spa. A lot of people stopped us and congratulated us because they saw us wearing our bridal attire. Then we had our dinner reception at El Patio. It had a romantic atmosphere and it was awesome being there with friends to celebrate with. When we received our cake, the musician sareneded us with a song. After the reception, we went back to our room to change to go to the show, and to our surpirse, the bed was all made up. There were rose petals on the bed and they had drawn up a bath with more rose petals. And there was soft romantic music playing in the background.....The whole day was definitely something to remember!

 

In the morning, we had breakfast in our suite. It was basically the food from the buffet restaurant, but someone had delivered it to us! We got more champagne, again. After breakfast, Drew and I went to Guardalavaca to the local flea market by horse drawn carriage. I got a couple of necklaces but that's about it. Playa Guardalavaca (beach) was packed with locals and the water there was clear too! Everywehre in the resort, people were congratulating us for our nuptials. Everyone knew who we were. I mean, our party were the only ones with Asians! So we definitely stood out! For dinner, we went to El Patio again for a romantic dinner for just the two of us. There was a small wedding party being held there too so we went up to the couple and said congrats to them too. Following dinner, we watched the show. And when we got up to go back to our suite, Drew was not feeling well. He was having an allergic reaction to something and he couldn't breathe well. It friggin' scared me and I didn't know what to do. I had his Epi Pen, but he said he didn't need it. So I spent most of the night watching over him making sure that he was breathing ok while sleeping. It was scary. 

 

Today Drew and I spent practically the whole day in Holguin. We went on a Inside Cuba tour via bus and train. We finally got to see some life outside of the resort. I am truly thankful for everything that I have in Canada. The houses and the towns there are so poor. But everyone seems to always be in a good mood. There was quite a few panhandlers, but it was expected. We did the whole touristy thing during the day. We got back to our resort and changed and met up with another couple and went back to Holguin for the evening. Drew and his friend, Kevin befriended the AV guy for the nightly shows who also is the DJ at the Congo Fun Pub and he took us out for a night out of town! He took us back to his house to meet his family and then he took us downtown Holguin for some real food! It was truly amazing to eat real authentic cuban food with other locals. After our delicious dinner, we went to a local bar. We weren't supposed to be there b/c we were tourists, but they actually welcomed us. It was fun, but we had to call it a night.

 

We went back to Guardalavaca to pick up some more souvenirs from the flea market. When we were there, we bumped into one of the dancers from the show. He actually recognized us and we started talking and hanging out. He told us that next time we come, that he'll take us out into town! All the people that we have met are so nice. They are so friendly and hospitable. Today, we just relaxed again by the pool. By this time, everyone who was sick, was pretty much ok. Today, I actually felt a difference in the weather all due to Hurrican Ernesto. It was a lot more windy and cool. I guess it was nice b/c it's been so hot the rest of the week. But at the same time, I'm glad we were going home the following day.

 

Erics's 10 birthday! Happy Birthday! We woke up early so that we could catch the shuttle bus back to the airport. It was time to leave Cuba. When we got to the lobby, some of the staff drove up to us in their golf-like carts and rushed to say goodbye to Drew and I. We had a lot of random people say congrats to us throughout our stay at the resort. I didn't even recognize half of them. It was so sad to leave the place. But at the same time, we were all glad to be back home. I'm glad to have left when we did, b/c Hurrican Ernesto hit Cuba the next day. I hope the Cubans are ok. We told everyone there that we would be back to visit. And that is a promise that we are both going to keep....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So I actually got a kitten! I never knew that I would ever get one, but Drew surprised me the other day! It's actually a stray kitten whose mother and other siblings did not survive and Drew found it by itself in one of his houses. We decided to name her "Princess" b/c she's such a cutie and gets so much attention! I only have a few pics now, but I'll try to get some more!

So Praise Night at my church was a huge success! I don't want to go into so much details, but it was truly amazing and truly a work of God. I know that the worship team was nervous, they kept coming up to me before and I tried to comfort them. Of course I sat in the front row and I made sure that they knew I was right there encouraging them on. I felt like I was a kindergarten teacher watching their kids perform in a concert. All in all, it was a great night. We packed the whole basement and I saw many old friends. It was awesome! If anyone has any other Praise Night pics, please forward them to me and I will post them on my blog!

So, last night at fellowship, it was my turn to lead my group. I had something planned but unfortuanately it got postponed until a later date. It's too bad b/c I kinda wanted to share this topic with my group. Throughout life, you meet so many people. Some of them you'll never see again, and some will leave a lasting mark. Now that everyone is graduated or almost there, we seem to be all too busy to get together and hang out. I remember the times when that's all we did, we were inseparable. But as time goes on, some move away, some meet new boyfriend/girlfriends, some have fights and find new friends, some go on to college or university etc. And things are just not the same as it were before. Sometimes I miss that, but I know I cannot go back in time. So, I just concentrate on the present and the friends that I have now. It's hard, b/c sometimes I'll want to go out, but nobody else is free b/c they are too busy with their boyfriend, or they have to study for exams and make up some stupid excuse.

 

I wonder how my life is going to turn out, since I'm taking the next step, which most of my friends haven't been to yet. I know some things will change, but I know that one thing is constant... Jesus, you are my best friend. It totally sounds like a Sunday School Lesson, but at the same time, it is so true. Being a part of the Praise Night has given me a sense of belonging and has given me some friends whom I adore. I've lost touch with a lot of my other friends b/c of the choices and the lives that they lead, but I know that I can always count on HIM. I've noticed that even though I've lost some friends, all of my close friends from church are still there for me. And I love you guys so much for that. You know who you guys are. I guess I could say that my walk with God has been a little stronger now that I'm back home with my family and going to fellowship and part of the Praise Night that my church is having. It's hard to explain what I'm trying to say... b/c I don't even know! But I guess what I'm trying to say is that sometimes I do get lonely but all I need is You, Lord. Ever since I got the CD for Praise Night, I've been listening to it nonstop, so sorry if I quote some songs!

I finally have a pic of my engagement ring. It's not an acutal photo that I took, it's actually from the Birks Website. This is the closest replica of the ring that I have. Also, here is a pair of Diamond & Saphire earrings that Drew wants to get for me from Birks. It matches my engagement ring. Call me and I'll show you the real thing. Check it out...

I have some extra material from my wedding dress and I am planning, well really hoping to make a purse out of it. I even have removable straps for my gown that I hope to use as straps for my purse. The only thing is that I do not know anyone who can make purses. So, if you or someone you know can make really nice purses, please let me know! Right now I am thinking of shipping the material to my sister in HK to get it made there. Any other suggestions? Perhaps, something more local and inexpensive? I have some pics of some potential purses that I like. Check it out.

Guess what?! Over my long weekend, I bought a house! Well, not exactly, well yea kinda. Ok, I bought Drew's house. I took the day off on Friday b/c we needed to meet with the lawyer and sign some papers. And that was the real reason why I took Friday off. It definitely was not because it was St Patty's Day... although it didn't hurt! However, I spent St Patty's Day in the Hammer (hamilton) and it sucked. Well not really suck, but they start celebrating late over there. I remember at Western (london), St Patty's Day started early, around noon! And there would be line ups at The Spoke and Molly's at 2 or 3 in the afternoon! Good Times. Any reason to drink right! So of course, I pretended to be Irish for the day. So yea, I bought a house. As of last Friday, the house is mine! I'm taking over! Hehehe! I guess that means I'll be living in the Hammer after I get married...

So I just added some more pics. I think I am up to date now. Sorry, but they are not in any particular order. If you have any pics, please send them to me. I like to show off all my friends, if you couldn't tell already!

Honestly, who has time to have blogs? I started this blog b/c I thought everyone would like to know what was going on with the wedding and all. I tried to add some other stuff like pics and other blog entries, but seriously, I just don't have time! I work M-F 9-5 and need time for my family, fiance, friends and myself. And it just doesn't seem like I have any time to do anything, nevertheless blog every single day. I am just ranting so I'll stop now. But geesh, man, you guys don't have lives or anything? No offense.

So, I think it's starting to get to me now. In exactly 6 months I will be a married woman... on the nice white sandy beach nonetheless. OMG, time is flying by so quickly. I have so much to do still. And before I know it, I will already be married! Hahaha! Well let's see, last nite Drew and I went to talk to the owner at our fave Italian restaurant and it looks like we might be booking this place to have our reception when we get back. Ok, so if this is all set, I will start with the invitations and get them out soon. Then, work on the centrepieces & bombonnieres (how do you spell that?) I have a few ideas, just don't know which to do and how much I am willing to spend. If you have time, call me and ask me what ideas I have and tell me what you think. And please let me know if you want to help with anything. TACB, I will try to email you guys the pics. So, I'll keep this short... CIAO!

So, this is all TACB's fault, but mostly Benita. She mentioned to me that I should have a wedding blog. So after thinking about it, I decided to start a Blog. Right now, just a wedding blog and other useless crap. So please bear with me as this will probably not be up to date with what's going on in my life. There's no time... there's never any time... no time to study.... hahahaha! You suck if you don't get that. As for right now, I'm going to sleep now so I'll have to learn how to do this blog crap another day.

 

Ciao!