Here's to 10 years and more

The hub made a casual remark about the number of special occasions we celebrate in a year. Excluding family birthdays, we also make it a point to remind ourselves of the life-time commitment we pledged to each other: our engagement (8 August 1996), official wedding anniversary (25 May 1999) and our Chinese customary wedding dinner (30 September 2001).

Yes, we've created this calendar of events for us to remember, for better of for worse, the moments we decided to legally become man and wife. Naturally, an excuse for us to steal some moments away from the kids to spend some couple-time together. 

Unfortunately, it's also become a real headache in the gift-giving department when we've got so many reasons to buy (and receive) presents.

This year marks our 10th customary wedding anniversary - the year we officially moved in and stayed together as a married couple. Since I wasn't able to take leave on our actual wedding anniversary, we planned for an earlier celebration. I volunteered to plan for the day and after some research, decided to make a reservation at Absinthe, a French restaurant along Bukit Pasoh Road off Chinatown. 

However, whatever plans for the day had to be scrapped because my suspicion that Wen's infected with chicken pox was confirmed when I brought her to the doctor's.

I guess that's the price of parenthood. Not that the hub or I really minded.

We did continue dinner as planned and arrived promptly at Absinthe. We were the first patrons and got the best seats - away from the main door.

Just the two of us - our romantic dinner

The food, though pretty good, wasn't remarkably fantastic. For entrée, we ordered Foie Gras Poêlé, Blinis tiède et Cerises Griottes (Pan-Fried Foie Gras with Warm Blinis and Morello Cherries) which tasted a little overcooked and burnt at the edges:

Foie Gras Poêlé, Blinis tiède et Cerises Griottes (Pan-Fried Foie Gras with Warm Blinis and Morello Cherries)

Our main course was Côte de Bœuf “Wagyu”, Gratin Dauphinois, Légumes à la Vapeur, Sauce Béarnaise (Rib of Australian Wagyu, Potato Gratin, Steamed Vegetables and Béarnaise Sauce). We were pleased with our choice as the beef was cooked to succulent perfection, but the portions were HUGE and enough for 4 adults! It was a little embarrassing when I asked if we could take-away the remaining meat but the waitress didn't bat an eyelid when I made the request. Possibly because we're not the first customers who couldn't finish the food.

Cheers!

Côte de Bœuf “Wagyu”, Gratin Dauphinois, Légumes à la Vapeur, Sauce Béarnaise (Rib of Australian Wagyu, Potato Gratin, Steamed Vegetables and Béarnaise Sauce)

So much left-overs!

Our "tar-pow"

When Chef François made his rounds, we revealed that we were celebrating our anniversary. After our main course (which we managed to eat only half!), we decided to forego dessert. That's when the staff surprised us with a complimentary sweets and a surprise:

Complementary sweets

Special dessert on the house!

A grinning hub

I survived 10 years of living with the hub (and his family)

Just before we left, the friendly staff took a photo of us.

10 years!

As the night was still young, we drove to Vivo City and watched Johnny English Reborn, a spy comedy starring rubber-face Rowan Atkinson. After a heavy meal, we really wanted a no-brainer light-hearted barrel of laughs to complete the day.

Back home to our Haven@Arif

I really didn't expect to celebrate the occasion again, especially since I was busy with the Supplementary Board of Examiners' meeting on Friday, our actual anniversary date. When I got back to the office after the 2 hour plus meeting at about 5.30pm, I was greeted by this:

Surprise!

The hub had sneaked into my office to place the bouquet on my table. The door was locked but my new colleague Y had happened to walk past and she accessed the room with her staff card. :)

When I called the hub, he'd left and was busy in the new office his company was moving to (which is about less than 10 minutes drive from my work place). He ended off the call with "See you later for dinner!"

So we went on our second dinner date, albeit a little late at 9pm, at Clarke Quay. This time, we settled for something less pricey at Fremantle Seafood Market.

a glass of white wine

My Strawberry Daiquiri

Hearty Seafood Platter

Cod Fish & Chips

The hub wanted to catch a midnight movie but I was exhausted and fell asleep in the car on our way home. He was tickled when he pulled up at the driveway and I was still knocked out.

Yes, my system's not accustomed to any intrusion of alcohol, regardless of the amount. In my case, the Strawberry Daiquiri was the culprit. Silly, isn't it?

Anyway, I stayed awake long enough to pass him his presents - 10 for 10 years of living together as a wedded couple.

10 presents for 10 years!

Even I can't believe that we've survived 10 years of living with each other and putting up with each other's nonsense. Some believe that I'm happily married but in reality, every couple has issues. There's no such thing as a perfect relationship and we've got to constantly work at it. Sometimes I feel that I'm at the losing end and have to fight hard to maintain a positive outlook. Other times I admit my faults and wish I could change things.

But we are mere mortals and imperfection's built into our DNA. This understanding of human nature is what keeps me going, knowing that while we often strive to become better, we'll never be the best. I don't lose sleep over this, accepting whatever that comes my way, rebelling where I deem fit because it's too tiring to fight every single battle.

That's my strategy and that's how I've done it.