Koo Hei Fat Choi!

We'll soon be ringing in the Year of the Ox. New Year starts out fresh. Hadi and I, now Mr and Mrs Koo, are giving out red packets for the very first time in this upcoming Chinese New Year!

This BIG day used to provide me a significant chunk of my annual revenue, haha! Unfortunately it will only be expenses but not income any more which is one downside being married. O, but we're belt-tightening after the two weddings. Can we come up with some innovative things instead of cash? How about a coupon for a free dinner at the Koo house? Or may be a slip of greeting notes. Promise to be as fun n' surprising as fortune cookies.




Well, just kidding. Indeed, we're excited to hand out red packets to the youngers. We're gearing up. Got brand new dollar bills from the bank already. And looking for the nicest envelopes for our first Lai See. Actually there aren't many recipients. Hadi's only niece. I have a few cousins that count on one hand. Isn't a problem. Just that from now on, don't expect us to show up in Hong Kong during the Chinese New Year. Cause we'll be broke... :P

Since the new year falls on a Monday, I'm going to take the day off n' stay in bay area with the Koo family. Hadi's parents arrived on the same day of Obama inauguration but was just coincidence. They will stay a few months with us. I guess parents now become our only source of Lai See. Sigh....





This festive weekend, we'll visit friends n' family. Go "Yum Cha". Cook lots traditional celebratory dishes at home together. Probably make Shanghai wonton n' may be spring rolls which resemble gold bars. O, yeah, gold bars! Feasting with family makes the lunar spirit warm and merry.

Kung Hei Fat Choi! We're always looking forward to the new year with eager anticipation. Wishing everyone boundless cheer and prosperity in the year of the Golden Ox!

Celebrating 11th Anniversary

118 is not only my birthday but is also my anniversary with Hadi. November n' January are both the months that mean to my life. This coming Saturday will be our 11th anniversary. Yes, we've been together for eleven years now. It's really a day to celebrate. I'm thankful to the love from my husband.

My best friend Sandy gave a speech at our Hong Kong Disney wedding. She probably wanted to go with the theme of Disney. She introduced us the prince and princess of the fairy tale. My heart disagreed with her at the moment. I didn't protest that night. But it's kept in me. And I feel like I have to clarify somewhere sometimes to express my thoughts.




I never thought of myself the one in a fairy tale. We had our wedding in Disney simply because I am a fan of it. It has been giving me very nice feeling since my first visit there where I felt warmth n' bliss. Neither I am a princess nor Hadi's a prince. That's too flattering. Indeed, our story hasn't been easy. We were always apart. And we're still apart even after marriage. We have had lots difficulties in the past eleven years. Luckily they were usually things other than the love between us. I had a very difficult time when I just started my career alone in LA. Hadi n' I always have problems about our status in the country. We're always not sure if we'll get a visa. Don't know if we'll find a sponsor. We question about our root n' not know where we can stay stably n' permanently.

I love the recent Disney commercial "What will you celebrate". Hadi n' I had dealed with hard times together. But it is these obstacles that make us value each other more n' stay together stronger. I always feel blessed. My parents are divorced n' I basically grew up in a single parent family. But I'm thankful that I have a great mom. And get lots of love from my family n' friends. My story is made up of lots happiness n' unhappiness. But I'll define my life a happy one cause I see more laughters than tears when I look back.

I don't know who will visit my blog n' read my words. I keep writing on our wedding blog even after getting married because I am telling myself my own story. Like a record or memoir when my memory won't be good one day. Then I'll still be able to see how I was once feeling n' thinking. I wish to read it after many other 11th anniversary. OOOooo, thanks for reading. Having you come across my words today, good enough to celebrate cause I have you listen n' share with me. BIG hug there! So...what will you celebrate today?

Frozen in Boston

A few days before we set off to Boston for our new year vacation, a winter storm there almost made me change my mind to go to Hawaii instead. Surprisingly, it turned out a fun trip. Just a "little" chilly...



It was like below zero everyday. Snow everywhere. The sun came out but didn't warm us up. We had to wrap all over ourselves except the eyes. Water left in our rental car over the night turned into ice in the next day morning. Clothes pulled from the luggage was like just fresh from the freezer. We were the little shivering things in the big freezer. We talked with steam which went through the scarf that covered my mouth. I wore my warmest hat plus the down jacket's hoodie, still my head wasn't warm enough. Thick clothes made us stiff n' could hardly walk. Yet all these didn't stop us from getting around.

Probably the SUPER cold weather was something new to us that made us excited. We had never been in such a cold weather. We go snowboarding. But believe me, it's totally different. Glad that I didn't choose to study in the east coast. It's a right n' happier choice staying in California where sun rises n' shines everyday :)



One of the targets of this trip was of course Boston lobster. So lucky to have lobsters four times during the trip. Main target though was to visit the prestigious campus including Harvard, MIT, Yale, Brown n' Rhode Island School of Design(RISD). They are gorgeous. Felt like I was in Europe.

Went to lots museums. Harvard Art museum was free cause the coat check guy was so nice to us. Harvard museum of Natural History, well-known for its glass flowers, also carries a huge collection of all kinds of animal specimen. I think they possess all creatures on the earth. MIT museum was a bonus on our last day. We just drove by n' didn't know there's such a place. It was fun but too scientific n' I don't have a brain for that. RISD museum was very interesting. Like it. ICA was insanely crowded. Was like people in the town had nowhere else to go. But actually there wasn't much to see except the building itself is stunning - the "must go" to Hadi. Worth to mention, their highlight art show by Tara Donovan was very inspiring. She uses stuff from daily life to create beautiful form of art piece.

My "must go" is Isabella Steward Gardner museum. The name is so beautiful already. The treasure inside was even more attractive. But one won't be able to tell until you go in cause the building outside is plain. No photo to share herer cause they were very strict about photographing. I hope you'll get a chance to go in person to see the beauty of it.



We counted down our new year in Boston. It was the coldest day of our trip n' had a snow storm. Didn't go to special place/restaurant but just stayed in our hotel. Bought some salad, dessert n' champagne from whole food. Had a pizza to go from a local store. Stayed warm in our room, bye bye to our amazing 08 n' cheered to 09!

We all learn something from the trip we take. This one was especially educational as we went to schools, museums n' historic places. Lots to share but can't include all here. I saw n' learned. Traveling in cold was a different experience. I'll probably pick a warmer place to go next time. But I'm sure I'll miss the white vacation sometimes in the near future.

Bye 08! Hi 09!

2008, the year we just said good bye for a few days was a memorable year to Hadi n' me. Too much had happened in this year. All started back in last March when Hadi moved back to San Francisco. Life then changed. It was very hard to me being alone in Los Angeles after being together in LA for almost 4 years. Phone and webcam became our survival kit. I looked forward to every weekend when I could fly to San Francisco to meet my fiance and take care our wedding stuff together there.


On June, we got married in San Francisco. Few days after, we had our "Familymoon" with 6 members of our family in Caribbean for a week. After our parents left n' back to California, Hadi n' I had our "Disneymoon" at Florida Disney World.

Been quiet for a few months from July to October. Then it was our second wedding in Hong Kong Disneyland on November 29. A week before that, my beloved cousin Connie got married in Macau. Two weeks after, her brother my cousin Nam Nam tied the knot too. His first baby girl was also born this year. There were lots happy events in our family in 08.



Hadi n' I went to Shanghai for a week after our Hong Kong wedding... and then it was our one week "white" new year vacation in chilly Boston...

I'm very thankful for all the happiness n' blessings last year. It was a very important year in our lives. 2009 just began. I hope the new year will be fun n' magical... we'll have our "real" honeymoon, Hadi will finish more archi exams, I'll lose some weights... hm... may our dreams come true...