Befrienders

We went to the Befrienders Kuala Lumpur 40th anniversary charity dinner last Saturday. By we, I mean 2 tables worth of friends of mine - some from the wedding industry and others whom I have known for many years - who were kind enough to support a good cause.

Auntie Mary has been a past Chairman of the Befrienders, and when she calls, we try to respond. Other than filling 2 tables, That Special Occasion also donated an evening gown as a lucky draw prize. It is during such events that one realises the good work done by so many good samaritans, often, volunteers who contribute tirelessly yet remain in the background.

During the dinner, a friend remarked that she'd like to start a charity of her own, a soup kitchen perhaps. I'll definitely chip in if, or rather, when it comes to fruition.

Photo of Bunny, Joanne and I.

How Do You Spell Dinosaur?

I was listening to Bfm this evening where Caroline Oh was chatting with Tan Kien Eng, CEO of Leo Burnett Malaysia and Singapore in 'In Conversation'. At some point, the conversation veered towards the ads created by the late Yasmin Ahmad and how they touched the lives of so many Malaysians.

In between laying out pages for the upcoming weddingsmalaysia publication, I spent some time watching some of those ads again on YouTube. One of them brought back memories of my years in primary school. It seems to be particularly poignant, particularly during this time when my schoolmates and I are planning for a big reunion party slated for October.

So here it is, 'How Do You Spell Dinosaur?'. Quite appropriate for this Merdeka month don't you think?

Photo of 4 Kemboja.

Malaysia Truly Asia

I met this Canadian family while on holiday in Turkey earlier this year. When I said that I was from Malaysia, their first response was to sing the ending of our tourism ad jingle, the part that goes 'Malaysia, truly Asia'.

It goes to show that the 'Malaysia, Truly Asia' ad has certainly reached many shores. I feel pride whenever it airs, whether on TV or onboard a Malaysia Airlines flight.

Despite the challenges that we may face as a country, I have faith whenever I watch this video.

Photo shot in a cave restaurant in Cappadocia, Turkey.

SSP Party Planning

My primary school mates are planning for a party to celebrate a milestone in our lives. Scheduled for October, it will be an opportunity for all of us to get together again after having not done so as an entire group since 2003 or thereabouts. Some of us meet up every now and then to catch up, either over a meal or teh tarik, but it is always exciting when the prospect of having a large group turn up is about to be realised.

Planning for such a gathering is not easy. The last time we attempted it 7 years ago, it took about 12 of us 3 months to accomplish the task, and that involved phone calls, emails and going door-to-door every weekend trying to canvas support. In the end, we got approximately 150 to attend plus 10 or so teachers of ours. That's what I call commitment.

This time round, we are 2 weeks into the process and so far the effort has yielded 40 confirmations. We hope to get at least 100. Here's a photo of the 7 of us (including the photographer) who were at the 2nd committee meeting hosted by Shazlina and Nik Azhan last Friday. Airini, Thariq, Naguib, Nina and I made up the rest. Our friends who read this post, we hope you will confirm your attendance soon.

Photo shot by Nina on 6 August 2010.

Duet

I was feeling a tad nostalgic this evening and spent some time looking for videos on YouTube of singers whom I followed in the 80s, in particular the stars of Cantopop such as Anita Mui, Leslie Cheung, Danny Chan, Roman Tam, all of whom passed on way too early.

Listening to their songs made me think of the frequent karaoke sessions that I would have with my friends Danny, Phoebe, Faizol and Patricia in the not too distant past. Danny and Phoebe are now in Dalian whereas Patricia is in Brisbane, and I do miss the hilarious antics we would get up to in the privacy of our karaoke room.

The photo here is of Broery Marantika and Dewi Yull, singers from Indonesia, whose song to which Patricia and Faizol would never fail to duet to, is entitled 'Jangan Ada Dusta Antara Kita'. Enjoy the song.

Photo of Broery Marantika and Dewi Yull.

Siew Yoong's Birthday

We celebrated my cousin Siew Yoong's birthday whilst in Singapore. She's been based in Singapore for the past few years which has enabled us to get together more often.

We are pretty close. We grew up together in PJ, her siblings Wui Ken and Kiat Ken included. We spent many, many weekends together as children, went on holiday, you get the drift.

Wui Ken and his family now live in Auckland whereas Kiat Ken is this happening advertising executive in London. Still we meet up as often as we can, mostly on holiday. We also rack up pretty hefty phone bills every now and then.

San, Tian, Jin and Siew Yoong, shot in Singapore.

10 Years Of That Special Occasion

Today marks the 10th birthday of That Special Occasion. It's hard to believe that it's been a decade since Anna and I joined forces to plunge into the wedding business at the onset of the new millenium. We were inexperienced but aspirational at the time.

10 years down the road and I'd say that it has been a relatively fulfilling journey. I've been inspired, enthusiastic, challenged, frustrated, pissed off, at different times over the years. We've enjoyed much good press, made wonderful friends in the industry, met great clients and not so good ones, achieved milestones and overcome little obstacles along the way. That Special Occasion has also been instrumental in playing a role as a catalyst in our spin-off business, weddingsmalaysia which include our portal, publications and even The Wedding Hub.

Admittedly, one gets jaded over time. The challenge is to develop fresh ideas, keep the business model relevant and be inspired anew. Having reach this milestone, I find myself in a reflective mood. Let's see how the future unfolds. In the meantime, thanks for the good times That Special Occasion.

Photo of bride and bridesmaids in our creations, courtesy of Whizarts Wedding Photography.