mid-autumn feast

a few weekends ago, we had some family over for a mid-autumn festival feast. it was a good meal and we all had a good time catching up. as we were close to serving dinner, we almost panicked because mom forgot to cook rice!! she was busy with preparing her dishes that she slipped her mind... but luckily she has a super quick rice cooker! :P

of course we had the traditional moon cake for dessert...
and also auntie's homemade "ice moon cake" 冰皮月餅!

mother's day

to celebrate mother's day, we took mom to her favorite french restaurant.

actually, we celebrated a few days earlier because on the real day, she would be in hk celebrating with her own mother.

it was a nice meal, and to top it off...

grand marnier and chocolate souffle ♥

hope she is enjoying her vacation~

christmas dinner

for the past few years, i've spent christmas in asia or europe. this year is the first christmas i'm spending at home (in the u.s.) since 2003. and we decided to host a family potluck dinner at our place on christmas day.


christmas lights at our house


the christmas menu


preparing to feed the hungry family


everyone's dishes gather at the buffet station


hawaiian pizza toppings? very juicy ham


piping hot bread pudding for dessert


we raffled gifts under the "christmas tree"


looks like everyone had a good time~

reunion

one of the highlights from attending joanne and chris' wedding was that we got to have a big family reunion in a long time. i have relatives living in hk and australia which i don't get to meet in many years. this wedding was definitely a chance for all of us to have a much-needed gathering.

group photo right after the ceremony
(sorry one of my cousins was cut off by the photographer...)

the last complete family gathering was 18 years ago! since then, 4 more cousins were born. and grandpa is no longer with us... (can you tell who's who?)

"cousins eleven"

hope our next reunion won't have to wait another 18 years...

east meets west

on joanne and chris' wedding day, they incorporated a solemn ceremony at the church and a western reception for their guests, as well as a very traditional chinese tea ceremony for the immediately family.

for those of you who're not familiar with the tea ceremony:
it is an opportunity for the bride and groom to express gratitude towards their parents and elder relatives for looking after them until the wedding day. in chinese families, one is considered an adult and independent when one gets married.

snap shots from the tea ceremony...

joanne and her aunts

father and mother of the bride waiting with a big grin


“爹地飲茶”


in return, the couple is showered with gifts like lai see (red envelopes) and jewelry


by the end of the ceremony, the bride will get two armfuls of these gold bracelets


they must also listen to the elders' "lecture of life"


her arms (and knees) should be tired by now?


the bride and groom probably served over 50 cups of tea that day


finally her turn to be served tea from the little brother and sister


ceremony completed!

the wedding reception was held at a beautiful ballroom at the sutton place hotel. their theme was "travel" - appropriately for their 5-year long distance relationship based on meeting at various cities around the world.

guests find their place cards before entering the ballroom


cocktail at the foyer


their engagement portrait


we must be having an interesting conversation... i don't remember


more interesting conversations happening elsewhere


my table - london


during the dinner reception, both fathers of the bride and groom gave their funny yet touching speeches


they definitely cracked a few jokes that made the couple laugh


the newlywed's speech


cutting of the wedding cake - which was handmade by the groom's mother and aunt (and shipped from the uk!)


all single ladies get ready for the bouquet toss!


chris working hard on the garter (he did some warm ups right before)


the first dance


showing us some smooth moves


dance floor is now open


catch the kisses!


everyone is having a great time


gilbert and his angels


it was truly a fun and unforgettable day!

more from vancouver to come...

joanne & chris' wedding

on july 1st, i attended my dear cousin's wedding in vancouver, canada.

joanne is 3 years younger than i and the same age as my little sister, so the three of us spent the most time together when we were little. i'm really happy for her to be the first to get married among our generation! her husband, chris, is a wonderful man and i have no doubt that he can make joanne the happiest woman on earth!

JOANNE & CHRIS
Wishing two wonderful people a happy life together, Congratulations!

highlights from the wedding ceremony

to be continued...

farewell gatherings

this past week has been full of gatherings with friends and family before i take off for japan. thanks to everyone that took their time out and said their good-byes. for those whom i didn't get to meet, it's all because of my lack of planning and didn't give enough notice... sorry! but i will be seeing a lot of you again very soon, just mark your calendars for a 2-month countdown. :)

with friends at Kappo Nami Nami

i got to see addison again and she showed me some of her tricks, like "kissy kissies" and "blinky blinkies".

can't believe she's turning 1 year old next month!

she's giving me her "kissy kissies" - isn't she sweet!

aww... don't be sad... aunty c will see you again soon!

my cousin is visiting this week for a special reason.
here's she and my mom outside of SF city hall

lovely italian dinner at Rocca

i didn't take pictures with a few other friends who also said their good-byes... :(
but again, i want to thank you guys for the great send-off!