Weekend of 24/25 February 2012
On Saturday, I got up early 7.30am, as usual, but since I was expecting Ken and Evan to drop by to pick up Darren to go help with some furniture moving (Ken purchased some beds and tallboys from Uncle Chung), I stuck around until they arrived and woke Daz up. After they had left, which was around 8.30pm, I went for my walk around the neighbourhood.
Got back and had some breakfast. The birthday card I was making for Emily was still unfinished. But as usual, I was not inspired, so I decided to make some hair decorations.
I ended up making tassels for my asian inspire hair ornaments. Using materials which I had bought a long time ago, I was able to fashion quite a number of tassels to dangle from a wooden skewer, which would be arranged in my hair.
By this time I was getting hungry so I went and made some har gow for lunch as well as mee goreng with fried egg. Then see the bananas were overripe decided to back a banana cake, using walnuts and fruit. Should have left the walnuts out, they were a bit past their used by date, and then I got distracted, ironing my white asian pants and left the cake too long in the oven. Lucky Janet took it out.
It was getting close to 5pm, so I started getting ready. Had my shower, did my makeup. Of course at the last minute, Kaylene asked me to stamp a card for her. She was also heading out to a birthday party.
Evan, Nick and Darren got back just after 5pm. So Evan rushed and had a quick shower. I finished dressing into my cheongsam/asian outfit and got Lily to put the tassels in my hair. Janet entertained Nick. Darren also was getting ready to go out.
So much in a rush, thank goodness I remembered the present (pandora bracelet and charm). We left home around 5.30pm. We had to drop Nick off on the way. He had left his car near the Thrifty rental place at West Ryde. Lucky it was on the way. We got to Le Lotus Bleu (Chris & Em's place) by 6.20pm. We were suppose to be there by 6.00pm to surprise Emily at 6.15pm. Lucky for us, Emily was also running late. Chris with the help of family and friends had decked out the place with chinese lanterns. A bar was set up out back and tents with tables and chairs all decked out.
By the time Emily did arrive which was around 7.30pm, the guests had guzzled down cocktails and mocktails and feasted on finger foods - spring rolls, satay sticks, pai gow and baked chicken wings. She had been taken out for a girls pamper day, which involved a nice lunch and then a hair and makeup session by 5 of her best friends. Therefore when she came walking through the door, she was suitable attired with a great hairdo and her face all made up. She looked surprise to see us all there in our cheongsams, chopsticks in hair and happy coats. Most of the men had the bowled hats with extra long pigtails. It was great to see everyone get into the spirit of dressing up. Even the kids were in costumes.
Dinner was a feast of roasted pig, curry chicken, roti, sticky rice, fried rice, greek salad, caesar salad, pasta salad, thai beef salad, paw paw salad. There was quite a lot left over, that guests had takeaway.
After dinner, the kids, William and Amelia performed a lion dance with Silvia directing from the sidelines and Jana throwing firecrackers. It was a performance like no other and everyone was cheering them on. The lion heads were purchase from chinatown for $30-40 dollars and the music was downloaded and recorded by Silvia.
Next up, singing Happy Birthday and cake cutting. A former rower and friend of Em's had been enlisted to make the cake which was in the shape of Tintin with his trusty dog in a Ming vase. It did look impressive, and everyone was admiring it. When it came time to cut the cake, the guests were divided, some wanted to keep it as is, others said to slice it up. The cake came with instructions of how to cut it up. Although it looked amazing, comments were that the cake didn't taste as nice as it looked. I didn't try any, but had a mini pavlova and some mango custard.
Evan had been contracted to photograph the event, so he was busy taking photos in between meals and drinks. Although he had a costume, I didn't get a chance to take any photos of him in his get up. Jacq and Rich had dressed Oliver and Juliet - she looked so cute.
Evan and I gave her a pandora bracelet and charm ($128)
I had bought my outfit from Market City, where Jacq had also got the outfits for Juliette and Oliver.
Silvia had taught the kids a lion dance which they performed for us with Jana lighting and throwing the crackers.
We left the party around 11.30pm and it was going to be another early start on Sunday.
Up again at 7.30pm on Sunday, Evan cam around at 8am. The plan was for Evan to drive the van to Thrifty and drop it off, I was to follow in the Rav. We did learn important fact. The thrifty van took diesel and the tank was located near the passenger door, required the door to be open. When filling up with diesel, you need to take it slow as the diesel tends to froth up like champagne. Evan filled the tank and cos it overflowed, he thought it was full - in actual fact it wasn't even halfway full. When he took it back to the rental place, the guy explained it to him, so know we know.
It was too early to drop in at Uncle Chung's place, so we went to Carlingford Village for an asian breakfast - but all the shops there were still closed, it was 9am, and only the fish shop was open. No congee for breakfast, so we went to Carlingford Court and settled for Maccas. 9.30 am and we headed off to the Chungs. Uncle dresses just like Darren, walking around the house in his boxer shorts. Evan got straight to work cleaning out the PC, whilst Uncle kept giving me things to take.
We ended up packing up several plastic containers filled with crockery, power cords, baking trays, and other bits and pieces which Uncle wanted to get rid of. Ken got his wedding lamp, back packs and other items. We left there place around 12 noon. Time for some lunch, so I rang Jacq to find out what she was up to, no answer, so I called Richard, also no answer, and then Richard called me back, apparently Jacq had gone to Emily's, but would be back soon, so I suggested KFC for lunch. So Evan and I drove back to Carlingford Court KFC and got a Streetwise feast (6 pieces, 3 chicken strips, 6 nuggets and 2 large chips) deal with extra 10 wicked wings and bought soft drinks at Woollies. Got to Jacq's around 1pm. She supplied the salads from Em's leftovers and we had our lunch at Jacq's. The weather was just not hot enough to go swimming, although it was muggy. So we chatted and played with Oliver and Juliet. Richard had washed down his deck and underneath the deck roof. Around 4.30pm Mare and A. Joy popped in after having watched Silent Movie at Castle Hill.
Around 5.30pm it was time for us to go, so as Mare and A. Joy was also leaving, so did we. Driving to Casey and Shirley's we weren't sure what time we were suppose to be there for dinner. Apparently it was 5pm, we got there around 6.30pm, oops.
Shirley's mum and dad, her brother, Jeff and girlfriend, Cheryl and Bindy and Ange had eaten already finished eating when we got there, but Casey kept us company with a second helping of Shirley's mum home made laksa.
Didn't really have time to make a special card for Shirley, so used one I had already made and gave her one of the Simply Sent card kits.
She had a Tiramisu cake as well as a Pecan flan. No candles in the house, so Bindy and Casey made a makeshift candle using a Chocolate finger biscuit, drilled a hole into it with a drill bit and placed a match which could then ber lit. Definitely overdid my calories on the weekend. Didn't get a chance to play with Matty and Izzy, but Matty has definitely grown and Izzy is so cute when she's not sleeping.
I was so tired, but didn't get to bed until 11.30pm. It was a very busy weekend.
