Parent Gifts

I'm one of those people that give absolutely terrible gifts - unless I know you. If I do happen to know you well, odds are that you'll get something fantastic. Like a pair of pants with the words "hot legz" YUDU'ed onto the butt. You know you want some.

But sometimes, crazy gifts aren't the most practical - like this super-awesome find I was *this close* to buying for my dad:

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A snorkel camera! He would have both hands to swim with instead of having to carry the underwater camera around! It would be perfect for Hawaii!

...But not for many other places. Especially not our cold Northern Californian waters. So out went the snorkel camera.

Now, Sak suggested we go the tried-n-true route for thanking our parents for being our parents: the wedding album. Sounds good, we'll do it! But that kind of gift doesn't come until after the wedding, obviously. And Peng-Mom says she doesn't need no stinkin' album when she can just look at a digital album. She's so high-tech.

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So then I had a thought - let's do something completely unlike us, and get gift certificates! To a fairly fancy restaurant called Roy's.

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Okay - I know. Giftcards at first glance = lame and unthoughtful. But you have to understand our parents. They don't (as far as I know) do date nights. They are always too busy worrying about their hapless children or friends instead. So I think giftcards, in this case - might be a good idea.

Roy's is a Hawaiian fusion restaurant, and both parents have been before and loved it. Though they are probably more well-known for their seafood, here's some shots of desserts Penga-Mom tried when she went for a graduation party:



Yummm.

I've never actually been to Roy's, even though there's one right here in San Francisco. Sak and I tried fine dining once before, and have been too scared to try again since. But that's a story for a different day.

Anyway, with Roy's gift certificates they can have romantic dinners with just the two of them! Weddings kindle romance, right? Okay, maybe not our wedding, but humor me, please.

However, Sak says, "You know, my parents will just try and bring my grandma along with them. And your parents will just invite their foodie buddies."

I can see that happening (they are chronic non-date-nighters, afterall), but what can I do to stop it? I'll write a strongly-worded letter, saying it's for a romantic dinner for two. And only two! If they choose to ignore my attempts at creating a date-night, well, they can. It's their gift, after all. I'll just sit in a corner and pout a bit.

So did I do the right thing? Or should I have gone with the scuba camera?

Did you give your parents a "thank you" gift? What did you find for them? Do they still have date-nights now and then?

The Family Jewels

Perhaps strangely, I had absolutely no plans for jewelry as part of the wedding-day ensemble. I never even so much as thought about it. Which, luckily for me, didn't end up mattering at all.

My grandmother, ever the fashionista, has given her many female grandchildren jewelry for pretty much every gift-giving occassion. She gave me my first diamond ring, actually, since she wanted me to know at an early age that I didn't need a man to get my own diamonds. How's that for girl-power? I love it. I'd show you a picture of it, but since I received it as a child prone to losing things, it's been locked away in a safety box for quite some time. Instead, here are four other gorgeous rings she's given me over the years:

Sak actually "stole" the sapphire halo ring to show the jewelry my ring size when he picked out my engagement ring. It's a middle finger ring, but I still think he was pretty clever about the whole thing!

Anyway, I guess I shouldn't have been too surprised when she gifted me with my very own wedding day jewelry.

A beautiful pearl necklace.

And some gorgeous pearl earrings.

Looks like I'll be going traditional, folks! And I love it! I've written her more thank you notes than ever, lately, so I'm trying to think of other ways I can show my appreciation. Maybe some sweets or flowers!

Have you thought about what you will wear with your dress?

The "Moment"

Brides-to-be start sobbing hysterically when the dream dress is found - when the perfect music is selected, or when the ring lands on the finger.

"It's really happening!" They gasp through happy tears. Does this sound like you? Unfortunately, it sounds more like my mother than myself. She's cried at wedding pictures of people she's never even met, and finds her greatest joy in life is to create sappy slideshows that leave whole rooms bawling.

I'm not an overly emotional person. Maybe it was all the black and white, straight-forward math and science in school. Maybe it was the Asian upbringing. Maybe it's because I'm marrying a man with the emotional capability of a robot.


Just your average sensitive Tetris blocks.

But you know what? I had it.

I had it. You know, that moment of extreme, glowy-bridal-gush.

No. It wasn't from the Victoria Secret Bride-undies from my dear Aunt, though those are quite awesome.

No, it came in the form of a sweet, dear, dear friend of mine. She's amazingly creative, and made these for Sak and I:

Plushies of wedding-day Kerero and Tamama*, from Kerero Gunsou (Sgt. Frog)!
Now, aside from being adorably cute, these characters hold special significance for us...


Back in 2007, Sak and I cosplayed as Kero and Tama for Fanime, the anime convention held in San Jose each year and also the place of our dating anniversary.

Though I didn't let it show to my friends, my heart wrenched up into a big knot, falling out into a big, mushy, sobby mess after everyone had left. Realization had sunk in, I'm getting married. And not just to anyone, but to someone who loves me enough to make and wear all my crazy costume ideas.

So for me, the emotional watershed came not with the proposal, and not with the dress, but rather a plushie reminder of our past together.

Have you had "the moment" yet? What triggered it for you?

*And yes, for those of you in the "know", I'm aware that Tamama is actually a little boy, much younger than Kero, and that his professed love for Kero is actually one of hero-worship, not romantic involvement. But eh, we can let that slide, yeah?