83rd Annual Academy Awards

83rd Annual Academy Awards or for short the 'Oscar' was held last night at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood. The red carpet was stunning with most actresses were in red while the actors were in the usual back tie. My best dress would go to Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Lawrence and Mila Kunis. The opening skit was hilarious with James Franco and Anna Hathaway being incorporated to a couple of movies such as Inception, The Fighter and The Social Network. I think the awarding of Best Supporting Actress could be counted as the longest segment in Oscar's history with Kirk Douglas taking his time to introduce the nominees and even given the award.

So here are the awards:
Art Direction - Alice in Wonderland
This is kinda a surprise to me, I would have thought Inception would win but then again if you h
Cinematography - Inception
Supporting Actress - Melissa Leo for The Fighter
 - Kirk Douglas sure took his time handing this award. He was hilarious though but sure took a very long time. I think it took 15 minutes from the time he started talking till they walked off the stage. And did the world see him cup a feel? Anyway, Melissa Leo was hands down the winner since she has swept this award this year.
Animated Short Film - The Lost Thing by Shaun Tan and Andrew Ruhemann
Animated Film - Toy Story 3
 - Hands down the best animated film this year.
Foreign Language Film - In a Better World, Denmark
Writing (Adapted Screenplay) - Aaron Sorkin for The Social Network
Writing (Original Screenplay) - David Seidlet for The King's Speech
Supporting Actor - Christian Bale for The Fighter
 - Christian Bale swept this award this year. I was hoping though that Geoffrey Rush would win but Christian Bale did deliver a great performance.
Original Score - Trent Reznor and Atticus Rose for The Social Network
 - was hoping Hans Zimmer will win this award
Sound Mixing -  Lora Hirschberg, Gary A. Rizzo and Ed Novick for Inception
Sound Editing - Richard King for Inception
Makeup - Rick Baker and Dave Elsey for The Wolfman
 - Definitely the Wolfman won this award but why is Alice in Wonderland not a nominee?
Costume Design - Colleen Atwood for Alice in Wonderland
Documentary Short Subject - Strangers No More by Karen Goodman and Kirk Simon
Short Film (Live Action) - God of Love
Documentary - Inside Job by Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs
Visual Effects - Paul Franklin, Chris Corbould, Andrew Lockley and Peter Bebb for Inception
 - This was a tough choice since all the nominees did have stunning visual effects.
Film Editing - Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter for The Social Network
Original Song - We Belong Together by Randy Newman for Toy Story 3
Directing - Tom Hooper for The King's Speech
 - this could have been an upset since David Fincher (The Social Network) won the Golden Globes and the Critics Choice Awards while Darren Aronofsky won the Spirit Awards
Actress - Natalie Portman for Black Swan
 - Its a swept by Natalie winning the three major awards (Golden Globes, Critics Choice and Oscars) for her portrayal of Nina, a ballet dancer in the thriller Black Swan
Actor - Colin Firth for The King's Speech
 - Its also a swept of the major awards for Colin Firth for his portrayal of King George VI of Britain.
Best Picture - The King's Speech
 - And there you go, The King's Speech wins. When Steven Spielberg was introducing the nominees, they used the speech in the movie - kinda gave it away that this movie was going to win. 

Update - Bucket List: 365 Birthdays

Update: I added couple more birthdays but I still have a long way to go... getting there...

So I was just looking through my calendar and adding birthdays of new people I have met (it helps me remember) and came up with an idea. Wouldn't it be great if I would be able to know someone who is celebrating his/her birthday in each day of the year. Yep, that would be 365 birthdays - I'll even include the leap day. But I will not just ask anyone for their birthdays, I have to know the person. This is going in to my Bucket List
So as of tonight, here is what I have (once in yellow)

Jan - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31
Feb - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29
Mar - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30
Apr - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30
May - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31
Jun - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30
July - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31
Aug - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31
Sept - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30
Oct - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31
Nov - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30
Dec - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31

This does not include my own birthday and I got a long work ahead of me.

Recipe: Monjayaki

It has been awhile since I have shared a recipe here and its long overdue. So I'm going to start sharing them with you.

I got this idea from a Japanese friend and decided to give it a shot. Monjayaki is similar to Okonomiyaki or Japanese pancake. The difference between the two is Monjayaki is liquid and best eaten while it is still on the grill. The ingredients are finely chopped and mixed into a liquid batter before frying. I used a griddle to make this.

Ingredients:

1 cup shredded cabbage
1 cup diced beef (you can use other meat or even seafood)
1 cup tofu, cubed to 1/2 inch
1 cup shredded carrots

Batter
1 cup water
1/2 cup Worcestershire Sauce
3/4 cup Flour

Directions
- Mix the flour, water and Worchestershire sauce together in bowl until all the flour has dissolved.
- Place the cabbage on top of the sauce. Do not mix. Place the other ingredients on top.
- Turn on the griddle and drizzle the griddle with oil and let it get nice and hot
- Add just the cabbage and the other ingredients. Stir fry the ingredients until they are cooked.
- Form the ingredients into a doughnut shape. Make sure the walls are nice and solid without any holes.
- Pour the liquid batter into the center of the doughnut and let it cook for a few moments
- When the liquid is boiling, mix the ingredients into. Once it has been well mix, spread the monjayaki out thin and let it get nice and crispy on the bottom.

Monjayaki

Here is a video on how to make Monjayaki

NBA Trades

The NBA trade deadline was today at 3pm EST.  Here are the transactions that happen and some are really a surprise.

Atlanta Hawks
 - traded Mike Bibby, Jordan Crawford, Maurice Evans and 2011 first-round draft pick to Washington Wizards for Kirk Hinrick and Hilton Armstrong

Boston Celtics
 - traded Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson to Oklahoma City Thunder for Jeff Green, Nenad Krstic, 2012 first-round draft pick and cash.
 - traded Luke Harangody and Semih Erden to Cleveland Cavaliers for 2013 second-round draft pick
 - traded Marquis Daniels and cash  to Sacramento Kings for 2017 second-round draft pick

Charlotte Bobcats
 - traded Nazr Mohammed to Oklahoma City Thunder for DJ White and Morris Peterson
 - traded Gerald Wallace to Portland Trail Blazers for Joel Przybilla, Dante Cunningham, Sean Marks, 2011 first-round draft pick, 2013 first-round draft pick and cash

Chicago Bulls
 - traded James Johnson to Toronto Raptors for 2011 first-round draft pick

Cleveland Cavaliers
 - traded 2013 second-round draft pick to Boston Celtics for Luke Harangody and Semih Erden
 - traded Mo Williams and Jamario Moon to Los Angeles Clippers for Baron Davis and 2011 first-round draft pick

Denver Nuggets
 - traded Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Anthony Carter, Renaldo Blackman, and Shelden Williams to New York Knicks for Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Raymond Felton, Timofey Mozgov, 2014 first-round pick, 2012 and 2013 second-round pick and cash $3 million.
- acquired traded 2015 second round draft pick to Minnesota Timberwolves for Kosta Koufos from Minnesota Timberwolves

Golden State Warriors
 - traded Brandan Wright and  Dan Gadzuric to New Jersey Nets for Troy Murphy and 2012 second-round pick

Houston Rockets
 - traded Aaron Brooks to Phoenix Suns for Goran Dragic and first-round draft pick
 - traded Shane Battier and Ish Smith to Memphis Grizzlies for Hasheem Thabeet, DeMarre Carroll and first-round draft pick

Los Angeles Clippers
 - traded Baron Davis and 2011 first-round draft pick to Cleveland Cavaliers for Mo Williams and Jamario Moon

Memphis Grizzlies
 - traded Hasheem Thabeet, DeMarre Carroll and first-round draft pick to Houston Rockets for Shane Battier and Ish Smith

Minnesota Timberwolves
 - traded Corey Brewer to New York Knicks for Eddy Curry, and Anthony Randolph and $3 million

Update 2/25
 - traded Kosta Koufos to Denver Nuggets for 2015 second-round draft pick

New Jersey Nets
 - traded Devin Harris, Derrick Favors, 2011 first-round pick, 2012 first-round pick and  cash $3 million to Utah Jazz for Deron Williams
 - traded Troy Murphy and 2012 second-round pick to Golden State Warriors for Brandan Wright and  Dan Gadzuric

New Orleans Hornets
 - traded Marcus Thornton and cash to Sacramento Kings  for Carl Landry

New York Knicks
 - traded Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Raymond Felton, Timofey Mozgov, 2014 first-round pick, 2012 and 2013 second-round pick and cash $3 million to Denver Nuggets for Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Anthony Carter, Renaldo Blackman, and Shelden Williams
 - traded Eddy Curry, and Anthony Randolph and $3 million to Minnesota Timberwolves for Corey Brewer

Oklahoma City Thunder
 - traded Jeff Green, Nenad Krstic, 2012 first-round draft pick and cash to Boston Celtics for Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson
 - traded DJ White and Morris Peterson to Charlotte Bobcats for Nazr Mohammed

Phoenix Suns
 - traded Goran Dragic and first-round draft pick to Houston Rockets for Aaron Brooks
Portland Trail Blazers
  - traded Joel Przybilla, Dante Cunningham, Sean Marks, 2011 first-round draft pick, 2013 first-round draft pick and cash to Charlotte Bobcats for Gerald Wallace

Sacramento Kings
 - traded Carl Landry to New Orleans Hornets for Marcus Thornton and cash.
 - traded 2017 second-round draft pick to Boston Celtics for Marquis Daniels and cash

Toronto Raptors
 - traded 2011 first-round draft pick to Chicago Bulls for James Johnson

Utah Jazz
 - traded Deron Williams to New Jersey Nets for Devin Harris, Derrick Favors, 2011 first-round pick, 2012 first-round pick and cash $3 million

Washington Wizards
 - traded Kirk Hinrick and Hilton Armstrong to Atlanta Hawks for Mike Bibby, Jordan Crawford, Maurice Evans and 2011 first-round draft pick

Who benefited the most - Nuggets or Knicks?

Last Night, the New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets finalized the deal that sent Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Shelden Williams, Anthony Carter and Reynaldo Blackman to the Knicks for Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Raymond Felton, Timofey Mozgov, a first round draft pick, two second round draft pick and $3 million in cash. The blockbuster deal, which has been the talked of the NBA, has finally happen.

So who truly benefited from these trade?

I am pretty certain your first choice would be the New York Knicks. Why not? They got another legitimate scorer in Carmelo to partner along with Amare Stoudemaire which would make a fearsome forward duo. And they got a veteran point guard in Chauncey Billups who knows how to win games. The Knicks would surely sell tickets and merchandises especially at Madison Square Garden but that does not mean it would result into many wins. Melo and Billups combine for an average of 41.7 points per game but that average would surely go down with both players have to share the ball with Amare.

Coach D'Antonio likes to run the ball (i.e. When he coached the Suns) and Billups does not have the quickness that he used to be except if suddenly experience a Steve Nash type of resurgence. And now with two scorers, who would you run the play to during crucial moments of the game?

The Knicks gave up their young guns in Felton, Gallinari and Chandler. The trio combined an average of 49.4 points per game. And have been an integral part of the Knicks resurgence this season. You can already see the discrepancy there when it come to scoring.

The Nuggets loss scoring and leadership in the locker room but got younger and deeper with Felton, Gallinari, Chandler and Mozgov. They got a legit point guard in Felton, a versatile big men in Gallinari and an athletic forward in Chandler. But the Nuggets have already a starting point guard in Ty Lawson and Raymond Felton will probably be relegated to a back up guard. Danilo Gallinari and Timofey Mozgov are not as athletic and versatile as Melo while Chandler would be competing for minutes with Smith.

But what the Nuggets loss in star power, they gain in money and the future.

As I previously stated, the players they traded are all young players with the oldest being 26. And they are all "tradable" asset because of their expiring contracts (Chandler, Felton and Mozgov will become free agents next year) and their salaries are "affordable." And the Nuggets have depth so losing these players to trades or free agency wont hurt much as losing Carmelo. And remember, they also got three future draft picks

As for cost savings, the Nuggets got $3 million in cash. And its not that all, according to Jeremy of Roundball Mining Company Blog, the Nuggets will save over $17 in salary which would definitely bring down, if not, saved them money on shelling out for the luxury tax. He also commented how Dan Feldman of the Detriot blog Piston Powered estimated that the Nuggets will save about $35 million over the next three seasons.

So if you are talking about Star power, then the New York Knicks is definitely the clear winner. But if you are talking about long-range goals and cost savings, the Denver Nuggets won the trade.

Model Train Exhibit

I always wanted to see a Model Train Exhibit and I finally had a chance this afternoon. Even though the exhibit was small, I was still fascinated and was not disappointed.  The exhibit was done by the Bergen County Model Railroad Club.

If you want to see more pics, click here

Rough day...

It sure was a rough day today.. it was just one of those days when I wished the day would end earlier than usual. It all happen when one of my colleague decided to send me a rough draft of a project that was due today. I can't believe I was being dragged into a half-a** project and expected me to complete it by the end of the work day. Which was only possible if I dropped all the projects and things that I had schedule for the day. And sure enough, I had to so now I have to catch up on work tomorrow.

The only good thing that came out of it is that I let my colleague know what they have done and the repercussions of their actions - which I am pretty sure went in the left ear and went out the right ear since this colleague thinks they know everything and whatever they did with the project was good enough. Yeh, it might have been good enough but I have to revise the entire thing to make it more understandable to whoever will be reading and/or using the finished project. I was so agitated the entire day, I didn't even feel like working out.

Grrrrrrrrr.....

Maybe I need a change of scenery...

Alone again.. on Valentines Day

Well, its Valentines Day again and again... I am alone..

Its been like three years since I had someone to spend Valentines with. And it wasn't even a proper date, we just met the first week of February even though we have seen each other prior to the formal meeting. Then we started talking - sometimes the entire night - getting to really know each other. There were certain circumstances that really prevented us from being together. But on V-day, she was cooking some meals for some of our common friends that she invited me over. We tried to hide our feelings but I just knew there was something between us. After dinner, we walked and just talked in my car for two hours. And of course, I gave her a Valentines gift which she truly loved.

And I thought she was the one.. but I was wrong. Ever since that time, the women I would like are either too old (even though thats not a problem nowadays), are in a relationship or married. Could it be that I got cursed after her? We never really talked about what happen between us or why it didn't work out. And the last time I saw her, she was dancing the night away with a group of guy friends....

Grammy Awards

The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards was held tonight at Los Angeles. And since it was the day before Valentines, I would have thought that there will be a couple of artist who will be in red. I was wrong, only a few were in red.

Anyway, some of the surprising Red Carpet arrivals were Lady Gaga arriving in an... *drum roll* ... EGG. Yup, in an egg and Rihanna is a very teasing outfit. Anyway, the Grammys started off with a nice tribute to Aretha Franklin with Christina Aguilera, Martina McBride, Jennifer Hudson, Florence Welsh and Yolanda Adams. But when did the Grammy's became a concert instead of an award show? They were giving out awards during the break and only showed 9 awards. Lady Antebellum won 3 major awards - Country Album, Song Of The Year and Record Of The Year - which I don't really know whats the difference. The upset win would be Esperanza Spalding beating out Justin Bieber and Drake for Best New Artist.

Anyway, here are the awards that were televised:

- Record Of The Year: Need You Now, Lady Antebellum
- Album Of The Year: The Suburbs, Arcade FIre
- Song Of The Year: Need Your Now, Lady Antebellum
- Best New Artist: Esperanza Spalding
- Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals: Hey, Soul Sister (Live) by Train
- Best Pop Vocal Album: The Fame Monster, Lady Gaga
- Best Rap Album: Recovery, Eminem
- Best Female Country Vocal Performance: The House That Built Me by Miranda Lambert
- Best Country Album: Need You Now, Lady Antebellum

Nine (9) awards out of 109 awards televised in 3 1/2 hours.. there must be something wrong...

For winners of other categories, click here

Ideal gifts for Valentines

Its Valentine's weekend! The nice thing about having it on Monday is that you have time to go out and find your loved one a nice gift. So if you are still thinking of what to get your better half, I came up with this list of gifts that would be appropriate during this time of the year. Of course, keep in mind that there are certain gifts that is appropriate to a certain degree of your relationship with that person.

"Flowers"
Ideal for Her, sometimes for Him
Roses has been a staple of Valentine's Day for a long time. Everyone gives a dozen or two, maybe even more, during this time of the year and its ideal to give to your friend, girlfriend, wife, mom and grandma. Of course, the number of roses will differ with your relationship to that person. Ideal, one rose for a friend, a dozen for your mom and grandma, 2 dozen or more for your girlfriend or wife.

Im sure all the girls expect to get red roses so why dont you mixed it up with roses of different colors. According to the Roses Information Bureau, each colored rose have different meanings. As we all know, red symbolizes the phrase, "I love you" but it also means respect and courage. White roses means "You're heavenly" and "I'm worthy of you". Combination of red and white symbolizes unity while pink symbolizes grace and gentility. Deep Pink means gratitude and appreciation, which would be ideal to give to your parents. Yellow means joy and gladness while the combination of red and yellow symbolizes happy feelings. Orange or Coral shows enthusiasm and desire while deep burgundy shows unconscious beauty. Pale colors shows friendship which is ideal to your girl friends (note the separation between the two words).

Not only the rose's color symbolize something but also its appearance. A full blow single rose means "I Love you" or "I love you still" while rosebuds symbolizes beauty and youth. A single rose means simplicity while hybrid tea roses means "I'll remember you always." And finally, two roses taped or wired together to forged one stem means engagement or marriage in the works (Of course you only go for this if you really mean it).

A simple hint, dont give a white withered rose because it means "you made no impresssion." or better yet, dont give anyone a withered rose, go for the fresh ones.

Now you might be wondering why I the title is flowers and not roses. The reason for it is that one can get a variety of other flowers to give during Valentine's Day. According to GrowerFlowers.com, tulips symbolizes perfect love; Daisies for innocence, loyal love and purity. If its fascination and divine love, give Carnations while Azalea says "Take care of yourself for me" (ideal for long distance relationship). Then there are daffodils that mean you're the only one while White Lilies symbolizes purity and majesty. Iris would meant that the his/her frienship means so much while Crysanthemum means they are a wonderful friend.

"Chocolates"
Ideal for Him and Her
Everyone loves chocolates! Thats the statement that should be announced throughout the whole word. Who doesnt love chocolates anyway? the lush creamy chocolate sure makes your taste buds melt. Everyone appreciates getting a box of chocolates but your special someone would love you more. Of course you have to ensure that the kind of chocolate you are given that person is what they truly like even if its just a reese peanutbutter cup or hershey kisses. Remember, its the thought that always count. If you give them what they like, they will appreciate it more. Of course, dont buy them too many. You dont want them to be eating chocolates all day and complain to you the next day, especially those who are watching their weight.

"Stuff Toys"
Ideal for Her
Stuff toys are usually combined with something else, usually a dozen roses or a box of chocolates. Most prefer those big stuffy bears that you can buy everywhere that serves as your better half's cuddler in times when you are not around. Of course, the bigger the bear, the better but be careful when getting a really big one. You want to make sure your better half has a place for it.

"Jewelry"
Ideal for Him and Her
Women love jewelries and given her one makes her really feel special. You could give her a heart-shaped pendant, a locket or a named necklace. Or you could go for a bracelet or a pair of earrings. It doesnt have to be a diamond encrusted ones but of course that what most girls want. But you cannot go wrong with sterlings. They are not that expensive but the bling still comes with it. Then if you are really meant for each other, then go for it. Give her something like a 14k heart pendant locket or a blue topaz heart pendant or a diamond stud. But its really up to you what kind of jewelry you want to endowed to your girl.

Guys would also appreciate it if you give them jewelry whether it would be a silver bracelet or a watch. Not much pendants.

"Lingerie"
Ideal for Her
ah, this is probably the most hardest gift to give during Valentines day. You really have to know the girl to buy her lingerie coz buying the wrong lingerie would surely have its consequences. How many times I have seen people in relationship fighting because the guy bought the wrong size or the wrong color or even the wrong fabric. Now, this is where those shopping with your girl comes to handy. If you have been going shopping with her, you would a better knowledge of what she likes except if you were not paying attention to what she is buying. So guys, shopping with your girl can have some benefits in the future.

"Beauty products"
Ideal for Her and Him
Buy them their favorite perfume. If you dont know what they like, asked their friends. One time, my friend's girlfriend didnt know what type of perfume my friend uses so she asked us to bring him to a perfume shop to check what he likes. You could employ the same technique and it usually works.
You could also go for a spa gift set. Better yet, treat them like queens or kings for the day by bringing them to a saloon or spa for some nice relaxing time together. You are not just treating them but also yourself. Or you could get some massage oil, scented body lotions and scented oil burner and do it at home. Saves you money and time travelling to the spa place. And of course, there are other benefits doing it at home if you know what I mean.

"Apparel and other accesories"
Ideal for Him
Clothes, shoes, sunglasses, bags...the things you usually see the guys wearing. Of course, you have to make sure what your buying him goes along with his style. Dont buy him something like a leather pants when he doesnt even wear tight jeans. He will accept it so as not to broke your heart but you wont see him wearing those. What you could do is take him to the store he likes and let him choose what he wants and buy that for him.

"Electronics and Gadgets"
Ideal for Him and Her
Used to be only guys love gadgets. But not anymore as chicks also dig it. Smartphones, iPods, Plasma TVs, Game Consoles, iPads...there are tons of gadgets around. Go to an electronics store with them and see what they eyed. If you think you can afford it and you truly believe that you two are really going to be together, then go for it. You could also buy them their favorite dvd or game.

"Personalized Items"
Ideal for Him and Her
In these age of technology, almost everything can personalized. From mugs to key chain to picture frames. Engraved your names in a pendant with the picture of two of you. Or you could go for those pictures that are turned into puzzles. These would give you a fun activity to do together sometime.
Of course, dont ever forget the romantic dinner for two on a nice scenic place or restaurant. Or go for the comforts of a simple candle lit dinner at home by preparing your love's favorite dish with wine and dessert to follow. What happens next.. thats for you to find out.

Oh, there are also those intimate items you can buy at the store such as the lovers dice and game.

So there you go, those are some of my suggestions. Good luck and Have a nice Valentines Weekend.

Year of the Rabbit

Happy Chinese New Year - Gong Xi Fa Cai!!

It's the Year of the Rabbit (兔), the 4th Chinese Zodiac Sign. For those who do not know, their are 12 animals that represent the Chinese Zodiac Sign. These are Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig in that order. Unlike the usually horoscope, the Chinese Horoscope is based on Years instead of fixed dates. 

To know whats your Chinese Horoscope is, look for your birth year:

- Rat: 2008, 1996, 1984, 1972, 1960, 1948, 1936, 1924, 1912, 1900
- Ox: 2009, 1997, 1985, 1973, 1961, 1949, 1937, 1925, 1913, 1901

- Tiger: 2010, 1998, 1986, 1974, 1962, 1950, 1938, 1926, 1914, 1902
- Rabbit: 2011, 1999, 1987, 1975, 1963, 1951, 1939, 1927, 1915, 1903
- Dragon: 2012, 2000, 1988, 1976, 1964, 1952, 1940, 1928, 1916, 1904
- Snake: 2013, 2001, 1989, 1977, 1965, 1953, 1941, 1929, 1917, 1905
- Horse: 2014, 2002, 1990, 1978, 1966, 1954, 1942, 1930, 1918, 1906
- Goat: 2015, 2003, 1991, 1979, 1967, 1955, 1943, 1931, 1919, 1907
- Monkey: 2016, 2004, 1992, 1980, 1968, 1956, 1944, 1932, 1920, 1908
- Rooster: 2017, 2005, 1993, 1981, 1969, 1957, 1945, 1933, 1921, 1909
- Dog: 2018, 2006, 1994, 1982, 1970, 1958, 1946, 1934, 1922, 1910
- Pig: 2019, 2007, 1995, 1983, 1971, 1959, 1947, 1935, 1923, 1911

Once you figure out your sign, click on this link to read what is install for you this year.