8th entry - A Sweet Lunar New Year

This was the first Lunar New Year that I spent with my beloved sweetheart. It represented another milestone for us in many unique ways. For S, it was the first time my sweetheart spent the traditional Chinese New Year festival in Singapore. For me, it was the first time I had a 5-day break as well as the luxury of spending one whole day and night with my beloved. For us, it was the first time we celebrated the festival together as a couple. These first times had been really memorable for us, but there were also other more memorable first times that I had experienced this year.

For the first time, S and I had the privilege and pleasure of indulging in fine dining at a Chinese Restaurant, but what made this even more special was that we had our meal together on the eve of the New Year celebration. Eating a meal together on the eve of the New Year symbolises family re-union - for S and I, it implied that we are like a family.

For the first time, we exchanged blessings of "red packet" as a couple. My parents had this tradition of giving each other a "red packet" with some money as a token of love and commitment for each other, and also as a form of blessing. I love S so much for agreeing to adopt this tradition with me even though his parents did not share this practice.

For the first time, I had the great honor of tasting the most delicious dessert soup that I ever had, that was painstakingly prepared by my sweetest beloved. S search high and low for the ingredients to prepare this soup and after spending hours at the stove, my darling even brought it all the way to my place for me! I was so touched that I cried (S did not know this)...

For the first time, I had the privilege of seeing S's graduation photos. In some of the photos, S exuded a quiet, humble and mature charm that seemed almost nostalgic and poignant. In others, S held an air of defiance, a look of a conqueror of countless battles, like one on top of the world. The mystery that surrounded S draws me irresistably towards my beloved...

I was sure there would be many more first times that S and I would go through together; not all will be good, but whatever happens in the future I feel so blessed to have had these precious, wonderful and happy milestones within weeks after meeting my sweetheart. This Lunar New Year is one of the sweetest I had ever had in my life because of my beloved S.

My sweetheart darling S, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways ...

(continued in another entry for Valentine's Day)