Our Memories, Our Love

2009-05-26T01:32:00.000-07:00

Geoje (aka Koje) Island, Korea

We are now at one of the southern island off Pusan, Korea. It is a shipyard island as both Samsung & Daewoo Shipyard are located here and off the map, we are staying very near to Samsung Shipyard called, Samsung Village which is of cos built by them.

I have taken some pictures of our apartment but has yet to download it, will post it up later.

Over where we are, it's nice & quiet and more than often, people are always seen wearing their shipyard uniform from Samsung has it's the main shipyard here, at Okpo, the other side will be Daewoo, the 2nd largest shipyard in the world.

So far, we have yet to explore the island and the furthest was Okpo to have Pizza the 1st night we reached as the chef, who's Korean, learned the art of Pizza from a Master in Naples.

I will try to update as much as possible :)

2009-05-26T01:22:00.000-07:00

FAST FOOD - KOREAN STYLE

Being not a fast food fan obviously this is the last thing I would go but for our 1st meal since arriving in Geoje Island more than 1 week ago, fast food was our 1st bet, and safe I must swear since everything here's in Korean which is alien to us.

LOTTERIA is their own chain of fast food and surprisingly, there's no others besides this.

This is the only place where we can understand its menu as it has English words on it and it's not your typical burgers, like I mentioned it's Korean style so it's Bulogi burgers etc, how cool is that.

Verdict: Marinate of meat is good but bun is dry and cold. Of cos otherwise needed, I wouldn't be eating another burger from here soon.

2009-05-20T02:45:00.001-07:00

BEEN A WHILE....

It has been sometimes since I last made a post on this blog, looks like it's time again for new entries since we are now in Korea. Andrea has been posted to Goje Island, off Pusan, Korea at it's Samsung Shipyard for work. Since we last arrived, it has been about 6 days on this little island.

Never had any good impression of Korea, not it's food or people I must say. Am not being biase but it was based on personal experiences for me, sad to say to pass this judgement. Singaporeans aren't the most civilised people on earth but I must say Koreans sure can beat us. I was on board the plane, ready to leave my seat just after Andrea exited, which is very normal that whoever is behind in line must wait since the 2nd person is also leaving his or seat, naturally you must wait. However, this Korean girl, in her mid 20's decided to turn a blind eye to that tried to barg her way thru' just when I am getting onto the aisle. I got fed up and just turned back towards her with my bagpack giving her a little shove and walked off. Serves her right for doing that.

Just the other day at the supermarket while grocery shopping, this lady was behind me with her cart & she kept pushing her cart into me & I was so angry that I turned around to give her my killer stare. How irritating is she! Yesterday another mother & daughter pair just rammed into my shopping cart, pushing it away even thou' I was standing closed by, when I saw it I was just like "How fucking rude can these people be, bloody uncouth!" They were whispering among themselves which I didn't give a flying shit for that and once again gave them my killer stare.

I say "excuse me" when people blocked my way etc and I didn't think it's so hard to do but when in Korea, they never do. Sometimes I just give it back to 'em cos being civilised in Korea do not work.

2009-03-02T10:22:00.000-08:00

My baby called my from the ship yesterday night which was only a few hours earlier. We have always been telepathic especially in missing each other. He called the moment I sent a text message over even I know he won't be able to read it but then moment when he reaches Singapore, he'll be flooded with my thoughts of him and that will bring more than just smiles to his face and knowing he is happy makes me happy too :)

I was more than happy to hear his beautiful voice cos I missed him so much. We talked about what has happened for the past few days, catching up on each other's activities while he was away, on the sea, coming to me...how excited is that.

We will be spending time together on board the new ship and to top the list, from 9 March onwards, we'll will be spending our lives together cos I will be heading to Korea with him for his work. Our wishes have finally come true and we will not change a single moment just waiting fort the day to come.

It is gonna be a real challenge which I know 90% of the time it will be alright, just a little bit of give and take. I seriously cannot wait for this day to come!!

2009-02-16T04:46:00.000-08:00

Amore has been back from sea trial for a few days now and the 1st thing I did was to attack him cos I saw him writing on facebook with his "Italish (Italian-English)" that he is back from sea-trial, announcing to the whole world that he is back but not missing me...of cos I will not let him get away scott-free without a fight so I wrote back in facebook saying how nice of him not to miss me!! Well, he of cos put another posting this time round about how much he misses me hehe

This is our 2nd V-day together, not physically but over the webcam but on the 13 Feb, I totally forogtten that 1 or 2 weeks before I did promise my colleagues to go drinking because there's a bottle of vodka waiting for us and we need to finished it before 21 February. Also from 20-22 February, we will all be in Genting!! I panic and called Andrea up knowing he'll be fuming mad, true to my prediction, behind that calm voice I could hear a broken heart. But I can't back out last minute cos they were looking forward to it :( so I went.

Got home by 4am and woke Andrea up online, he was still upset. I of cos didn't know why he was so upset until he told me that he planned a surprise for me with candles and cake to celebrate V-day...OMG!! My heart melted and I felt so shitty and mad at myself immediately, how could I do that to him!! My poor baby.

Even thou' it's over now but I am still feeling bitter about allowing myself to let him go thru' this, I will ensure this is not ever going to happen again. Sorry my love :(

2009-02-11T05:26:00.000-08:00

Andrea started his sea trial since Monday and so far he tried to call me at least once everyday if he can. My phone has a special ring tone for him and my face lights up immediately whenever I hear it. I really can't wait for Friday to come cos he'll be done and after that, he'll be preparing for his departure to Singapore, YES!

People always wonder what do we have to say to each other every night, I really can't answer that because hmmm we just talk. We talk about everything, our day, what we did, what happened, our thoughts and other stuff as well, of cos we do have our fair share of talking some nonsense but it's good funny ones.

I'd say that having a partner with one or two common interest helps too as doing things together can bring the both of you closer. Both of us enjoy board games especially RISK and MONOPOLY, we both love chocolate mint ice-cream etc. But being away from each other has its disadvantages as these stuff seems impossible to many. However, we think it's all in your heart and mind, how much you want it and we both want it badly to spend time therefore we sometimes play games online, challenging each other and boy, must I stress that we always have so much fun doing it.

Even when he is in town, whenever we are not out, we will either our mother tongue from each other, watch a nice movie with a big ass popcorn or play some games, be it on PS3 or board games. I am not a fan of PS3 but the last time we had so much fun trying to figure out how to get thru' the different type of sports in Beijing Olympics 2008.

The moral of the story is do you really want it as much as the other person? If you do, your actions will talk way louder than words.

2009-02-11T05:15:00.001-08:00

The Sweetest Thing

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Did I mention that one of the sweetest thing he did for me was ......................

It was funny to hear how he did it cos he was so afraid of being caught doing this and had to ski all the way to a place where there's tree all over, unless you are really good, you wouldn't consider this route. Told me that snow was so high that it went into his ski boots...amore mio you are the best trust me, when I tell you this :)

2009-01-19T21:45:00.001-08:00

We left for Marilleva on 27th and traffic was a killer cos instead of 4hr we drove for nearly 7hr just to get there. Our little apartment has magnificent wood finished, typical of a mountain house, consist of a living/dining/kitchenette/patio downstairs and 3 bedrooms upstairs that can sleep up to 8 pax..pretty good. The best part was we have the snow literally right at our doorstep..if you bother to take about less than 50 steps.

My maestro Ale & I

Me snowboarding independently

All shagged!

I had lessons from Ale a very cool snowboard maestro; he speaks reasonable English, good enough for our own understanding. It's either he's a really good instructor or I am a excellent student cos within 2-4hr, I am able to snowboard..of cos the basics but Andrea told me that he said he is proud of me. Well he did say that to me, saying it's surprisingly that a girl from Asian who has never had snow in her country can learn so fast and he's proud of me as his student! What can get better than that so is he good or am I just too good?? You judge :))) Jokes aside, I did had 1 hard fall on my butt & I thought I busted my ass for that good 3 seconds. To do snowboarding you had to stand in such an awkward position that hurt my tights real bad at the beginning but the gym did good, I am glad the gym worked otherwise I'd have to be carried down on a stretcher if I do not have strong legs.

Of cos Andrea feels the proudest for my achievement, as the same time he thinks it's investment well spend haha ... idiot!

2009-01-19T21:40:00.000-08:00

One of the present from his mum, a beautiful make up set :) from Pupa, Milan

Me wearing one of the present from Andrea....My ultra comfy UGG boots!

The next day we had lunch at his parents place and more presents! I got a brilliant rose set of oil, body wash, lotion etc, a special 2009 calendar with pix of Andrea & I took during summer, a pretty little make up set which is so useful for me hehe, a pair of tights for the snow all from his sister and parents wow!!

2009-01-19T21:35:00.000-08:00

I still have fond memories of the days just passed, I missed our laughter together, missed waking up to have him by my side, him putting what I call "elephant legs" over mine, forcefully putting my cold feet on all over him (he's scared of it haha), missed asking each other stuff, missing rambling non-stop and pointing out things as he drives, missed all his hugs and kisses, missed stroking his beautiful face while staring into his big dark eyes.....and these are going to stay very closed to my heart forever :)

Andrea is still in Italy, some unfinished business regarding work. His body check result came back, his stomach is still not good, so what's new haha. I just hope he'll feel better as time comes. But this time round, he wasn't that bad to start with, his stomach did not give as much problem as previous times which is a good sign.

This holiday was kind of chaotic for me as I was forced to stay in Rome at Franko's place (his colleague) due to air strike..How nice, times like this I missed Singapore. Took the earliest train, 1st class to La Spezia Centro which is about 10min drive home, yes our beautiful, humble home. Nothing's changed, just feels warm and familiar with love.

Missing luggages were picked up bout a day later from Pisa airport and boy was I glad cos I had presents of his parents in side. However, as lucky as we would like to be, the water heater wasn't working and we ended up heading to Miki's place for shower.

X'mas was nice and the food brilliant. Giuseppe had his mother and sister there, nice folks. It was the 1st meeting of both families which means wedding bells are on the way. Silvia had a surprised x'mas gift of a ring from Giuseppe, you could see the embarrassment glow on her face, priceless.

We headed home to open our presents as well. I am very lucky as I always get marvellous presents from Andrea and I hope he thinks the same about my presents for him too :) It's definitely from the heart.

2009-01-14T04:25:00.000-08:00

Another milestone in our relationship, it's been more than 1 years that we have since been officially been together, I am enjoying every seconds of it and is still doing it.

Just got back from a brilliant winter holiday in Italy with the man of my life. I did not managed to spend X'mas last year due to work but as usual we did the x'mas tree just like before. We commented that it's about time we changed a different theme for our tree and blue with sliver sounds beautiful :)

It feels great to be in Italy with Andrea, in fact I know it's gonna feel good no matter where we are but in Italy we have a place call our own which is our special piece of heaven.

X'mas dinner this time was at Silvia, his sister's place together with Guiseppe. Both parents of Andrea was there, so was Guiseppe's mum & his sister. It was the 1st meeting since marriage is on the card for both. I am happy for them without a doubt, they are both made for each other.

On the 27th, we headed up to the mountain for some snow actions with some others.

I am starting to have shoulder pain so that's it for now... I will update the rest of our trip asap :)

2008-12-16T18:23:00.000-08:00

The biggest secret to so many Italians dressing well and being able to afford big name labels are the factory outlets all over different provinces. This time round, I will do what the Romes do, go to the outlets.

We are heading up to the mountain for skiing on 27 December therefore I have to look awfully beautiful even if it means I will fall :) On the 26 December, a day before departure, we will head to one of the outlet near La Spezia with many big international designers especially in sporting wear. Also on the 5 January after we are done, will head to The Mall & Lo Spaccio in Tuscany to shop for my sis and best friend.

Last night we were online trying to look for proper maps to get there. In Italy, it's almost impossible to get from point A to point B without getting lost especially during winter since the sun sets at 5pm. Being the impatient me as usual, I was getting all frustrated trying to find 1 while Andrea was being ever so patient looking at alternatives at other provinces but to no avail. I really admire his patience but then again it's in the stars as I am the hot tempered, fiery Aries and Dragon so thanks to that I have short fuse.

Let's hope this time round it works and we do not get lost!

2008-12-13T00:28:00.001-08:00

We are back to the daily routine of MSN where we'll talk every nite with our webcam and sleep together. When he wakes up for work, he'll wake me up to so I can see him before he leaves. Thank you technology for making this possible.

Just 4 days ago we had our 1st anniversary. We've known each others for years but this is different, it was sweet. The past year has been good for us both and we already are looking forward to more anniversaries.

7 more days to go, we'll see each other in the flesh again in Italy. Winter is a good reason for lovers to snuggle up to each other for keeping warm. Even the unromantics will end up doing it. I missed how we spend our last winter and can't wait for 21 December to come.

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Christmas is coming and it's time for presents. I know he'll like the presents I got for him cos he's a domestic and house proud and anything that makes his apartment looks good will keep him happy :) Also things that are useful besides just looking good.

I will start wrapping these presents and put it back into the luggages which I am already 3/4 done and I am already visioning the smile on his face. Life is beautiful.

2008-12-01T19:45:00.000-08:00

Andrea is finally official off the ship today and that means we still have 2 precious days to ourselves before he heads back to Japan for another busy 2 weeks. It has been crazy for him but still was nice that we managed to spend every night with each other while he's here in Singapore. This is something that $$ can't even buy. I am so looking forward to our time together in the future where we won't have to be apart again..and we are still trying to aim for the date that we have set due to his work again but we are striving hard for it :) This is the time!!

2008-11-30T06:13:00.000-08:00

Today was my last night living on the ship that Andrea works. Now I missed walking up the gantry all of 72 steep steps, through the dirty way up the stairs into the decks and the tiny stuffy elevator to our room which we have been calling home for the past 2 months. I will miss all the people that I have met and especially the ultra delicious pasta by Chef Ciro but I still insist Andrea makes the best seafood pasta.

My poor baby has been working very very hard for the past 1-2 weeks for hand over. Even thou' he was busy every second, he'll always come back into the room to tell me he misses me.. sweet..hehe. I try to support him morally and to be there, at least this is the best I can do.

After 1st December, things will be better for him as the ship sails, he get a few days of rest till he flys back to Japan 3 days after that but not to worry as we'll see each other again on 22 December in Italy and we both can't wait to spend X'mas together!!! YIPEE

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Last nite was out with the gang, Marisa, Bernard, Carol, Dee and Nae Nae. Decided to meet up before he leaves which should be 4th December morning back to work in Japan. We met up at Brewkez for dinner. It was a nice and simple dinner with some catching up to do etc and of cos fooling around with little Naeya.

Andrea loves kids so playing with them comes naturally for him, it was nice to see such interaction between him and children. He has a very kind looking face that people, especially kids find it non-threatening..I think haha.

After dinner, we all had drinks at Aqua Bar to see a friend who's working there. It was a very simple but nice nite out. We both agreed that we'll have the cutest kid in town!!

2008-11-19T20:14:00.000-08:00

Last night before heading to bed, had our usual talk. I was telling him about work issues and the things that will happen in the next few days, weeks and months because my boss has more or less decided to closed down the office but it's still pending. I was offered either a part-time or full-time position but with a catch. Told him was concerned bout my own financial situation eventually on different decisions I make.

He was sweet, could tell I was really in a dilemma. He told me that he will help take care of the necessary stuff that he can and tell me not to worry cos he'll always be there. Those heart-felt words that were so assuring, letting me know he'll always be around whenever I need him. The help was something I might needed but his love for me is something I have never experienced and I will need that for a long long time.

Sometimes they say this, "...when you are unlucky in work, you will always be lucky in love", sounds like I will choose to be unlucky in work then :)

2008-11-17T21:32:00.000-08:00

Andrea is now officially the "BABY" onboard and constantly teased by the Master of the ship himself and 3rd officer, Michele. They find it amusing and yet at the same time endearing to call him "baby". They got the idea when they heard me calling him that during our game of "Monopoly". It was funny and it is still funny now hearing them call him that.

He is also a victim of my good friend Marisa cos besides "baby", I would often call him "Amore" too, a term couples used in Italy, means "love". She was the 1st who started calling her "amore" and now, almost everybody calls him "amore" inculding Oscar, brother-in-law of Marisa, who's Italian as well.

We found it amusing cos I often teased him about his many "boy/girlfriends" here and how he's a whore to be the lover of so many hahaha. He's sweet about it because given any other day, a man will get pissed off at not being called his name. Well even in Italy, he's simply called "Tassa" a short for his family name Tassara and also easier since there's more than 1 Andrea in their group. "Tassa" is also a form of nickname for him as it means "taxes" in their language. I'd assume he's as comfortable with "amore", "baby" as "tassa".

For me, he's my pumpkin, baby, amore, sweetie-pie and any love-dovey names you can think of. He's just the sweetest guy man ever in my life, often telling me how much he enjoys doing stuff with me, even if we are just lying down facing each other talking crap haha. Just so warm and loving.

2008-11-14T02:22:00.000-08:00

10th is the date of our anniversary, so is my birthday the 10th, and my beloved father too

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Got Andrea a little surprise last Tuesday since we had to celebrate my dad's birthday on Monday. We went out for dinner at Casa Verde at the Botanical Gardens. Sometimes he just misses his pizza.

As usual, he'll pick me up from work, so no difference this time round but I was sneaky. He happened to be on the phone with his friend from Italy so I got his surprise in without him noticing. While he's on the phone, I wiped out the surprised from under his nose and his face lit up instantly.......After getting off the phone, he thanked me for the flowers and was happy that I remember he loves them. Sounds pretty strange but sometimes I think I am the man whilst he's the woman. I am the least flowers loving woman on earth except for "Forget-Me-Nots", I find it very pretty and meaningful.

We had a nice dinner and had a stroll out of Botanical Gardens. It was such a long walk, I was kinda perspiring but along the way we had fun.

The next morning he was thanking me for the pleasant surprise again. I will do anything just to bring a smile to his face, for that, it's priceless.

2008-11-10T19:38:00.000-08:00

Celebrated my dad's 65years old Birthday yesterday. Andrea sang along with us Happy Birthday in Mandarin. My family was so impressed. Well I said thanks to my good teaching haha which in fact the truth was I had to sing to many times to him just cos he loves it that he slowly learned to remember the lyrics which comes in only 5 syllabus to be sung in different tonage throughout the song..well he managed so we are still in awe.

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After dinner we headed back and clean up to get ready for bed. As usual we will just lie in bed to talk about our day, our future, our dreams or little things like what will happen tomorrow at work, what we expecting etc. I remember our last conversation was on 1 day in Italy call the "Witch" day where everybody especially children will hang their socks over the fire place. If they have been good, they'll get candies, if bad they'll only get charcoal. He told me that was what happened to him once when he was young haha poor thing.

We will have our own socks too cos Andrea says mostly when people want to tell their partner something important, this is the time when the socks come in good use. He drew me a diamond ring and we both crack up cos his drawing was funny. Last night he asked how big a diamond ring I want and I pondered, I told him I dont' need anything like that for now, maybe in the future when we have more $$...but the truth is I want a 10 carat diamond ring (joking). This dimwit came up with a plan... "ok for every Kg u lost, it will be part of the ring..." WTF how rude is that?? But this is our way of joking affectionally.

It's always nice to just lie in bed with him to relax and talk about the day or future plans. We talked so much that by 1am were too tired to continue cos of work a few hours later....zzzz but tonight before we head down to Botanical Gardens for dinner, we might go look at some rings :)

2008-11-10T00:16:00.000-08:00

Land of Kim Chi

Andrea has been talking about a possible transfer to Korea but will be an island south of Korea. I was told it will be a port city with nothing much to do. Sounds like Singapore, minus the partying and shopping. He wanted me to join him but fearing I will not like it. Well, never say never, you can only say you do not like it only after trying it. I told him I will give it a try if he decided to go over.

He asked me to check about VISA from S.Korea Embassy as there's no internet access on the ship. I was told maximum 90 days only for holiday. It's fine because just like Andrea, every 3 months he will get to go back to Italy or a country of his choice. Sounds like a good plan.

The rest will be up to him to decided as he needs to know how much work load he will be having and the other like housing, pay etc.

Let's see how it goes after our Italy trip as that will be the decisive period....to go or not to go.

2008-11-10T00:05:00.000-08:00

It has been more than a month since he's been here and besides the occassional dinner, hanging out with friends, shopping, he barely has anytime to do other stuff due to his work.

Last week we dined at DOZO, he said it's the best restaurant so far he's ever been, everything was beyond his expectation. I totally agreed with him and we are already thinking of our next trip back :)

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This month alone, we had 2 little tiff over some stuff. Being mature adult we sat down to talk it out instead of just walking outta door. We told each other how we feel and how we will feel if we are in each other's shoes. It is not easy but we managed to talk it out and move on knowing we are now more sure about each other and our future which remains very positive.

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He got the new camera for me, it is the new Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX180, 14.7 megapixel...woo hoo!! Looking pretty in champagne gold, it works like a DSLR...they say bigger things come in smaller packages :)

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Went shopping but this time for winter wear. Got me 1 very nice detachable coat and knitted cardigan from Espirit and another coat from Alice's sister from www.cyres-icon.com. Very chic in black.

Andrea got a very stylish coat from Zara Men...I knew he'll love it the moment I directed him to the coat. It has nice details and the price is right for such details and delicate work.

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Rained too much today, it's wet and I felt like sleeping...zzzzz didn't sleep well the night before and my body is slowly feeling the effect

2008-11-04T01:53:00.000-08:00

OUR 1 & ONLY PHOTO - 31 OCTOBER 2008, FRIDAY

This is a very precious photo of us, our 1st Halloween together, 1st for him as he has never had 1 therefore I officially announced Andrea is no longer a "Halloween Virgin". If you are able to see the pic closely, you'll noticed that this vampire couldn't even wear his fangs properly!!

2008-11-02T19:56:00.000-08:00

Both Andrea & I were down with flu 3 weeks ago. He is completely well now, I am still coughing. He's prone to getting sick while I rarely get sick, when I get it, I get it real bad.

31 October was Halloween and as I happened to be working, he was invited. Heard there's no such thing in Italy so he's excited about it. Michele his shipmate was invited as well. I am the "Card Soldier" from "Alice in Wonderland", Andrea was "Vampire/Dracula" and Michele was a pirate. I was pleasantly surprised after Andrea was done as he look every bit the Vampire, in a good way :) .

Even though I had to work but still could steal sometime to be with them. They were amazed at the turn out and the spontaneous spirit where most people turned up in costumes. It was their 1st and they sure were having a ball of a time as there were also plenty of eye-candies. Was I jealous? Nah, cos I had better stuff to fuss over.

The down part of that night was Andrea forgetting the camera. Darn, there's goes our memories but we had at least 2 photos taken by some online photography thingy so we just have to go online to search for it.

Look out for the next entry...
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On Sunday Andrea didn't have to work after lunch so it was 1 good news has he has been working so hard with barely anytime to do other stuff. We headed straight to my place after lunch for him to pay a visit to my parents also to have a change of clothes for me etc.

When we reached, it was so bright and sunny but within minutes, brightness turn to darkness and it started pouring. Nothing to do so we hang around the house and read the newspaper. My dad was sweet, with his limited English, he managed to talk to Andrea and seemed to have a good time chatting, so was my mum. It was hilarious each time she tried to say something but it always turned out sounding bad.

Went Queensways Shopping Center as he needed new shoes. He's a NIKE freak so nothing will catch his eyes. He got 2 pairs while I got 3. We bought a big gym bag and 5 shoe bags to contain it. I got myslf 2 new pair of glasses too.

Got my dad's birthday gift at Robinsons and after heading to NY NY for a big ass burger before heading back.

It was a sweet, frutiful trip for us...a wonderful Sunday.

2008-10-19T21:28:00.000-07:00

I have been living onboard the ship where Andrea's working on for the past 2 weeks now and getting pretty used to it. To me it's a giant, strange but solid.

I always knew Andrea's a diligent, respectful, responsible person, that's part of what I find him alluring. An affirmation stamp of fine personality. Over the weekends when I am not working, I will stay with him in the cabin office and I love to see the way he works. Strange but it gives me a sense of security :) knowing this person is someone who doesn't run away from problems, is brave, honest and someone I know I can count on.

Living on board has it's own set of rules, no flip-flops at dining area. Everybody eat at the same time for breakfast, lunch & dinner. It's always fun during meals as they tend to joke and mock at each other with Andrea sometimes doing the translation for me as my Italian is extremely limited except for a few decent and swear words. But it's funny how sometimes without knowing the language, you can still gather information from their foreign conversation by their expression and hand gestures.

Our room is nice and equipped with everything as he is the right hand man of the main Captain. Since I am there, the room can get a little bit messy but I'll try to do my best to make it more livable knowing how scatterbrain I can be and leaving bits of me in a trail.

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Andrea & I have been talking bout our wedding date and came to a decision on 10 October 2010. But now it seems we have some problems:

1. His sister now postponing her own wedding from June 2009 to June 2010

2. My brother is too busy to get married and the only possible year is 2010, probably mid year

3. For his new job, he may need to gather now sailing hours in order to be a ship pilot...darn

WHICH MEANS:

1. We'll have or might have to postpone our wedding till 2011

2. We'll have to get married in Singapore 1st in 2010 & Italy in 2011

3. or Singapore 2009 & Italy 2010

But all these will depend greatly on his work schedule!! Woah I really can't bear to think...this sucks :( He was doing all this calculation and was very sad, he kept thinking and trying to find the best solution. Called his dad since he's tighly knitted to the Port of La Spezia and see if there's anything he can do to help...CROSSING EVERYTHING WE HAVE ^%$^ ###!!

2008-10-06T02:06:00.000-07:00

Andrea has been in Singapore for 5 days and poor thing, he has been so busy with this work that over the weekends, we only managed to spend time in the evening. So far, we have had our own little 1st private dinner with a freaking expensive bill, dinner with parents and family.

Last nite was the dinner with my family and it was a very good one. My mum did most of the dishes and I whipped up chili crab. As he's not into spicy food, I tried to put as much ketchup as possible and the outcome was brilliant as I watched him enjoy every morsel of it, such a comfort. He brought along squid ink pasta which was freshly made by the chef on board and surprisingly it went very well with the chili crab gravy too cos even picky Andrea had a 2nd serving.

He gave my mum and sister 2 Japanese figurines for display and a sake set for my dad. He also bought some Japanese chopsticks...very thoughtful indeed.

At the end of the day we were in my room surfing the net, talking, laughing and at one point he pointed to my hoola-hoop asking how many times have I used it, this was when I decided to show him my impectable skill. I got him to do it but it all went south and even got my mum to do it...we had a good laugh after that.

It was a good dinner, perfect evening except that my baby has to go back for work...sigh...but no worries, more good days to come :) Ti Amo, Amore Mio!!

2008-09-29T23:40:00.001-07:00

The day I have been waiting for is finally coming with 1 day to countdown. Andrea called me last night to tell me his ETA, but due to custom clearance etc we still have no idea what time can we meet up. So I think I will head for the gym in the morning while waiting for his call.

The F1 race is over and how I wished he could be there as I throughly enjoyed myself and I know he would too. Well, there's always another next year but I am already planning for the Italy GP at Monza, let's see how we can work it out.

Even thou' he's not able to make it, I made a point to keep all this tickets. At least a consolation to him not being able to be there physically and we have some footages of the race too.

Mi manchi amore mio....can't wait to see you!

2008-09-24T21:06:00.001-07:00

HE CALLED HE CALLED OMG... I have been waiting to hear from Andrea since Monday & he finally called via Satellite. BUT, it wasn't the right time as I finished work late & was in the taxi with my other 2 colleagues so our conversation was brief but sugar coated.

He's calling me again tonight so I will make sure I am free for him at 10pm - BY HOOK OR BY CROOK!

2008-09-23T07:17:00.000-07:00

LITTLE SOMETHING FOR HIM

.......................................................................

It was his birthday on 2nd September so I bought him a little birthday present nicely wrapped...I got the box from Daiso, a very beautiful and sweet box tat fits the present nicely. Inside the box is another nice surprise which will be revealed once it's opened :) I got the sweet brown ribbon from Spotlight from Plaza Singapura during lunch. I am sure he's gonna love it :) SWEEEEETTT

*************************************************************************************

Both of us are doing up a scrapbook for each other and so far....errr I'd say it's so good. Got some stickers, photos etc which I will be using and some are not in the pix. I think he'll cry when he sees it hahhahahahaah...EVIL!!

I was lost somehow as to where to begin but I think I kinda got on the right path and the whole book should look decently alright especially with the help of the stickers etc. Got myself some liquid pen, those that you write on and it creates a 3D effect, didn't know it requires like a day to dry cos I found out by accident. Lucky the accident wasn't major.

Let's wait and see how my book will turn out *fingers crossed*

Sailing Away...

2008-09-22T21:43:00.000-07:00

The last two weeks were busy in a whole for both Andrea & I but for now everything is calm. He is currently on his way to Singapore for work and I am in a less chaotic situation in the office too, just waiting for his arrival.

I need to get started this week so that I can get his present out in time for Christmas. I promised last Christmas that I'll do a charcoal sketching of us. No, not a joke and I was trained in school for this, just that I havne't done it in a while. Hopefully I can sketch my weekends away and finished it before we catch up this December in Italy.

The things that you do for someone you care about. It isn't about the size or price of the present, it's all about how much love you put into it and I am giving plently of it into this drawing.

So let's hope the aftermath isn't disastrous :)

2008-09-15T01:59:00.001-07:00

I just want to say "SORRY BABY" cos we had a little argument and he was very upset over it. It's really entirely my fault for being so stupid for saying and doing things I shouldn't have done. But I am glad it's over now and I'll make sure history do not repeat itself.

Sweet to the core!

2008-09-07T07:26:00.000-07:00

Pam says Andrea & I are so sweet together that it sucks! Well Pam, the bed is not always full of red roses mind you? We have our down times as well and may not seemed obvious since we are miles apart so I'd rather kiss and make up than to sulk the whole night thru'.

We are supposed to watch 1st Formula 1 night race this September but due to his work, he'll only be coming into Singapore the day after which we already bought tickets for it. See what I mean? We can never really make plans, even simple ones like this.

As upset as we both can be, there's really nothing much we can do. I can only be happy that he'll be in town till mid or late November and after that we'll be back in Italy mid December till early January 2009. Little things like this, I am much contented just to be able to see him.

Long distance relationship don't really suck unless you are not willing to work for it. It takes alot of trust especially to know that he or she is miles from you and you can be there 24/7 to know what they are doing. But to chose this path is also a given chance to know the level of maturity, trust and understanding for this relationship and towards each other. It is a different kind of commitment that couples can never find when they are together and much often take each other for granted.

To Pam, you count yourself lucky that you are not in this situation but if you do, you'll know why we are so sweet that it make others sick hahaaha!

2008-09-02T21:09:00.001-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY LOVE!!

Yesterday was Andrea's birthday & I bought a mini cake to celebrate with him after his dinner with his colleagues. I went around Plaza Singapura and finally decided on a "Doraemon" mini cake as it is one of my favourite character. Happily I asked for a candle and took it home along with the rest of my shopping.

Upon reaching home, I specifically told my dad that he can only eat the cake the next day as it's meant for Andrea tonight. However, I had a rude shock after!

A few hours after he's done with his dinner, he got online as usual. Excitely, I went to the fridge to get the cake. When I went into my room, I switched off all lights as I wanted to light the candle but switched it on again as it was too dark to see anything. To my horror, the cake was 3/4 eaten!!!! OMG I almost fainted and immediately I was like "DAD WHY DID YOU EAT MY CAKE!!!!! DIDN'T I SAY TOMORROW???" My poor dad was so apologetic and trying to explain himself how he misquoted me etc...sigh, what else can I do since most of it are already in his stomach.

I wasn't angry but Andrea & I had a good laugh. Honestly I didn't blame my dad for it has he's getting on age and his hearing has been failing him pretty badly. Just my luck I would say but that didn't damper our mini celebration, instead we have a classic story to tell for the rest of our lives.

Eventful week

2008-08-30T23:13:00.000-07:00

Looking back, it has been an eventful week. My mom suffered another heart attack, underwent the knife, discharged but back again due to food allergy. I feel for my dad as they have never been apart for all these 35 years except for the occasional travelling my mom does with some aunts and cousins etc but they'll never be apart for more than 3 days/nites and of cos the hospital stays. Seeing the agony on his face as my mum went thru all these was hard to swallow. It is always painful, in cases like my parents if either party has to leave the world earlier especially when they are inseparatable.

Spoke to Andrea about my mom's condition and explained to him why I am so strict about his intake of sugar and salt. I told him before that no matter what I would rather leave the world before him so that I won't be lonely. Sounds selfish but that's what everybody fear. But because of this fear, I am happy that he has a large circle of closed friends whom I know will always be there for him.

Even when in Japan, I often joked bout him going out to enjoy himself and leaving poor me alone in Singapore, sometimes till the wee hours and coming back the next day at 7am, I am secretly happy for we both have our own life to lead which I do that to him once in a blue moon too. Of cos trust plays a huge part in this as well.

I do not want my partner to feel alone in the world after I am gone for this is the worst anyone can face. Neither do I. Having friends and your own social circle is very important as it makes you less dependant on your partner emotionally. It may come across as being strange to most but the person who's gone would rather have their partner move on and continue their daily routine than digress into a world of anguish just cos their partner's gone, so is their life.

Sincerely, I am very thankful for everybody around both Andrea and I for they love we know we will contine to get for a long time to come. Before you get annoyed and accuse your partner for having their time with their own friends, think again.

Sea Trial

2008-08-27T02:41:00.000-07:00

Andrea went on his sea trial on Monday, it has been 3 days and I still have not heard from him. All I can think of is that he is far away from the coast and that disrupt his mobile reception. Hope he's not eaten up by any gigantic octopus :)

Sigh, now I can only wait for his return on Friday :( MI MANCHI AMORE MIO !!

Same Stuff

2008-08-13T01:43:00.000-07:00

Oh btw did I say that he got us some similar wallets etc? It's a different set of colorful wallet, card holder etc that we can use separately when we go clubbing etc so it's not cumbersome to carry a huge wallet.....WHAT CAN I DO WITHOUT HIM??

Andrea's Favourite Local Food

2008-08-13T00:36:00.000-07:00

When Andrea was here in March 2008, I took him to different places to try out some of what Singapore has to offer. There are some of the places we went:

Chinatown: We went to the hawker street and ordered Fried Hokkien Mee, Fried Carrot Cake & Spring Roll. He was ok with Spring Roll but not that keen on Carrot Cake...obviously Hokkien Mee stood out.

Red Star: Pushcart Dim Sum place at Chinatown. He loves all the Dim Sum but was particularly fond of the "San Mee" which is fried cripsy noodles top with seafood gravy. He told me that the texture reminds him of pasta when cooked "Al Dente".

Food Court: We had dumpling noodles at the food court in Great World City as we were staying across at Waterfront Corpthorne Hotel. He told me about a type of chinese ravioli and that came to my mind. What a carnivore.

East Coast: Long Beach Seafood Restaurant. He was rambling about having eaten at a place full of seafood near the sea but since he can't recall I took him to Long Beach. We had a bottle of wine there, it was fine. We ordered Venison with Leeks, Sweet Corn Soup with Crabmeat, Cereal Prawns & Black Pepper Crab. He gave a thumbs up to all except that the crab was too spicy for him wahaha USELESS!

For the other food that we ate it's just Italian at Prego's, Pizzeria Giardino at CHIJMES, Tapas Tree at Clarke Quay, Brazil Churrascaria at 6th Avenue etc

When he's here in Singapore again this September, I will introduce him to more local food like Rojak, Char Kuey Teow, Hor Fan, Laksa, Nasi Lemak, Chicken Rice etc....can't wait to hear his review, coming from a land of "food critics".

My Favourite Seafood Restaurant

2008-08-13T00:16:00.000-07:00

Seafood is my favourite and of cos in Italy, you are never short of it. I was taken to Jeri last December to meet some of his friends at Lerici and fell in love with it almost instantly. I was certainly impressed with the way how different seafood were prepared without losing it's original flavor. It was there that I 1st had my experience with Scampi. It turned out to be Andrea's favourite...good choice amore.

This time round, it was just the both of us and since it is summer, we opted for the terrace. To our surprised we had to add 5 euro just for sitting there...well of cos we did. We went there pretty late and by dinner time it was already 9pm, at sunset. The wasn't any menu, it was just chef's creation plates after plates of delights until we were bloated. We had a nice view of the port & the castle, the only downside was the mosquitoe bites that were quite unbearable. Till now, I still have some reminder of these bites :(

My 2nd favourite now is situated at Portverene call Tre Torri. It's easy to spot as it has a wide open space with many children enjoy what summer has to offer, kicking footballs, jumping and screaming all over the place. There must be 20 of us there so we only managed with 2 separated tables. Still we were noisy. Once again we didn't have a menu so food were served in a flowing manner except for pasta. It was once again very good food compared to what we have in Singapore due to the freshness of the seafood.

I just can't wait to go back again during summer to discover more greatness Italy has to offer.

BURBERRY CRAZED

2008-08-11T23:12:00.000-07:00

Everybody knows only Japan has it's own exclusive brand of Burberry Blue Label, so does Andrea and he is oh so over the moon about it. He is simply crazy over it and owns a few clothing items so far but being the generous boyfriend he is, I am always included.

We have been talking about getting a nice good wallet for me. Hasn't found the perfect one till last night he presented to me my new wallet! YIPEE I HAVE A NEW WALLET AND IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL! FYI, I have a pair of matching shorts from my last birthday, how about that? It's exactly the right size and right color for me, I can't wait to get it in September.

Of cos he didn't forgot about himself. He bought a new polo shirt and new wallet too. He has an identical shirt in red and this time in pink...I like it cos pink looks good on him :) For his new wallet, he will not use it till I start mine too in September.

It's not the amout of $$ he spend on my gift, it's just how he knows what I like and what suits me that honestly melts my heart. He is always so attentive towards me and he has already won the BEST BOYFRIEND IN THE WORLD! Baby you are the BEST!

Update!!

2008-08-11T22:46:00.001-07:00

I have been extremely busy with my events that I haven't had much time to update.

So sad that I wasn't able to go to Japan cos Andrea is now having what you call "Golden Week Holiday" in Japan...how nice cos they have so much of these holidays! I had to stay put in Singapore due to work commitment and also I can't afford to keep getting away from work :( but well at least I am a responsible working adult haha.

Nevertheless, Andrea does have compay as the daughter of a very closed family friend flew into Japan last Sunday for a 1 week holiday. I met Elisia during my summer trip to Italy. She's a very nice gentle and awfully quiet girl and NO, I am not afraid of them together as I have full trust in Andrea totally. The reason for her coming to Japan is that she is totally in love with Japanese culture and has been dying to visit Japan and why not since he is able to bring her around. Waved to her over MSN last night & she looked totally thrilled about this holiday.

Last night Andrea told me that being the only daughter of a famous Bontanist/Herbalist, she is extremely well versed in trees, plants etc and she was going around telling him about it the whole day, he found it all a bit strange but took it on the positive side since he has nothing to lose but gained more knowledge..BRAVO AMORE MIO!

In life, when you have such a positive partner, it makes your life brighter and as a person more wholesome...awwwww

Yipee

2008-08-06T05:20:00.000-07:00

My boyfriend will be coming to Singapore for 2 months from September till November for work. However I was told that due to lack of staff he will have to work till quite late almost every day and hopefully he'll have enough energy and time for me over the weekends.

My poor love, I really hope for those 2 months, it will be smooth sailing and not too much stressful for him!

1000 Questions

2008-07-24T22:05:00.000-07:00

Andrea says that I am always asking questions. Not that he doesn't like it, he enjoys having me asking it and finds it amusing that I seemed to have tons of questions to ask (his comment), especially on road trips.

I seriously can't help it cos hey, I am a very curious person and there are lots of stuff in Italy which you can never see or find in Singapore. He thinks it's funny and sometimes compares me to a "kid" who can question non stop. I am not offended by his comparison, in fact I am flattered cos at least it goes to show that I am constantly interested and eager to know more at my age....I am a "question" person!!

Burrata ... New LOVE

2008-07-24T21:39:00.000-07:00

Being a cheese lover, Andrea introduced me to Burrata this summer and now it is right on top of my list. Ok ok ok I know how unhealthy Burrata is but once you tried it, you will get hooked instantly.

It comes with a nice packaging in my favourite color GREEN!!! It is a fresh Italian cheese made from Mozzarella & cream. The outer shell is the solidified mozzarella while the inside is a mixture of smooth mozzarella and cream! Best when served in room temperature. It's so creamy and yummy and doesn't leave you with a sick feeling like normally how people would describe eating spaghetti with cream sauce.

I have been trying to find Burrata in Singapore but to no avail and the only place I know that makes it fresh is OSO at Tanjong Pagar...will try it with Andrea when he's in Singapore in September...this is gonna be so good :)

La Spezia

2008-07-23T20:31:00.000-07:00

Today I had a friend asking me what and where is La Spezia. Here's all information about this city.

La Spezia is a city in the Liguria area of northern Italy. It is one of the major Italian military and commercial harbours, located between Genoa and Pisa on the Ligurian Sea. Home to one of the biggest military industries in Italy, OTO Melara.

The Province of La Spezia has a surface area of 881 sq km, with a total population of over 222,000 inhabitants. It is made up of 32 Municipalities. In its territory is one of the true jewels of Italy, the celebrated Cinque Terre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site: the five small coastal villages of Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia (a frazione of Vernazza), Vernazza and Monterosso al Mare, are completely free of car traffic, and can be reached only by a railway, hiking trails and a pedestrian ferry service.

Today, La Spezia is the chief Italian naval station and arsenal and the seat of a navigation school. It is also a commercial port, with shipyards and industries producing machinery, metal products, and refined petroleum.

La Spezia is the point of departure for Cinque Terra (5 land). They are the 5 coastal villages in the province of La Spezia. The coastline, the five villages, and the surrounding hillsides are all encapsulated in the Cinque Terra national park. The Cinque Terre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The 5 land from west to east are: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, Riomaggiore.

Lerici is a town of La Spezia, part of the Italian Riveria. For the past, notable authors and writers have lived in Lerici. English writers Mary Shelley & Percy Bysshe Shelly, Hungarian author Baroness Emmuska Orczy were there with her husband. Percy Bysshe Shelly was drown in Lerici on 8 July, 1822 while coming home on a boat trip.

Portoverene is another town of La Spezia along the Italian Riveria. The main sights are: The Gothic Church, consecrated in 1198; The Romanesque Church of St. Lawrence, erected in 1098; The Doria Castle. Portoverne is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to it's rich history dated back to at least the middle of the 1st century BCE.

Once a fishing village, La Spezia has been fortified since the Middle Ages. It was badly damaged by Allied bombing in World War II. There is a notable cathedral (14th-16th cent.) in the city; nearby are the ruins of Luna, a Roman town destroyed in the Middle Ages. It is one of the rare gem in northen Italy where the old and new comes alive!

Simple Tasty Fare - Sandwich

2008-07-20T08:37:00.001-07:00

When we talk about sandwich, it's an image of stuff being piled onto 2 slices of bread, sometimes with tons of dressing. I realised I was wrong when I had my 1st unpretentious sandwich in Italy last December. I didn't think it would make any difference but it did especially when it wasn't eaten in any large fanciful cities like Paris or New York and for the record, sandwich in Paris is crap!

It is a very simple fare of either only meat, meat with cheese & maybe some vegetables, meat with cheese, cheese ith vegetable, of cos there's another which is like fried chicken but we will not go there. The meat are often made up of Salumi, the product family that includes salami with the like of Pancetta, Speck, Coppa etc and of cos the very famous Prosciutto and my all time favourite Mortedella. The cheese will mostly be mozzarella cheese and they use rocket leaves instead of the normal lettuce which in fact enhanced the taste for sandwich.

I love the very uncomplicated flavour that spreads throughout your whole palate yet without losing the distintive taste of the bread, meat, cheese etc. The freshness of the whole sandwich is always made better by the freshness of the bread. Panini, Ciabatta, Focaccia etc depending on the different state.

Andrea & I visited his favourite sandwich shop while in Milan in Dec. The moment we got there, it was packed, trying to find a table isn't easy plus it was winter and space was very limited outdoor. Being a big city, we had more choices with more type of meat but I stay put to the traditional ones.

Since then, eating sandwich will never be the same...ever again!

Treasure What You Have

2008-07-18T00:02:00.000-07:00

Since I've been back in Singapore and he's still in Italy, we've been sending text messages and calling each other. Things like these cannot be help when we are even further than Japan & Singapore. But hearing each other's voices is a comfort especially when work is getting absurd for me.

He has been a pillar of strength, patiently listening to all my grumbles, understanding it hasn't been easy. Occassionally I imagine him as my angel, sweet, kind, patient and sympathetic towards me. Remember a song call "Angel" by Robbie Williams? I took his advise and loved an angel instead.

However, I am glad that it will soon be over cos he'll be back in Japan by 21 July and we'll be able to talk thru' MSN and also see each other. Im thrilled..ha..cos I do not take him for granted, everyday for me it's brand new with him. I told myself that we have only 1 life to live and time flies so you'll never know when your time will be up on earth. Yes, sometimes we annoy each other but the bottom line is to always treasure what you have before it's too late.

Away.....From Each Other Once Again.... But Not For Long

2008-07-11T06:18:00.000-07:00

It has been 2 days since we parted in Italy. Our photos will not reach us until he gets back to Japan in about 11 days time.

Since my touch down in Singapore we have spoken to each other several times and sent numerous SMS messages. Only 2 days now but seemed forever. Ok sounds mushy to some but hey IT'S NOT A CRIME TO MISS SOMEONE.

During the trip, we laughed and joked alot. Talked about our future etc. We were looking at some new apartments. His sister and her boyfriend Giuseppe, his good friend Jacopo recently moved into the other side of town, 5min drive, into a brand new apartment. I though it's nice cos it's brand new but didn't agree with most of the practical aspect. Didn't like the flooring as it's paquet all round, not realistic especially in bathroom and kitchen. Hard to maintain the flooring as you need special attention for it. Didn't like the idea of paying more for just a 2 room apartment even if it's new and has security system.

When we were driving up to PO, we were talking about me leaving Italy in a few days time and how much we'll miss each other and that I do not want to leave. He said something very sweet: "Amore, you are only leaving Italy to visit your family in Singapore for a few months and me to work in Japan. After we will both come back to our home in Italy after your holiday in Singapore and my work in Japan in December." Awwww isn't that sweet? He's such an angel. Besides that, he said something very heartwarming which makes me laugh too but we just can't recall.

We finally moved all his coke collection into his newly build display cabinet. It is quite a sight to see all these bottles and items being placed nicely. His Virgo at work, planning every single bottles to be put at their specific places, making sure it's cleaned etc and my Aries at work, watching from a corner, telling him how and where to place it, finishing the touch with my trained eyes. Sometimes we are just perfect at moment like this.

Just got off the phone with him. Telling me what happened, where he go, whom he met, what he eat, what he did and vice versa. He'll be heading off to Rome for a few hours to settle some work stuff with headoffice and back home within a day. It's good cos he'll be off the same plane with his good friend Marco who'll taking the plane to Rome for a transit for work too. At least now they get to spend sometime, even if it means "sleeping together".

Mickey, another good friend of his has been keeping him company since I was away. Just 2 days ago he came over to the apartment to cook for Andrea and played some football on playstation. He's blessed with many good friends, both male and female.

Last nite he was in Lerici and ths night at Portverene attending some summer beach parties. I know he'll be enjoying himself and I trust him completely when he's out partying just like how he trust me too. We have never restricted each other from going out unlike some other couples who stop each other from having fun. We believe that being together in love doesn't mean we can't have activities with our own friends, it's more healthy this way.

We talked about renting our own apartment in Singapore which will be easier for him each time he comes over to Singapore. Sounds like a good idea & will speak to my aunt bout it since she has an empty apartment in the east.

I miss him but we will see each again very soon in Singapore this September and later December 08/January 09. I really hope that 2010 comes soon so we can make permant plans to live together...maybe in Italy?

Isola d'Elba

2008-07-11T02:05:00.000-07:00

We finally made it to Elba island. Last seen on a travel program, it looks surreal. From my point of view it's awesome! Never in my life have I seen such form of beauty.

The weather was fantastic during our 6 days stay. Our "home"

was Residence St. Claire at Marciana Marina, the NE side of the island. A small but cosy and relative quiet service apartment, saved for the occassional screaming kids from the pool which was right outside our room. Not that we matter since most of the time we slept thru' it. The nice thing about apartment is not having to get holed up in a small room. We had a reasonably good place to move about and big balconies outside both our bedroom & living room.

On our 1st night, we had dinner at a restaurant elegantly set at the end of the city of Marciana Marina, just by the sea. It was lovely, dinner was good. We strolled along the coast and had a little something to drink before heading back. 1st night was good...we concluded the rest of our stay should be this good.

The beaches we stayed, if I can remember well are: Fetovaia, Lacona, Procchio, Cavoli & Biodola. It was all brilliant beaches, the water was cold but good for the heat. I have seen clear waters off some coast of Asian islands like Phuket, Cebu, Bali etc but never like this in Italy. It's indescrible for me, I just fell in love with the island just like how Napoleon did. The water was constantly inviting like a sea nymph. The sun was ever so warm on your skin and it's harshness, if there was, was soothe by the gentle kisses of the breeze. You close your eyes and drew a picture of paradise.

The sun sets at 9pm during summer so dinner was more or less around that time. The bustling streets along the main city coast with it's locals and tourists alike hunting for their dining ground. Some chose comfort while others opted for magniloquent. Besides Marciana Marina, we went for dinner at other cities like Portoferraio, Marina Di Campo, Capoliveri, Porto Azzurro etc. It was all good except Portoferraio, too commercialised, not worth it. Capoliveri, despite being on the mountain, is one hidden jewel.

We had such a glorious time basking ourselves under the sun and sometimes submerging in the sea. I am sure we will head back to Elba island very soon again. Arriverderici!

Perfect Summer 2008

2008-07-10T08:47:00.001-07:00

I am back in Singapore. Sad cos I am away from my love who'll be there till 20 July, happy cos I had a wonderful summer holiday with him in italy. Even thou' we did not make it to Rimini & San Marino due to his stomach problem, I am still happy beacause I had him with me

My flight was a killer. To italy it's SIN-SEOUL-PARIS-MILAN, he was late due to some minor accident on the la strada aka highway. It's about 2-3hrs journey between La Spezia & Milan. Thou tired and with a terribly sore butt, well...was kinda fed up when he was late but all forgiven when he appeared. I was more pissed with the idea of me not having a decent sleep and shower for more than 24hr.

He made me my favourite seafood pasta with white wine. My Amore is a good cook, so to say more Italian men are decently good cook since Italians are passionate with their food. Another plus point they have is the guaranteed freshness of the products. Nothing tastes best with such crispness. I always make sure he cooks it for me and this time round he did it twice, my 1st dinner and another time, dinner at PO, the family's mountain house.

Everything in Italy was perfect, with him. The warmth of the sun, the coolness of the breeze together with the mixture of clean air, especially in Elba island aka Isole D'Elba. We spend a week away from the bustling of the city, a much needed retreat for us. You would think time came to a standstill in the island when all's laid back with a touch of groove of the people strolling around with their sunkissed skin, flip-flops and designer sunglasses.

Verona, our favourite city. We watched Aida in the historical theatre dated 500 years back under the starry skies. It was much colder at night and can drop from 30 degree during the day to 22 degree in the night. Humidity was low so it was good news for me. The only day when I thought I was back in the tropical weather was the wedding day of Roberto & Erica. Erica's the eldest daughter of Andrea's parents' bestfriends. She's already a beautiful girl but on her wedding day she was almost angelic. The dinner by the beach will be way much nicer if the wind did not decided to take a rest on that specific day.. what a spoiler to such an immaculate party.

The flight back to Singapore was most unpleasant as I had to be away from my love and the trip was GENOVA-ROME-SEOUL-SIN. From Rome to Singapore, it was Korean Air all the way!! I am not a fan of korean food and for further confirmation, I decided to try the famous "Bibimpat". YUCKS YUCKS..PUI PUI! I didn't finish it. The soup was MSG loaded that I was downing myself with water. This was it, even thou' it's the airline food that sucksI am not going to touch Korean food for a long time. But flying with the Koreans was an eyeopener, I will comment further.

I MISS MY AMORE SO MUCH! Despite just spent $8 euro on a 30min chat on Skype, it's not enough. I won't be able to see his beautiful face till he gets back to Japan. This is tormenting!

L O V E

2008-06-19T20:46:00.001-07:00

Andrea : Virgo
Trait : Modest, shy, meticulous, reliable, practical, diligent, intelligent, analytical

Neg : Fussy, a worrier, overcritical, harsh, perfectionist, conservative

Me : Aries
Trait : Adventurous, energetic, pioneering, courageous, enthusiastic, confident, dynamic, quick-witted

Neg : Selfish, quick-tempered, impulsive, impatient, foolhardy, dare-deviled

Every couple has it's moments of ups and downs. we are not spared either. Andrea being a perfectionist can be harsh with his words sometimes and me being an Aries, flies into a rage easily thinking he's criticizing me. However, we learned to listen to each other and realised that despite him being critical, he's trying to make me see things sometimes and not act rashly. He as well knows that despite me throwing my tantrums with my fiery temper, I forgive and forget easily. Nobody's perfect and being in a relationship clearly defines that. You are what and who you are, so is your partner. People fall in love cos they feel they are able to grow, learn and accept each other without sacrificing their own identities and self worth. In fact, being with the right person makes you want to be a person. When I say a better person I do not mean changing yourself to suit him or her, it's you already being who you are knowing you can do better.

Most couples think that being with the other person will complete you. Yes I do not deny the fact that I do think that way. I know that Andrea completes me by being that little missing puzzle. Nonetheless, I would rather think we compliment in each other in real life by being good, understanding partners that expect nothing. It is with expectation, especially in relationship that bring disasters. Love do not last with expectations, the more you expect, the more you want, the more you want, the more disappointed you will be just cos you think your partner isn't the one as long as he or she do not live up to your expectation. Love isn't selfish, people are selfish. Always remember, it isn't the gun that kills, it's the person behind the trigger.

Sometimes we do annoy each other but the bottom line is, love bear no grudges. It's about forgiveness and it nurtures. For a relationship to work, always try to put yourself in their shoes, how does it feel if you are treated the same way. When you fight, apologise and mean it : "I am sorry for being a jerk last night becuase I said you were being insensitive when all along it was me just cos I was in a foul mood. Will you forgive me?". There's nothing wrong with apologising, admitting your fault. The greatest of all men, is someone who admit his mistakes and dare to own it up.

L O V E, so simple and yet complicated.

More.....

2008-06-19T08:21:00.001-07:00

We have started tying to learn some basic conversational Italian & Mandarin from each other cos we decided it's better this way to communicate with each other's parents and elders. When I say trying it's due to both our busy working commitment but we try to accomodate accordingly.
I must say to speak Italian is a mouthful and Mandarin for him isn't the easier due to tones. So I bought these little flash cards for him so in between some free time, I would flash these cards to him over our msn chat. He does have that little flair for language for a man, he doesn't fail to impress me.

I hope we can both be able to pick up each other's mother tongue within a year's time.

Update

2008-06-19T07:37:00.000-07:00

I have been very busy with my work that I either do not have time or too exhausted to update.

In between these period of time, Andrea had been sick a few times. Being virgo, he's very prone to stomach ailment. Last time it was really bad when he was in Singapore to visit my family. He was good to begin with and within the next min after our dinner at the pizzeria at the little corner of chijmes, he suddenly felt sick, so sick that we headed back.

It was during that time that I noticed he has a cute habit. I was puzzled that he asked me to take out a little bell from a pouch and even more amused when he started ringing the little bell besides his ears. It was later when he told me that it was a little bell he bought that is supposed to call for your angel when you need it. Of cos I laughed but not that I think he's dumb but I just found it oh so cute when he told me that...he made me look like a unfeeling brute!

Nevertheless, he fell sick a few times after going back to Japan. The weather there is often unpredictable and that was his down fall especially during the transition of weather change. Sometimes I fell helpless not being able to do anything since we are far away and all I can do is to be there to talk to him so that he will not feel alone while he's ill.

This is my love, who is always sick....poor baby.

1st Holiday

2008-06-15T01:42:00.000-07:00

I am happy to say that I made the right decision, took the chance despite him living in Japan due to his work and I am in Singapore. Things are well cos we both took the time and effort to make it work. I won't say it's the easiest thing to do but hey if your partner is worth it, you will figure it out eventually how to work around it.

He's the sweetest thing that has happen to me so far in my life and I truly appreciate all he has done for the past few years. Nothing venture, nothing gain. I took the gamble and I gain much more in my life with him spiritually and mentally as time passes by.

Our 1st holiday together last December, our 1st beautiful memory and the rest will be history.

Florence, Italy

On our way to Cinque Terra, ItalyParis, France

Even thou' it was cold but inside our hearts were warm. Those were one of the best memories I ever had.