OWLoon and I finally went for our photos selection at Bridal Concept yesterday. Prior to that, he was adamant that we should stick to the package we signed up for... 30 shots for the big album and 20 shots for the smaller album... When he told me that, he was probably expecting me to say otherwise but surprise, surprise... I actually agreed with him. Cos I've seen so many photo albums of friends and families gathering dusk under the bed, locked away in drawers or hidden nicely in the wardrobe / storeroom after the wedding... So ya... we went in with the mentality that less is MORE...

However...when we first saw our photos... we were both so happy!!! OWLoon looked so handsome... and I looked so PRETTY and together we looked so IN LURVE!!! Hahaha... so anyway...

• Our selection process began with over 300 photos...
• After the 1st round of QC (deleting photos that we both looked so so only), we were down to 200 photos... (another 150 shots to delete)
• After the 2nd round of further scrutiny (deleting photos where only 1 of us looked good), we were down to 100 photos... It was quite tough to delete at this point particularly when one of us showed the perfect expression, smile, pose etc but other half looking so so only)...
• The final editing was done with a photographer where she helped arranged the photos based on how they'll look on a page... and we were told to choose one or the other... (this was done 3 hours later... so we were quite eager to get on with it)...

After close to 4 hours of selection... the final pool had 73 photos... and we couldn't bring ourselves to delete anymore... When OWLoon asked me... "So how...?"... I happily said "Up to you la... want to delete then we delete somemore la..." cos no way am I gonna be the one to say "ADD!" when I know for a fact that he'll nag me till my ears bleed later on... if the decision's from me...

In the end... the verdict from him was to ADD!!! When he said that... I pretended like I was OK but deep down, I was jumping up and down in joy and silently thankful that he looked GOOD too! Kekekeke... and so we started our negotiation for the extra photos (19 for the big album and 4 for the smaller album)...

• The starting price was RM95 per piece... so that means, an additional of RM2,185... on top of what we have signed up for...
• Then like everything else... there's a discount... and the additional sum was brought down to RM1,600 (a reduction of RM585!)
• From 1,600... OWLoon negotiated HARDER and the final final sum was RM1,388 (reduction of RM797 from the original price)... and the deal was SIGNED... :-)
• The entire package now costs over RM6,000 but ahem... all was good!

The photographer also was kind enough to touch up 2 of our chosen photos for us given that we need to print our invitation cards soon... hence the 2 photos here.

But come to think of it, we should've selected the not so conventional poses for our inviation cards... the ones where we were on a bike for instance... aiyayayayayaya... Next appointment will be 2 weeks from now to view the designs of the bigger album... and the touched up photos... :-)

It was kinda funny... when we nailed down what needs to be done to complete the bridal room in Kuala Selangor, the works seemed minimal (as in the least we could do) and fairly quick and easy. Afterall, our tasks were broken into 2 categories... shopping related and labour related...

The shopping part was easy peasy... and we're pretty much on track:

New Furniture

• [DONE] Bed frame with headboard
• [DONE] Mattress
• [DONE] Bed side tables
• [DONE] Aussino Mattress Protector
• [WIP] Bedsheet

New Lighting / Deco Stuff

• [DONE] Baby fan with lights
• [DONE] Switches casing
• [WIP] Side table lamps
• [WIP] Curtains
• [WIP] Toilet door
• [WIP] Full length mirror
• [WIP] Carpet

But when it came to the labour related portion, we totally underestimated the amount of work required. The wiring guy came yesterday with one of his staffs... and our brief to him was simple (or so we thought)...

1. To move the air-cond to make way for the built up wardrobe
2. To remove the existing fan and fluoroscent light and replace with our new baby fan with lights
3. To pull new plug points where the side tables are for lamps & phone charger
4. To conceal all wires within the wall...

Point no. 1... he can't move the air-cond for us (we need to call another air-cond fella to move it) but he can pull all the wiring to where we wanted...Point no. 2 and 3 was pretty ok... But point no. 4 was a KILLER!!! To conceal all wires, they needed to DRILL and DRILL and DRILL... between the 2 of them, they took turns drilling like mad in our master bedroom, the 2nd room (OWLoon wants to install air-cond cos for the next few months while we work on the bridal room, he will need to sleep in the 2nd room) and the living room. When they were done drilling, the ENTIRE house was covered in a layer of white "snow"...

After that they took turns hammering the wires into the walls they drilled earlier... so lots of knocking and banging... then came the patching work to conceal the holes they drilled... When they were done (some 6 HOURS later)... the ENTIRE house was covered not just with the layer of "snow" but with cements as well!!!

The cleaning work was MASSIVE after that... We only managed to clean both rooms before OWLoon called for help. As much as we would like to do it ourselves, it was very very tiring... Thank god his mom cleaned the living room while I wiped and vacuumed the rest of the furniture...

BUT guess what? The air-cond guy is coming this week and there will be another round of DRILLING and PATCHING works to be done!!! Am just so glad that I'd be in KL... working... LoL...

Though the carpentry work after this won't be as dirty, it  is the painting work that we're worried about... tsk tsk tsk... another round of massive cleaning! Never ever take things for granted... my current house has no visible wires at all and I have not for once thought about the works required to do so... But now I do...

Spent the entire day spring cleaning OWLoon's apartment in Kuala Selangor cos' the wiring man will be coming on Tuesday... Never knew how tough it was to sweep, mop and vacuum the entire house until today... OWLoon's mom does it with such ease... and my mom too does the same thing like it's the most natural thing on earth and with such perfection! So ya... maybe I'm not ready for domesticated life yet...

Anyway... my new found best friend today has got to be Mr. Vacuum Cleaner! The thing with Kuala Selangor is that, this place is a haven for insects... AND lizzards... so no matter how clean you sweep nor mop the floor, there bound to be little black dots on the floor (not sure where they come from or what they are)... but, with the help of the ever-reliable Mr. Vacuum Cleaner... all stuff tiny and stubborn are very quickly sucked away...

After I finished cleaning the entire house and transferred 80% of the furniture from the master bedroom to the second room (to make way for renovations of the bridal room), I swear I felt like collapsing into a coma, there and then... GAWD... it ain't easy being domesticated...

But I had to do it else OWLoon's mom will be doing it and since it is OWLoon and I's bridal room, thought we should do as much as possible and not trouble the older folks... but since OWLoon sprained his back from carrying me (one of the photoshoot poses), told him to go to work while I worked like slave at home...

I must say though... that I was pretty happy and satisfied with the results... the entire house was spanking CLEAN!!! :-)

OWLoon and I finally went for our pre-wedding photoshoot yesterday (15 Sep 2009)... Will post more about it later but in the meantime, here's a photo of me partially made up...

Guess what OWLoon said? "I've never seen this "demure" side of you before!"... Hahahahaha...

For a year and a half, I've been trying my very best to avoid taking photographs cos really... I think my braces are fugly! But with the removal of my braces, for once I am happy to take photographs... and here are the recent ones taken... :-)

Even OWLoon has been snapping photos of me like mad... like in the middle of a car park, when I was texting... just to name a few... :-) But I must say... I have really gained weight... damn!

Must practice my smile a lot more...

It took me awhile to figure out a suitable tagline for my blog... then it suddenly dawned upon me that I tend to write about special moments in my life for example:

• My material gains...
• My progress at work...
• My wedding...
• My relationships...
• Etc etc...

Hence I thought the tagline: "Journey through Adulthood" fits this blog perfectly as it is here that I diligently document the memories and milestones that are worth remembering in my life.

"Journey" cos one does not transform into an adult overnight. Indeed, the transformation's a long process that sees us experiencing our fair share of failure, success, disappointment and happiness as we progress into the world of adulthood.

"Adulthood" cos to me... a true ADULT means more than just age alone. It means having:

• The emotional maturity in tackling and handling all form of issues in life...
• The right attitude and behaviour towards life...
• The courage to shoulder additional responsibilities in life...
• The pleasure of giving... vs. just receiving...
• The realisation that the world does not revolve around us alone...

Finally, the main reason as to why this blog is named "maemee" is because it's a tribute to my beloved "gong-gong" (who calls me by that name in 'teochew dialect'). He moved on just before my graduation and never really got to see me grow up...

No one is perfect in this world... so am I... Hence I will continue to capture the progress of my life here and to reflect upon the lessons learnt.... So join "maemee" as she journeys thru adulthood... :-)

Yesterday was a historical moment in my life! My braces were REMOVED completely!!! Although only temporary for my wedding (particularly for the pre-wedding photoshoot next week), I am still MAD HAPPY cos it meant that I will be braces FREE for at least 3 MONTHS!!! Suffice to say that there will not be anymore dentist visits this year!!!

The night before, I could hardly sleep. Was nervous as hell and was worried of how I would look without my braces... I was pretty anxious to see my smile too... Afterall, I've not smiled properly for like 18 months!

When my name was called... I was ushered into the X-Ray room where they took a scan of my teeth... Thereafter I had to wait for a while longer before THE MOMENT arrived. Quite honestly, the removal process was scary... the sounds of drillings along with the pulling and tugging and water splashing all over my face was quite traumatizing... I was given 2 jabs too as my gums have totally covered the tiny wires...

In the end... once the braces was completely removed, the following conversations took place:

1st Smile

• Dentist: "Smile for me to see..."
• Me: (Smiled to the best of my ability cos' my lips were completely numb from the jab)
• Dentist: "OK, that's not too bad, you can go for your wedding shoot..."
• Me: "Do you think it's a bit crooked as in the teeth are a bit aligned to the right?"
• Dentist: (Stared intently at my teeth...) "Don't think so... It's OK..."
• Me: (Thank god...)

Battered Gums
I was then given a mirror... and I nearly fainted when I saw my battered gums... There was a deep cut-like line on my gums after the dentist retrieve the tiny wires... and the line was in fiery blood like red...

• Me: "When will my gums heal completely ya?"
• Dentist: "Usually after several days..."
• Me: (Thank god...)

Retainer

• Dentist: "When's your wedding?"
• Me: (Stupidly uttered) "Nov 29 and Dec 06"
• Dentist: "You got 2 weddings ar?"
• Me: (Stupidly said) "Ya, separate dinners in KL and out of KL ma"
• Dentist: "Hmmm... your teeth will move a lot in a few months time... maybe you should get a retainer... OK?"
• Me: "OK!"
• Dentist: "Good. Let's take a mould now... then you can come back tomorrow and collect it"
• Me: "OK"

He then proceeded to slap a clump of clay on both my upper and lower jaws... Hate mould-taking time... leaves a weird after-taste...

Balance To Go

• Me: "So... the next time I come back... how long more do I have to continue wearing braces?"
• Dentist: "Looking at your X-Ray, another 6 more months"
• Me: (Gasp... so long one...)

Next Appointment

• Nurse: "So... your wedding is Dec 06... would you like to make an appointment in December?"
• Me: (Appeared to be in deep thoughts...)
• Nurse: "Or would you like to call in for your next appointment?"
• Me: "Call in would be GREAT!"

And so I intend to NOT go back until after Christmas, New Year, Chinese New Year and Valentine's Day... So likely in March 2010 la...

And here's the 1st photo I took without braces!!! And as you can see... I was a little bit tipsy... had to celebrate you know... :-)

Then today... I went back to collect my retainer during lunch. Surprisingly, it was not the usual wire-type but instead it was a plastic casing slip on that was moulded exactly to my teeth... The kind nurse took 20min to guide me through the process of putting it on and then removing it... When it was on... it wasn't visible at all from afar... only if you stare at it closely will you see the outline of the plastic... :-)

So to sum up my spent on my braces thus far:

16-03-2008: $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 [Wire Change & Scaling]
23-11-2008: $ 385 [Wire Change & Rubber Loops Change & Scaling]
24-12-2008: $ 325 [Wire Change & Rubber Loops Change]
24-01-2009: $ 325 [Wire Change & Rubber Loops Change]
21-02-2009: $ 325 [Wire Change & Rubber Loops Change]
28-02-2009: $ 714 [Loose Bracket, 2 Screws, 4 Springs and 4 Crisscrossed Wires]
21-03-2009: $ 325 [Springs & Crisscrossed Wires Adjustment]
30-04-2009: $ 325 [Loose Bracket, Wires Change]
30-05-2009: $ 325 [Loose Bracket, Mini Wires Removal, Thicker Crisscrossed Wires]
04-07-2009: $ 325 [Loose Bracket, Springs Adjustment, 8-Ring Rubber Loops]
01-08-2009: $ 275 [Springs Adjustment, Additional Crisscross Wires, Rubber Loops]
22-08-2009: F.O.C [Springs Adjustment, Additional Crisscross Wires, Rubber Loops]
07-09-2009: $ 510 [X-Ray, Braces Removal, Scaling]
08-09-2009: $ 70 [Solubles for Retainer x 4 boxes + Plastic Case for Retainer]

YTD Spent: $8,421.00

OWLoon and I have been so so busy with our latest project... the Bridal Room!

Since our place in KL is not ready yet, our Bridal Room ("San Leong Fong") will be in Kuala Selangor. When OWLoon's elder brother got married, his bridal room was at the parents' ancestral house... Now that it's our turn, it's at the parents' other house which is located like 2min walk away from the ancestral house... where we occupy the entire house... :-). However, given that our place in KL will be ready next year and that we only use the room in KS on weekends, we tried to keep the works to a bare minimal...

It all started with a sketch by OWLoon's sister; a kitchen designer on the custom-made wardrobe for our room...

But because we can't imagine everything in colours and that we needed to decide on the paint colours, my little brother; an architect drew the entire room layout again in colours!

Our job now is to ensure the following is done before the BIG day!

New Furniture

• Bed frame with headboard
• Mattress with mattress protector, pillows and bolsters
• Bed side table
• Bed sheet

New Lighting / Deco Stuff

• Baby fan with lights
• Side table lamps
• Switches casings
• Curtains
• Carpet
• Toilet door
• Full length mirror

Wiring

• The air-con (currently where the wardrobe is supposed to be) will have to be moved to the wall facing the bed
• The ceiling fan will have to be replaced with a baby fan with lights cos normal fan blades are too long... can't open the top wardrobe door...
• The wires are currently all hidden within a plastic casing... which is rather awful... thus we will have a wire man to conceal all the wires within the walls...
• New plug points at side tables for the table lamps...

Carpentry & Paint Works

• Box up wardrobe frame
• Wood partition behind the bed that covers the entire width of "side table+bed+side table"
• Repaint the entire room

This is so exciting and fun!!! :-)