OWLoon took me to this restaurant called "Hai Ung" at Pasir Penampang, Kuala Selangor for lunch the other day. Literally, "Hai Ung" means "Sea Cloud"... take a look at the pictures below and you'll know why... :)

All the restaurants were strategically placed next to the yellow murky river called "Sg. Selangor" and were built on stilts...

We got ourselves a corner table facing the river and the clear blue sky... it was rather breezy too...

Life is indeed beautiful!

P.S. I got back with a super tanned skinned... my face especially... NO MORE lunches by the river... no matter how romantic... hehehe... wanna be a fair bride :-)

It has been ages since I last felt so helpless and sorry for myself... but it happened to me yesterday. Though I was mentally prepared for the news... it felt like the end of the world when it finally hit me on my face...

As I was driving home... drowning in self pity... I called 2 of my friends... "... very sad... wanna go drink?".

I was half expecting them to decline cos the traffic jam was particularly bad after a heavy downpour... but both of them said YES immediately... and I even got to pick the place I like... (suspected they knew terribly well that if they picked the place, I would probably end up lost...)!

After close to 6 hours of conversations, food, ALCOHOL and GREAT company... the world suddenly seemed a lot brighter...

Moral of the story?
Nothing beats alcohol and friends when it comes to nursing a broken heart. Though I am still sad... I was reminded that there are more to life than just this... my little misery that seemed so minuscule amidst global financial crisis, mass massacre, natural disasters etc etc...

Thank you for being there for me when I needed company most... Thank you...

P.S. No, this has got nothing to do with OWLoon... our wedding plans are still in progress... :-)

I recently started a Wedding site and in it, there was this section called "Our Story". Since I've not blogged about how it all began with OWLoon here, thought I'd just do so... :-)



First Impression: Show Off

We attended the same college before. Though we have different majors, there are common classes that we both attend together; like Computer Studies, Business Communications etc etc. I used to think that he was a show off cos’ in these classes he will always be the one and only to answer questions by lecturers. And he was always the favourite amongst FEMALE lecturers…


First Encounter: He Was A Pig!

The first time we spoke to one another was when he sat in front of me in class. While I was chatting happily with my friend, he turned and said something bout palmistry. It has got to be quite interesting cos’ I let him study my palm (come to think of it… he was probably just trying to hold my hand… hehe)! And then proceeded to announce that he was a PIG in previous life! My friend and I roared with laughter cos’ he was nothing like a pig… In fact if I were to describe him, he looked like a STRAW then… tall and thin!


Informal Dates

Before we started dating, we used to go out with our other bunch of friends… soon... we started going out without them… and our hangout places back then were like cybercafés… “mamak” near our campus and the furthest we ever went was to Subang Parade / One Utama for movies… (so innocent eh…)


THE Letter

It started off with him flooding my screens with virtual roses at one of our cybercafés outing… but oblivious to his intention… thinking that he was pulling my leg, I ignored him. One fine day… I received a letter from him, asking if he could be my boyfriend… :-)


First Love: Secret Underground Society

I was only a shy 18 year old when we first started dating… and him a 19 year old dude. We have never formally dated anyone before thus it was kinda awkward to announce to anyone when we ourselves weren’t sure what to expect… Therefore, we kept our courtship a secret from our friends. Our courtship back then was akin to being a member of some secret underground society. We used to exchange letters everyday at the library, while passing by each other on corridors, via book exchange etc etc.


Eventually our classmates knew about us and the rest they said was history. :-)

Disclaimer: Purely a "syiok sendiri" exercise...

Hmmm... since the previous set of dates are no longer valid, thought I'd just update the "diagram" that I worked out based on the key dates of our wedding milestones...



As you can see...

• The sum of the Proposal + RoM + Dinner in KL (Dates in Red) = 18
• The sum of the Dinner in KS + Actual Wedding (Chinese Customary Wedding) = 18

So the common denominator here... is...

• 18... (yat fat)
• And 1+8=9... (kau... cheong cheong kau kau)

But then of course you can argue that if all the months are added (Proposal, RoM and Dinner in KL)... why is the month and date added for the Dinner in KS and Actual Wedding? Well... it is because, the same day holds TWO special occasion... 1's the wedding dinner and the other's the customary Chinese tradition where I officially step foot into OWLoon's family as his wife... Thus, the SUM of both...

Hehehehe... as mentioned, this is purely a "syiok sendiri" exercise... Just trying to make sense out of the numerous sets of dates... :)

Last Sunday (November 23, 2008), OWLoon fetched my parents and I to Oriental Pavilion (OP) to place our deposits. Yes! After much considerations and deliberations... we've finally made up our minds... Below are some of the rationale behind the selection:

Location

• OP is located in Section 13... to be precise, it is just opposite Jaya Supermarket (the building in blue), thus it should be quite accessible
• Secondly, because it is located in Jaya 33 - a shopping mall... there are ample parking spaces... even if it rains, it is ok
• Thirdly, also because it is located within a shopping mall, guests who come early can have a drink at Coffee Bean or even walk around prior to the start of the dinner

Ambient

• Since I have to have the dinner at a restaurant and not a hotel (cos of the food... remember?)... OP is kinda unique given that the interior looks rather modern and cosy... unlike a typical Chinese restaurant - check out the photos below
• Besides, since we are only gonna host 30 tables, OP allows us to take the entire main hall without having to share with others... Even if we have to share, the other hall could only accommodate 15 tables and is separated by a wood partition (other restaurants I went to uses curtains to separate the different dinners)

Hall

• The other deciding factor was the shape of the hall... The previous shortlisted one (Ming Cuisine) was rectangular in shape and thus, the hall was a tad too long for comfort...
• Guests at the back will not be able to view the stage clearly... and will most likely be in a world of their own... (low engagement)
• Because the hall is rectangular in shape, there will only be 2 rows of tables... i.e. 15 tables on each side... thus - from a seating arrangement stand point - it's kinda hard to decide who sits where as there are limited "front" seats...
• The hall in OP is square in shape and thus, from an engagement stand point, it should be cosier and easier for us to walk from tables to tables...
• The entire OP is carpeted (absorbs noise) vs. Ming Cuisine that uses tiles...
• And uses warm colours with good lighting... vs. Ming Cuisine that was totally white (could potentially look a bit "cold")

• The hall also comes with 1 projector screen and 4 plasma TVs...
• Also has a ready made doughnut that can be customized to Bride & Groom's names... (altho' I personally think that the doughnut looked kinda weird)...
  
  

So with that... have completed one of the most important thing in the checklist... wedding dinner venue... Now, we just have to figure out where to host the dinner in Kuala Selangor (OWLoon's hometown).

Went for my 6th dental visit alone today cos OWLoon had to rush back to his hometown :(.

Today, Dr. How changed both the upper and lower wire... and fitted STRONG rubber bands in between my 4 front teeth (both upper and lower jaw). Then because there was this dark brown stain in between my front teeth, I had another scaling done (the previous scaling was done to remove the tartar inside... this time round is scaling on the outside).

Thereafter I was asked to smile and to open my mouth wide so that Dr. How can take a few shots of my progress...

I was in pain after that cos' the tension created by the new rubber bands were enormous and my teeth were all numb from the pushing and adjusting of rubber bands! But now I have bright and shiny teeth! :)

xx-03-2008: $1,100 [Deposit, X-Rays, Photos & Moulding]
30-03-2008: $ 870 [Deposit & Upper Braces Fitting]
20-04-2008: $ 423 [Extraction & Medication]
18-05-2008: $ 325 [Wire Change]
17-08-2008: $ 325 [Bottom Braces Fitting]
14-09-2008: $ 764 [Extraction, Frenectomy & Medication]
25-10-2008: $ 385 [Upper & Lower Wire Change & Scaling]
23-11-2008: $ 385 [Upper & Lower Wire Change, Scaling & Rubber Bands ]

YTD Spent: $ 4,577.00

The biggest headache now is determining the venue to host the banquet in KL. Since OWLoon is from Kuala Selangor, we will need to have separate dinners.

My parents and I took turns drafting the invite list. In the end, we settled for 30 tables... Of the 30 tables... 23 goes to relatives and my parents' close friends... 1 table for OWLoon's family... and that means 6 tables for my friends and colleagues...

My parents and I have had numerous discussions on this... and even a few arguments... restaurant vs. hotel... To me... I would love to have an intimate wedding reception at a small hotel ballroom... but since 80% of the guest lists are elderly folks... FOOD takes precedence over ambient. :(

Thus, the hunt for the proper restaurant venue begins...


Noble Banquet

• Location: Main road of Jalan Imbi...
• Pros: A ballroom on it's own... only opens for banquet...
• Cons: The stupid restaurant wants MORE tables since the stupid hall can accommodate 60 tables! 30 tables would mean they have to sell the balance... Limited parking space...

Ming Cuisine

• Formerly known as: Cheow Yang
• Location: PJ... From Sin Chew... take the 12 o'clock turn at Rothman roundabout... (opposite British American Tobacco)
• Pros: Brand NEW building with exceptionally high ceiling... With 30 tables, I can take the entire main hall... (as per picture below)... Ample parking space...
• Cons: But I wasn't quite sure if the place would be too narrow... cos the entire hall is rectangle in shape...

Oriental Pavilion

• Location: Level 1, Jaya 33, PJ
• Pros: Cosy ambient
• Cons: Low ceiling... Small hall... With 30 tables, it would be rather cram... so much so that the banquet manager said that the bride may have to walk in front of the groom during the march in!!!

Flower Drum

• Location: Next to Noble Banquet
• Pros: Nice deco
• Cons: Looks like a typical Chinese restaurant

I have always thought that restaurants are cheaper in cost... But after visiting all 4 venues above, I realised that the menu and price per table is comparable to hotels... The most expensive menu is about RM1,399!!! But then of course, there are also cheaper menu at restaurants like Tai Thong, Six Happiness etc... But like I said... FOOD is of no.1 importance thus the 4 venues above... which are highly recommended by relatives...

Of the 4, we will most likely go for Ming Cuisine...

Today OWLoon and I went to Thean Hou Temple to complete Step 1, 2 and 3 of registering our marriage... >> Application >> Declaration and >> Submission...

We reached the temple at about 3pm and there was barely any queue. While waiting for our turn, we realised that we're the oldest couple around... The rest of the couples were all in their early 20s... I mean, OWLoon and I are also 20s la... but late twenties...

The other peculiar thing was that the front desk staff was an Indian guy called Mathi. Who would've thought of that la right... Chinese temple somemore... hehehe... We paid RM99... and were given a receipt...

After that, we went to the Commissioner for Oaths office to declare that we're not married before... I was kinda nervous cos' I wasn't sure if I had to like literally swear in public... you know... palm in the air... "I solemly swear that blah blah blah..."... and when I asked OWLoon he said: "Ya... Must swear in public. Maybe they'll take our blood and ask us to drink it too"... LOL...

In the end, we only signed a couple of forms and submitted all our photostated documentations. The fee here was RM29.

Our RoM date is fixed on 09-01-09 (Friday) at 9.30am. Apparently, we're the 3rd couple for the day and each session takes no more than 10 minutes! It's kinda hard to believe that I've waited all my life only to be married off in 10 minutes! :)

Since it's a significant day, we took a photo outside the temple... and even bought the number 9109 at Sports Toto... hehehe...

Went to Thean Hou Temple (somewhere near Mid Valley) to find out the processes of registering our marriage. Rushed like mad only to find out that the Marriage Registry office is open from 9am till 5pm on Saturdays not 9am to 12noon as mentioned by my colleague...

So anyway... while we were there, we found out that there are actually 5 steps to registering one's marriage:

• Step 1: Application
• Step 2: Statutory Declaration
• Step 3: Submission
• Step 4: Verification
• Step 5: Registration of Marriage

Step 1: Application

• The couple must be present in person and bring along the following documents:
• Original and 1 photocopy of Identity Card (A4 size, not to be cut)
• Original and 1 photocopy of Birth Certificate (A4 size, not to be cut)
• 1 passport-size coloured photograph each (Instant photos are unacceptable)
• Photocopy of 2 witnesses' I.C. (A4 size, not to be cut)
• Witnesses must be Malaysian Citizen above 21 years old. They are not required to be present during the submission application.
• Application from male below 18 or female below 16 is NOT acceptable. Female below 18 but above 16 may register her marriage with license granted by Ketua Menteri and her father must be her witness.
• At least one of the applicants must be a Buddhist. Foreigners or Malaysian who had registered abroad or had carried out traditional wedding before 1/3/1982 cannot apply to register here.
• Time for Submission of Application: 9.00am till 5.00pm (Monday to Saturday)

Step 2: Statutory Declaration

• After filling the application form, the couple shall make a Statutory Declaration with the Commissioner for Oaths.
• All expenses relating to the oath declaration are out of concern with the Marriage Registration Department.
• According to Section 494 of the Penal Code: If a bigamist is found guilty, he/she shall be sentenced to imprisonment of up to 7 years (and fined)!
• Note: Definition of bigamist - Any married person regardless of male / female, if he/she is married to another person when his/her earlier marriage is still valid (with spouse still alive), he/she has committed a bigamy.

Step 3: Submission

• Registration date shall be fixed at least 21 days after the date of submission but must not exceed 2 months (subject to date availability).
• Fees are payable upon submission. Fee collected is not refundable.
• Please notify the officers 3 days before the date of registration if there is a request for a date change. The application will be declared invalid if a couple fails to turn up to register within 6 months after the date of submission. Couples who intend to register must re-apply and re-do all payments.

Step 4: Verification

• All completed application form and documents submitted by the applicant shall be verified by the Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara (JPN) before the Registration of Marriage could be carried out.
• Marriage Registration can ONLY be solemnized after Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara's (JPN) approval.

Step 5: Registration of Marriage

• The couple and 2 witnesses must be present with the following documents:
• The couple's original Identity Cards
• The couple's original Birth Certificates
• Two witnesses original Identity Cards
• Attire on the day of registration:
• Bridegroom: Shirt & necktie
• Bride & witness: To dress neatly or formally
• T-shirts, jeans, short pants and slippers are not allowed
• Time of registration: As set by the Marriage Registration Department
• Do not bring along children and please switch off mobile phones to avoid disturbances during registration.
• The couple and witnesses are allowed to bring their own cameras, flowers or rings during the ceremony.
• The marriage ceremony is completed once the couple receive their Marriage Certificates.

Burst out laughing when I saw this SMS... damn good!

Black women all over the world are shaving their pubic hairs today in support of Obama's election victory! Their message to the world:

READ OUR LIPS... NO MORE BUSH!

Got this email in my personal inbox today:

Recession is coming... make your own judgment, don't panic!!! Do what is wise. The recession looks very eminent... It is really time to take pro active steps to avoid a painful time in the next two years which is how long the recession is expected to last.

Suggestions:

• Don't take any loans, buy homes, properties with loans, or even cash. Keep as much cash as possible.
• Pay off as much of personal loans, private loans, as debt collection will be hastened.
• Sell any stocks you can even at lower prices.
• Take money off from Trust Funds.
• Don't believe in huge sales forecast, be extremely prudent, lower inventories, reduce liabilities.
• Don't invest in new capital.
• If you are selling homes/properties/cars , do it now, when you can get good prices, they are going to fall.
• Don't invest in new business proposals...
• Cancel holiday plans using credit cards.
• Don't change jobs, as companies will retrench based on 'last in first out'.

Stay cool, wait, and if you take all of the above actions or more, you probably will be better off then many. This is not a rumor. Bear Stearns is the first of many banking and financial institutions that will start falling in the not too far future. If Bear Stearns can fall, so can JP Morgan, Citibank, HSBC, and the whole world. Malaysia will see significant impact.

It's all so frightening... All I know as a layman is that everything now seemed to cost a lot more than vs. say 6 months ago. Like how my monthly car park at work will be increased from RM152 to RM180 starting next month (that's +18.4% increase!). And just the other day, I went to pack 2 boxes of chicken rice from a coffee shop while OWLoon waited in the car. He gave me RM10 which both of us thought was more than enough... But guess what? The 2 boxes of rice came up to RM10.80!

So what if petrol price has reduced? Everything else has gone up up and up!!! M.u.s.t. really s.a.v.e. M.O.R.E!!!

Ever since I put on my braces... I've lost quite a fair bit of weight...

Firstly... my braces are the self-tightening type. Unlike the conventional type where manual tightening is required monthly, mine moves and aligns automatically. This means that I'm always in pain cos there will forever be some form of movement in my mouth. At times, the movements can be quite drastic too. Like how one morning I could wake up with perfectly normal teeth... but the following morning, there will suddenly be visible gaps between my teeth...!

Secondly, also becos' of the self tightening braces... whenever it's time to revisit the dentist (usually towards the end of the month), the wires at the end of my jaw will jut out... and when it does... it cuts into my cheeks resulting in ulcers... Now imagine this happening at 4 places simultaneously (1) Top Left (2) Top Right (3) Bottom Left (4) Bottom Right...! The most number of ulcers I had at one point of time... was THREE!!!

Thirdly, cos I had bite blocks at the back of my teeth (separating my top and bottom jaw), I can't bite properly... and chewing really is a challenge...

Lastly, I am damn afraid to eat in public... for fear that I'd be walking around with a "kangkung" stuck in my teeth without me knowing... Ya... I am that vain...

So while I usually have porridge or rice with soup at home... I tend to have noodles when I'm outside... but that was only UNTIL I nearly choked to death! I was happily eating wantan mee with my family when suddenly, I had a piece of mee stuck in between my braces with the other half of the same mee dangling down my throat!

Although I managed to untangle the mee from my braces... I stopped eating noodle altogether. Thus, these days... whenever I have lunches... I tend to only order fried rice. Since I can't possibly bite any form of meat and that I can't bite vegetables (what if the same incident happen again)... fried rice is the safest and the easiest to eat...

I've had numerous types of fried rice before... from the normal Yong Chow fried rice to the Malay Kampung fried rice and Belacan fried rice and even the French fried rice... Back in the office... my colleagues call me the "Queen of Fried Rice"... hehehe....

I wonder how long I can continue eating the different variations of fried rice... until I run out of options... :P

I wanted to record this as a milestone in my life... but then again I don't think I should disclose too much... Thus, it suffice to say that I've been granted access to a privilege club... Though the guy said that we the selected few earned our entry... I would like to also sincerely thank my boss for the recognition and nomination... hehehehe...

All in all... am very happy... altough it is not an eternal membership i.e. must work hard for it continuously... it is the feeling of one being granted access to a heavily guarded palace... And oh, got extra 500 bucks to buy books and to attend workshops and to apply for scholarships etc etc! Yippieeeee!

Life is beautiful!!!

I've used "This Other Eden" template for close to 2 years now...

The fact that it is a Classic Blogger template meant that the template was as basic as it can be. I must have spent like a gazillion of hoursssss trying to personalize it.

Though I like this template and that it has served me well for years... I'm beginning to feel that the colours are a tad too gloomy...

Thus, the hunt for a replacement template begin...








In between, I've tested quite a few templates... but they all didn't measure up until I found this sIMpress template!!! Am so damn happy that I finally got a template with functionalities that I've wanted all along!!!

• XML template that allows me to add new widgets...
• 3 column template that allows me to segregate the navigation bars neatly...
• Date in calendar format... which is damn nice!
• Proper navigation... like how if you click on any of the categories, all posts will be shown...
• Older posts, newer posts links are listed neatly at the bottom
• Top nav that directly links to key posts... like: Why "mammee" + About "maemee"
• Visible HOME button
• More importantly... WHITE background with my lucky colour GREEN...

Hoohoo!!! Yay!!!

Today I went back to the dentist again cos one of the brackets were dislodged from one of my front teeth. The entire process of replacing it took 30min and afterwhich, the entire front row of my teeth were totally numb... The only consolation was that, the bracket change was F.O.C.

Needless to say, I only had soup with rice for dinner... Sigh...