Forgiveness, Never Say No to Panda and The Price of the Male Ego

I've always had a philosophy of 'Never hate anyone, no matter how bad it is surely you can at least have a 'normal' relationship with that person even though there might be some things that you do not like about him/her'. That was my thought all along because no one has ever pissed me off really bad before until about two years ago when a friend of mine really pushed the wrong buttons. For the first time in my life I really felt hatred towards a person, not just anger but hate. There was a strange twisted pleasure in having all that hate and expressing it to whoever would listen. Thinking back, it was really wrong of me to revel in that. 1+ years down the road I thought back on my 'philosophy' and just there and then decided that all is forgiven. Definitely not forgotten but forgiven. If that friend were to ever contact me again I would definitely want to clear the air and see what happens. Of course I would like that person to know exactly why I was angry and would still want him to realise what he did wrong before all the forgiveness can happen. I wonder if that is right? Are you suppose to forgive someone only after that person realises he's wrong or forgive him or her even though he or she thinks that they are right? Hmmmm....

God said to forgive a person 70 x 7 times or in my personal understanding that means always but it is definitely something that is really hard to do. I've come to fully realise that it might be impossible with my own strength. Would be pretty hard to forgive someone who takes away someone you really love right? But I guess if it ever comes to that, all I can do is to pray really hard that I can find the will to forgive.

Never Say No to Panda
Anyways, enough with all that seriousness. Here's a clip that me and Rachel had a crazy laughter session over:

Male Ego
Went to the gym on Monday. I think I have a small male ego problem lol. Saw 3 Chinese guys there who were a little bigger in size than me and I wanted to 'best' them in lifting stuff (seriously, apa halnya?). Saw them doing some bench presses and saw that the weights wasn't that high so I thought 'Aku lagi kuat beb!'. Since I haven't been to the gym in about almost 2 years, I know that I was definitely much weaker than the last time I was there. However, because I wanted to be a hero, I tried to pile on as much weight as I can to the Olympic barbell (which was more than what they were doing lah) and started to do some bench presses and hey I managed to pull it off (but of course in reality it's actually still quite a pitiful weight). So went on to do a bunch of other stuff and even went for a quick run which turned out to be really quick because I was flat out of gas only after a few rounds round the stadium...

The next day I woke up to the beautiful sensation of pain...lots and lots of pain. My legs were like jelly, literally. They were wobbling all over the place when I climbed up and down the stairs. My shoulders and arms and chest were like "Why did you do this to us? You happy now?!". Unfortunately for me, my badminton kaki's were going to join 2 guys whom we played with last week. We all agreed that one of the 2 guys was quite a bit of a prick, pardon me. So of course I was fired up to do some trashing that night. I actually didn't learn from my lesson from the day before of trying to be a Hero. So turn on Superhero mode.

Needless to say, my body decided that Adrian was due for some punishment. My smashes were slightly faster than a tortoise having diarrhoea looking for a toilet, my net play was well...only finding the net and my movement around the court can be an example in the dictionary when you look up the word stasis...
To add salt and lemon juice and serbuk cili to the wound, every time my leg landed, it felt like I can never be happy again... It was purely a miracle that I didn't get trashed worse than what I got (and deserve I might add). Surprisingly, I woke up today with a whole lot more pain than yesterday (hint hint, read this sentence out loud with a voice dripping with sarcasm, roll your eyes for added effect). Tambahan pula, saya terpaksa naik turun lima tingkat beberapa kali kerana saya terpaksa keluar membeli barang. Kesakitan dan keperitan yang saya rasai tidak dapat dijelaskan dengan kata-kata. Saya amat pasti yang saya telah memecah rekod untuk masa yang paling lama yang diambil oleh seorang lelaki hensem (ehem ehem batuk) untuk naik turun lima tingkat. Ini merupakan pengalaman yang amat berharga di dalam hidup saya. Sehingga ke akhir hayat, sehingga saya menghembus nafas terakhir, saya tidak akan melupakan 2 hari di mana saya berjaya menjadi seorang... Superhero.

Couldn't help it. I really loved writing karangan's in the past. But I got to say that my skills have declined tremendously. Gotta buck up if I want to answer the call of our government to Martabatkan Bahasa Kita. Just in case anyone is reading between the lines here, there isn't one. I really love Bahasa Malaysia and I do think that all Malaysians should at least try to speak it well. Heck, I'm Peranakan.

Nasi Lemak 2.0, Malaysia, Racism - my take on them

To those who have yet to watch the movie, a fair warning; there are a some spoilers below. I strongly advise you to watch it first if you're the type who absolutely hate spoilers.

Just came back from watching this movie for the 2nd time. Why twice? Cuz it's good and I wanted to see if I missed anything. I knew all about Namewee and the controversies that surrounds this dude from Muar and the first time I watched it was to see if it really captures the spirit Malaysia. Could a movie directed by a guy who 'seems' to incite tensions be it national or racial could 'celebrate' our nations beauty?

I came with high hopes that it would really capture the spirit of Malaysia, not just it's beauty but also it's flaws. And I'll be honest, the movie really did. Being a pacifist, the first time I watched the movie I was a little worried that he was poking too much fun at the other races but then I realised that maybe the biggest was for his own race so I guess everything balances out. The synopsis of the movie can be found from a whole lot of websites but I'll write down my synopsis:

"It's about a Chinese chef who wants to uphold the 'purity' of Chinese cooking and criticises the local Malay dish Nasi Lemak. After a devastating defeat in a mini cooking contest and plagued by financial woes, he tasted the nasi lemak and found it to be Si Beh Song! (translated as erm... extremely incredibly fantastically sedap!). In order to help a girl to save her fathers restaurant, he then embarks on a journey to discover how to make the best nasi lemak based on the map and directions given to him by the nasi lemak seller. The nasi lemak seller mentioned that he would learn something that he lacked at the end of his journey."

Overall I would rate this movie as a pretty good movie. It made me laugh a lot (and the whole cinema too). He pulled no punches in criticising various aspects of Malaysia such as our utilities service providers (power, internet, water), our government, the attitude of Malaysians, the racism that we must simply all admit exists in all races in Malaysia etc. But therein lies the beauty of it all, the movies shows them, points them out and in the end teaches us that some things needs to be changed and all that racism achieves nothing. It shows that all the little things that we laugh at at other races are actually some of the reasons Malaysia is such a diverse and beautiful place.

I'll post all the funny stuff I managed to catch while watching the movie in my next post as I myself hate spoiling the movie for people. I highly recommend watching this movie.

Some serious thoughts. Racism. People hate that word and condemn that attitude BUT unfortunately it exists in most of us. I am embarrassed to say that I am a bit of a racist myself. I cannot say that I have never critisised another race, I have and I am not proud of it. However, I can say one thing in defense of myself, I criticise my own race as well. We have to face the fact that all races have some flaw that other races frown on. It is when we realise this and realise what we ourselves lack, that is when we can truly start overcoming them. When we can come to accept and embrace the strengths that another race have much more than when we criticise their flaws, that's when we truly can be united beneath this banner called humanity.

A point is case. In his song Negarakuku, Namewee poked fun (but if u listen carefully, there is actually praise in it too) at the Azan call of the Muslims. I'll be frank, in the first few weeks at college in uni I was pretty angry at being woken up so early in the morning literally every day because the call to prayers was really loud from my room. But I got used to it after a few weeks and it didn't bother me anymore. I have come to respect it as what my Muslim brothers and sisters need to do. And hey, I actually think that some of them are really good, darn some of those notes are high! Unfortunately, I've also heard some whose voices cracked when they tried to sing the higher notes, and it was actually funny (apologies if this actually offends anyone). It is the same when we all respect the Taoists when the air is thick with incense smoke, or when the Hindu's, Christians have loud prayers/singing etc. What Namewee is guilty of is being insensitive, he spoke (actually sang) what he felt but he did it bluntly.

I honestly think that what people think of him is personal. Some can accept his views and say that all this needs to be told and that it catches attention when it is told bluntly. Some cannot and would say that there are better, gentler ways of saying what he wants to say. I have read/heard both Malays and Chinese who support him and at the same time both Malays and Chinese who condemn him. My view of him? I believe that a lot (not all) of the things that he said is true, but at the same time how he expressed them was too crass. Nevertheless I guess it seems to be working, he got everyone's attention...

Since I'm sure we've all heard a million negative racist comments on all races, let me share my views as a Baba/Chinese living in this awesome country. This is my personal view on the things I love about my Malay friends. Recently I stayed over with a couple of other friends at my Malay friends house and I experienced first hand their hospitality. Her parents were really nice to us and we chatted with her dad for a few hours and I have to say that we had a pretty good conversation. Being a slightly male chauvinist (cough cough), I actually had this strange warm feeling when she and her sis made some tea for us and knelt down when pouring it into our cups (read my words carefully ya, knelt when pouring into our cups, not knelt down to us lol). That was such an awesomely gentle feminine gesture! I'm not saying that I felt a sense of 'Lordship' over the gentler gender but that I thought it was really sweet and polite. While we were all eating, they were also always asking us to have more. The Chinese also always do that of course but we tend to be a little louder and more boisterous (nothing wrong in that) but I find their soft spoken-ess really pleasing. That there shows the beauty in diversity, loud and boisterous with a sense of camaraderie and soft and gentle with a sense of peace. How great is that? I also admire (like Namewee) the Malays overall attitude of going about things at a slower pace. This unfortunately is one of the core racist taunts among Malaysians where the Malays are too selamba and the Chinese are too 'rushing'. Why can't we both learn from each other? We need to rush when there's work to be done but learn to relax and be calm at the same time. Money is not everything and 'whatever will be will be' is not exactly a good attitude either. 

I will continue to pray and work hard not to be a racist. It is difficult but I guess one way we can try to understand each other more is to put ourselves in the shoes of the other races. Look at things from their point of view and then maybe we can learn to be more tolerant and find a middle ground for peace.

I will say this though, I love Malaysia and I am 100% Malaysian. My ancestors came from China and i have the utmost respect for China and am proud of my racial history which has its roots there but there is no question that I am 100% Malaysian. In the movie, the question "When there is a match (I would infer that he meant badminton) between China and Malaysia, who would you support?" was asked a couple of times. If you ask me, I will always say Malaysia. I don't care if it's a Malaysian Indian, Malay or Chinese, I will support Malaysia. This country may not be perfect but it has given me a lot and I am who I am because I was born and raised here. It is MY country. The ending song Rasa Sayang 2.0 is absolutely awesome, hope you guys catch the lyrics.

Yesterday, September 16th, was Malaysia Day which is also my dads birthday. Happy birthday Di! Many people would celebrate it to mark the union of the Peninsular with Sabah and Sarawak, but I am thankful for it because without that union, I would not have met my friends Alfred, Iyvan, Juliana, Syeed, Serene, Zoey etc.

Happy birthday Malaysia.

The Honeymoon...

This blog entry is actually the exact notes that we made during the trip with very very slight modifications. Hope it makes for a good read and forgive me if it's a little mushy. Rachel doesn't want to edit them out. :D

Paris Trip

1^st Day (24/5/11) Tuesday

8.40am – Arrived at Orly Airport. Rachel left her camera on a bench while tying her shoes. Had a short moment of panic but a nice family found it and gave it back to us. We then floundered along a little bit as we tried to find a way to get to the RER station. Finally we managed to get on a bus that would take us there. It cost like 2.50 Euro per person for a 3 minute trip...ouch... Once we reached the station we managed to get a 5 day all metro pass for about 64 Euros for both of us. Got our bearings straight and got on the train to Les Gresillons.

11.45am – checked into our hotel called Residhome Aparthotel Asnieres. Found it to be a little small but still it was extremely neat and clean and had a fully equipped kitchen and also a bathtub. The tv was a nice 29 inch full HD tv, which was seriously awesome for a 3 star hotel.

2pm – Had lunch at a cafe near the hotel. The food was so so but like what Rachel said, it was a new experience. We had some minced pork and smoked ham for entree; grilled beef with fries and salmon with fries for plat; chocolate mousse for dessert and wine. Cost: 31 Euros.

Minced Pork with Pistachio, Cranberry and some pickle - not nice...

A garden just behind our Hotel

3pm – Nap time!

9.45pm – we slept 6 hrs and 45 min straight!! For nap!! The sky was still bright so we thought maybe it was maybe around 6pm but we got so shocked when we checked our watches! It was a great nap though. ;) Then we had a little stroll near our area. Wanted to buy some groceries at Marche Franprix (supermarket) but it closes at 8.30pm.

11pm – Zzzzzz.. again..

2^nd Day (25/5/11) Wednesday

5.30am – Woke up to the fresh morning air of Paris! Both had bathes and Rachel washed some clothes.

7am – Had the 1^st of our many buffet breakfasts in the hotel. What a spread! The croissants were awesome. There were 2 types of ham, milk, cheese, lots of different yogurts, hardboiled egg, espresso, coffee, koko crunch and corn flakes, various juices, etc etc.

9am – Took the train to Champ de Mars (Tour Eiffel). Got to say that it was an impressive work of art but still it was a little smaller than we thought. The parks near the tower were very neat and tidy and we hope to have a picnic there one day. We then walked to the Musee Theatre and on towards Champ de Elysee. Lots and lots of shops there! But expensive!! 

A park beneath Eiffel very near Champ de Mars station

The famous Arc de Triomphe

Awesome strawberry pastry...beyond awesome...drool...

3.30pm – Rachel didn’t feel so well because of the coffee effect so we went back to our hotel and had a nap.

7.30pm – had a little grocery shopping done at Marche Franprix. It was a great experience because of all the ‘exotic’ food. And it was definitely a cheaper alternative to eating outside.

8.15pm – cooked our own dinner. Bacon, pita bread, vege salad etc. Got a bottle of cider beer too, wasn’t that good.

9.30pm – TTV, online and tidur!

3^rd Day (26/5/11) Thursday

4++ am – Woke up, bath and washed clothes again

7am – breakfast

8.15am – Took the train to Porte d L’Alma to meet our Paris greeter, Malik. Turned out to be a really nice guy. 22 yr old student studying History and doing this as a volunteer. He took us to various small places and explained to us the history behind the various buildings and area. We got to know about traditional architecture and also the newer Nouvoure style etc. Went to Invalides, various embassies, a bridge with a statue of a soldier to mark the level of water on the Seine river and also the Army headquarters. Saw a Bangladeshi protest going on. We had lunch with him. Had a plate full of raw beef! We also had a plate of 2 different kinds of sausages and a cup of strong coffee. The raw beef was weird...but wasn’t too bad. Had a few different kinds of cheeses that we did not really enjoy. 

All the buildings in the centre of Paris look like this...beautiful...

Our Paris Greeter, Malik and Rachel outside Invalides

Beef...raw beef...RAWWWW

2.30pm – went to find a Magic shop. Managed to find despite Rachels weariness but I think the shop owner tried to con me because the prices were ridiculous. Nevertheless I bought a pack of cards.

5.30pm – reached our hotel and cooked a meal which was basically the same as yesterday. Slept at about 7pm.

4^th Day (27/5/11) Friday

6.10am – Woke up! Seems like we’re getting used to the time here in Paris.

7.10am – Breakfast!

8.20am – Sleep!

12.30pm – cooked our lunch. Had microwave beef potato thingy which tasted pretty good! Some salad and chocolate biscuits.

1.30pm – Went to Paris! First visited a card shop at Luxembourg. It was actually fortunate that we did because we manage to visit the big Luxembourg park and met a Chinese speaking French baker who helped us take a picture with the palace there. We next walked to the Pantheon which was unfortunately closed. Still, it was a beautiful building housing the tombs of many famous people such as the Curie’s and Victor Hugo. We managed to enter St Etienne du mont church where St Genevieve’s tombstone was kept (her remains were burned and ashes scattered hundreds of years ago). It was absolutely beautiful. The artworks were stunning and the carvings all so intricate. Visited another card shop but it seems that everything is expensive in Paris. Took the metro to Notre Dame and started walking there. St Chapelle Chapel was closed (both the Pantheon and this chapel was closed due to a strike). Managed to enter Notre Dame while a service was held. It’s a huge church but somehow it’s interior artwork and sculptures did not impress us. On the outside however it was beautiful. We then walked to the Pont des Arts were couples locked a lock onto the railings and threw the keys into the Seine river to symbolize their love. Weather today: cold and windy...

Latin Area with the Pantheon in the background

Inside St Etienne church, intricate carvings

Notre Dame - The person who helped us take this photo accidently added the frame, still nice though

Free Locks! No keys!

9.40pm – reached the hotel.

5^th Day (28/5/11) Saturday

7.30am – woke up and online and discussed with Rachel where to go today. Either to go Montmarte – LaFayette – Eiffle or Eiffle – LaFayette only to shop the whole day or Eiffle – LaFayette – Montmarte.

8.30am – breakfast and getting ready.

11.30am – left the hotel to Galleries LaFayette. A truly chic place with everything being really expensive. Unfortunately was treated a little rudely by one of the staff at LV. Had a McDonalds. Next we took the train to Sacre Couer but got a little lost when we arrived there due to Adrian being a little stubborn and not wanting to ask for directions. Fortunately a nice guy showed us the right way and off we go! It was a magnificent church standing on top of a hill. We could see a breathtaking view of Paris. It was awesome. Laid down on a grassy area at the hillside and just relaxed. Inside the church was a huge mosaic of Jesus on the ceiling. We just wondered at the amount of work done to finish that mosaic. Everything was pretty solemn though.

The roof of Galerie LaFayette, interior view

Sacre Coeur on Montmartre hill, Beautiful beautiful day

Last pic before we left Sacre Coeur...

6pm – Had our dinner and finally we manage to have it at the terrace of a cafe! Unfortunately it was dusty lol. We also had our first taste of foie gras which was totally bad for us hahaha. Walked around Montmarte Village and saw a lot of old artists drawing portraits, a lot of cafes and restaurants, and a lot, a lot of tourists! We then sat on the entrance steps of the church again to just relax and enjoy the view. The street performances were pretty good. We then walked around the streets at the bottom of the hill and went to Carrefour to buy some groceries including some champagne. We then rushed off to Eiffel because we wanted to catch the light show at 10pm but we didn’t make it in time. Actually saw a minor scuffle in the train. Rachel got quite worried and scared.

10.50pm – Arrived at the park below Eiffel. The tower was all lit up and was really pretty. There were a lot of people just sitting down to enjoy themselves and the view. Many people selling beer and wine. The light show started promptly at 11pm and it was quite dazzling. Went on for 5 minutes and abruptly ended. We continued to sit there and we had some cider drink and prawns with sauce, nice...felt really sleepy even though it was cold. Had to leave to catch the train before midnight as our visitors pass ended at that time.

12am – reached our hotel and sleep! But Rachel slept at 1.30am because she needed much longer time to bathe and put a lot of stuff on her face and hands and legs.

6^th Day (29/5/11) Sunday

7.50am – Woke up and had our breakfast which was pretty much the same things again. Some things were missing though, guessing it’s because it’s a Sunday. No milk!!! Rachel so so sad! And no cheese, no egg...

10am – Sleep!

12pm – Lunch in the room. Just mee cup.. then bathe then sleep again!!!!!!

5pm – woke up and ate microwave tartiflette (potato and ham and cheese gravy), choco cookie, pita bread with salami bacon thing and cheese and salad. Then watched TV and lepak and discussed with Rachel whether to go out today.

7pm – wanted to go to the Eiffel and get our souvenirs but unfortunately the station was closed and the ticket machine wasn’t working so we decided to walk around the Asnieres area. Went to a grocery shop and bought some food.

8.45pm – reached back at the hotel, dinner, TV, sleep.

7^th Day (30/5/11) Monday

8am – woke up, breakfast. Rachel wanna puke already coz it’s the same food AGAIN!!!!!!! We miss Malaysian food very very much!!

10.30am – left hotel to go to Versailles Palace. The journey was pretty long, waited long and many train stops.

12pm – Reached the station (Versailles Rive Gauche) and bad news: the palace is closed!!!!!! AWWWWW MAAAAANNN!!!! Rachel was very upset and disappointed and when Adrian saw her face he felt like punching her. We then strolled around the palace and the garden. Huge, huge gardens with lakes and lotsa trees. Marble statues were everywhere too. We sat there for awhile to enjoy the view and our camera’s memory card was full!!! Had to delete some photos.  

The Versailles...huge...

The Garden of the Versailles...huger...

2.15pm – strolled around the town to find food. Lotsa shops but mostly closed! Finally we stopped at a gambling bar cafe and had our lunch. Just ordered one formulae: entree (mixed salad) + plat (fish with buttered rice, plain pasta and long beans) + dessert (mixed fruits pie with custard). Choon Hui loved the fish! It made her think of Malaysian food even more.

3.30pm – Left for the hotel because Choon Hui didn’t feel so good.

5pm – reached the hotel and slept but Choon Hui didn’t manage to sleep. Adrian woke up at 7.20pm. Wanted to go to the Eiffel but felt a little lazy and it was pretty late, about 9pm so we watched tv and surfed the net and said lovely things to each other. Ate some maggi and drank milo.

11pm – Rachel slept dy. She’s so pretty...

8^th Day (31/5/11) Tuesday

8am – Woke up!

10.30am – left hotel and took trains to La Valee. Dropped by the entrance of Disneyland for awhile and took some photos. It was rather cold and windy there.

1pm – finally we reached Val de Europe. We walked around the shopping complex and Rachel saw a very nice yellow colour Folie Folie long purse. She was totally attracted to it! But she didn’t buy in the end. We then bought a set of salad with bread and choco cake and Oasis orange syrup and ate at La Valee Village. Everything was bad except the choco cake. It was great! Something even greater happened.... Rachel bought a Burberry bag!!!!! A super cheap Burberry bag!!! 6.30pm – dinner at Hipopotamus, ordered awesome fried vercimillie spring roll thingy for entree, Hippo Steak for plat and crème brulee for dessert. 

La Vallee Village...girls, go there, seriously, go there...and bring your savings

7.30pm – continued shopping. We bought a bottle of Zara perfume, Swarovski crystals, Sephora Paris liquid foundation + loose powder.

9pm – rushed to train station. Decided to stop nearby Notre Dame to get some other souvenirs. Good decision. It was really beautiful at night. It was really really cold though... 

11.15pm – It’s our second last day in Paris and we didn’t want to go back to hotel even though it’s late and we were super super tired. We stopped by Eiffle Tower to see it again. Beautiful. Cold.

It was super cold...but sweet

11.50pm – train to Les Gressillon. Tired.

1.30am – zzzz..

9^th Day (1/6/11) Wednesday

8am – woke up. Online awhile and breakfast. Online again. Bought some local cookies and chocolates for colleagues and friends.

10am – left hotel and went to Champ de Elysee. Rachel bought a Sephora Paris makeup travel kit and 2 Swarovski crystals as souvenirs for her sisters.

1pm – lunch at Quick. Paris’s McD. We just had to try but it wasn’t good. We still love McD, totally.

3.30pm – reached Musee du Louvre. 10 Euros per person for entrance. We saw some Roman, Greek and Italian sculptures, paintings. Paintings, finally, we saw the ‘great’ Mona Lisa by Leonardo. Lots and lots of tourists rushed to take photos of this painting, including us. :D Rachel was amazed by some gigantic paintings such as ‘Sacre de Napoleon I. A Notre-Dame de Paris’ and ‘Meduse’. ‘Feast of wedding’ was nice; sculptures like ‘Cupid love’, ‘Aphrodite – Milo’ and ‘Dying Slave’ were impressive too. I didn’t have enough shopping so was quite impatient when Rachel was mesmerized by the paintings and sculptures but I love her very very much so I just waited for her lo. 

The famous glass pyramid, the entrance of The Louvre - designed by architect I.M Pei

Sacre de Napoleon I - the crowning of his Queen

6.30pm – left Musee du Louvre and strolled awhile around the museum.

7pm – reached Galerie LaFayette. Shopping!!! We managed to buy 4 Longchamp bags for my mom and rachel’s sisters. It was too bad that the shopping complex closes at 8pm. Why????!!!!!! One hour is not enough!!!! Sigh..

8.30pm – dinner at Cafe Gallery. Leng chai waiter served us very well. The food wasn’t great but the weather and feel were both awesome. We had chicken and grilled beef and red wine and choco sundae for RM180. Expensive but the experience was invaluable.

9.30pm – left Cafe Gallery.

11.30pm – reached hotel. Packed, bathed, online, slept at 1.45am.

10^th Day (2/6/11) Thursday

5am – woke up. So so so so soooooooooooooooooooo tired!!!! Had some hot cereal drink and prepared pita bread with ham and cheese.

6am – checked out. 

Goodbye Paris...

7.30am – reached Orly Airport. Had some last pastries because Adrian couldn’t tahan already. Was about 3.60 Euros each but they were awesome…

10.45am – took off..

I think we could not have wished for a better honeymoon. Thank you Lord and Rachel's parents for blessing us so greatly.

The Wedding

I would rank this as one of the most important days of my life. It would be great to say that everything went smoothly and it was perfect but I guess we all know that weddings are almost never like that. One thing that I really appreciated was when Choon Hui suggested that we make a pact that no matter what happens, we would not allow anything to spoil this day and that we would never argue no matter what. It was a great agreement.

The night before was the usual last minute 'settling' of things that have not been settled and I actually slept at about 2am. I would be honest and say that I actually did not have the pre-wedding jitters and I did sleep pretty well but definitely not enough as I was awaken by my mom at about 6+ if I recall correctly. My dad was already out buying some of the gifts that we were suppose to hand over to the family of the bride and also to get breakfast for all my heng tai's and the other guests. Roy and Francis was kind enough to be my photographers for that day and I really think they did it well. I setup-ed the tables and chairs etc and my heng tai's begin to arrive. These are guys that I know from every phase of my life, from kindergarten to primary to secondary to University. Honestly, I would love to have asked some other guys to be there like Tay, Ah Fuh etc but I didn't want to 'mafan' them to drive so far. The other guys that came were Daniel, Hyon Le, Wee Min, Zhe Kang, Beng Hoong, Ah Hwee, Hanyi, Ah Hau, Ming Jian, Jimmy, Pei Quan, Hanxue and Jarald. Chin Chye couldn't make but dude, seriously thanks for the effort to come to my house even with a badly strained knee.Ah Fong came as well and I really appreciate her coming so early.

At about 8.45am I was all suited up, hot, a little sweaty and raring to go. I have every right to be excited :D, I'm going to fetch a wife! My sister was the 'gift-bearer'.

Wee Min kindly agreed to drive us (thanks bro!) and he even compiled a mix to serenade us while in the car. Awesome... So a convoy of err...7? cars made it's way to Taman Botanic where the lovely girl resides. The customary blaring of horns started when we were approaching the house and firecrackers was lit (highly illegal, highly illegal :) ). My sister went down first, carrying the price I had to pay to buy a wife (wahahaha sorry dear, you're worth some sweets, a little bit of pork, 2 bottles of wine, some oranges and some cash, I'm so dead when she reads this...). Her cute nephew opened the door of the car for me and literally, let the games begin. There was an army of beautiful girls barring our way into the house. We had to appease and fulfill their insatiable appetite for male embarrassment before we were allowed to enter the house. This was were my army of handsome guys had to sacrifice themselves so that I can make it through.

Sometimes I wonder if breakfast before going to fetch the bride is a good idea. Inevitably there will always be games that involve consuming items that can barely be called edible. The first thing the guys had to do was to eat some bananas. They were not 'normal' bananas... one of my heng tai's said that it was a little like rubber and they were really big bananas. Next up was a concoction that contained a blend of stuff that when drank, might be able to lure the bananas back out of the stomach. I still have no idea what was in it but all i knew was that all of them said it was, to put it mildly, horrible... The guys took it all in stride. Seriously, you guys are great! I, on the other hand, was forced to eat one of my foody nightmare, celery. Sure it's good for you, sure it contains Vitamin A, B1, B2, B6 and C with rich supplies of potassium, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, sodium and plenty of essential amino acids, sure it contained eight families of anti-cancer compounds, sure it does plenty of other things that might just allow you live to a 100 years old (my humble thanks to Google) BUT it sucks. I hate it. I despise it. It should have just remained a shrub that no one knew was edible. Wait, it's not edible...it's poison. It's a stick of pain and pallet torture. Halfway through it Francis helped me discreetly dispose it. Thanks a million bro!

There were a few more games after that and after a little bribe the finally allowed us to enter the house and go upstairs. There was another game waiting for involving lipsticks and manly guys. Seriously heng tai's, you guys were great enduring everything the ji mui's threw at you. A million thanks again for being my brothers that day! I had to write something sweet in order to gain entrance into the bridal chamber and so I did, I think Choon Hui still has it. When the door opened...

There she was...the most beautiful girl in the world. I thank the Lord for her. My bride, my best friend and my soul mate. She looked resplendent in white and for that moment the world revolved around her. Or at least my world... 

We did take quite a few photos here as there were a total of 3 photographers and one videographer present (thanks to my sis and her 3rd sis). We then went down for the traditional tea ceremony to show our respect to her relatives and elders and also to receive their blessings for our marriage. I strongly pray that these traditions will never fade away because it's just something special. 

There were lots of group photographs after that which was nice of course. We then proceeded to my house with the convoy honking again as we approached it. Welcome home! Little Nigel opened the door for us, with the help of his dad of course.

It was then lunch for everyone and more photographs were taken with the both of us. I managed to grab a bite and chat with the guys while Choon Hui prepared herself to go to the hotel for our wedding ceremony. When we finally did arrive at the hotel, we were pleasantly surprised by the room that they prepared for us. I didn't know at that time but they actually gave us the presidential suite instead of the honeymoon suite. Thanks Zubir from Concorde who went out of his way to make this day a great one for us. We were both actually quite tired by then but Choon Hui had to go through another make-up and hair styling session. Thank God I'm a guy. :p My best men Hyon Le and Daniel came over to prepare some stuff and of course poke a little fun at me. 

Went down to the wedding hall to get prepared and Daniel was running around making sure things went smoothly while Hyon Le prepared the audio visuals. Larry consented to be my MC for that day and I wanan say thanks again man. The hall looked great and the hotel really deco-ed the place well. I really liked the whole setting and all. More pics will be up later as I haven't gotten them all. I have to say that this time I was nervous. I actually don't really know why but I just was and my heart was beating a little faster than usual. She came in to the song of Canon and again she was just magnificent. We had a short praise and worship session and scripture reading. Pastor Henry officiated our ceremony and I have to say this, I totally expected a normal preaching and all but his words that day were extremely meaningful to the both of us. I think the advices that he gave concerning marriage were great. Even Choon Hui's sis came over to say that he preached really well. Some things would not be easy to do such as 'the guy should always try to reconcile first after a fight' lol, I'll have to learn how to swallow my pride..a lot. 

I don't know, I think there's something really beautiful to come before God and all our love ones to officially cement (is this the right word?) our marriage. It was really then that I come to the full realisation that marriage is for life, that nothing should tear it apart, that it is a union that is holy and well, a great example of love. I really have to say and quote, the greatest of all is love. When I prepared my vows, I wanted it to convey what I really feel and what I would love to promise. Unfortunately I have the tendency to write things a little too formally. Her vows on the other hand really touched my heart. No fancy words, no long eloquent sentences, just purely sincere words. And then there we were, husband and wife. I'm married! 

There was the lighting of candles to show our oneness and also the cake eating. I think it was delicious. It was a pity the both of us couldn't eat more of it after the wedding dinner because the hotel staff actually mistook it as leftovers and sapu-ed them... Darn...

We then went to another room nearby to have the tea ceremony with my family members. It all felt a little grand as the hotel prepared those classic wooden big chairs with all the elaborate carvings. More photos! Talk about being superstars for a day. We then went to prepare (yet again) for the dinner. It was nice to wait for the guests and mingle with them a little before the dinner started. A thousand apologies to whoever I fail to greet or had to hurry away from. And a heartfelt thanks to all those who came to celebrate this day with the both of us. Choon Hui's sisters 'manned' the guest table/booth thingy and I think they did a great job. 

Typical of Malaysia, the dinner started a little late. There was some confusion on what time the doors should be open but the ever reliable Daniel calmed me down when I panicked a little. Thanks man. I was actually very nervous the whole time because of the surprise I had prepare for Choon Hui. I played an instrumental for her on the guitar. It was a song that she liked and I just wanted to serenade her at least once today. I didn't sing because well, I think I don't sing that well haha. The look on her face when it was announced that I was playing and also during my performance was totally worth all those hours of practice. Too bad I didn't play as well I hoped for, I was just so nervous! 

The picture was taken by Hyon Le behind the stage. Awesome pic man. I like how it captures Choon Hui's face. Brilliant and thanks! The toasting followed and everything was going on well. I was glad that the guests liked the food and also the wine that night. I didn't have much of it though, just really enjoyed the prawns. We didn't manage to cover all the tables when we went around toasting because we actually started a little late. But I really enjoyed the whole dinner just because there were so many people that I know and love that came. We then waited at the doors to say our thanks and shake hands with everyone and of course take pictures with as many as we could. 

After all the things were cleared and the bills settled we could finally retire to our suite. Unfortunately I will not write naughty stuff here heheh but the reality is this, we slept...as in literally slept due to sheer exhaustion. It was a great wedding. It was near perfect for the both of us. Everything came together really well and we were blessed to have so many good people helping us. I really can't say thanks enough to everyone. Both our parents went through a great deal to prepare for this wedding also. The greatest thanks that I give them is not the work they have put in for our wedding, but for bringing us up. Thanks Di, Mi, Pa and Ma. My sis and Kwang Yew and all of Choon Hui's sisters are also the best. I highly doubt that the marriage would have gone so well without all their support and help. Here is to a start of a blissful marriage and the union of two families.

In a week...I'll be married...

 Pre-wedding blues...

People always said that there is bound to be some friction between the couple in the days leading up to the wedding. I have to say this, it is TRUE. Rachel and I had quite a few disagreements and I guess it is understandable with all the stress of making sure that everything goes on well for our wedding on top of our own current responsibilities at work. I am trying to be the rock in which she can lean on (or at times vent her frustrations and anger on) but it is definitely not an easy task. I did crack a few times and I would like to apologise to her again. Nevertheless I think all this should mould me to be a more patient and understanding person. I must confess that I am impatient towards my parents and those close to me but I really pray that I would change and never say a harsh word to them. I do realise that it is really difficult to change a 'habit' even though I feel guilty every single time I answer them rudely. It is a struggle that I must overcome if I ever want to be a better person. I guess we do put on a little mask when we face the world...


Happier thoughts

Another week to go before the end of my single era. Quite some time ago I was dreading this day a little bit but as the day of my wedding comes closer I am actually getting excited. I just want to share my joy with everyone that I know. I want everyone attending to just enjoy yourself that night and look good! It's an opportunity to dress well and flaunt yourself! :)
It's also an opportunity to catch up with long lost friends and renew bonds. So guys, let love flow that night wahahhaha. And to all the single ladies and gentlemen, I would be immensely proud if anyone could one day say "I met the love of my life at Adrian and Rachel's wedding". 

There will be singing and dancing and merrymaking and lots and lots love. Ergh, to all guys reading my blog. I have not gone all mushy and soft, I am still a MAN. Well, maybe a mushy-er man but still a man. I will fight you if you say otherwise. Grrrrrr.... Mr Daniel Lee, do NOT say anything...

Oh yeah! Some of the pre-wedding photoshoots are up. Got them edited pretty late hence the last minute posting. Hope you guys enjoy looking at them as much as we enjoyed taking them.
In all the pics Rachel looks drop dead gorgeous and I look just... well... dead...
Lol, ok maybe I'm exaggerating a little. That's me being humble. Here's me being 'truthful'. Man I am one good looking guy. I mean, you cannot argue that I look really awesome in a suit. I had to like push countless girls away during the shoots. I mean, can't they see that I'm getting married??? Gosh...
And when I had to take out the coat and my white shirt was clinging onto me because of the sweat, it was Pandemonium. Imagine the screams by hysterical females when Justin Bieber walked on stage, now double that...no wait.... triple that and you might have an inkling of how it was. Crazy I tell you...

I have to say something about my bride to be too. I could smell jealousy emanating from all the males around that day. For a moment I though I had to Bruce Lee myself out of there. Guys, do you know the feeling you get when other guys are eying your girl? Be proud of it... suppress the anger and exult in the jealousy. :D

All in all it was all good. My bachelor clock is ticking but I am looking forward to becoming a married man. Hey, I'm marrying a bridal magazine model, what's there to complain about? Having a companion you can depend, rely, love, hug, hold, look at, grow old with, share everything with for all your life is a blessing that is beyond awesome. It's LEGENDARY...

1 Corinthians 13

 ¹ If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
 ⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
 ⁸ Love never fails.

Eternal memories

Ah...the pre-wedding photoshoot. The dream of every girl and the ordeal of every guy. I faced that day with a little apprehension because it has always been a 'bad' experience for everyone I know. It was bad as in tiring and hot etc etc.

However, when the day came, I was pretty ok with it. Felt a little lazy of course as we had to wake up early and I had to wear a suit and a tie and all that. I hate wearing ties...

We had our first session in Janda Baik, located somewhere near Bukit Tinggi and therefore it was a pretty cold place, well at least for Malaysia. I was happy about that as I am a person who perspires really easily. It was about a 2 hour drive from Klang. When we arrived I was pretty contented because I've always loved the outdoors and nature and stuff and the place was beautiful. We started at a fully wooden building which was large enough for a standard ballroom hall and some offices. Girls, take notes: You MUST have someone who will help you get in and out of your dresses and also carry all the props that you need. Do not rely solely on your husband to be because half the time he would be like "What am I suppose to do?! I'm not good at this!". Well at least that was the case with me. We were fortunate to have her sister with us and she was just great throughout the whole thing.

I have a big confession. When it comes to posing and taking pictures, I am really really KAYU. Ask a piece of stick to pose and it would probably do a better job than me. Luckily this was offset by Rachel's natural ability to pose really well. I really don't know how she does it but the camera really really likes her. On the other hand, I think the camera wants to gorge out its film, unravel it and strangle me to death. Talk about feeling awkward... I would credit the cameraman as being a little bit of a saint. Any other guy would have torn his hair out, screamed at me and in a couple of months time be convicted of murder. That was how bad I was.

What's the moral of this story so far? Guys, do a little bit of homework before you go for your photoshooting session. Practice in front of the mirror for a couple of hours until you get things right. It would save you guys a lot of time on that day. I did flip through some magazines looking for some hints on how to pose well and I came to realise one absolute truth. Male models who pose for cloths do not smile (unless its some sort of casual clothing and all you see are candid 'action' poses). What's the matter with them? They literally just stand there looking hunky. No help there.

I have to say that Rachel just looked gorgeous that day. At least I had something to look at while I was struggling to smile or put my hands here or there, cross your legs like this, look here, no no look there, wait...look here again, look...there's a little birdy...zzzz....  And of course I perspired heavily in the cold mountain air, arrrggghhh... Fact: Wearing a suit is like having a portable sauna.

We had our second photoshoot session in Malacca which is my Kampung (yeah, we're really blessed). Now THAT was a hot day. We were around the Jonker street area and it was only then did I realise that it was a truly beautiful place. Well, I've also always liked historical places and such. Some guys just absolutely hate other guys looking at their girl but I the kind who is just proud that they do. Hey, it just means she is Hotttt! :D It did feel a little weird to be posing in the midst of all that hustle and bustle but it was all good. Love it when the locals and also tourists stop by to give a little thumbs up or congratulate us. Heck we didn't mind them taking some shots of their own.

All in all it was an experience that is eternal. I would not go as far as calling an experience that I truly enjoyed but I would say that it is something that I am glad I went through. To my beautiful bride to be, thank you for being so patient. Thanks to you the kayu became a little more malleable that day.

Wedding preparations and a heartfelt gratitude

It's been a pretty hectic past two months. I would freely and embarrassingly admit that I'm a person who seem to do things at the last minute. It is unfortunate that at the same time I seem to always 'make it' on time and therefore I have not learned a lesson hard enough to change my attitude. However, I always have that nagging thought 'Have I done enough?' or 'Darn, if I would have started this earlier, I definitely would have done it better'.

Choon Hui and I were supposed to have our wedding ceremony and dinner on December last year but due to a pretty horrible mistake by the hotel we had to delay our wedding to May this year. All in all I actually think that it was a blessing as we actually managed to actually finish the draft of our thesis and had more time to prepare. The representative of the hotel has been extremely supportive so far and has been really attentive to us.

A wedding involves a LOT of work. I'm not really sure about weddings conducted by other races though I think it would be about similar, the amount of thing that we had/have to do! So many people has helped us prepare for our big day. First and foremost would be Jesus! The amount of times He has responded to Choon Hui's prayers is incredible. I absolutely believe that He had a hand in solving so many of our problems because whenever Choon Hui prayed, the solution just seem to come just like that without us actually actively doing something to get to that solution. It's amazing... We both would like to give a huge thank you to my parents and my sister for arranging so many things for us. We would have been so lost without their guidance. From the hotel booking both in Shah Alam and Malacca to the whole list of things to do, they have been just awesome. My sister have been such a great sister. Following us to bridal shops, makeup shops etc. I'm sorry if we didn't take a lot of your suggestions but it was all your recommendations that allowed us to learn more! Car decorations, flowers, preparations for the Holy Matrimony etc was all her work.

Choon Hui's family have been great too. They have been so generous financially. Her third sis is such a nice person to have actually arranged 2 wedding photo shoots AND followed us to attend to our needs during the shoots. A big THANK YOU! Her family has been so supportive morally too, I'm guessing Choon Hui drew a lot of strength from them. It's also great that her parents is 'cincai' and not fussy about all the traditional arrangements. They are just great! The marriage counseling sessions with Pastor Ronald actually helped us a lot. I really have to say that I approached it without expecting much but we really learned a lot. And it has been so interesting with him relating his own stories.

I'm really touched by all the sincere offers of help from my friends. I pray that I can be a friend like that too. Daniel, Hyon Le, Hanxue, Wee Min, Muthu, Evonne, Kwang Yew, Melvin, Xiao Yi, Joyce etc, you guys are just great. There's too many to mention here but all our heng tais and ji muis, thanks for 'going to be' there! :D In the future, call me if you need any help, I will try my best to help! All those who are coming for all the celebrations that day too have our warmest thanks for supporting and sharing this day with us.

Oh yeah, I would like to thank all those who wished us but couldn't make it. I know you guys would love to come especially Yun Ping, Jeremy  and Pamela. We'll miss you guys!

It sounds like I'm giving a speech lol. But actually this is a blog entry about thanks. Once again, THANK YOU everyone!

Before this, I had the mindset that a small wedding with a few relatives and close friends would do. But now I think that a big wedding is pretty alright too. It is quite rare to enjoy and share a big occasion with so many people.

I am now really looking forward to that day. Previously I wasn't actually looking forward to it but I have changed my mind. A friend of mine told me that he doesn't put much emphasis on weddings but how you actually live your marriage is more important. I do agree with him about the part where the actual rest of your lives is more important but the whole celebration itself is important to me too. Sure the preparation is tiring and at times frustrating but I think I will enjoy that day very much. It is a great feeling to actually announce our love to the world. It is all worth it in the sense that not only are we the couple are happy, but our family members and friends share our joy too. I always notice a lot of smiles and laughter during the 'Fetching the Bride' thing in the morning and also during the ceremony and dinner.I think it's worth it for all the happiness that day. I guess I remembered that in the end, a wedding ceremony is about celebrating love and sharing that joy with people that we know.

There's still quite a bit to do but I shall look at it in a positive light. So many things have been done and I love it when everything starts to fall together nicely.