A stunning Valentine’s Day surprise

No, don’t vomit, but the Irishman and a few of the Peninsula Husbands put on the most amazing, crazy, romantic surprise Valentine’s Day dinner yesterday. Honestly, I’m still reeling from the shock factor. Valentine’s is not a big thing for us. Most years in Singapore, it was either forgotten, or a hastily booked dinner at Les Amis or some other credit card shredding equivalent.

Well, my evening started with me under the impression that we were going to have a picnic at Phillip Island because Mark put on this whole rigmarole of getting me to bring boat shoes, a windbreaker & packing a picnic basket. And he told me that we were going to James’ house first, to get the keys for his speedboat.

Then, when we pulled into the driveway, Mark stopped the car, got out and rooted around in the bushes for a bit, and then appeared with a dodgy looking blindfold and asked me to put it on. Of course I refused! Firstly, on the grounds that it would ruin my carefully applied mascara, and secondly, the whole thing was turning out to be a tad too Eyes Wide Shut for a Monday night… So we compromised on me holding it in front of my eyes as we drove on into the estate.

At last I was allowed to open my eyes, and I saw a very familiar looking marquee on the grounds of James’ magnificent estate, and a fantastic bar made out of bales of hay….

The gleeful husbands. Apparently they had plotted this at our Chinese New Year’s party – which explains why all of them disappeared halfway during the night and were nowhere to be found….

ANY CHARACTER HERE

You couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful evening. This is one of two huge dams on the property.

The Irishman was in charge of appetisers and he made us these adorable ceviche hors d oeuvres in lotus bowls. And a spicy beef san choi bao. Duncan made a piquant cous cous salad and some crisp blanched haricots verts. Rick made miso cod fillets for a main course, and James finished up with a intensely lemony tart purchased from Fitzroy.

The wives were so blown away, especially Lisa, whose husband Duncan said that he had never ever remembered Valentines Day. In fact, during all the planning, Duncan was most worried that Lisa was going to think he was having an affair, so out of character all this cloak and dagger stuff was!

A toast for our incredibly thoughtful husbands, we always knew they had it in them!

I’ll be remembering this Valentines for a long time. Thank you husbands!

Best Valentine’s Brekkie ever!

The Irishman has really outdid himself this time. I was feeling so rotten this morning bcos I had some heartburny-insomnia thing last night and ended up taking 2 antihistamine pills at 5 in the morning to help me sleep. But I woke up to this gorgeous Japanese breakfast on a tray, handmade by the Irishman who knows how much I love Japanese breakfasts (and how much I detest Western-style breakfasts. EGGS. CEREAL. MUESLI. BORING!!!!).

Obviously I’m a fussy cow because I had to ask him for some toasted nori and soy sauce as well, but it was so delicious I think I’ll be dreaming about that breakfast for a long time.

The leggy purple orchid on the tray… And the Irishman saying NO PICS! EAT YOUR BREAKFAST ALREADY AND STOP TAKING PHOTOS OF IT!!! Bloody bloggers huh!

And I also got a present of these vintage tin letters – the husband was trying to spell LOVE but they didn’t have a V, so the lady in the shop suggested that he take an A first, and put it upside down while she hunts around for a V. How cute….

And the little man came home from school waving a huge valentine. Gave it to me. And then decided to give his little sister a smack, which necessitated me spraying a can of Major Whoop-ass on him. Not to mention our cleaner found 2 tiny but too-large-to-be-mouse turds under his bed. WTF??! Oh well! Life’s not perfect! Happy Valentine’s day rascals!