FEB 29

February 29, a day that comes only every four years. It's made even more special as it marks our very First Date, twelve years ago. Read about that First Date here. 

We celebrated at celebrity chef Mario Batali's Pizzeria Mozza, at The Shoppes, Marina Bay Sands. According to our research it's among the more affordable celebrity chef restaurants in Singapore. Totoo naman. See their price list here.

We tried calling to reserve a table, but no one was picking up. Fortunately, we were able to get a table for two, as walk-ins, at around 8pm. 

Hubby and I happily reminisced about that First Date, twelve years ago, kaya tawa kami nang tawa the whole time. Good thing casual dining naman doon, hehe. Pwede maingay.

MOZZA-rap!

Bone marrow al forno: To die for! Sinfully good.
Aaminin ko, I ate most of it.

Meat Lovers' Pizza with mozzarella cheese: Heaven!
Especially for carnivores like us, hehe.

Gelati (Espresso, Olive Oil, Vanilla): Perfect ending!
The olive oil gelati was a pleasant surprise.

Even their appetizer (in the packet)
and raspberry iced tea
were yummy!

Hubby is making a short film on our little celebration. I'll post it as soon as it's done.

To the date that started it all! Love, love, love!

IS HE THE ONE?

Did I instantly know that Hubby was The One? No. We weren't even talking as friends (only as distant colleagues) before our supposed "blind date." But after that date, I did wonder - Could he be the one? The question crossed my mind because (1) He got me talking sharing. I trusted him with personal stories on that very first date. A first in my dating life. Actually, a first in my life. All my friends know it takes awhile for me to open up. But with J it all just happened naturally. (2) On that first date, we enjoyed talking to each other so much na halos mapagsarhan na kami sa Uva! As in nakaligpit na lahat ng tables and chairs, except ours. Kami na lang ang customers sa resto. Ang dilim na. And the staff was giving us that "Hindi pa po kayo uuwi" look. Lol. 

So when did I know for sure? When we were already boyfriend and girlfriend. Our relationship revealed that He was more than I prayed for, the Life Partner I'd want to grow old with. For details, read about our altar date vows.

Glamour Feb 2012
All about Valentine's Day
and Men, Men, Men.

Glamour's February 2012 issue has an article on this - Is He The One? I got to read it on the train, sitting beside my dear Hubby. Sa sobrang relate ko, I asked him to read it too (first time for him to read Glamour, hehe). We had such big smiles after finishing the article, mukha siguro kaming sira sa MRT.

Here are bits from the article, dedicated to everyone who's still on the search...



IS HE THE ONE? Actress and comedian Ali Wentworth spent years dating the wrong dudes--but meeting the right one, George Stephanopoulos, set her straight. OK, Ali, share your secrets!


"One of the women wanted to set me up with her friend George...  'Absolutely not. I am not being set up - ever,' I replied. Blind dates sounded like unmitigated hell.

But I am a woman who enjoys a good story. I like to tell them at dinner parties, to strangers on the bus, anywhere I have an audience. (I am an actress, after all.) So when I was in New York for work a few weeks later, I decided to call George Stephanopoulos...I spent my professional days taking risks, so why not do so in my personal life?

He wanted to meet for dinner. I said coffee. We settled on lunch. I thought Barneys was the ideal place; that way if the date were a complete disaster, I could still buy my Kiehl's face cream. I had very low expectations.

We entered the store's bustling restaurant at the same time and were seated in the center of a cacophonous room. And what precipitated over the next hour was, for lack of a more precise word, cosmic. I had never met George, but I felt such ease talking to him. I didn't put on a show or try to be a better version of myself. There was a profound coziness. He was like a down comforter I wanted to live in. And he got me: He understood my humor, my observations and my beliefs the way someone from your own tribe does. It was more than the fact that we both ordered crab salad; it was the feeling that we were home.

And that is how you know: It's never the surface stuff -- Oh, I like sandy beaches and stormy nights too...Nora Ephron got it exactly right with that famous line from When Harry Met Sally..."I knew the way you know about a good melon." It's instinctual. It's from the gut.

We were engaged after two months and married after eight. And during those planning days, I didn't care where we lived, how many kids we had or whether our decor should be modern or traditional. I just knew I wanted to spend my life with George. When you know for sure, you don't dwell on the fantasy of the union: What will my wedding dress look like? Should we serve chicken or fish? What will we name our twin girls and boys? You focus on how he makes you feel -- empowered and beautiful..."

--

How can we not relate to a love story about GEORGE and ALI, who also met on a blind date? *wink*

UNFORGETTABLE

I was watching My Amnesia Girl on Cinema One the other night. When John Lloyd's character started re-creating their first meeting (to help Toni Gonzaga's character to recover from "amnesia"), I asked my Hubby, who was busy editing -- Do you remember what I was wearing on our first date?

Right away he answered: Some maroon sando, black pants and black ___.

Wow. He remembers from eleven years ago! Na-aksidente pa yan ha! Haba talaga ng hair ko! LOL

FEBRUARY 29

February is coming to a close. And I'm getting senti, kilig-senti.

Allow me to re-post my favorite February story, which happened on February 29, eleven years ago (Gosh! Has it been that long ago?!).

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A NOT-SO-BLIND FIRST DATE

When: February 29, 2000*
(A day that comes only every 4 years.

It was part of his “production” plan.)


Where: Uva, Century Imperial Hotel, Quezon City


When I entered Uva, I had the shock of my blind-dating life –

“Is that J?!?”

As questions were spinning through my head, I walked to him.
Then, he handed me The Letter.




Excerpts from The Letter:




“29 February 2000

A,

Honestly, I fear that right after I say “Good Evening,”

you're going to say “Good Night” and walk right out the door.

To deceive you is the last thing I want to do.

If there is any fabricated lie in this set-up,

they are the half-truths about my persona,

to which, I confess to the crime and plead guilty.

If you are at all disappointed or downright disgusted,

I will perfectly understand your predicament.

I have never really pulled a stunt like this before.

I'm not sure you'll love the idea of “shock value,”

but I hope you do not feel betrayed.

It's just that I strongly feel that I will betray you even more

if I pretended to befriend you first,

only to reveal my real intentions later.

Or to just come upfront and ask you out on a date

is even more brazen.

In my limited understanding of my infinitely small world,

this is the only way I know how to be discreet about the situation.

This may be too much to ask but spare me this one night

and I'll spare you the excuses.


If after the night has gone undone,
you still feel that I've wasted your time,
rest assured I will bother you no longer.


So much for the apologies, care for dinner?

J”

I'm a huge fan of the written (and spoken) word.

And J's letter must be the best love letter I've received.

Here was a man – the office toughie whom I hardly talk to – revealing not only his soft side but his feelings for me!

He got me there.

For a moment, I felt like Gwyneth Paltrow playing Lady Viola ,

“Have I found my Shakespeare?”


To say that this supposed blind date was the best date of my life

is an understatement.

(Originally posted on 25 Nov 2008, as my 2nd blog entry.)

A NOT-SO-BLIND FIRST DATE

When: February 29, 2000*
*A day that comes only every 4 years. It was part of his “production” plan.
Where: Uva, Century Imperial Hotel, Timog Avenue corner Tomas Morato, Quezon City

When I entered Uva, I had the shock of my blind-dating life – “Is that J?!?” As questions were spinning through my head, I walked to him.


Then, he handed me The Letter.


Excerpts from The Letter:

“29 February 2000

A,

Honestly, I fear that right after I say “Good Evening,” you're going to say “Good Night” and walk right out the door.

To deceive you is the last thing I want to do. If there is any fabricated lie in this set-up, they are the half-truths about my persona, to which, I confess to the crime and plead guilty.

If you are at all disappointed or downright disgusted, I will perfectly understand your predicament.

I have never really pulled a stunt like this before. I'm not sure you'll love the idea of “shock value,” but I hope you do not feel betrayed. It's just that I strongly feel that I will betray you even more if I pretended to befriend you first, only to reveal my real intentions later. Or to just come upfront and ask you out on a date is even more brazen. In my limited understanding of my infinitely small world, this is the only way I know how to be discreet about the situation.

This may be too much to ask but spare me this one night and I'll spare you the excuses.


If after the night has gone undone,
you still feel that I've wasted your time,
rest assured I will bother you no longer.


So much for the apologies, care for dinner?

J”

I'm a huge fan of the written (and spoken) word. And J's letter must be the best love letter I've received. Here was a man – the office toughie whom I hardly talk to – revealing not only his soft side but his feelings for me! He got me there.


For a moment, I felt like Gwyneth Paltrow playing Lady Viola , “Have I found my Shakespeare?”


To say that this supposed blind date was the best date of my life is an understatement.
**Photo: Mine. I call this "Meet J." Camp John Hay, Baguio.

DAILY DATES

There's no one recipe for a perfect marriage. But among the many ingredients that work for my husband and I, our daily dates are among those that add the zestiest spice to the relationship.

Anyone who's dated must agree, the best restaurant dates are not just about the food nor the fancy ambiance. It's about the conversations. A bland conversation leaves a very bad after-taste. While a genuine connection leaves both parties yearning for more.

I've had my share of bad dates. So when J and I went out for the first time, I knew, I was being served something very special.

Since that first date, I've always asked for a second serving.

**Photo: J's. From one of our daily dates. Bellini's, Cubao.