Update, Part Deux - Wedding...Trip

In addition to complete the goal of a lifetime, Ms. Champagne also achieved yet another milestone: getting married! Yes, Millie is no longer a bastard child, Cathy and Tyler have made her street legal.

Again, another scorching hot day for the wedding, but really a fantastic day...actually, a fantastic week, starting off with a decidedly indulgent but oh-so-blissful spa day at the Carmichael Inn. (If you haven't been there yet, I highly recommend it!) We were massaged and facialed and body wrapped and fed delicious food until we emerged quivering like jello, we were so relaxed.

A few days later we had a group pedicure session at the Third Avenue Spa where we all fell asleep in our reclining chairs, then headed to the rehearsal dinner after constructing boutonnieres and corsages by hand. I spent the night at Cathy's and got up bright and early on Saturday, ready for hair, makeup, bouquet-making, McDonald's, and Ferris Bueller.

I felt important because in addition to my flower-arranging duties, I was responsible for coordinating the music for the ceremony, which is more complicated than you would think: fading in, fading out, music for before the ceremony, signing-the-license music, music for the presentation of the bride and groom. Thank God for Ipods, that's all I can say.

Also, I took a couple of pictures...about 200, in fact.

I really had a fantastic time. The bride and groom looked so happy, everyone was having fun, and it was great to meet all the family and friends. The only thing I would have changed was the band, but most of the other guests seemed to be enjoying them and dancing. But I managed to hijack the Ipod during the band's break, and busted out a few moves on the dancefloor before the end of the evening.

Congratulations, Cathy and Tyler! I love you guys.


Work has been busy, as I was transitioning into a new job and still dealing with exams for about a month. I am now full-time in my new position but am wrapping things up this week because I leave for a much-needed 4-week holiday on Sunday.

HOLIDAY! Yay!

My itinerary goes something like this:
  • June 25: Fly to Singapore (via Chicago and Tokyo)
  • Spend a few days acclimatizing to the time change and the heat with my aunty Winnie and her family. Eat, eat, and eat some more.
  • Bus to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Visit with lots of relatives, some of whom I haven't seen in over 20 years. Eat, eat, and eat some more.
  • Bus back to Singapore to stay with my cousins Wendy and Bok Mun. I plan to get Bok to drive me around in his Mini Cooper and pretend like I'm in The Italian Job. Try to make up for any missed eating opportunities.
  • July 9: Fly to Tokyo.
  • Hang out with T; eat a lot of sushi and noodle soup (or, conversely, lose a lot of weight due to being too poor to eat); get completely lost; ride the rails to Kyoto, Nara, Mount Fuji and various other places; embarrass myself trying to speak Japanese; feel like a whale compared to the thin Japanese girls; and, break the arm of a dirty lech who tries to feel me up anonymously on the Tokyo subway.
  • July 24: Return to Ottawa (boo hoo)

I have to say that I am really looking forward to this trip, even though I have done virtually no planning and have virtually no money. I am excited about re-connecting with long-lost relatives and friends, as well as exploring a new country (Japan.) Although there are certain people back here who I will really miss, I think this trip will be a great opportunity for personal growth, a little family history-gathering, and just having fun. At least, I hope so! Wish me a Bon Voyage!

Comments

  1. UnknownJune 23, 2006 2:07 AM

    sweet mother of christ, you're always on the run!! have an amazing time isha. i love you. i'll be thinking of you from toronto, as usual.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousJune 26, 2006 8:48 AM

    are you there yet???

    I thought you were only leaving at the end of THIS week! I would have sent an inspirational email before you left...who are we kidding?

    Did I tell you I am jealous? Well, I am going to NORTHERN Ontario this summer....wow. North Bay. so exciting!!

    I hope you get some time to post some AMAZING pictures!

    Peace out.

    ReplyDelete
  3. JorgeJune 26, 2006 2:50 PM

    As usual, I will mask my jealousy with the much-vaunted Dave/Jorge argument:

    I can kick your ass, so it doesn't matter what you do/where you go/how much money you have.

    Bastard.

    I don't get to see you often enough. And I feel compelled to say I will miss you when you're gone.

    Word to Japan!

    ReplyDelete
  4. DaveJuly 03, 2006 4:50 PM

    In case you read it hear before I see you: Cathy, you and Tyler looked great. I wish we could have been around, but then again, you could just have been less selfish and had the wedding in Dover to accomodate us. (They have nice cliffs there, don't you know.) Looking forward to hearing all the details soon.

    Isha, have an amazing time. Also: crazy coincidence, but I also have cousins named Wendy and Bok Mun. Small world, no?

    ReplyDelete

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