Shirlyn & Albert : Melaka

I was in Melaka over the weekend to attend Shirlyn and Albert's wedding ceremony and dinner reception. The bride, a friend of mine in the wedding industry, a wedding planner by profession, had put in a lot of thought into the preparations and things went well. The weather held up, the entourage from both the bride's and groom's camps were sporting in spirit, the attention to detail was evident. I had a good time.

Sometimes when an industry practitioner ties-the-knot, he or she may find it difficult to relinquish the role of wedding professional on the big day. Some of us jokingly reminded Shirlyn that she was the bride and not a wedding planner on this special day of hers. Let your team execute your plans we told her. That she did, well almost! Her exclamation 'Where is the technician?' was classic and drew laughs from many of us.

Being in the bride's entourage and having been privy to the challenges planned for the groom when he came to get his bride, I would admit to giving a few tips to Albert on the side, just one or two, and it was hilarious seeing how all of us joined in the merriment of the occasion. So congratulations again Shirlyn and Albert. Wishing you both every happiness. And by the way, I had way too much candy at the candy bar during the banquet!

Shirlyn and Albert at A Famosa Resort in Melaka, Malaysia.

Health

I try my best to pay attention to my health. As my family has a history of non-commu-nicable illness such as cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure, I make it a point to lead as healthy a lifestyle as I can. I swim at least thrice a week, gym a bit too.

I have my vices though. I love eating out, be it at nice restaurants, mamak stalls or fast food chains. And I don't restrict myself to what I eat. I recognise that in many instances, what tastes the best may not necessarily be the most healthy. Now that my cholesterol level is borderline, I am attempting to cut back on some of my indulgences, especially the oily, fried stuff. I also used to love Coke which I have refrained from for a number of years. I still love my teh tarik, original, nothing doing with kurang manis!

I do twice-yearly check-ups. A complete, major one in April and a less rigorous one six months, more or less, thereafter. I haven't been feeling hundred per cent of late. Not one to shy away from medical consultations, I've been paying visits to my family GP to see what's been brewing. Hopefully, it's nothing too serious and I am religiously taking the medication I've been prescribed. Despite being in slight discomfort, I still made my way to Melaka over the weekend for Shirlyn's and Albert's wedding ceremony and reception. Although I wish I could have indulged more food-wise, I nevertheless had a fab time.

Photo shot at Double Six Beach in Bali, Indonesia.

Shirlyn & Albert : Penang

I was fortunate to be invited to Shirlyn's and Albert's wedding reception in Penang two weekends ago. Held at Chin's Stylish Chinese Cuisine, it was a cosy and intimate celebration.

Stylish setting, stylish cuisine and a stylish couple. I think I was a stylish guest too, haha! It was indeed a memorable celebration. Memorable because of the unique venue. Memorable because of the creative menu selected by the couple. Memorable because I was amongst good friends.

I made an impromptu speech. So did Debra and Tjun Hong. Leticia made a teary one. We sang a song off-the-cuff. We toasted Shirlyn and Albert. I think the bride got her wish of a celebration filled with much warmth. Coming up this weekend? The Melaka celebration! I'll be there too!!

Photo shot at Chin's Stylish Chinese Cuisine in Penang, Malaysia.

Pit Stop

On the way up to Penang last weekend, we made a pit stop in Ipoh for brunch. A laid-back itinerary is always a boon as it allows us to take a detour, a detour with the aim of sampling as much a variety of food as possible.

The trip to Penang, whilst primarily to attend Shirlyn's and Albert's reception up North, was also very much a food trip. Here's a photo of Tjun Hong and I enjoying Tau Foo Fah. I forget the name of the stall but apparently it is rather famous in Ipoh. Notice how we also took away bottles of Soya Bean Milk, for me a much better option compared to bottled water.

Good food and drink shared amongst good friends. Certainly an important part of any journey.

Photo shot by Leticia in Ipoh, Malaysia.

Do As The Locals Do

When in Rome, do as the Romans do, so they say. When in Bali, do as the Balinese do. With this in mind, we headed to Pasar Senggol night market in Gianyar one evening to sample Babi Guling and Bakso.

Gianyar, not too far from Ubud, reputedly has some of the best Babi Guling in Bali and whilst I am not particularly a fan of pork, some of my travel friends are. I settled for Bakso at a nondescript stall and this I have to say - it is important to have a diverse travel experience. Being willing to try streetfood is often rewarded with a memorable experience.

A simple but tasty meal, good company and an authentic atmosphere, what's not to enjoy?

L to R : Our guide Putu, Richard, Eileen, yours truly, Uncle Lui and Auntie Lillian. Photo kindly shot by Shirley at Pasar Senggol in Gianyar, Bali, Indonesia.

Events Wizard's 10th Anniversary

I had the privilege of being invited to the dinner in celebration of Events Wizard's 10th Anniversary last evening. True to form, Leticia, Tjun Hong, Shirlyn, Leonard and their wizarding compatriots hosted a truly enjoyable event, one where everyone let their hair down and celebrated with gusto.

It is always a pleasure to celebrate among friends. Leticia and Tjun Hong started out as clients of mine but we have since become good friends. I respect their tenacity and enthusiasm when it comes to work. I appreciate their loyalty and commitment to business relationships and friendship. I see these great traits of theirs rub off on their team members and I am happy to be part of their circle when such opportunities arise.

10 years in event management is quite an achievement, considering how stressful their kind of work can get. But I very much believe that deep down, they derive immense satisfaction from what they do. It always shows in the comments they make when we have conversations post event. So much congratulations again Events Wizard. May this be the first decade of many more to come. Cheers!

Photo of Leticia, Tjun Hong, Shirlyn and Leonard.

Pre-Wedding : Leticia & Tjun Hong

This photo was taken on Friday, 16 October 2009, the day Leticia and Tjun Hong legally became husband and wife (you can read about it here). I was really honoured to have been invited to the ROM lunch then and am again honoured to have been invited to Bali for the wedding next month.

A year has passed since that fateful day and I am grateful to have been part of the wedding plans of these good friends of mine. The bride has even given me permission to slap her if she becomes too much of a bridezilla, and I say this with much love! Being a wedding planner herself, Leticia is one for perfection, well, as perfect as one can get to I suppose. I designed her wedding gown, as I did for our other good friend Eileen last year, though they are polar opposites when it comes to what they want (yes, you can read about it here). For Leticia, let's just say I did what I was told, she's that adamant, and even I have to admit that the gown turned out really well, though I did have my reservations at the onset about whether the design would be suitable for a beach wedding in Bali. Now, I love it and I can't wait for the reaction of all the wedding guests when they see her in it. I also did the bridesmaids' dresses, a pocket square for the bridesman (you did not read wrong!), altered both fathers' shirts to fit better, as well as designed outfits for the mothers, not to mention attire for industry friends who've been invited to the bash too. That's a whole lot of work, and that's not counting the bride's additional outfits. Having said that, it was a total pleasure, and I am not saying that just because that's what one does for good friends. Ask Debra about the invites and I am sure she will say the same (that in itself warrants a post as long as this).

This is by far one of the most enthusiastic weddings I've been involved in. There's the wedding proper in Bali, and there's the bigger bash back home later. And boy, do Leticia and Tjun Hong know how to get us all excited. We have received in total, 6 newsletters leading up to the big day, keeping us informed of developments and whetting our appetites for what is to come. For now, our attention is all focused on Bali (read Eileen's take here). Thanks to Richard, our itinerary (by our, I mean Richard, Eileen, Debra and I) for our pre and post wedding holiday is all set, thanks to Leticia, our spa sessions are all booked, pre-thanks to Jim in the hope that he'll capture some great shots of us and not only the bride and groom (since we've made a huge effort to dress according to the theme!). To Shirlyn and Leonard, good luck to the both of you when we land in Bali, you'll both be responsible for perfection to say the least! And Shirlyn, we have received strict instructions to refer to you for all our needs haha! And to Cindy, just make Leticia look beautiful and all will be good!

When all is said and done, I am writing this post purely because I know Leticia and Tjun Hong will appreciate it, in particular Leticia. She is one sentimental person, much like me. I will not be surprised if she prints this out and files it in her scrapbook. Then years down the road, she may just whip it out when we're all having one of our 'makans' and we can have a good laugh.

For now, here are some thoughts of the bride herself, and yes, I do have to remember to bring along the customised passport the soon-to-be-weds designed and printed for every guest, now that's what I call making sure your guests are well prepared and taken care of.

Leticia's thoughts :

Packing For A Destination Wedding

Dream Or Nightmare

The Countdown Continues

Love Is

Photo shot at The Dining Room of Carcosa Seri Negara in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.