Twelve Years Later

12 years ago Charles and I took a photo session in Taipei for our wedding. It was quite an interesting experience. We never wore this much make-up, and the dresses were highly glamorous. 12 years later, I wanted to have another one, intending to document how our family has grown. 

Steel Anniversary

11 years!! Charles was looking for something steel for the anniversary. I happened to have the need to replace my watch band.

Happy Valentine’s Day

Charles and I went snowboarding at Big Bear Mountain on Valentine's weekend. It was a miserable day for me. I felt that I was a three-year-old, whining about not being able to accomplish a task. This was not the first time I got on a snowboard, yet I gave up so quickly and refused to go for another round.

Out and About | Knott’s “Married” Fun

I’ve been wanting to do this ever since we purchased Knott’s Berry Farm annual pass back in 2018: I would like a date with my husband, just the two of us, hopping on some thrill rides and enjoying food without interruption. Then the pandemic hit so on and so forth… Still and all, Knott’s was being so considerate and understanding that they extended the annual pass till May 2022!

Bronze Anniversary

Last week the fourth marked the 8th year of our marriage. Who would believe that Mr. Chu surprised me with a bronze personalized gift! What a surprise! This unromantic guy actually spent time online searching for something made out of bronze and finding one that his wife wouldn’t blame him for wasting money. XD

We had less than two hours to spare on Thursday morning.

Family Photos with the Bump

This is our third time, most likely the last, taking baby bump photo shoot. Photographer Johnson Yang took them back in May on a rarely cold day (which now I miss it so much.) We picked the same place where Charles and I got married, Diamond Bar Center. I felt that it is especially meaningful to revisit this beautiful venue six years later with two little ones plus a bun in the oven!

Six Years and One Day

I used to buy or ask for some sentimental stuff for our anniversary, like our paper anniversary and wood anniversary. However, I couldn’t think of anything I want that is made out of iron for the sixth anniversary. Yesterday was our six years anniversary; probably the least romantic one so far. He went to work for his handyman project after church while the little ones and I stayed home and took a nap. We didn’t even go out for dinner. I was really proud of myself at the end of the day because I used to get mad at his “unromantic” nature but now I was like “haha, I know you so well!”

Wood Anniversary

查理斯問, 今年結婚紀念可以做點什麼紀念物品? 我愣了一下, 等等...已經第五年了?!

第五年, 木婚, 看來他等這年等了一會兒, 要來發揮一下他的木工手藝

查理斯想做個相框之類的木製品, 於是我推薦了部落客 Power Bower 的這個相片架, 比起普通的木頭框有創意多了, 還可以任意更換位置和裝飾

Hello, 2016

Let’s begin our 2016 journey with our lovey dovey photos by photographer Johnson.

The Best Birthday Gift from Above

Leather Anniversary

Three years. Happy Anniversary my man ;)

I bought a pair of travel leather luggage tag with our initial for our Leather Anniversary:

I couldn't recall what we did for our 2nd Anniversary. However, I insisted that we should continue the gift tradition (see our Paper Anniversary) to purchase something “cotton” for our Cotton Anniversary so I bought ourselves a pair of Life is Good T-shirt:

On the other hand, Charles promised me a canvas of our honeymoon photo to be hung on our bedroom wall; It didn’t happen until I kept nagging about it this year… He saw a deal on Groupon $6.99 8x12 Canvas + $9.99 shipping. He bought five of them to complete the panorama that he took in Bora Bora:

Over our new headboard, sweet~

Under the Water

Recently, a friend inquired about our extraordinary engagement session. I digged out those amazing photos and wanted to share here. I don’t think I’ve ever revealed our engagement photos. These photos were once again taken by Johnson Yang, the same photographer who shot our wedding, maternity, and baby little en.

It was a super fun experience. I remember I was having a hard time to sink myself to the bottom of the pool. Charles had no such problem on the other hand, so we tried out different positions so that the photographer could take better shots...

Maternity Belly Shoot

Thanks to our family friend Johnson Yang, a photography enthusiast, who continues to build up the Chu Family's memories by lots of great photos. (see our wedding)

Expanding the Chu’s Sweet Home

Every project gets so slow in August; mostly half done, unfinished, pending, to be continued...

To make Charles less stressful, I memo here in Chinese:

• 家庭影院 BESTA 牆櫃
• 固定拉門
• 拉門重新噴漆
• 廚房窗簾
• 客廳書櫃
• 客廳油漆
• 床頭板上色
• 浴室...

Everything gets a little slower than we expected because we’re expanding the Chu’s Sweet Home in different way. 

Guess what?!?!

We kept it to ourselves for a while only because we wanted to wait for the bump to make this photo project! XD

Yes, and we’re THRILLED!!

Paper Anniversary

Before the end March, I must document this very special day of the month, March. 4th, 2013.

Time flies so fast. I can’t believe it has been over one year already!! We postponed our honeymoon a year after the wedding so we were in Tahiti and her islands celebrated our one year anniversary. 

That day on March 4th was the day we left Moorea for Bora Bora. Before I packed the luggage, I jumped into the water for the last taste of Moorea’s crystal clear ocean from our overwater bungalow. When I got out of the water, a card was sitting on the footstool. That was the sweetest moment of the day. 

A simple card that is made out of paper is a perfect gift for the first anniversary. Even though those cute icons do not represent what we are just yet, I’m looking forward to see those toys cluttering up the house in the near future :)

Before we took off for the honeymoon, I ordered a custom World Word Map (which is also a paper gift) from inkofme’s Esty shop as an anniversary gift for him (and me). 

For example:

I got to decide the size, background color, and where to put the heart icon that is to say “Home is where the Heart is.”

I reused my old college cork board and painted the trim in black and the cork in white.

What I really want to do is to be able to pin the places that we travel world wide. Tahiti shall be the first pin but it’s too small to be on this map... :(

 Oh well, I just placed the pin wherever it should be...

I do appreciate the designer who keeps Taiwan with an initial “T” on the map. :)

Travel | Pearl of the Pacific, Bora Bora

2013.03.03 - 2013.03.06 Bora Bora, the Society Islands, French Polynesia

Source

Bora Bora 原意為從黑暗中升起 (risen from the darkness) 或是上帝的傑作(created by God); 它的美來自於大海的深藍, 淺灘的湛藍, 陪襯著瀉湖的藍綠, 多重的青藍交錯圍繞著古早海底火山所形成的山峰 Mt. Otemanu (727m) 和 Pahia, 如今幾乎已是一座環狀珊瑚礁島; 太平洋戰爭時期, 美軍進駐開發, 鋪起一條環島道路, 戰後漸漸形成一座渡假勝地, 這小小的珍珠島嶼至今已塞入近十幾家擁有水上屋的大型飯店, 其中包含國際知名的豪華酒店 St. Regit 和 Four Season 等五星級飯店, 堪稱是世界上數一數二最浪漫的渡假旅館之一

Day 4

道別 Moorea 前往 Bora Bora 的這天, 正是我們結婚足足一周年的日子

~HAPPY ANNIVERSARY~

午後搭乘小型客機前往這座海上天堂, 記得搶搭左面位置得以從空中一覽 Bora Bora 和其他島群; 抵達後高級旅館都會派專船前來接載, 我們則是搭乘免費公家遊艇直達市中心 Vaitape, 一路上就被多樣神奇的藍色, 和水上屋延伸出海的奇妙景色給震懾著...

入住的飯店雖不是那些世界最浪漫的飯店之一, 卻也是擁有水上屋的 Maitai Polynesia Bora Bora, 座落在主島南端, 鄰近當地著名的白沙海灘 Matira, 是個低預算又可享水上屋的選擇; 只是入住過洲際 Moorea 的高級水上屋在先, 一入門便體會了由奢入儉的困難; Hotel Maitai 屬三星級, 成立時間也較悠久, 設備自然陳舊些, 水上屋內隔間也差強人意, 只好一直自我強調 Matira 地點好, 如此也才不會賴在房內, 浪費了外頭的美景...

雖然沒有雜誌上的玻璃地板, 還是有個玻璃茶几, 還可打開餵魚!

卸下行李後四處走走, 比鄰便是洲際在波拉波拉主島上的飯店

Intercontinental Bora Bora Le Moena

晚間由飯店提供晚餐, 終於讓我們擺脫了泡麵零食和 Meal Ready to Eat 餐包, 總算吃到了當地的菜餚, 可任選前菜, 主餐和點心各選一樣, 飲料自費, 只是不太友善地連水還得外收五美元...

左圖為抵抗大溪地的昂貴所準備的吃食, 連 Brita Filter 都備齊了!

Day 5

抵達波拉波拉後, 海風雖強但老天賞了不下雨的恩賜, 讓我們興致勃勃地展開探險之旅; 從入住的水上屋可遙望建在對岸小島上的 Sofitel Motu Resort, 小島與小島間是愛浮潛的遊客們必經的珊瑚花園 (Coral Garden); 從昨日就志氣高昂地打算自划 Kayak 浮潛去, 莫約一公里的距離, 衝著海風還真的給我們划到了! 當場省下$130 的團費; Coral Garden 是一大群巨型珊瑚礁的聚集地, 同時成了海中生物們的棲息之處... 麻煩是浮潛後還得自己划回去, 回程尤其是個挑戰, 原本幾乎已繞過 Sofitel 的水上屋了, 卻因為海底內流處處與我們作對而改原路划回; 實在佩服男生的體力和肌肉, 划到後來我的划槳已無法對船隻前進有任何的貢獻... 

也不知哪來精力, 回到飯店沖個澡, 簡單午膳後居然整裝再出發, 真是一刻也不得浪費! 這次還是掏出了$130 (貴!) 租了兩個小時無需駕照的 6V 馬力小船, 繞島一周費時四小時, 我們只有一小時去一小時回, 最遠也還是看到了 Le Meridien 的水上屋; 沿途風光明媚, 繞著主峰海水藍得一蹋糊塗

依當時的速度其實是有機會看到 St. Regis 和四季飯店的, 只是看來看去水上屋不過就那麼回事, 於是我們回頭折返到了一片人間天堂:

見見幫我們拍照的好朋友:

這可是旅遊大溪地的必備品, 因為時時有找不到人幫忙拍照的處境...

Bora Bora 外環礁幾乎都屬私人島嶼, 大約都被有錢人家給買光光了吧?! 難得還有此處屬公共 Public Beach; 海水及膝, 隨手一拋便可下錨, 腳下是珊瑚化成白白的粗砂, 從環礁內側延伸至少一公里內一大片白裡透藍的淺灘, 宛如立身於大海中央

Day 6

感謝 Hotel Maitai 的美意, 下午4:40P 前往機場的發車時間, 飯店讓我們下午四點才check out, 幾乎一個大白天的時間, 便徒步走去當地居民公認最美的 Matira Beach; 穿越 Hotel Matira 就是一片白淨淨的沙灘和透藍的海水...

好像在為雜誌外拍...

既然都走過了主島最南端的 Matira Pointe, 不仿繼續繞島而行, 目標是位於西南岸, Bora Bora 最著名的餐廳- Bloody Mary's; 此餐廳出名到在入口處安了兩塊大木板, 載滿了世界各地的知名人士, 從好萊塢明星, 美國政客, 甚至登陸月球的 Buzz Aldrin 都曾慕名而來; 店中波里尼西亞風格強烈, 最具特色的是舖滿細沙的地, 以及當日捕獲的生鮮海鮮直接擺列在眼前現選現吃; 明白大溪地飲食的貴, 曬了這麼一大段烈陽走來也只為了一瞧究竟, 幸好沒有抱著期待要來用餐的心情不然就大所失望了, 因為當午整個餐廳被一艘豪華遊輪給包了下來, 老闆似乎有些不好意思, 讓我們隨意進出照照相, 許多為了來飽餐一頓的遊客們都深受打擊...

徒步 Bora Bora 南角, 與 Moorea 相比人口似乎熱絡些, 少了緊密的山林家家背山面海; 此趟日正當頭, 海水在陽光照射下呈現更加深刻的藍, 一路上只要是看得到海的地方都藍到一個不行, 從沒見過同一片海面上竟能擁有三四種不同的青, 不同的藍, 還切割得如此鮮明! 

此圖無修片啊~

眼看著就要與美麗的山水訣別, 心情很是複雜, 六天五夜下來與海洋的親密接觸雖是不捨卻也想家了, 如今記錄下來是為了不讓這些照片在時間的流逝下最終埋藏在電腦裡... 無論如何我一定一定不會忘記這片深藏在南太平洋的寶地...

捎張明信片回家, 拔麻, 你們收到了嗎?

<<終>>

初回: Tahiti and Her Islands
次回: The Magical Island, Moorea
終回: Pearl of the Pacific, Bora Bora