Blast from the past ... my many misadventures!

Following up from the previous post, here are some of the recaps of the various ‘misadventures’ experienced as far as I could remember. Some of em’ are due to my own misdemeanours while others boils down to pure rotten luck I guess. I know some of you would genuinely enjoy reading this. Who needs enemies when you have friends like these eh? ... :p

Case 1 :

It is a ritual of sorts for my family and I to have dinner with our extended relatives from my dad's side at least a couple of times a year. We aren't too close to them and being a 4 or 5 year old rascal at that time, I used to dread going for such meal functions. The 'dads' would banter bout politics, the 'mums' chattering on TVB's latest hit series and the only common topic I had with my distant cousins was ... school. BORINGGG!!!

My younger bro and I would bug our parents till no end to adopt a 'hit and run' ... meaning arrive as late as possible, gobble our food and leave asap. So on one of the CNY days, we (my bro and I) reluctantly went for one of these obligatory dinners. All I wanted was for the meal to end speedily so we can then make our way home and I can resume my game on the Micro Genius. I was crazy over Mario Bros. 2 then ... I mean, who wasn't. Chinese restaurants during CNY are always packed. So naturally the food would take rather long to be served. Hence, to pass the time (and to avoid having to make small awkward talk with my cousins), me and my bro would leave the table and simply ... scream and run around as if we OD-ed on candy floss.

We circled tables haphazardly much to the displeasure of the other customers I'm sure until I tripped on my greatgrandma's four legged walking stick. You can now picture John Woo's directional style where everything seem to occur in relatively slow motion. I hit the restaurant's glass door head first (forehead to be exact) before bouncing back flat on the carpetted floor. CRASH BOOM BANG!!! Time froze ... everything stopped and sheer silence enveloped the atmosphere. My parents rushed to me and picked me up. My dad swore he saw the swell grew by the second till it was as big as half a tennis ball. Panic striken, I was driven to the nearest clinic before the doc re-assured my parents that I would be ok.

So there you have it, I spent the remaining CNY holidays with a hideous swell plastered on my head ... well, at least we managed to cut short that dinner eh? :p We still fondly joke bout it every now and then. :)

Case 2 :

My aunt (mum's eldest sis) used to babysit me since I was a tiny li'll kid. So every morning, before work, my parents would drop me off at PJ's Section 17 Happy Garden flats where my aunt lived. Since my aunt's flat was located on the 2nd floor and I always had a phobia of being trapped in an elavator all alone, most of the time, I would just take the stairs and brave the awful stench emitted from the garbage chute. Now on the 1st floor, there lived a plump spinster who's eternally draped in her 1960s floral pyjamas. The other thing is her massive hair ... it was just so ... BIG! I'm sure if one were to put it on a weighing scale, it would read nothing less than 30 kgs. If a fly went it, God forbid, it will never ever ever ever find its way out ever ever ever again. She would definitely give Rosmah Mansor a run for her money. *Hehe*

Now crazy spinster also have a companion ... a perpetually pissed off Pomenarian. Crazy little bugger who's barking mad (literally). Well, I wouldn't really blame the furry dude la ... I would go insane too if I were forced to face a master blessed with a face so hideous no mother could possibly love. Oh and just so you know, the dog and I share the same name ... Adrian. *Sheesh*

So everyday without fail, upon reaching the 1st floor, Adrian (the dog) would bark at Adrian (me). KNN! Usually I would just ignore the four legged idiot but this time it was different because ... THE FREAKING DOOR GRILL WAS LEFT OPEN!!! *HORROR*

Adrian stood on the walkway barking furiously at me while I stood rooted like a gargoyle ... shocked and not daring to even breathe. O_O" Adrian then confirmed my worst fear when he started charging towards me. I turned around and ran as fast as my tiny feet could take me. I ran up the stairs like a bat out of hell ... floor after floor. Not once did I turn back to see if Adrian was still hot on my heels cause I didn't need to ... the sharp ear piercing sounds of his bark let me know he ain't giving up on the chase.

When I reached the highest floor (8th), I had no choice but to run towards the other end of the block and started descending down. A while after, I noticed the barking had ceased. I slowed down my running and realised I wasn't being chased anymore. Not taking any chances, I quickly made my way to my aunt's place and she was puzzled that I arrived drenched in sweat.

The next day, I made my parents walk up with me for fear of a reoccurence from yesterday's frightful episode. The grill was latched this time but no bark. Adrian (the dog) was no where to be found and till this very monent, it still remains a mystery to me what happened to him. One can only hope that he was abducted by aliens and gets his well deserved payback of daily anal probings for being such a SOB!

Case 3 :

My uncle, (the husband of the aunt who babysat me) opened up his own mechanic workshop in SS19, Subang Jaya. On the grand opening day, friends and relatives were invited for some small makan and get-together. After stuffing myself with food from the buffet spread, I went off to play on my own while the adults chatted on. Can't really remember what happened but I ended up getting one leg stuck inside the metal grill covering the drain. So you can imagine, one leg stuck under while the other was on top. I tried freeing myself before anyone else noticed but I simply couldn't. Soon everyone knew and my parents tried to tug me free. The pain forced a scream and tears out of me. It was really a very embarassing situation I was in. :(

My stuck leg was coated with engine lubricants but it was to no avail. It was wedged in there for good. With no other options, the Fire Dept. was called and the firemen had to saw out the grills with an electric cutter in order to free my leg. Sighhh ... so malu.

Blast from the past ... Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire!

Rewind the clock by 22 years or so and you'll have li'll ol' me in kindergarten. Towering less than 3 feet tall, I had to be literally dragged to 'school' everyday to this quaint corner house lot in Section 17, PJ. A couple of my cousins went there too. No, I didn't like it there cause unlike the lucky tots nowadays, we didn't get to sink our fingers into colourful Play Doh or excite our minds with the latest games on the PSP. We did math, we read and recite the 'wonderful adventures' of Peter, Jane and Pat, the dog. During break time, we were told to sit down and finish our crackers and diluted Milo in utter silence. *blehhh* In addition, with a teacher I likened to a vile prison warden ... Ms. Khoo was my boogeyman ... my monster under the bed. I was terrified of her to the core *shiver*.

Anyways, nearing the end of the semester, we were told that the kindie is going to make us take a Final Exam. OH THE HORROR!!! Ms.Khoo a.k.a. Ms. Khookhoociau piled the pressure on us to do well. Perhaps the teachers were riding on a bet on whose students could perform the best. All parents were made aware of this exam and to dangle the carrot in front of me, my parents promised me a gift should I excel. My aunt promised my cousin the same. The game is ON!

The exams came and went. I was glad that it was finally over. On a sunny blue sky day (probably) ... as my cousin and I were sitting on a swing, waiting to be picked up ... we schemed. Yeap, you heard right ... a couple of 7 year olds ... putting our devious li'll minds together to connive!!! Muahahaha!

So here's the story, we would both go home that day and tell our parents that we scored the No.1 position in class. With that, we'll demand for our rightful gifts straightaway. *Brilliant*

That night I went home and delivered the 'good news' and with that, I bugged them till no end to take me to Savemart, SS2. Finally, I settled for a battery operated toy gun ... the kind with flashy lights and sounds yo! I went to bed clutching my prized possession to sleep. *Sweet Success* :)

The next day at kindie, I saw my cousin and she too had a huge smile plastered over her face. I knew our plan had worked. She snagged herself a Barbie.

The weekend soon came by and as usual, my family went to pay grandma a visit. Coincedentally, my aunt and cousin were there too. *Gulp*

Our families soon got to talking and obviously talked bout our recent 'achievements'. To cut the story short, they soon worked out that there can't possibly be two No.1 students in the same class and the cat was out of the bag. :(

Hell hath no fury like my mother's scorn I tell ya. To say I got an earful was an understatement of monsterous proportion. I ended up spending most of the night outside alone in the dark before Dad let me in. Eh, for a 7 year old, being alone in the dark was no joke k.

My cousin was luckier, she got off with a meager lecture bout telling fibs bla bla bla.

The funny part was that a couple of weeks later, the exam results were announced. They graded us not by positions in the class but overall throughout the entire grade. Only 5 best students were awarded and my cousin and I were among the elite 5. KNN!!! If only we waited a li'll longer ... sighhh.

So the moral of the story is ... TIMING IS EVERYTHING!!! ... oh and don't lie especially to your parents. The truth is always out there. *cue X-Files music theme*

You know the country's screwed up when ...

... when my chef had his ID confiscated by a plain clothes officer snooping around in a Beamer 5 Series sometime around quarter past 3 in the afternoon. What was the crime commited u ask? Well, he was washing the car at our villa's porch area and naturally, the waste water flowed out towards the road. Now that was a big NO NO!!!

Anyways, after much pleading, the officer handed the chef back his ID with a stern warning. He was told that such offence could carry a fine of RM12,000 and a maximum jail sentence of 2 years. Well, I'll be damned!

And in case you're wondering, none of these ladies is my chef. :p

When you love someone ...

Sometimes I stubbornly deny what’s real
Blinding myself of the real deal
Sometimes I tell a li'll lie
As if that way, I can really fly

On lonely nights ... so silent and still
When I’m curled up feeling weak and ill
I do not plead for rest or a bitter pill
But a tight embrace only your love can fill

I do things others cannot explain
I find joy with you from the norm and the mundane
I preach of emotions which defies logic
People say it’s crazy, well, I say it’s magic

Others would try to reach for the moon
For such a dream, it's too early too soon
I'd rather reach deep into your heart
So that even across oceans, we are never really apart

Inside The Fallen Tree ...

Being awakened by the sheer exasperating sounds of birds chirping never fail to irritate the hell out of me. The sun is still slumbering and only a very faint light illuminates the world outside my grimy window. I lay starring at the ceiling and the body screamed from sheer weariness. I slugged out of bed and pulled my jumper on. I had a hunch that it’s gonna be chilly out there. I stuck my hands into the shoe drawer and dragged out the first pair my hands could get a hold on. As it turned out, my blue and white stripped NBs was the pick of the day. I double knotted the laces and headed out.

The first thing that struck me as I creak opened the door was the smell of rain, wood and grass. It’s musty and yet, it enveloped me with a sense of comfort. Stepping out, I saw dozens of black ring ouzels swooping acrobatically from one roof to another ... if only I had a double barrel Winchester. I’d literally blow them out of the skies. Nasty buggers.

I walked swiftly, slightly annoyed at the squeaky sound of my rubber soles squishing against the paved road. Not a soul was in sight and yet I felt exposed. I wanted to be invisible to the world … I wanted no one to see or even notice me. A little over fifteen minutes later, the road came to an end and only a dirt path lies ahead. I sauntered on and each step imprinted the patterns of my shoes on the amber mud. I pulled on the hood snugly over my head for the leaves from the trees around are still showering me with droplets from last night’s drizzle.

I’ve been here more often that I could count and yet each time, the place seems frustratingly different. I sometimes suspect that the trees purposely switch their places just so they can confuse me. Then something caught the corner of my left eye ... a light of some sort. I’ve never treaded away from the pathway simply because the forest grounds were denser on either side and I’m weary to go into the unknown. I just dislike plunging into a state of insecurity, so sue me.

I peered inside and realised that the ‘light’ was actually sunrays piercing through the roof of the forest canopy. I had an image of Greek Gods playing javelin throw in Mount Olympus above and a few of their sunray spears landed here. I was drawn to the light and subconsciously made my way towards it. I realised that I was actually standing on a clearing of some sort and its mesmerizing beauty had me transfixed. The ground was filled with a thick bed of ivory dandelions and dotted here and there with contrasting bright golden samphires. I realised then that the common phrase people used ‘colours of the rainbow’ is inappropriate because I felt humbled by the sight of fluttering butterflies in their hundreds performing a symphony of colours before my eyes. I walked towards them and this caused the dandelion stalks to parachute upwards. I closed my eyes and twirled gleefully like a 5 year old girl and everything around me swirled in motion.

My foot caught on to something and I fell face first onto the moss filled ground. It took me quite a while to regain my composure and re-adjust my vision. My snickers are now patterned with patches of slimy green. Damnit! The butterflies had all disappeared and all that’s left was the deafening silence. Just then, the west wind blew, sending the tree leaves into a rustling frenzy. I felt that they were sniggering at me and I felt anger erupting instantaneously.

I looked around trying to see what caused my fall and realised that I had tripped on the roots of a fallen tree. This reminded me of the time Zack, the school bully stuck his legs out to send Albert and his lunch tray sprawling across the cafeteria. I felt guilty because I was one of the many who laughed out loud at that scene. Karma always has a way of finding its way back to bite you in the ass I guess.

Still I was furious that this interrupted my ‘moment’ and in dim-witted haste, I balled my fist and struck the fallen tree trunk ... hard. The pain felt was excruciating but satisfying at the same time. With at least a century old in age (I guessed), the brittle trunk crumbled inwards leaving behind a gaping hole, not more than a foot in width. I was taken aback by this for I expected the tree of this size to be much sturdier. I studied the trunk intimately and it was indeed aged and wrinkled. There is a carving not far from where I thumped it and I inched in for a closer look. It read ‘A & S till death do us part’. I snorted at the sheer corniness of the sentence. In today’s society, it would be easier to find a winged unicorn than to find individuals to commit to ... well ... forever.

Just then, I spotted a shiny reflection coming from inside the crack I made. From what I can see, it’s metallic and I was dumbfounded that something like this should be embedded inside an ol’ tree trunk. I stuck my hands on the perimeter of the hole and tugged it with force. I was just hoping that I would not be at the receiving end of something nasty ... like having my palms filled with juicy wriggly maggots. Yucksss. As the opening ‘grew’ bigger, I could make out the shape of the object. It’s a book. A leather bound book to be exact with a metal plate screwed on to its cover. My curiosity fuelled the adrenaline and as soon as the book is able to fit through the hole, I heaved it out with eager anticipation.

I examined the book intently ... tracing my fingers along the spine. The rustic brown leather is thick and I reckon the hide from the animal slaughtered for it must have lived a long life indeed. On the metal plate, in big bold engraving, read ‘The Book of ...’. The final word was deliberately scratched off rendering me puzzled. I tried hard to figure out what the last word could have been but there’s just no telling.

With nothing left to be done, I flipped open the cover very gently as if any hurried gesture would cause the entire book to turn into a pile of dust. The first page was blank and only a few auburn stain marks were visible on the very aged paper. I held the corner of the page with the tips of my index finger and thumb and again ... slowly turn the page. At the next page, my mind registered a picture with a worded paragraph beneath it. Miliseconds later, when the brain is able to process what my stunned eyes are actually seeing, my jaw dropped in response.

This simply cannot be!!!

It’s just not possible!!!

I tried reading the words below the image but couldn’t for my vision was blurred by the heavy stream of gushing tears.

Now the rest as they say ... is a story for another day ...

When I wish upon a star

Lying down and facing the very vast night sky. The silence is deafening and you have a million twinkling stars staring back at you ... mocking you. You slowly raise your palm and spread it wide open like a net and then ball the fingers into a fist ... a futile attempt to grasp as many stars as possible. We're told, with each star, you're granted one wish ... the big ones give you bigger wishes ... the smaller ones ... smaller wishes.

Right now, all I need is just one wish.

Yours is the Titanic ...

'Whatever floats your boat' ...

This is a term I commonly use on others and almost all the time, I usually mean good. So yea, go do whatever that pleases you ... whatever it is that makes you happy.

But the other day I said it through grinded teeth to 'him'.

Him : Bla bla bla ...

Me : Ha ... ha. Whatever floats your boat.

Now what I really wanted to say was ... Yea, go ahead and do whatever you like even though I think you're an absolute imbecile. I'm embarrased to be standing anywhere within a 1km radius of the 'boat' that is your pathetic life and you can be 101% assured that we'll never be on the same 'boat'. Damn straight!

Rancangan ini tergendala

SY will be around for the next couple of days. So this blog will be placed on hiatus status till she returns home. Till then ... do behave and try not to miss me too much. :p

Me : See you later ... alligator.

You : In a while ... crocodile.

Now shoo!

6 more days ...

Six more days before I see her again ... can't wait can't wait can't wait!!! :D

So much I've planned for us to do. Well, actually not too many places we can go with the lack of transport etc, but at least we'll be doing it together.

We will essentially be mall rats thronging the walkways of Marina Mall, Abu Dhabi Mall, Al Wahda Mall etc.

We will be feasting on Mexican @ The Sombrero, Thai @ The Royal Orchid, American @ Fuddruckers, Chinese @ The China Restaurant etc. WAAAAAAAAA ... can't wait can't wait can't wait!!!

Stay tuned for photos as I'll be very trigger happy with my D90. Will see how the shots turn out. You be the judge. :p

Oh and I'll finally get to view my wedding video. :)

Sigh ... boss just walked in. Back to the meeting ... blehhh.

Empty without you ...

As with every other lonesome night,
I stare at the moon, glowing so bright
Waiting for a passing star, my wish it'll grant
'Bring me my princess' I'll chant and chant

Remeniscing 'bout the li'll things that you did
Especially the silly ones so lovingly candid
It makes me smile like a lovestruck school kid
I know for sure, you're all I'll ever need

The hours are painfully ticking by
And all I can do is to heavily sigh
Counting down the days till we meet again
For now, pictures of us, are keeping me sane

Words cannot describe the way I miss you so
Maybe that's why, I'm feeling miserably low
My heart aching ... craving only for you
And baby, I hope you feel the same way too

The Engineer vs. The Chef

Engineer comes home from work.

Engineer goes to kitchen.

Engineer sees dinner on table.

Dinner is curry chicken again.

Just so you know, Engineer hates curry.

Engineer tells off Chef 'bout always cooking curry.

Chef gets pissed off.

Engineer proceeds to cook himself.

Chef ask Engineer to sit down. Chef said he'll cook for engineer ... and this will be his last day working here.

Engineer rejected Chef's 'offer' to help with the cooking.

Chef took the plastic bowl containing frozen fish and threw it towards the fridge.

Bowl and frozen fish slammed on the fridge and landed on floor. *Crash Boom Bang*

Frozen fish felt the pain. *Ouchy*

Engineer ignored commotion and continued cooking.

Chef went into room and slammed door.

5 seconds passed ... tick tock tick tock ...

Chef walked out from room with mobile.

Chef picked up bowl and frozen fish and threw it inside the freezer.

Chef stormed out of villa.

Hours passed ... tick tock tick tock ...

Apparently, Chef called for 'reinforcements'.

The Black One came and demanded to see Blabbermouth and Engineer.

Everyone sat down to 'talk things over'.

This blogger wasn't invited to the 'table talk'. *Boo Hoo*.

So dunno what happened next. Apparently everything was ok after that.

Days passed ... tick tock tick tock ...

The dust have settled but I reckon the would hasn't healed yet.

More to come??? Hmmm ... I wonder ...

It's been a long year ...

The twentyeightthofjulytwozerozeronine marks my first year anniversary here in the United Arab Emirates ... well in its capital, Abu Dhabi to be exact. Over time, I've came up with numerous callings for this place ... the sandpit, sh*thole, Babu Babi etc. So I guess you can deduce my general 'affection' towards it. :p

I left my mind to wander and reflected for a bit yesterday while sipping on my bitter sweet french latte @ Hediard. (Well, at leeze ve now know ze French arr gewd for zumthin)

So how has the past 365 days been treating me??? Well, I'm not in a position to judge or conclude if it's good or otherwise. So with Mayang Sari's 'Tiada Lagi' looping on the Ipod, I'll just pick my mind and put to words the various milestones I could recall. The good, the bad and the fugly ... here goes ...

Initially, this project was scheduled to carry through a 20 months period. Kicking off in June 08, that should enable me to bid the camels sayonara by Feb 10. BUT ... (aww come on, you were expecting a 'BUT'!!!) due to unforseen circumstances and of course, the screw ups on the part of every party involved, it's gonna drag on till Sept 10 ... and that's if Lady Luck is smiling ... no ... cackling down at us. That's an extra 7 months before we can tell the sheikhs to kiss our tushies goodbye k. I know some of you will admonish yours truly, saying "Oi, that's an extra 7 months of pay ok". Ya la but in all seriousness, for some of us, money ain't everything. Don't get me wrong, I ain't hating the moolah, just that there are things in life that are worth more than the crispy dollar notes we get at the end of each month. The problem is, I can't be for certain what those things are. Time will tell I guess, I just hope it's not too late when I realize what they actually are.

When I first arrived, I dived straight into work and had my first twelve meals in the same dirty smelly Indian restaurant. There were other dining places nearby but I was told this is the best by far. That means I had briyani with ayam goreng at least twice daily and oh, the roaches will shamelessly share the table too. I came in the summer, so when I walked out on the first night of arrival, I thought I stepped in a puddle or something cause the soles of my feet were sweating due to the insanely high humidity.

Along with a few other colleagues, I was 'arrested' by the Labour Ministry cause our P.R.O (Public Relations Officer i.e working visa guy) didn't do his job competently. Was 'chauffered' to the detention center in a grilled van man. When all was sorted out, we were released a couple of hours later. It felt beyond relief to be 'free' again cause it was a pretty daunting experience to be new in another country (an Arab one no less) and your fate is not within your control.

I've been consuming more curries and spices than I have my entire life back in M'sia. My cholestrol level must be so off the charts it's not funny anymore. My weight have been see-sawing ... I gain some and lose some. A gym membership would cost me a whopping RM7k annually, so that's basically a no-no. To balance my huge apetite (close friends would gladly testify to this), I try to jog around my residential area as often as possible. I totally wore out a pair of NB within 8 months man. But it gets mundane after a while and did I mention the heat during summer goes above 50 deg C. Not only that, I sometimes toy with death coz my jogging route puts me on the same trail with quite a few lunatic drivers who reckon that F1 shouldn't be limited on the race track. Ever seen a Pakistani on an 18 wheeler with no load?! If you spot one, dive into a nearby bush or something. KNN!

I was never amongst those who bond closely with their colleagues. To me, if I'm already spend at least 1/3 of each day with you, another 1/3 for slumber, that practically leaves me with the remaining 1/3 to do what I want, to live my life the way I want it. That was back home la. Here ... I'm being holed up in the same villa along with the rest of 'em. So that's literally 24/7 with your work mates. Oh Jolly!!! Ok la, at least I got the room to myself, dunno bout the other poor buggers who had to share. Oh and did I mention the boss bunks here as well. The problem is that the boss acts all bossy even after office hours. This essentially pisses off a lot of people here. We're being put in a situation where it isn't ideal to purchase a car, so having no transport can be a real bitch. Imagine going out in the summer to hail a cab or bus in order to reach the mall. It won't take more than 10 minutes for one to be drench in sweat. Am sure the other mall rats wouldn't appreciate the odour eh. Yucks!

I started to cook again. Last time I did it regularly was during my uni days. Cooking a simple meal grants me a sense of satisfaction and I'm glad to know I still got it what it takes man. Wonder if I could give a certain Mr.Oliver or Mr.Ramsay a run for their money huh. Haha ... kidding la. Can't wait to cook for wifey again. A pinch of salt, a dash of coriander and a whole lot of TLC. :)

I have to do my own laundry. Blehhh ... the last time I did this regularly was also during uni days and every single fiber in my body hated it with a vengance then and they still do now. The washing ain't that much of a bother but it's the ironing. Can't wait for wifey to take over this homely duty. :P

I got married and went for a fabulous honeymoon. *YAY* For that, I've got this job to thank for. Financially, it enabled me to afford the wedding I had plus the glorious unforgettable trip to the Maldives. Couldn't have done it otherwise really. But it also gained us the pain of separation right after the wedding. The distance can sometimes be unbearable and takes it toll on our relationship as man and wife. We have to keep reminding and supporting each other with love and understanding during trial times especially when physical comfort is not an option. The miscommunications over unstable internet connections or the lack of it due to costly phone calls can potentially draw a risky gap in between couples. A friend once advised that the distance may result in the heart growing fonder. True but I think she forgot to mention the hurt and loneliness that comes along with it. :(

Someone told me, when faced with so many issues, the best solution is to adopt the 'come what may' attitude. I simply can't. When something so dear to me is at stake, I simply cannot do it. I've seen others done it in the past ... just like a flick of a switch, turn off all affection towards a certain something or someone and be free of the 'burdening' emotional bondage. Sighhh, to live without love, I'd rather not live at all. I'd go through it all even if it means having to experience the accompanying pain. To see the bad, only can I be enlightened of the good. To suffer the hurt only can I truly appreciate the joy.

Just today, a friend asked me why are so many people openly displaying their emotional stress on Facebook. I guess a lot of people out there are actually facing issues of their own ... fightings their own battles and demons. The beaming smiles that we often see on the faces of others are beginning to seem like pathetic facades masquerading the pouring tears beneath. Facebook is perhaps a hassle free avenue for such people to 'shout' out for help or cry out for love and attention ... and all these happening maybe even at a subconcious state. Hmmm, ranting on FB may result in the decrease in suicide rates ... you ever thought bout that? A distant relative suffered an accident and passed away on the same day. Wifey just attended the funeral today ... it serves as a grim reminder to us all that life is indeed very fragile and we'd end up being regretful idiots for taking things and our loved ones for granted. We can't turn back time or change the past, so why bother ... it's what we do about today and tomorrow that matters most.

Re-reading what I just typed brought one word to mind ... RANDOM. I apologize for such a messy entry and it's getting late and I have to work early tomorrow morning and I hate my job (althought I heart the money) and it's time for bed now. Haha.

Good night folks ... and just so you know, I earnestly believe in this phrase below ...

'After the storm, look out for the rainbow'

:)

The Wedding (Part 5)

Most of the guests were seated down ... most were chatting amongst themselves while others bask in the enchanting ambience surrounding them. The soft lightings, the captivating music, the charming décor’ ... I personally was very fond of the set up as a whole.

The emcees called for attention and kick started the night with a funny story of how SY and I met. Jon did most of the talking in English while CT countered in Mandarin to please our crowd in general. When they were done with their opening address, all the ballroom lights were turned off except the fairy lights from the backdrop and the ceiling drapes. Under an almost pitch black condition, Shaun pressed the ‘play’ button and projected our animation ... it detailed the story of the moment SY and I first met till the day of our wedding. The song used in that animation was ‘On This Day’ by David Pomeranz ... a romantic tune to compliment the atmosphere.

When the animation was done, the band immediately started playing an instrumental version of the same song ... the doors to the ballroom was opened and we marched in ... led by Thomas a.k.a. Malaysian’s very own ‘Kenny G’ on the saxophone. The spot light was literally on us as we walked towards the main table. We waved back bashfully at the cheering and clapping crowd. The 30 odd people from gym made the most noise. Haha. Really appreciate it fellas. Nash, a friend of ours, also from gym came forward and cheekily planted a kiss on both our cheeks.

When we arrived at the main table, our dads congratulated us and we took our seats. The lights came on and the Emcee signalled for dinner to be served. The food presentation was simple ... just the way we wanted it. We had the waiter / waitresses lining up and marching towards us in a criss-crossed formation to the sound of Bond ... the all fiery English female four piece string quartet band.
When the first dish (Four Seasons Hot and Cold Combination) was served, everyone dug in instantly. We were a bit concerned about the disheas hotels usually prioritize presentation rather than food quality. Our worries were unnecessary though as the food was excellent in terms of quality and quantity. *woot*

Before the 2nd dish was served, it was time for our dads to give their speeches. So my dad went up first accompanied by my mom. In the next 5 minutes or so, he spoke, quoted and joked to the applause of the crowd. Next up, my dad-in-law took over the mic with mom-in-law. A very steady bi-lingual (English and Mandarin) speech was delivered and I reckon our guests enjoyed it as much as SY and I did.

Everyone else continued indulging in the culinary offerings as the band serenaded them with delightful classical and pop numbers. It seems Chinese oldies were especially popular with our crowd and even SY’s 95 year old grandma appreciated those pickings with fond reminiscence. We proceeded up to the bridal suite for a change of attire. I put on a mandarin collared suit while SY slipped herself into a very glamorous champagne coloured ‘cheong sam’. She looked utterly gorgeous in that. We re-entered the ballroom just in time to enjoy viewing our pre-wedding photo shoot slide show. It felt kinda awkward to see ourselves being projected on the big screen especially with all the pretentious poses. Haha.

We followed up the slide show with a short video clip of the morning’s activities i.e. the games played between the ‘heng tais’ and chee muis’, the tea ceremony at SY’s place, the church reception as well as the tea ceremony over at my home. We were glad the video managed to capture laughter inducing instances as well as the starry eyed romantic moments that enveloped our union as a whole.

After that, we carried on with our speeches. I nervously delivered mine before passing on the mic to SY to convey hers. We thanked our families and friends for making the effort in being there to celebrate our wedding ... simply because their presence made it that much more special for the both of us. From there, we ensued with the cake cutting and the champagne pouring. Hand in hand, we ceremoniously sliced the cake and poured the champagne before inviting our immediate families up to stage for the toasting. In addition, we got a few of our friends, mainly a couple of ‘em heng tais to join us in toasting to our guests. Three toasts were offered all together. One for longevity, two for wedded bliss and finally, the third ... to show gratitude to all of our guests. YAM SENGGG!!!

We went up to our room once more or SY to change into her final gown ... a ravishing maroon red wedding dress with black embroidery. We made our way back into the party and went straight to the usual table to table toast. Mind you we had 41 tables to cover and time was running short. We rallied in quite a number of friends … mostly my high school and uni buddies and started our ‘attack’. With every table we went to, we screamed at the top of our lungs ... all in merry good fun. When it came to the tables occupied by our gym mates ... 3 tables in total, it was utter chaos. So much screaming I bet the people staying on the penthouse suite could hear us. *lol* By the time we covered all the tables, we were exhausted. Certain individuals were either drunk I guess ... and it’s rather amusing to see your usual sombre relatives acting all foolish and funny under the influence. We had apples almost everywhere in the ballroom to coincide with our theme, Apple of My Eye and we witnessed a few of ‘em drunkards taking a bite out of those apples hanging on the floral stands etc. Hilarious stuff ... haha. The guests began trickling towards the exit and we presented ourselves there with our parents to bid our thank yous and good byes.

One would think it’s all over eh ... well not exactly. While the hotel staffs were busy cleaning up the ballroom, my close uni mates were ‘waiting’ for me. Apparently, the groom should never leave his wedding standing or walking straight. So they piled me with a potent concoction of whisky and wine. I must admit that it wasn’t long before I blanked out ... and that my fellow readers, was the end to my wedding narrative. Hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I did ... writing it. :)

The Wedding (Part 4)

After lunch, we quickly packed up and headed straight to the PJ Hilton hotel where the wedding dinner is to be held. Once there, we checked into our bridal suite and it was pretty nice. A bottle of champagne was iced and a box of pralines to compliment the bubbly beverage. Rose petals were scattered all over the bathroom and some were gracefully floating in the tub. On the bed's cream coloured sheets, lay a sweet li'll bouquet of white and baby pink roses. Very nice touch this one because it matches the colour theme of our floral arrangements in the ballroom. In addition, our room being located on the 21st floor meant we had a magnificent panaromic view of the city. *woot*

Time was of the essence, hence we had little time to truly appreciate the suite and got down to business. We met up with the hotel's banquet planner, Elisha and ironed out the last minute detailings. We saw the Krystal Ballroom being set up and instructed for the sound checks to be carried out. Simultaneously, we called our decorator to ensure she'll be able to execute everything according to plan. YJ was at hand to help and he did a great job as our floor manager to coordinate with the hotel's staff. Shaun arrived soon after to do a dry run of the AV materials to be screened.

So many things were happenning at the same time and there were moments where it felt a tad bit overwhelming. Together, SY and I managed to calm ourselves down and as the minutes ticked by, we can see most of the things coming into place. The dinner tables being set up, the cutleries and folded napkins arranged accordingly, the wedding favours placed for each of our guests, pink rose petals sitting contrastingly on the lazy susan, the cream linened chairs with its striking gold tiebacks ... it's amazing really to witness everything being put together for the show. Up on the ceiling, champagne drapes were hung and it looked simply gorgeous with its fairy lights switched on. That helped enchanted the entire ballroom really.

Outside at the reception area, the registration and cocktail tables were being put together. At one end, stood our wedding portrait and on the other, a tall structure of a wishing tree where our guests wrote notes and well wishes on a printed card which was then hung on the tree itself.

The make up artist, May soon arrived and we told her to work her magic on Ivy first before my mom and lastly, on the bride herself. Jon and CT, our emcees came almost at the same time and they went straight into rehearsal. At the same time, our music band from Jason Geh's Entertainment were busy setting up their audio equipment.

Our cocktail reception was to start at 6:30pm sharp and at 5:oopm, our decorator was no where to be found. I called the coordinator, Jasmine and she assured me that everything will be up in time. At that same moment, I saw her zooming past in front of me, one hand holding her mobile to her ear and the other clutching a bag full of pink rose petals. At that point in time, we had no choice but to place our trust in her to do the job and to do it well.

Our names on the backdrop were supposed to be in gold but it turned out to be dark brown instead. We questioned Elisha and she explained that gold wordings against our chosen backdrop would not be outstanding enough. The fairy lights behind the backdrop were lighted up and with the various flower balls dripping from the ceiling, it gave a very unique garden feel to the setting. So the 'screw up' became a blessing in disguise instead. :)

We practiced our march-in with the music and all while everyone else did their part to make sure the show goes on. At approximately 6:00pm, we went up to the suite to prepare ourselves and left the rest in God's hands. *fingers crossed*

At 6:45pm, I came down to the ballroom and was rather suprised to see so many of our guests had already arrived. Looks like we've got ourselves a punctual crowd. I fluttered around greeting people while the stollers comprising of two saxaphonists and a guitarist enveloped the area with soothing tunes and charming melodies. The registration table was tastefully decorated with fresh flowers and lighted candles. Tucked in between were green apples to punctuate the our dinner's theme ... APPLE OF MY EYE.

Sitting majestically at the center of the cocktail area were a pair of ice carvings with the spotlight literally on 'em. Our cocktail tables had a simple but elegant centerpiece of twigs, candles and yes ... apples. Oh yea, musn't forget the eye catching floral arches with its flower balls towering majestically to welcome our guests into the ballroom.

Both Brian and Paul, our photographers busied themselves capturing special kodak moments on their huge dslrs as more guests flooded in. I took a peek inside the ballroom and the scene that greeted me was absolutely jaw dropping! It was breathtaking. From top to bottom, side to side, it was so beautifully different from how I last viewed it. The long flow drapes, the striking backdrop, the dimmed chandeliers, the floral stands along the walkway with its 'floating' apples and tealight candles, the sparkling champagne tower and the lovely wedding cake on stage ... all these complimented each other perfectly like a jigsaw puzzle that resulted in a magical picturisque set up.

The main table was decorated with an extravagant formation of long wavy twigs, lots and lots of fresh flowers, candles of various sizes and an abundance of green apples. It looked magnificent and certainly stole the limelight from the other 41 tables. Haha.

The bride soon graced us with her presence and every pair of admiring eyes were on her. Looking stunningly beautiful in her long tailed mermaid ivory gown, she rightfully commanded everyone's attention. :) Not long after, many of our guests began taking their seats inside and we informed the hotel staff that we'll march-in at 8:15pm. With this, other lingering guests were pleasantly ushered in.

At precisely quarter past eight, we cued our emcees and got ready for arguably, the biggest night of our lives. Positions people!!! It's time for LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!!! :D

To be continued ...

The Wedding (Part 3)

Hand in hand, we slowly and gracefully decended the spiral staircase of SY's home. Upon seeing us, the people below cheered and clapped while we flashed our happy silly grins at them. Kenneth, the 'tai kam ye' quickly went to do his thing and set up what was necessary for the tea ceremony.

When all was ready, SY's grandma being the matriarch of the family and her younger brother YJ (to represent the patriarch) sat down. We then served them tea while Kenneth offered auspicious words to commemorate the ceremony. Everything done and said has its meaningful purpose as with most traditions, hence, even the chinese tea served were mixed with honey to symbolize a sweet beginning for the newly weds. :) After sipping sweet tea, grandma gave SY a pair of lovely earrings and a red packet for me. SY's parents were up next and we served them tea. They reciprocated by bestowing jewelries and red packets upon us. My father-in-law gave me a thick gold chain and a matching pendant. I got bling yo! Soon, one by one, we repeated the process with all the other senior relatives. When that was all done, it was our turn to finally sit down and SY was literally dripping with so much jewelries I'm sure she was suffering from neck and wrist ache. LOL :) The juniors then lined up to serve SY and I the sweet sweet tea. In return, we gave them red packets. Might wanna add that I was a li'll weird out when YJ and YL called me 'che fu' (brother-in-law) out loud. Hahaha.

When the tea ceremony was completed, we still needed to perform a few more rituals as instructed by Kenneth, the 'tai kam ye'. We had to exit the door with our left foot stepping out first, SY's dad also had to 'shade' us with a red umbrella while we walked around the bridal car. Don't ask me why all these had to be carried out cause it was too much information for me to digest and remember on that day. :p Oh, and it was pouring cats and dogs too. According to Kenneth, if either the bride or groom was born during a rainy day, it will also rain their wedding day. How true??? ... I cannot say, but then again, who am I to dispute. :) Soon we tucked ourselves snuggly into the car and made our way to the St. Francis Xavier church, Petaling Jaya.

The journey took a good 20 minutes and by the time we arrived, the rain had stopped and the sun shone its majestic rays again. This was very delightful as we were blessed with a rather cool temperature throughout. We fleeted from one guest to another as people began to fill in. Our wedding booklets were distributed as the AV guy, Aaron did the soundchecks. Our four piece choir group were also preparing themselves with the hymns pre-chosen by us. My cousin, Derick was the dedicated Commentator while Ryan was the Reader.

At 11:00 a.m. sharp, we took our positions as rehearsed a couple of days earlier. SY and her dad stood at the entrance with Ivy, the maid of honor in front of them. Handsome li'll Ian, the page boy held pretty Anisha, the flower girl's hand ... waiting for the music to cue the march in. Way up by the altar, there I stood with Shaun, the best man. I guess some might have guessed that my heart was beating wilder than that of the African tribal drums. The waiting was simply 'excruciating' with so many mixed emotions experienced simultaneously ... anxiety, excitement, bliss ... I wondered what would others think of me if I were to pass out there and then. Haha ... just joking la.

Before I knew it, the music began. The congregation were hushed as the enchanting melody of Beyonce's Ave Maria flooded the entire church. Ian and Anisha both looked so adoring, him dressed smartly in a tux, holding our wedding bands and her, in an ivory dress with her floral head band and a rose bouquet in her hands. With her arm looped into his, the little ones walked towards the altar. Following behind was Ivy in her champagne knee length dress, also with a bouquet in hand, she looked absolutely stunning much to Leslie's pleasure I'm sure. Finally, the bride and her dad ... began marching in. She was first looking shyly downwards with the slightest hint of smile escaping the corners of her lips. As she approached closer, I was reminded again how lucky I am to be marrying her, utterly awestruck by her beauty and elegance and it was then that all the anxiety melted away instantly. Both father and daughter then stole glances at the many guests, smiling happily and waving gestures of thank yous.

Ian handed the wedding bands to Shaun and both he and Anisha took their seats. Ivy followed suit and I walked forward to greet the father-in-law and my bride. He placed her palm onto mine and we waited for him to take his seat before we proceeded to the two awaiting chairs positioned right up front facing the regally hung crucifix.

The entrance hymn was sung then as Fr. Simon Yong and the altar servers emerged. The usual ceremonies went on before Ryan went up to do the reading. Soon it was time for us to exchange our marriage vows. Angelina and Daniel both came up and stood beside us, serving as our witnesses. Before the eyes of God as well as our families and friends, we committed towards each other ... through thick and thin, through powerty or richness, in sick and in health ... a lifetime of togetherness. Amen. From here, the priest blessed and sprinkled holy water onto our wedding bands before we slipped it into each other's fingers. Words cannot describe but there is a certain 'feel' ... something almost magical about having the wedding band fit snuggly on my finger. It simply enveloped me with a sense of love and belonging.

Fr. Simon was a real joker ... injecting stinging humour every now and then to create a very lovely and jovial atmosphere for all of us. I proceeded to lift the bride's veil and we shared a very fine kiss as the crowd went wild with applause. After that, we went up to the altar to sign the registry. We put pen to paper as did our witnesses and the priest.

With that, we were officially married and recognised by the Catholic church. We stood at the center of the altar as the commentator announced and presented MR. and MRS. ADRIAN LIM!!! Again the crowd went wild with a wave of cheering, wolf whislting and clapping. :D

Grasping our marriage certificate, we very proudly and merrily marched out of the church's building to the tune of The Wedding March.

We spent quite a while taking photos with family and friends at the church's compound before heading back to my place for the second session of the tea ceremony.

When the bridal car arrived at my home, we couldn't get out. Why you ask??? ... well, because Ryan, the one dedicated to 'open' the car door for us hasn't arrive yet. Haha. So we had to wait for him to show up and he did ... about 10 minutes later. Our other guest started filling the house and made themselves comfortable. When we walked in, loud cheers and applause ensued. We made our way upstairs towards my home's altar. We said a little prayer and hand in hand, we lighted our Unity Candle. We then 'presented' ourselves to my grandma and grandpa who had both passed away long ago before heading downstairs for the tea ceremony.

Kenneth was again ready at hand to do his job. We served my parents first and they presented their daughter-in-law with a glittering set of diamond earrings and a pendant. My grandma was up next and SY got another set of ear rings. All these should keep my wife away from the jewelry store for quite a while I hope. :p As before, we went ahead with serving tea to the rest of our seniors and followed by the juniors serving us in return. Shaun and Ryan had a ball of a time calling SY 'dai sou' (sister-in-law). I wonder if she experienced that same inital awkward feeling as I did earlier. Hehe.

When all was wrapped up, our guests enjoyed the catered lunch while we went to the bridal chamber and had baby Jack jump on the bed. According to tradition, this act was performed in the hope that the newly weds would be blessed with babies in the near future. *LOL* The photographers required us to pose a bit for some portrait shooting in the room before we were finally able to change into our casual clothing *so so so relieved* and headed back downstairs for a scrumptious lunch.

To be continued ...

The Wedding (Part 2)

We parked the bridal car into the bride home's front porch. Waiting dashingly there was YJ, SY's younger brother. As dictated by tradition, he opened the car door for yours truly, I handed him a red packet and he in return, passed me some fruits before I stepped out of the car. The sun was just rising and it was a glorious morning indeed. While the other 'heng tais' gathered and readied themselves for 'battle', the photographers were busy snapping and shooting away. We then marched towards the front door to face the 'chee muis' head on!

We previously engaged a 'tai kam ye' ... a role usually played by an elderly lady who will guide us through the entire ceremony, proclaiming auspicious phrases etc. and to add the 'oomph' factor to the wedding celebration. Ours however, is a young chap instead ... and a bitchy one too I might add. Haha. YC was the appointed 'chief heng tai' and he kicked off the 'battle' with a very loud GOOD MORNING. You really have to know YC personally to believe how loud this little guy can be ... he's literally a walking loud speaker.

We had to pass a few tests in order to gain entry and claim the bride. Wrong answers or failures would warrant us to pay a price ... literally. Test no.1 was to source for the main 5 ingredients used in the Chinese cultural daily lives and we were only given 10 minutes to obtain it. The only clue given was that all the items were edible. ML knew the answer to this one ... we needed oil, rice, vinegar, salt and sugar. With the five empty bowls provided, he hurried to SY's neighbour and rang the door bell. *Ding Dong* and thankfully the neighbour was most obliging. Within minutes, we got what we wanted and presented it to the chee muis but alas, we were told not all of our 'answers' were right and so, kena 'saman'. Apparently, 'oil' wasn't one of the five ingredients ... excuse being oil is not edible. YC quickly 'proved' to them that it is and proceeded to drink the oil. Wahseh!!! Then CJ kena punish by brushing his teeth with a dollop of wasabi instead of regular toothpaste. Where to find heng tais like these man. :D

The second test came in the form of a quiz. 5 questions all together ... all concerning the bride. Her finger size la, which of her toe is the longest la, her worst fear la, what she detest eating la etc. After a few more 'samans', we went on to the next test. Four type of liquid concoctions were given (sour, sweet, bitter and spicy) ... and we were supposed to down 'em all. *Gulp yucks gulp yucks gulp yucks gulp yucks* .... nevertheless, we accomplished it ... no problemo.

Finally, it came to the part where we had to dish out the BIG ang pows to 'bribe' our way in. At first I gave them a 'huge' one. Hehe ... the day before I went to colour photocopy a couple of RM50 notes. Looks really authentic yo. They were fooled for a while I guess ... until they felt the paper quality. Haha ... more negotiations ensued, we tried everything ... stating that further delays would result in us being late for the church ceremony but the chee muis were stone- willed on getting my money. So no choice la ... have to fork the moolah out.

Once inside, I was given about 10 tissue papers ... each with a 'kiss' lipstick marking on it and was told to identify the one belonging to SY. It was tough and after pondering for a bit, I made my first guess. I was told it was wrong ... so punishment time. One of my heng tai had to do 5 push ups with 4 other guys piled on top of him. Kevin offered to perform this task and he did it with relative ease. Wonder if he managed to catch any of the single ladies' eyes with his machoness. Kekeke.

After this, we were finally permitted to head upstairs. Once there, we tried barging in. It was chaotic man ... so many people trying to power their way through the doorway. We pushed and they resisted. :) So we 'compromised' ... just another simple test we were told. We agreed and the door was opened.

The view that greeted me was like no other. Everything else was a blur and I couldn't take my eyes of her. Sitting there elegantly in her beautiful wedding gown, SY does indeed looked very much like a princess you so often read in fairytales.
I'm one lucky guy indeed.

Once inside, I was told to go on bended knee and to profess my love by saying 'I Love You' ... in ten different languages ... andddd English is not accepted yo. Hence without wasting any time, I started ... from the Malay language to Hokkien, Hakka, Japanese, Korean, African etc. I got stuck at no.8 but thankfully, Alban managed to connect to the web on his Iphone and googled. We were then equiped with hundreds of 'I love you's in every possible language known to man. Haha.

I rose to my feet and this was when the sneaky chee muis told me that it wasn't over yet. They hid one of the bride's shoes 'somewhere' inside the room and I had to find it. Derick, another one of my heng tais immediately told me to look beneath the chair the bride is sitting on. I guessed he must've played this game before cause it was exactly where he said it was. :)

Finally, I managed to successfully claim my bride, I took her by the hand and we exchanged a beautiful li'll kiss to seal the deal ... *bliss*

To be continued ...

The Wedding (Part 1)

So this entry begins not on the wedding day itself but the night before. On the eve of our BIG DAY, I had a li'll gathering of sorts with some close relatives. We had a simple buffet catering and everyone simply ate, chatted bout the wedding, went gaga over my cousin's newborn ... Le Ann, admired the bridal chamber etc ... the usual stuff :) The elders in the family were insisting on certain traditions to be carried out, aunties giving their two cents worth on how to do this, how to decorate that, what to say, when to say it bla bla bla. *Pening* but it was all good la. CJ, my highschool mate also gave me a buzz asking if I was around and 10 minutes later, he popped into my house and asked me to be excused ... said his mom simply had to congratulate me in person. Mrs. Gan is the sweetest person ever and even insisted on giving me an 'ang pow'. I invited the both of them in and showed them my room which is to be the bridal chamber.

When everyone left, I drove over to SY's place. I know ... I know ... I know, ancient tradition decrees that the bride and groom shouldn't meet the night before the wedding but we really had no choice. I needed to collect the bridal bouquet from her and to pass her the ribbons to be tied to the bridal convoy. When I arrived at her place, coincidentally, Ping and Celest were there as well. The gals were having a sleepover of sorts ... well, they were actually there to scheme and 'prepare' the various games for my 'heng tais'.

I bid the bride goodnight and went home. Took a long shower, re-check my checklist once more and went downstairs to sleep on the sofa. Haha ... yea, you heard right, the sofa cause apparently, the groom is not to touch the bridal bed till after the wedding for some reason unknown to me. So just follow tradition lo. I dozed of at around 3:00am.

I meant to wake up at 6:00am the next morning but at 5:00am, I was already wide awake. A mix of emotions enveloped me entirely ... nervousness, agitation, excitement, bliss ... all mushed together. I paced the living room in total darkness running through the day event's plan in my head. I was thinking but not thinking ... haha ... doesn't make any sense I know but it was just how I felt at that time. My heng tais were suppose to arrive at 7:00am, so I quickly went to get prepared. A long hot shower managed to soothe the anxiety and I spent a good deal of time in front of the mirror trying to make sure every stub was cleanly shaven, every strand of hair in its right place etc ... haha, you only get married once k.

I received a call from the videographer and photographer ... telling me they were lost and couldn't find my home. So I gave them simple instructions but 15 minutes later, they called telling me they were still couldn't succeed. I was about to drive out to meet them when Jon arrived. (Jon's one of my heng tai and also the co-emcee at the wedding dinner reception later that night). So I hopped into his car and off we went to 'retrieve' the AV fellas.

We arrived home 10 minutes later and found that a couple of other heng tais had also arrived. I recruited a total of 12 all together and suggested a dress code of black shirt and black suits. Earlier, I purchased silver neck ties for all of 'em and they looked pretty smashing I must say ... like the Yakuza yo.

The AV people started doing their thing immediately, filming and snapping away as the rest of us had a simple breakfast of steamed dumplings and hot coffee. The plan was to leave for the bride's place at 8:00 am sharp (it'll only take us less than 10 minutes to get there) but we soon received a call informing that they were not ready for us just yet. So we drove around the neighbourhood for a good 15 minutes and when we got the go-ahead ... we headed towards SY's place and shattered the morning silence by blarring our horns full blasttt!!! It's time to get me my bride ... :D

To be continued ...

P.S. Oh yea, if you wanna view more photos of our wedding, please proceed to my Facebook. We've uploaded a couple of hundred shapshots there for your viewing pleasure.

Bitten and burned ... OUCH!

The washing machine sharply beeped thrice signalling that my laundry was done. I lazily dragged my laundry basket and loaded the pile of damp clothings into it before lugging it to the backyard for drying.

Staring at the heavens above, half the moon was hiding behind thick black clouds and its dusty glow radiating a sense of gloom to all beneath.

One by one, I tossed pieces of washing onto the drying lines when I suddenly felt a sensation on my left foot. At first, it was stinging and I simply shook it off. Then, the image of a fiery red ant sinking its fangs and pumping painful venom into my skin came to mind. Straining to look at my foot, I could see nothing out of the ordinary but then again it was under poor lighting. I continued drying my clothes attempting to ignore that nagging pinching feeling. A good 10 seconds or so later, I literally felt the pain spreading ... you could say from a pin point to the size of a twenty cent Malaysian coin. That's not all, it burned. Damnit! Grimacing, I quickly finished what I was doing and limped back to my room. There I noticed a faint pink patch on the bitten area and immediately ran it under cold water. A dollop on antiseptic cream later, it felt a teeny weeny bit better.

Now, about 10 hours later, the patch is gone but every now and then, it stings for some 2 seconds before it feels normal again. Let's hope it'll be all ok before my evening run later today.

GLORIOUS HONEYMOON @ BAROS, MALDIVES (Part 3)

So here's the final caption of our honeymoon escapade to the Maldives. We had several exceptional dining experiences on this gorgeous island. One of them was at the Cayenne Grill. Since there wasn't a crowd, we were given free reign to choose any table we wanted and obviously we chose the one situated at the edge of the restaurant facing the Maldivian ocean. Now part of this restaurant actually sits on the water itself and with the spotlight switched on at night, it actually attracted a lot of em' fishes and provided us with a colourful array of marine species. Various kind of complimentary breads were served with yummy condiments. The tomato chutney was most delicious. They also had a li'll buffet spread offering sushis, fruits ... basically finger foods for us to nibble on while waiting for the mains. We both ordered the fish and they were both freshly mouth-watering delectable. In between, the waiter came to us and served us asparagus soup that came in shooter glasses. Now that's one of the plus point of this resort, they always try to give more that it's expected of them. Kudos Baros!

Included in our honeymoon package is a candle light dinner by the beach. We're praying for fine weather and that was exactly what we were blessed with. At the specified time, we made our way to the reception and the concierge led us to the beach. Staked on the sands were fire torches to compliment the entire romantic ambience and before long, we were enjoying a lavish meal of bread, salads, fish, chicken, sorbets and desserts ... all under the millions of glistening stars, the sea breeze in your face, the hypnotic sounds of the lapping waves ... simply a magical experience. Oh and they also took our photo and framed it up in a li'll Baros photoframe to remind us of this wonderful time we had. Nice touch.

On our final night on the island, we made reservations to have dinner at The Lighthouse, the fine dining restaurant and its menu fully 'designed' by Baros's Executive Chef, Mr. Damian Barret. From the moment we stepped into the Lighthouse, the resort's trademark excellent service was experienced. They ushered us to our table and like the Cayenne Grill, we sat on the open aired veranda facing ...what else, the panaromic sea of course. :) After much deliberation, I opted for the set menu comprising of the mango, papaya & fish salad, the rich and creamy lobster bisque which they prepared in front of us on a mobile stove, raw yellow fin tuna prochiutto, rose champagne sorbet, deep fried prawns, grilled duck breast and dessert. Now that's a mouthful huh. Oh and every dish served were paired with a different type of wine specially selected by the chef. SY went for the lobster pastry and seabass. We shared our meal whilst being serenaded by the live jazz band playing upstairs. Just before the mains were served, SY wasn't feeling too well and so, we opted to head back to the room and continued dining on our very own water villa's balcony. The staff very obligingly helped served our remaining meal there too.

We were due to check out at noon but our flight home was at almost 10:00pm. Guess what, the resort told us thay they've extended our check out time till the time required for us to head to the airport. How nice is that. :) So we spent the remaining hours lounging by the beach, another round of snorkelling to bid the fishies goodbye, swam with no less than 7 baby black tipped sharks ... one of em' cheeky buggers actually 'chased' SY and we got that on video. Hilarious!!! :D

At 7:30pm, we very reluctantly waved sayonara to the island and its wonderful people and were ferried to the airport. A slight delay at Male and another delay while transitting at Colombo resulted in us arriving a couple of hours late at KLIA but luckily, the good people at Atoll Paradise (our agent) managed to get us passes into the Business Class lounge where it was much more comfortable compared to the public waiting area at the airport.

SY and I are now diligently purchasing lottery tickets in the hope to hit the jackpot so we can quit our jobs and return to this amazing island that is Baros. Wish us luck!!!

A GLORIOUS HONEYMOON @ BAROS, MALDIVES (Part 2)

Ok, so continuing from the previous post, we basically spend all our time in a very very very relaxed mode. Waking up late in the mornings, going for lazy breakfasts, lounging on the beds watching dvds, napping as and when we feel like it, soak in the jacuzzy (bath salts included yo), literally jumping off our water villa into the blue blue ocean for a swim, savouring long lunches, snorkelling, romantic dinners ... basically just doing anything and everything together with wifey.

Ok, now to the highlights of our heavenly escapade. We took a half day tour to the capital of Maldives, the li'll town of Male. From the resort, the front desk staffs would send us off personally to the awaiting speedboat and 20 minutes or so later, we set foot on the capital which we were told is as large as 1km by 2km. So you can imagine how tiny it is and 2/3 out of the 300,000 population resides here. Hence, space is indeed a very much sought after luxury. First impression tells us that the country is rather poor. Economy relying solely on tourism and the export of fish, mainly the yellow fin tuna for the Japanese sushi market isn't sufficient to sustain its people's increasing cost of living. We had a local guide to show us around and we toured the city on foot. We were brought to the parliment, the president's residence, the ex-president's residence, the oldest mosque in the country (real tiny this one), the biggest mosque in the country (building funds contributed by several Islamic countries including Malaysia), the National Park which is in an embarrasing state of total abysmal (looks more like a drug haunt than a park), the National Museum (no larger than a 3 storey terrace house ... they're currently building a new one though), the smelly fish market and the colourful veg market. Throughout the tour we were briefed on the history of each landmarks visited and this was also where I managed to purchase my hair gel. I forgot to pack mine and hence, the first 3 days were very bad hair days ... so much so that even the wife also cannot tahan. :p Of course the guide brought us to shop for souveneirs and I dare say that everything offered were highly overpriced. We reluctantly purchased a few t-shirts, key chains and fridge magnets for our close family and friends before adjourning to a restaurant for a quick snack pit stop. Soon, we made our way back to the jetty and to the resort there after.

Being foodies, we also signed up for the Executive Chef's lunch presentation. This was conducted at the Sails Bar's bar area. A make shift stove was set up along with a table to place the necessary ingredients and condiments. And guess what, we were the only couple who opted for this, so we had the chef's full attention. The chef's huge and hailing from Sydney, he told us he has been with the resort for the past 3 years. Acting also as the resort's F & B Director, he entertained us with stories of his experiences around the region as he prepared our lunch. On the table, laid copies of the menu and recipes for our keeping. Damian Barret (the chef) started off with preparing the dessert cause it needs to be chilled after it's done. It's a local delicacy and it's called the Banana Halua. Slices of bananas were cut and its thickness depending on how ripe it is. It is then stir fried for a couple of minutes with castor sugar, chopped cashew nuts and a pinch of tumeric powder. When it's done, it's left to chill in a freezer before being served later with a refreshing scoop of coconut ice cream. Next up, our entree, a Maldivian chicken curry. All sorts of spices and condiments were added, from a variety of curry powder and chilly paste to ginger slices, chopped onions and many others. Lastly, pieces of chicken and coconut cream were included and it was left to simmer under a slow fire while we prepared the appetizer. Now this is an interesting dish and it's called the Tuna Prochiutto. Mine was prepared raw while SY requested to have hers cooked. Thin slices of yellow fin tuna were placed on a tiny serving dish. Then Damian blended an assortment of ingredients namely finely chopped onions, ginger, Kikkoman soy sauce, sesame oil etc before pouring it on top of the fish. We took a small bite and the flavours just exploded in our mouth sending our tastebuds into a very happy frenzy. It was really that good and the perfect mixture of saltiness and sourness worked up the appetite immediately. Before the entree was served, we were each given a lovely scoop of mango sorbet to cleanse the pallet. Its natural sweetness complimented the surrounding tropical feel flawlessly. The mains came up next. Piping hot spicy curry very much influenced from neighbouring India served with steamed rice and crispy popadums and the final kick came from the imported mango chutney from Sri Lanka ... utterly delish. We polished our plates clean as Damian fed us with more of his life's stories. Finally, our Banana Halua came out and it completed the best lunch we had on the island. Crikey mate!!!

That's not all, we even put our names down for the Dolphin Cruise. Just before sunset, we took the boat and headed out to sea. Approximately 25 minutes later, we came to a stop and gently bobbed on the ocean's surface before the boatman pointed his finger out signalling for our attention. Several meters away, we saw dolphins breaking in and out of the waters. It was very exciting for the both of us since we've never seen wild dolphins up close before in their natural habitat. It wasn't long before the these amazing creatures 'warmed up' to us and swam very very close to the boat. Further out, some of em' cheeky ones were showing off by leaping out of the water and twirling in the air before crashing back into the deep blue sea. It was a wonderous sight to behold. With the sun setting on the horizon, champagne with strawberries and canapes were served on board as we enjoyed the show these acrobatic marine creatures were putting for us. Another one of God's remarkable creations for mankind to appreciate I guess. :)

On the topic of marine life, we also went for night snorkelling. We made our way to the Dive Center just before sunset and was briefed by Hollie, the resort's marine biologist of the do's and don'ts, safety precautions and also what we can expect to see from this expidition. I personally have a phobia about going into the water after dark so I suppose this is one way of overcoming this particular fear. Apparently, there are a lot of nocturnal sea creatures around and it's very different from what we can see snorkelling during the day. We were joined by another ang moh couple and the five of us soon set out to the house reef ... about 20 meters away from shore. SY also rented a wet suit since we were told it might get a bit chilly after dark. Armed with high powered torch lights, we paddled out into the abyss with Hollie leading the way. What an astounding sight to behold as we feasted our eyes on multi coloured octopuses, striking red lion fishes, pencil tipped sea urchins, a sleeping baby turtle nestled cutely between the corals and many many others. Half way through, SY suddenly tugged my arm and pointed below. Beneath us, an adult black tipped shark of about 2 meters long glided stealthily below us. It was a very 'kan cheong' moment then. :D Apart from that, as we were heading towards the shore, we spent some time on the inner part of the house reef, the ones closer to shore and was graced with the presence of a very large stingray. It's black in colour and contrasted the white sands of the ocean bed in a very obvious manner. Not wanting to end up like Steve Irwin, we paddled to a safe distance before 'Wow-ing' beneath our snorkelling masks. :) We returned the gears and made our way back to the room feeling tired but most satisfied. It was an experience we will definitely cherish for a long time to come ...

Stay tuned for Part 3 ... :)