cost of a wedding

As the weather warms up, I guess we’re headed right into wedding season again. I haven’t got any wedding invites of late, whew! Not that I don’t like attending but wedding gifts can make quite a dent in my budget. Usually it’s an unexpected expense and I have to somehow make up for it in one way or another. From what I hear, weddings don’t come cheap these days. The cost of the reception, dinner, bridesmaid gifts and photography can add up pretty quickly.

impressive lion dances

We managed to catch the last lion dance performance last weekend before they wrap up for this Chinese New Year. It was really neat to see lively lions leaping at great heights to the fiesty beat of drums.

I’m very impressed at the skills of the lion dance performance. The lion head is very heavy and it’s not easy to balance on high poles. I mean, what do these guys eat to be that good??! Or are they fitted with Mopar performance parts that make them so fearless when leaping about at such heights?

city to ourselves

The roads are clear and the malls were half-deserted and we’ve got the entire city to ourselves. Most of the stores are closed and anyone who’s even looking to visit the drugstore may well have ended up resorting to home treatment for hemorrhoids and other minor problems instead.

We were there only to find a place to have a quick dinner. I cooked a big lunch and really wasn’t going to wear myself cooking dinner as well. So me and the kids decided, against our better judgement, to hit the malls on the eve of the festivities. Luckily there were a few restaurants still open!

Happy V-Day!

Happy Valentine’s Day! Frankly this year, with Chinese New Year falling on February 14, the idea of Valentine’s Day was completely pushed to the background for many of us who are celebrating CNY.

All I can say is that a double celebration calls for double the amount of good food and fun. I wouldn’t worry about the quick weight loss bit. Just eat, drink and be merry and when the festivities are over and the stress begins, your weight will work itself out .

a stress-free romantic wedding

I guess this year’s Valentine’s Day is no different from any other in terms of being the most popular day for weddings. It’s so romantic, isn’t it, to be married on the most lovey-dovey day of the year! I’d say.

Having said that, planning a wedding can be very stressful. Who needs stress? Exactly what many couples are thinking these days and probably the biggest reason why many are opting for destination weddings with wedding and honeymoon all rolled into one easy package.

A wedding on the white sandy beaches of the Riviera Maya? Now you’re talking. The entire resort is designed to let couples get the most out of their big day with the least amount of stress. Sounds like a romance made in heaven!

no rush yet

Woo-hoo, the weekend is here and that officially makes it a couple of weeks to Chinese New Year. I still haven’t done any shopping to that end but I can sure see hordes of folks getting into the thick of decorating their homes with lanterns, buying discount rugs to lay across their doorways to welcome guests and hogging tins of cookies and festive delicacies in readiness for all the cooking and eating that’s customary this time of year. We typically celebrate on a small scale so there’s no rush yet .