Countdown: 28 days to go

There's only 28 days to go before I walk down the aisle. 90% of things on my checklist are done; and yet, the remaining 10% still seems like a lot! So what has been done since my last entry in July? Here's the list:

> Bridal and Reception Outfit - DONE! This was really a concern but after much searching, I finally found two outfits that I love!

> Bridal Shoes - this was another problem. I wanted shoes in a particular colour; unfortunately, it is not a common colour. So, I thought, it's ok, I'll just make the shoes. But alas.....I was too late. The shoemaker was fully booked till CNY next year. But lady luck was probably shining on me, because I found a custom-made pair in the shop, which not only fit me but it was also in the colour I wanted!! So shoes - done!

>  Bridal Party - my bridal party were given freehand to choose their outfits with the request being that it was in the chosen colour. By September, the MOH and bridesmaids had their outfits ready. As for the guys, since their outfits are all being tailor-made, there were no issues there.

> Pre-Wedding Photos - so we decided on having unconventional pre-wedding photos. Since Ben doesn't want to see me in my bridal outfit before the church ceremony, we decided on having casual photos, and shots with our families all dressed in traditional wear. While it took quite a while for the photographer to send us the final edits, I must say, he did a really good job making us look good; and I simply LOVE LOVE LOVE the photos!!

> Alcohol - this was one of the things that was purchased early on. Hahaha! And the stock has been "staying" in my house for the past few months. We are still deciding on whether we want to add to the stock. Hehe!

> Florist - meeting up with the florist and discussing our decoration was also done fairly early. And with the florist being so accommodating, it was one stress off our shoulders.

> Photobooth - due to the wedding being in December, the florist unfortunately could not do the decoration for our photobooth outside the ballroom. But thankfully, one of my bridesmaids had a contact, and in no time, this was an issue that was settled too. We recently had our meet up and I am quite happy with the outcome. 

> Food Tasting - We just had our food tasting a couple of days ago and the food was good. So we're hopeful that our guests will enjoy the spread.

> Band - this was something that was stressful because I had a particular band that I wanted for the reception. From the beginning I had said that only that band is my choice. However, due to the wedding being in December so close to Christmas, and with the entertainment industry just starting to get back in motion, the band could not commit early. I went to see two other bands and was on the verge of hiring one, when the band I wanted agreed to perform!! So...YAY!!!!

> Emcee - so hiring an emcee was not really in our plans, and we figured we'd just ask some family members to host the night. But as time went by and we started drafting the programme, we realised that, while we may not need an emcee the whole night, certain parts of the programme will need someone. So I asked a friend and she graciously agreed to be the emcee, along with my sister (what would I do without her?). 

> Bridal Shower - yes! In the midst of all the planning, I still had my bridal shower! My girls really planned well, and even though one of my girls couldn't make it, her contribution to the shower was not lost. I had a really good and memorable time!

> Music - no, this is not for the reception but rather the church. My piano teacher has graciously agreed to play and sing during the service along with Ben's cousin. While uncle Francis, one of my dad's best friends and former bandmate has been re-arranging the music that will be played as I walk down the aisle. 

So the countdown continues....and as time flies, I hope I get everything done. There have been times though when I feel like I have been planning and making decisions on my own, and it stresses me out. But, a few people have told me earlier on that it's normal to feel this was and that they too went through the same thing. That's some sort of a relief. Haha...

I guess the next time I post an entry, the wedding will be over! So wish me luck! 

Hope for Change

 It's 19 November 2022. Less than 5 years since the country voted for change, we are once again, voting and fighting for change. Back in 2018, one could feel the optimism in the air. The positivity, the hope, the excitement. Those feelings were bubbling under the surface of every individual who voted for change. And in the wee hours of the following morning, change happened! We did it! It felt like someone had pressed Ctrl+A and delete. It was a clean slate.

Fast forward to 2022, I don't feel the same optimism nor excitement in the air. Instead, for weeks, I have been hearing doubts, concerns, worry. In 2018, people were confident and sure that change was going to happened. And it did! But this time, it feels like people are more cautious. While there is hope, there is somehow that lingering feeling of skepticism and doubt. Will we be able to do it again? Will we be able to bring change for a second time? 

My family and I did our parts. My friends did their parts. And now we wait....nervously, anxiously......hopefully.

"It doesn't matter how strong your opinions are. If you don't use your power for positive change, you are indeed part of the problem."

#GE152022 #GE15

Wedding Planning Mode

It's the 3rd of July. That makes it approximately 5 months to my wedding ceremony and reception.

After months of frustration just to get a date for the church ceremony, we have FINALLY secured and confirmed the date AND venue for both the ceremony and reception. To say that I felt frustrated, annoyed, irritated and disappointed these last few months would be an understatement. I felt all that and more...!! 

I knew that planning a wedding was difficult and stressful; but I didn't know that even to get a date was difficult. And the fact that setting the date was not in my control at all, made it all the more frustrating; especially when I had to rely on people. People who did not seem to see their mistake/fault, or the urgency of the matter. 

Fast forward pass all the negative feelings, and now, the official wedding planning has finally begun. While I initially had scouted for hotels, photographers, make-up artists etc, nothing could be confirmed because I didn't have a date set. And it only made matters worse when I kept being told that I was already late; I probably would have to postpone my wedding etc etc. 

Thankfully, not only did I have the support of my family and friends, but I had one person who continued to do the ground work for me so to speak. My sister aka maid of honour, is now also my wedding planner! She advised, sourced, pulled strings...basically she did (and is) pulling out all the stops! I owe her a HUGE thank you! 

For now....

> We've got the rings (since March). 

> We got legally registered (in April). 

> We completed the Church Marriage Course (Catholic Evening for the Engaged) which is a 6 day course that was crammed into 3 days. 

> We have a tailor for the groom's party. The bride's party is also on the go. 

> We have got a photographer (and videographer).

> We have the priest and church set.

> We have the hotel booked.

But....this is just the tip of the iceberg! There's so much to do in so little time. Pre-wedding photoshoot; bridal gown search; meet up with the florist/decorator; food tasting; find a band and emcee; send invites.....AHHHHH!

Most brides I know lose weight because of the stress of wedding planning. Unfortunately for me, I CAN'T afford to lose weight. In fact, I have been on a mission to GAIN weight but that is proving to be DIFFICULT, considering I have not only wedding planning stress, but also work stress to contend with.

At the rate it's going, I have a fear that no wedding gown will fit me and I will need to custom make one; but because of the time constraint, that may not be possible. And that will be an added stress! 

Perhaps I should have just listened to my mother and eloped! Sighs.... 

Final Countdown

5 months have passed since I got engaged! It happened the day after Deepavali. Then Christmas came and went. So did New Year and Chinese New Year. 

5 months since that day and I'm in the last few days singlehood! Yes....in approximately 4 days, I will be changing my salutation from Miss to Mrs! OMG!! To many, I think FINALLY will be their exclamation. 

5 months just breezed past. A lot has happened and a lot more is to happen. 

This is most probably my last entry as a single person. 

The next time I post an entry, I would have began a whole new journey to a bright future ahead. 

xoxoxoxo

I've Finally Found Someone

I've finally found someone, someone to share my life
I've finally found the one, to be with every night....

___________________________________________________________________________________

44 months ago, I agreed to start a relationship. Fast forward to last Friday (5 Nov 2021), which was the day after Deepavali, and I am now.....ENGAGED!

What was supposed to be a relaxing weekend at a beach hotel with my sister and Ben, turned out to be one of the best weekends of my life. I checked into the hotel as a single person; and two nights later, I checked out as an engaged person complete with bouquet in one hand and the bling on the other.

So the story goes as follows....

I had won a 3D2N hotel stay voucher last year in a lucky draw. While I had planned to use it for my birthday, that plan had to be cancelled due to the Movement Control Orders. Thankfully, the hotel agreed to extend my voucher validity to the end of November. Come October, I decided to try my luck and tried to book the hotel right after Deepavali. Surprisingly, the hotel accepted and confirmed my reservation (although I must admit that I was very lucky as interstate travels were still prohibited at the time of my booking and was only lifted a few weeks later which by then, the hotel was fully booked).

I am not sure how I missed all the hints (yup...I guess being a 'ruler' and blur case helped Ben and my sister this time). It all started when Ben asked me who in my family could keep a secret better. Then there was the "requests" for me to get a manicure - which I refused! Lol! Both my sister and Ben tried to persuade me but I was adamant in my refusal, so they dropped it. Even when Ben asked me to email him the hotel confirmation, I did not suspect a thing. Yeah...you can all roll your eyes...

Anyway, Ben told me that he was working that Friday, and that he would meet my sister and I at the hotel after we had checked in. Traffic going up to Batu Feringghi was  bad and it took us about an hour from our house to reach the hotel. Thankfully, we managed to find a parking spot.  As we were walking to the hotel entrance, Ben texted saying that he was in the lobby and blur me believed him when he said he messaged the wrong person and that it was intended for the delivery man. Lo and behold, that message was meant for my sister which I later found out. He nearly blew the whole plan at the last hour! 

After checking in, we headed to the room to keep our bags then we headed to the coffee house for a late lunch. While my sister pretended to go to the toilet, she was in fact meeting Ben to pass him our room key. My sister tried to delay returning to the room for as long as she could as Ben was decorating the room. Unfortunately for her, it was raining and we couldn't walk to the beach which would have given Ben more time.

But before we actually went to the room, she had to go to the toilet - AGAIN! Then we went to the mini-mart to get water and stuff and I think here, my sister nearly killed me when I refused to get a plastic bag, insisting that we could carry two big bottles of water and two cans of coffee between us. In my defense, I was trying to save money and the environment! Hahaha!

So after the pit stop to the toilet and detour to the mini mart, up we went to the room. After juggling the bottles of water and coffee cans, we managed to open the room door and.......there were flower petals and candles on the floor. Some background music was playing (I only realised later what song it was when Ben told me and I watched the video).

There, beside the bed, in a full 3-piece suit, with bouquet in hand and a wide smile, stood Ben. On the bed were rose petals arranged into a heart, above the headboard were balloons spelling out "Will You Marry Me" and "Always and Forever". I did not know what to say or do especially with the stuff I was carrying. I kept repeating "Oh my God" and "I don't know what to say" until Ben asked..."So, will you marry me?" My answer: "Yes yes, of course of course".

And we hugged and kissed (more like a peck). And my sister had to actually remind Ben to put the ring on my finger. Hahahaha. She also asked him to kneel but I said no need. Luckily for Ben as he couldn't kneel anyway as his vest was too tight! Lol! The afterthought of how I looked hit me after that but thankfully, my sis insisted we wear something nice "so that we can take nice pictures on the beach before Ben arrives". I think I looked ok in the pictures considering my bare face and pinned up hair. 

And the ring....the moment he slipped it on, my first reaction was "It fits!!" and you can actually hear me say it in the video. So much so that "Of course of course" and "It fits" has become some sort of a joke amongst my friends.

After the customary photos, we called our parents and closest friends to inform them - much to their delight and happiness. We then sent out pictures and one friend even asked if I said yes....hahahaha! 

Once we settled down, we had to blow off all the candles and collect the petals. By then, it was dinner, so we went for dinner then just chilled in the room after that. Ben and my sister then gave me the whole story from the beginning.

The next morning, I woke up with the ring on my other hand as sometime during the night, I switched the ring to the other hand. I don't wear any jewelry except for my earrings. So wearing a ring almost 24/7 felt weird. As expected, I have not stopped looking at my ring hand, just to make sure that the ring is still in place. Haha!

The next two days went by real quick and it'll be a weekend to remember forever. I have of course Ben to thank for making it so memorable. But the weekend wouldn't have happened if not for my sister. She even wanted to leave the both of us but we insisted that she stay. She played an integral part in this and we love her for that! 

I still can't believe that I am now engaged! As when I first got into a relationship, quite a few people actually said FINALLY! Some even cried. 

So for my second entry of the year, I think this takes the cake! We have not really sat down to talk about the wedding (!!). I guess it's still pretty new and it'll take some time for us to accept this. 

2022 is going to be an exciting year!! Things are looking up especially since the end of the year is in less than two months! 

Till then.......

p.s. Our song: Finally Found Someone - Bryan Adams and Barbara Streisand

2021 – First Entry of the Year

If 2020 just flew by, 2021 is rocketing. It’s already July (!!) which means the first 6 months of 2021 has ended. What exactly happened in the first half of the year? More MCOs, more WFHs….

To be honest, I don’t really remember. I spent New Year’s eve this year at home with my parents. My sister was in KL; while Ben’s yearly family outing was cancelled due to the pandemic. Thaipusam was also a low-key affair with no procession or temple visits. CNY came and went in a blur; with the only redeeming factor being my neighbour giving us CNY treats. Sis, mum and I cooked for CNY just to get into the mood.

March saw Ben and I celebrating our 3 years together (!!); while Mursiah and I celebrated our 5-year work anniversary in April. Labour Day was spent cooking Thai food (tried to cook Green Curry which was successful). One thing that this pandemic has taught me is that even I can cook! Lol!

Then came June…my favourite month of the year. The month that makes me turn a year older every year. I had “grand” plans of spending my birthday at a hotel, courtesy of the hotel vouchers I had won last year. Alas….that was not to be. Thankfully, the hotel was kind enough to extend my voucher validity to November. So my birthday this year, just as it was last year, was spent at home. We ordered lunch from HRC and I had a string of gifts starting from the day before. June came; and June went.

And now it’s July…sighs. On a brighter note, my parents, sister and Ben have all gotten their first dose of the Astra Zeneca vaccine. I’ll be getting mine this Sunday. This is really something of a relief and to be thankful for, as getting an appointment was sooooooo difficult. Registering my parents for the opt-in was easier than when it was my sister’s and my turn. Nevertheless, we are all blessed and grateful to be given appointment dates. Even Ben, who did not get an appointment date but through luck and kind-hearted colleagues, he managed to get his first dose before me! Thank God!

Other things that I am working on are putting on weight (I’ve lost around 5kgs since the start of the pandemic due to WFH eating habits i.e. no breakfast of nasi lemak, kuih and teh tarik); reading more (current read is Obama’s A Promised Land); and practicing the piano (!!).

Let’s hope that the next 6 months bring better news and hope.

2020 - What A Year It Was.....

It's 5.45pm, New Year's Eve. 

It's my annual "tradition" to sum up my year. But what can I say about the year that was 2020? While I hoped that many exciting things would happen this year, alas...nothing really happened.

2019 was one of the hardest years for my family and me. So we looked towards 2020 for renewed hope and better times. Unfortunately, as January moved into February, and then March....things began to look bleak. A virus had hit the world; and in just a few short weeks, this virus became a global pandemic!! 

For the first time in my life, I learned what MCO, CMCO and RMCO meant. I lived through all three; and even now, in my state, it is still RMCO. God knows when I will hear the long awaited words of "we are no longer in the RMCO period. We are safe!"

Even Deepavali was different! We had a virtual gathering, complete with smoky background thanks to the prayers being conducted, noisy aunts and uncles trying to talk at the same time.....still, it can't beat the atmosphere of everyone gathered in the same house.

Nevertheless, as the saying goes, 'there is a silver lining behind every cloud'. While the pandemic caused havoc for everyone, it taught me or rather reminded me of all the things that I should be grateful for. I have job security; I have a roof over my head; I have my three meals a day; I have my love ones around me. 

In short, while the pandemic forced us all to re-look at our way of life, it also taught us to take a step back and appreciate all that we have. 

For me....while I did not get my planned holiday (to Cambodia - postponed again!), I still "achieved" some things:

> as previously mentioned, I got promoted at work

> Started to cook and the dishes turned out pretty good - so yay for me!

> I started taking a class which has been something I have always thought of doing (and this leads to another achievement, see below)

> I have completed my 'Things To-Do Before 40" List!!! - way ahead of time

> Ben finally met my close friends and they're now #teamBen - LOL

> I won a competition and a lucky draw - both of which gave me hotel vouchers (woohoo)

Anyway.....that's it from me this year. As the hours tick towards a new year, I believe that we will be treading carefully into the new year, praying for the best for everyone. We can win this war against the pandemic only if we work together, for each other. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! AND MAY GOD BLESS US ALL!