Post by Julia Tedjajana.
Showing posts with label mathieu. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mathieu. Show all posts
Photo Booth Frenzy
Judging how easy and fun it was when Mat and I raided a photo booth back then, presumably I'd very much like doing it again with Owen.
Turned out, there were couple of things I failed to acknowledge beforehand:
- He was just a baby, with his ever-changing baby mood.
- Though he loved to smile upon seeing his (and my) reflection in the mirror most of the time, I couldn't say the same of him seeing his (and my) face on the monitor.
- No one else inside the booth that could help calling out for him, or cheering him up, or waving at him to trigger his laughs.
- Strange sound, like the sound of the background roller, scared the hell out of him.
- He might be claustrophobic too.
- Carrying a 10-kg baby, comforting him, getting him to look at the camera lens' direction, while trying to hold both of our poses inside the frame through time-countdown, required an expert skill. Smiling needed some power-ups.
Then Mat came knocking on the booth's door in the middle of the second session, and joined into the crowd. By this time, Owen was already too upset. Pretty sure if he could, he would say to the camera, "NOOO!! You and I, END. NOW!", and then he would smack the camera till its doom.
Well, it was fun, indeed, that we gave another visit to the booth the following week. This time, with Oma. I told Mat they could use the props available in the booth.
I waited outside and the studio staff allowed me to join her screening the photo results on the master computer. We heard noises from the booth - Mat laughing and instructing things, Owen cooing and whining, Oma talking to both of the kids. Sounded like a mini-riot in there. And when the results were appearing one by one on the computer, boy, we really had a giggling fit.
Out of 16 shots (granted from 8 shots originally), we printed these ..
*giggling continues*
Definitely we would do it again some time, with Papa.
Bahaya Merokok
Tiba-tiba Opa mengeluh di depan Mat tentang pinggangnya yang sering pegal-linu. Beliau memberitahu Mat kalau beliau sedang menderita patah tulang.
Tidak lama kemudian, Mat diam-diam menghampiri Mama yang sedang menyiapkan makan malam untuk Mat dan Owen di belakang.
Mat: *berbisik* Mama ..
Mama: *berbisik juga* Ya?
Mat: *masih berbisik* Opa lagi patah tulang. *sambil merengut* Merokok terus siiiiihh ..
Mama: *senyum-senyum dan lupa berbisik* ...
Lalu Mat menuju ke kamar Oma, sepertinya untuk menceritakan hal yang sama kepada Oma.
Peringatan:
“Merokok Dapat Menyebabkan Kanker, Serangan Jantung, Impotensi, Gangguan Kehamilan dan Janin dan Patah Tulang".
Limpahkan semua masalah kesehatan (dan tulang yang patah) sebagai akibat dari merokok. Setuju?
Tidak lama kemudian, Mat diam-diam menghampiri Mama yang sedang menyiapkan makan malam untuk Mat dan Owen di belakang.
Mat: *berbisik* Mama ..
Mama: *berbisik juga* Ya?
Mat: *masih berbisik* Opa lagi patah tulang. *sambil merengut* Merokok terus siiiiihh ..
Mama: *senyum-senyum dan lupa berbisik* ...
Lalu Mat menuju ke kamar Oma, sepertinya untuk menceritakan hal yang sama kepada Oma.
Peringatan:
“Merokok Dapat Menyebabkan Kanker, Serangan Jantung, Impotensi, Gangguan Kehamilan dan Janin dan Patah Tulang".
Limpahkan semua masalah kesehatan (dan tulang yang patah) sebagai akibat dari merokok. Setuju?
Door Notes Communication
Since his baby brother often sleeps in this particular room, in order to remind everyone to behave inside the room, Mat had posted rule on the door.
Talking, crying and screaming are prohibited. No one was intended to remove the warning.
Then this evening, about a couple of weeks after, I found something different on the door. Mat's note had a company.
Karen had responded to it. She tried to bargain on the strict rule, for at least, to allow talking.
She even managed to write it on the same type of notepaper.
Door notes communication does exist.
Talking, crying and screaming are prohibited. No one was intended to remove the warning.
Then this evening, about a couple of weeks after, I found something different on the door. Mat's note had a company.
Karen had responded to it. She tried to bargain on the strict rule, for at least, to allow talking.
She even managed to write it on the same type of notepaper.
Door notes communication does exist.
Dubai: Day #8 Old and New
We had two different kind of activities this morning, so we split. Mat would go to the desert for quad bike trial with dad, uncle and cousins. While Owen would go toTimes Square Centre and downtown with mom and aunt for .. wait for it .. shopping! Yeap.
TIMES SQUARE CENTRE
The shopping mall was surprisingly modest. It was like a kind of mall where people could go casually to get everything they needed - ranging from electronics, furnitures, lifestyle and home, fashion and sports.
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When we were there, there was a bazaar happening. Some expatriates were selling second-hand (or even brand new unopened/unused) children clothes, toys, etc. We got a pair of socks for Owen, since I was still not that accustomed in buying second-hand clothes, no matter how good-conditioned they were. And .. we got 5 pieces of Lamaze, Fisher Price and Vtech soft and electronic toys for Owen at the price of AED 140! (In Jakarta, that price was for one toy only). So today was Owen's lucky day.
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Then I found a counter selling Turkish Delights. Anyone who was familiar with C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe might have already known this delicacy.
The colourful sweets looked so mouth-watering. And they were not cheap. I tasted a bit of the pistachio and the rosewater ones. It was chewy, gluey (is that even a word?), moist and very, very sweet. In an instant, I understood why Edmund Pevensie sold his siblings to The White Witch. For this, I would sell .. nah, never mind. Couldn't resist, I asked the seller to throw a 100gr mix in the bag.
The colourful sweets looked so mouth-watering. And they were not cheap. I tasted a bit of the pistachio and the rosewater ones. It was chewy, gluey (is that even a word?), moist and very, very sweet. In an instant, I understood why Edmund Pevensie sold his siblings to The White Witch. For this, I would sell .. nah, never mind. Couldn't resist, I asked the seller to throw a 100gr mix in the bag.
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My sister was engaged in a short conversation with some tourists from Malaysia in front of the counter. I heard they stayed in one of the prestigious hotel at the Marina, and were looking forward to visit some big malls to buy some souvenirs. My sis suggested them to go to Al Karama for good souvenirs at market price, though I doubted they could spare time to go there.
And learning from that conversation, the Turkish Delight lady seller jumped in, "You, from Malaysia. You, Indonesia. And I'm from Philippines. All of us here in Dubai."
Well well well. Look who's been listening. Any discount for fellow Asians?
AL SATWA
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My sis had some posters to be framed. So after we're done our business here, we proceeded to Al Satwa.
Now I could really see the old face of Dubai before any skyscrapers was built. It was packed with buildings, but there were no residents at sight. Learned that this was the home of the blue-collar workers, for the mid-class locals and the imported ones from Philippines and India. So at this hour, they were all out to work.
Al Satwa was known with its high street bargains. It reminded me of Downtown Jakarta with its traffic jam. I saw some bus stops equipped with air-conditioner, for the people to survive the heat during summer. There were shops along the street, selling textiles (and tailors too), household goods, plants, plant food and gardening material and accessories, art shops, original paintings, drawings or prints.
We went to one of the art and frame shops. I guessed she was a regular here, because the shopkeeper seemed to know her. We picked frames and I listened to them bargaining the price.
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Outside the frame shop, there were many live Christmas trees on sale, along with vibrant Poinsettias. The smell of the pines and the green and red colors .. aaaah .. Christmas! Suddenly Al Satwa felt friendlier and a lot cooler.
It was lunch time. There's an array of pavement cafes serving variety of food with reasonable price. For me, the menu was not that appealing - no food could ever be compared to Indonesian food in terms of taste - but we gotta eat something. We went in one of the restaurant that served Filipino food. They had rice! *relieved*. Though food was average.
Across the restaurant, there were some shops selling souvenirs such as fridge magnets, mugs, miniatures of famous landmarks .. and key rings/chains. I collected key rings. Yay!! I wanted to buy, but I followed my sister's advice to wait until we went to Al Karama, so I could compare the options and prices. We would be back here to collect her framed posters, anyway.
Trivia: Dar Al Ittihad (Union house) building is located at Al Satwa. It is a historical site where on December 2, 1971 a treaty was signed to create the United Arab Emirates, and it has one of the largest in the world (largest in UAE) 40x20 m flags which sits on top of a 120 meter flag pole.
Across the restaurant, there were some shops selling souvenirs such as fridge magnets, mugs, miniatures of famous landmarks .. and key rings/chains. I collected key rings. Yay!! I wanted to buy, but I followed my sister's advice to wait until we went to Al Karama, so I could compare the options and prices. We would be back here to collect her framed posters, anyway.
Trivia: Dar Al Ittihad (Union house) building is located at Al Satwa. It is a historical site where on December 2, 1971 a treaty was signed to create the United Arab Emirates, and it has one of the largest in the world (largest in UAE) 40x20 m flags which sits on top of a 120 meter flag pole.
Tips: No public toilets at sight. Empty bladder is a much better option during visiting Al Satwa.
THE QUAD BIKERS
When we arrived home, our quad bikers were just reached there as well, bringing along desert sand in their clothes and shoes/sandals. Looked like both Mat and Dad had a blast.
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| The Road |
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| The Desert |
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| The Star of the Day |
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| The Hummer Driver Wannabe |
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| Too young to drive |
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| Never too old to pose |
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| The Quad Biker Wannabe |
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| Preparation |
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| Oops. Stuck. |
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| Break time. |
The goofy grin on their face
DUBAI MARINA
We had early dinner at home, then off we went to the marina. We stopped at Dubai Marina Mall for a quick window shopping.
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| Figurines |
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| Burj Khalifa Lego Architecture |
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| A giant lollipop |
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| Er .. Darth Vader and Stormtrooper? |
What stood out from this mall was its waterfront promenade.
Dubai Marina is an artificial canal city, with one of the first and largest of its kind waterfront developments in the region. At 50 million square feet waterfront community, its canal spanning 3.5 km offering access to sea from both ends.
As we found yachts docking, we learned that Dubai Marina Yacht Club was the authority for all operations in Dubai Marina.
We had visited the marina before, at a different point of view from Marina Walk. But it was in daylight. Now? It was even more breathtaking.
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| The Water Bus Service |
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| The Dinner Cruise |
We left sleeping Owen with his aunt at the promenade, and three of us hopped on the water bus for a round trip.
The trip was enjoyable. From inside the water bus, we were immersed, enveloped by the flickering, towering buildings and elegant lighted-up waterfront cafes. We also encountered a dinner cruise sailing on the canal. Wow.
This water trip wrapped up our evening nicely.
(I took a bunch of pictures, just to find out later that my SD card had reached near its maximum capacity, and all the Marina evening pics were lost and unrecoverable *sob*. A 2nd tragedy at the Marina).
So .. go ahead find those spectacular Dubai Marina in the evening photos from the net. (credit to owners).
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Are You Smarter than a 1st Grader .. or His Curriculum?
Mengutip apa yang terjadi sewaktu Mama mengulang pelajaran Mat
Agama
Tuhan menciptakan mulutku untuk ..... mengunyah (jawaban yang benar adalah "memuji Tuhan". Tapi bagaimana kalau dijawab "berbicara"?)
Nama adik Kain adalah ..... "kain apa?"
PKN
Jenis kelamin Dodi adalah anak ..... laki. Jenis kelamin Mira adalah anak ..... perempuan. Kalau jenis kelamin Budi adalah anak ..... *bingung* (Nak, Mama pernah kenal sama perempuan yang namanya Ibu Budi, karena nama lengkapnya adalah Budiati)
Bertengkar dengan teman adalah perbuatan yang ..... jelek, buruk, ga baik (jawaban yang benar adalah "tidak rukun". Darimana, bagaimana?)
Kerukunan membuat kita memiliki ..... "kerukunan itu apa sih, Ma?" (jawaban yang benar adalah "kasih". Bagaimana kalau dijawab "banyak teman?")
Ketidakrukunan menyebabkan ..... *bingung* (jawaban yang benar adalah "kacau". Darimana, bagaimana?)
Lingkari jawaban yang benar! Anak yang suka berkelahi dan marah akan dijauhi (saudara/teman) ..... "saudara" (jawaban yang benar adalah "teman". Memangnya anak yang suka berkelahi tidak akan dijauhi saudara?? Boleh ga jawaban dua-duanya dilingkari?)
Bahasa Indonesia
Susunlah kata-kata di bawah ini dengan benar!
arhum = harum (jawaban yang lebih tepat adalah "rumah")
uka = aku (bagaimana kalau dijawab "kau"?)
lobot = BOLOT! (jawaban yang benar adalah botol)
Jawaban Mat yang terakhir merupakan kesimpulan perdebatan logika melawan ambiguitas. Mama ga jadi sewot.
Agama
Tuhan menciptakan mulutku untuk ..... mengunyah (jawaban yang benar adalah "memuji Tuhan". Tapi bagaimana kalau dijawab "berbicara"?)
Nama adik Kain adalah ..... "kain apa?"
PKN
Jenis kelamin Dodi adalah anak ..... laki. Jenis kelamin Mira adalah anak ..... perempuan. Kalau jenis kelamin Budi adalah anak ..... *bingung* (Nak, Mama pernah kenal sama perempuan yang namanya Ibu Budi, karena nama lengkapnya adalah Budiati)
Bertengkar dengan teman adalah perbuatan yang ..... jelek, buruk, ga baik (jawaban yang benar adalah "tidak rukun". Darimana, bagaimana?)
Kerukunan membuat kita memiliki ..... "kerukunan itu apa sih, Ma?" (jawaban yang benar adalah "kasih". Bagaimana kalau dijawab "banyak teman?")
Ketidakrukunan menyebabkan ..... *bingung* (jawaban yang benar adalah "kacau". Darimana, bagaimana?)
Lingkari jawaban yang benar! Anak yang suka berkelahi dan marah akan dijauhi (saudara/teman) ..... "saudara" (jawaban yang benar adalah "teman". Memangnya anak yang suka berkelahi tidak akan dijauhi saudara?? Boleh ga jawaban dua-duanya dilingkari?)
Bahasa Indonesia
Susunlah kata-kata di bawah ini dengan benar!
arhum = harum (jawaban yang lebih tepat adalah "rumah")
uka = aku (bagaimana kalau dijawab "kau"?)
lobot = BOLOT! (jawaban yang benar adalah botol)
Jawaban Mat yang terakhir merupakan kesimpulan perdebatan logika melawan ambiguitas. Mama ga jadi sewot.
Food Presentation 101
Dinner time.
Mat: Mom, would you like to have your dinner now?
Mom: Yes.
Mat: Can I prepare it for you?
Mom: Again? Er .. sure. But not too much, ok?
Mat: Ok.
Mat got a clean dinner plate out from the drawer and brought it near to the the rice cooker. Mom watched him as he scooped the steamed white rice out twice. Then Mat asked Mom to choose her food ..
Mat: What do you want to eat?
Learning from the veggie dinner he prepared the last time ..
Mom: I want to eat tempe and fish.
Mat: What about the potatoes? Do you want some?
Mom: No. Only tempe and fish.
Mat: You need to eat some potatoes too. I'll get some for you, ok? Just a few.
Mom: ..
Mat: Juuuuusst a few. Not much.
Mom: Well, ok.
Mat: You can wait in the living room.
So Mom went to living room and waited there.
After a while ..
Mom's aunt came out from the dining room and said to Mom,
Aunt: Look, what he prepared for you. With all those tempes and fish and potatoes.
Mom: Uh-oh.
Mat came out from the dining room ..
Mat: Mom, dinner's ready. Let's eat.
Curiosity thickened in the air as Mom headed toward the dining room ..
TAAAA-DAAAA!
There was a time when Mom read all the recipes for children and learned how she should present the food to attract Mat's appetite. With smiley omellete, sandwich in the form of train, and all that kiddie stuff on.
Well, Mom never did that. Usually she just mixed all the food on the plate and fed Mat.
As quoted from Pablo Picasso:
Wonder what Gordon Ramsay would say about this food presentation.
Mat: Mom, would you like to have your dinner now?
Mom: Yes.
Mat: Can I prepare it for you?
Mom: Again? Er .. sure. But not too much, ok?
Mat: Ok.
Mat got a clean dinner plate out from the drawer and brought it near to the the rice cooker. Mom watched him as he scooped the steamed white rice out twice. Then Mat asked Mom to choose her food ..
Mat: What do you want to eat?
Learning from the veggie dinner he prepared the last time ..
Mom: I want to eat tempe and fish.
Mat: What about the potatoes? Do you want some?
Mom: No. Only tempe and fish.
Mat: You need to eat some potatoes too. I'll get some for you, ok? Just a few.
Mom: ..
Mat: Juuuuusst a few. Not much.
Mom: Well, ok.
Mat: You can wait in the living room.
So Mom went to living room and waited there.
After a while ..
Mom's aunt came out from the dining room and said to Mom,
Aunt: Look, what he prepared for you. With all those tempes and fish and potatoes.
Mom: Uh-oh.
Mat came out from the dining room ..
Mat: Mom, dinner's ready. Let's eat.
Curiosity thickened in the air as Mom headed toward the dining room ..
TAAAA-DAAAA!
There was a time when Mom read all the recipes for children and learned how she should present the food to attract Mat's appetite. With smiley omellete, sandwich in the form of train, and all that kiddie stuff on.
Well, Mom never did that. Usually she just mixed all the food on the plate and fed Mat.
As quoted from Pablo Picasso:
All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.
Wonder what Gordon Ramsay would say about this food presentation.
A Veggietale
Dinner time.
Mom was still in the living room when dinner was served.
Mat: Mom, do you like vegetables?
Mom: Hm? No. I don't like.
Mat: Why?
Mom: I just don't like. You don't like vegetables either, do you?
Mat: I like vegetables. Really. I eat carrots, broccoli ..
Mom: O yea, you do.
Then Mat went missing for a while .. and then re-appeared back in the living room ..
Mat: Mom, your dinner is ready.
Mom: Ok. Just a minute.
Mat: Mom, you have to eat vegetables. It is healthy for you. And the baby can grow fat too.
Mom: Oooookay!
Mat: Eat your vegetables.
Mom: I will.
Mat: Moooom .. your dinner ..
Mom: Ok, ok.
Mom headed toward the dining table ..
*shocked*
.. as she was dumbfounded looking at her dinner plate ..
A plate full of white rice, totally covered by sauted green vegetables on top. Only rice and veggies. Nothing else.
*horrified by the prospect of being a vegetarian for one night*
Mom: Mathieu! Were you the one who prepared my plate??
Mat: Yes. You have to eat it all, ok?
With flashbacks on her mind .. "Mathieu, eat your broccoli" .. "I put some carrots in your lunch, you have to eat it all, ya" .. "Try this spinach, it's sweet, good for you" .. "Mathieu! Why didn't you eat your vegetables?? No excuse. Finish it all!" ..
.. would Mom have a heart to disobey the good advise? You think?
Children are good students .. and better teachers.
Mom was still in the living room when dinner was served.
Mat: Mom, do you like vegetables?
Mom: Hm? No. I don't like.
Mat: Why?
Mom: I just don't like. You don't like vegetables either, do you?
Mat: I like vegetables. Really. I eat carrots, broccoli ..
Mom: O yea, you do.
Then Mat went missing for a while .. and then re-appeared back in the living room ..
Mat: Mom, your dinner is ready.
Mom: Ok. Just a minute.
Mat: Mom, you have to eat vegetables. It is healthy for you. And the baby can grow fat too.
Mom: Oooookay!
Mat: Eat your vegetables.
Mom: I will.
Mat: Moooom .. your dinner ..
Mom: Ok, ok.
Mom headed toward the dining table ..
*shocked*
.. as she was dumbfounded looking at her dinner plate ..
A plate full of white rice, totally covered by sauted green vegetables on top. Only rice and veggies. Nothing else.
*horrified by the prospect of being a vegetarian for one night*
Mom: Mathieu! Were you the one who prepared my plate??
Mat: Yes. You have to eat it all, ok?
With flashbacks on her mind .. "Mathieu, eat your broccoli" .. "I put some carrots in your lunch, you have to eat it all, ya" .. "Try this spinach, it's sweet, good for you" .. "Mathieu! Why didn't you eat your vegetables?? No excuse. Finish it all!" ..
.. would Mom have a heart to disobey the good advise? You think?
Children are good students .. and better teachers.
Life, Love and the Evening Sky
.. continued from Pulau Putri trip ..
A bride and groom having their wedding pictures. Unaware of the whole world watching, as they belonged only to each other, as the moment was all theirs to take.
(The guy with camera at the left side, was Matthew. I stole these pics from a distance.)
"Once in awhile, right in the middle of an ordinary life,
love gives us a fairy tale."
"Love transcends the world and those in it, for it is sparked in the soul that can never be lost."
"Faith makes all things possible; Love makes all things easy."
"Marriage is the golden ring in a chain whose beginning is a glance and whose ending is eternity."
Catching the sunset, with an iPad.
It was 4.30 pm when we got into our car. Ancol area was still pretty much alive, and the late afternoon sunshine was just nice. I looked above and saw a clear blue sky.
So why wouldn't we want to hang around till sunset, and perhaps could catch dinner in the area too?
We tried our luck heading off to Segarra Restaurant, at Carnaval Beach area. The restaurant was already packed with guests, or packed with reserved tables to be exact. I demanded to get a table for 4 at beachfront which was reserved for 8 pm. Heh. They couldn't say no to me.
Here's the picture stories - watching life and love happening under the evening sky.
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| I'm awesome! |
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| Daddy's Little Girl. I took this pics because I love the kiddie's pants. So cute. |
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| Bali Hai Beer and Segarra Sunset. Mine. I was really thirsty. |
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| Mat and sands in slow motion. |
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| Mat and Matthew, reviewing the picture catch. |
A bride and groom having their wedding pictures. Unaware of the whole world watching, as they belonged only to each other, as the moment was all theirs to take.
(The guy with camera at the left side, was Matthew. I stole these pics from a distance.)
"Once in awhile, right in the middle of an ordinary life,
love gives us a fairy tale."
"Love transcends the world and those in it, for it is sparked in the soul that can never be lost."
"Faith makes all things possible; Love makes all things easy."
"Marriage is the golden ring in a chain whose beginning is a glance and whose ending is eternity."
Catching the sunset, with an iPad. |
| Silhouette |
"Never waste any amount of time doing anything important
when there is a sunset outside that you should be sitting under."
And so we did.
Visit here for Mat's pics on the sunset.
