Wednesday, March 4, 2009

A Thank You Note


Hubby and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary on the 1st of March this year. That sounds like a lifetime but actually feels like the blink of an eye. Time does fly especially when we are taking care of 5 lively children. 
We had a lot of plans as to how to spend this special day but then everything changed when Heather, our eldest daughter decided she would be home for the occasion. She started planning last year when she realised she couldn't be home for x'mas or CNY. She wanted it to be a surprise but realised she had to let one of us in on her plans to make sure we do not fly off to somewhere at the time. She decided to surprise her daddy as he has always been the one giving surprises. So I was made to conspire in my own surprise anni celebration. I didn't anticipate this job to be sooo difficult...I had to turned down a culinary trip to Changmai, a visit to NZ to see Don and a Rod Steward concert in Singapore!! And my hubby was getting very upset as the date approached and I was refusing to go anywhere he suggested. I was bursting to tell too when the younger siblings asked when the che che be home but I had to keep mum.


We spent one night at the Kinabalu National Park as this was the place where we first met more than 35 years ago. Our honeymoon 30 years ago was, yes, you guessed it, here too. This has to be our favorite place on earth. 
The surprise gift Heather presented us was most touching and couldn't have been more appropriate-- a dinner by a French chef. 
For Kevin, it was like a dream come true whereby he got to work closely with a chef (he called himself sous chef for that day) and he got to ask the chef all the culinary questions he needed answering so much so that William let him on to a secret. If he ever get a chance to dine at a top restaurant in Paris, Tokyo or New York, keep all these questions flowing, the chefs might think he is a Michelin inspector and he just might be lucky enough to be served the best meal they have to offer. He even got the chef to teach him how to sharpen all his knives. 
I was told to go do my nails, pamper myself and only come downstairs when the guests arrive. I was also told not to take any pictures. So I had to steal all these pictures from hub's camera. One shot I would love to have taken was my three girls serving the seated guests. They were so good! Thank you, girls.
    
The chef at the market and....

all the hard work that went into making the most enchanting evening...

Thank you, Heather for your love and thoughtfulness. William, thank you for so generously sharing with us some of your culinary secrets and artistic skills. 
Go to Terri for the night's food review as she summed it all up perfectly. For us it was an eye-opener as far as entertaining at home is concerned. Simplicity is the keyword but having a chef certainly helps. 

I felt so inadequate as I had so limited equipment and kitchen utensils for them to work with but look how far a little creativity can get you. They sourced all these from my kitchen,  store room and garden. 

And turned an ugly duckling into a swan... a beautiful table setting...

To our dear family and friends who shared with us the lovely evening, thank you for making this a truly memorable anniversary. 
We would have loved to share this occasion with all our family and friends, however the logistics and location would have made it impossible to make it the intimate, memorable and culinary experience that it was.   
We are deeply grateful to God for all these years we are permitted to be together. No words are ever adequate to express our deep gratitude.

15 comments:

Heather said...

awwwww! mi!!!!

so cold back in SH. missing home awfully right now.

i still think u deserve even more than we gave u - the best parents in the world...

love, love, love, love, love, love.

*emo and speechless now*

irenebui said...

Congrats & thks for sharing this wonderful moment, so loving, so touching, so romantically beautiful ... May you and family continue to enjoy HIS great love and blessings forever & ever until the end of time, AMEN...
:>

terri@adailyobsession said...

u met more than 35 yrs ago?! i was there rmber, along with cat, wee etc.i think it was 1975, so it was 'less than 35 yrs' ago sweetie!

u must teach me how to sharpen my knives, tt's such a frustrating thing for me. i buy a knife almost every trip (bought another on my recent sing trip, a santoku, smthing like tt, very sharp) but they always disappoint aftr a while, even zwilling henkels'.

n i can c the diff the 'canon' canon does. the pics are beautiful n the colors amazing! very very jealous oh me :( wish i have a better cam n lenses PLUS the skill.

n thanx again for inviting us to an amazing dinner! tt part about how kev looked when he saw heather, it made me tear slightly. i can imagine how he smiled n the whole atmosphere :))) priceless moments!

Anonymous said...

Hi Jo :-)Imagine bumping into you here! Its me, Esther. You still look the sameeee! So pretty and Capt Kev looks still every inch the cool capt. Heather! So big! Talk soon.

Esther

irenebui said...

hi, it's me again.
i've got a card specially made for u, check it out at my blog.
hope u like it....

a feast, everyday said...

df, we won't mind another surprise on our 31st :D

Irene, tq so much for ur loving thoughts and prayers.
And the cute card with such a romantic poem...

terri, tis time u r wrong- it was 1974, rmber our 'honeymoon yr' after a major exam? It was exactly 35 yrs ago.

Ask k to teach u the knife sharpening skill, i was too busy doing my nails when the class was on.

U r limited by ur camera, i hv to say tt again n again to get it into ur thick skull..:p


Esther, how r u??? Yeah, fancy meeting here. The last time we meet was in Tong Hing like 5 yrs ago???or more?? drop in here often and we can keep in touch, ok?

Anonymous said...

Hi Jo and Kev, Huge Congratulations! 30 years is a massive milestone! What lovely photos, what lovely food, and the best foodies I've had the honour and pleasure to know. So good to see you all in a picture. Miss you all very much. :-)

Anonymous said...

Happy Anniversary to you and uncle!!! wish i could have been there to celebrate with you guys.
Wish you guys many more years of happiness (and take lots n lots of photos :D )
Love
Starr

Denise ^ ChickyEGG said...

hi, may I ask which resort is tat at Mt.Kinabalu ?

a feast, everyday said...

starr, thank you and we wished u n don were here too. We'd try to plan a trip to auckland b4 the weather turns cold :D

denise, it was a cabin in the national park itself. It is called the nepenthes, i think.

Elvina czQin said...

So envy *melts* hehe... happy anniversary to you, aunty :)

a feast, everyday said...

Frank, tq. time for u to take a break with Iris n come over to KK :=)

Nana, tq and no need to envy... ur time will come.

Anonymous said...

yeah you guys better come faster cos the weather is turning cold and windy now. Unless you guys wanna come for skiing season, that would be nice too :D

guillaume said...

Dear Joanne and Kevin,



Just a few sentences to show my admiration and my wishes of happiness for both of you that my eyes are a-part-whole is an example of what is or should be love in this world.

I arrived in surprise as a cherry on the cake this Thursday morning in Sabah, already with my departure from Shanghai with my head full of ideas and Heather with me my only source of inspiration that told me ' do not worry everything go well ... 'but I must admit that the number of pressure that I can accumulate both mentally and physically it is the first time in my life I had as much excitement before an event, with a mixture of stress and an emulsion of adrenaline to make this dinner with all the acuteness of my senses so that we can offer what I could do better ... give pleasure

I hope this small market has enjoyed a Kevin and never forgets' establishment 'the key to the success of a lunch or dinner is the ...

I renew again all my wishes of happiness has the two and adding that I come from a country or its reputation is based on its history, having hosted many poets and philosophers who have written wonderful things which texts and their memories are supposed to leave a people for generations and generations a moral identity .... for having me share this moment many feel.


What happiness and happiness always

W.

a feast, everyday said...

Starr, i think we can only make it in june as there is a two-week school holiday then. Too cold??

W, we thank u again for the lovely evening. K enjoyed the trip to the fish market thoroughly - almost as much as his sous chef role..