363 Days

Today is the 363rd day to our wedding.

On the 365th day, my chicken rice was a hit! The chili was awesome too, though a tad too spicy. But it was really delicious. Even my sharp-tongued DD enjoyed it and had nothing to comment. :) And of course, I painstakingly ground the chili using the primitive way - mortar. So, a lot of love and efforts were put into making this chili. ;)

On the 364th day, we went to church to enquire about our wedding. Woo ~ quite a fair bit of things to do there.

But first and foremost.........

We need to apply for marriage with the church. The rest will then fall in place.

On the 364th day, we also learnt that we must speak good things. "Of all the promises of God, we must say 'yes' and 'Amen'." We learnt that 2009 will be the acceptable year of the Lord. And we will proclaim all blessings of the Lord! :)

I strongly believe so. Because, 2009 is such a special year for me and my DD. So, I could only believe whole-heartedly in the Lord that no matter how the external factors are, we have our Abba to guide us through and to bless us.

On the 363rd day, I met DD for lunch. I told him that I was discussing about Europe with Grace. And DD told me... "Let's plan a trip to Europe in 2010 (honeymoon)." So exciting. He said he will work hard for the trip. Me too! But... no matter how hard I work, my income is fixed! Nevertheless, I have faith that our Daddy God will give it to us!

He also took me to see his office. And he proudly showed me around. :)

Today is the 363rd day to our wedding. I am so blessed because I have the greatest gift of life - Jesus Christ, and the second greatest gift of life - my beloved Derrick.

365 Days to the BIG Day

From today... it's the official 365 days to the BIG Day - our wedding!

I am so so excited.

But you know what? It could be sooner! We were talking last night. The solemnization could take place in September!!! Ha... Incredible.

It's quite overwhelming for me. Because it's just so exciting. And I can't wait to be with him officially for the rest of my life. :)

On the first day of our 365 days to our wedding, I am making him Chicken Rice. And... I am trying to make my very own chili.

Fixed and BLESSED CHRISTMAS!!!

I am so happy. We paid deposit to Goodwood Park Hotel yesterday. :) All done!!! And... the wedding planner was so nice. She gave us a lot of good terms. I am so looking forward to my wedding now. :) Counting down...

Today is One Year and 2 days to my wedding.

Oh yes!!!! Blessed Christmas!

Today is such an important day! More important than my wedding.

It is the birth of our Lord Jesus!!! He, who is the true and living God saved us from sins with his sacrifice so we, who believe in him could have eternal life!

Rejoice and let us all adore him!

Hallelujah!

And of course, on this day and on the eve of Christmas, my Baby and I spread the joy by spending these two evenings with our beloved family. And we went for Christmas service today.

Blessed Christmas, once again.

Goodwood Park Hotel, it shall be

Finally... the first phase is almost over... but not yet.

In the end, we looked through all the packages and decided to take Goodwood Park Hotel as THE venue to hold our wedding, for several reasons. Most importantly, it's because I like the place. And my beloved darling so loves me, he wants me to take this venue. :)

Although we have told Goodwood Park Hotel that we are holding our wedding there. But, there's a lot to negotiate. So... it's not considered done. Nevertheless, we are going down on Wednesday to discuss the package further, and finally pay the deposit.

I am getting really excited about our wedding. :) I always wanted a Princess-style wedding. Looks like it's slowly taking form! I really never dreamt that I would be having my wedding at Goodwood Park Hotel - a hotel that before the proposal, I have never been inside before! You won't believe it right? Ha...

Back before I had dinner at Gordon Grill, I always liked the way it looks. It not only looks colonial but also ancient - like a castle! It even has a red-carpet effect in the old main entrance. Okay, this is my guess that the entrance I saw was the old main entrance.

Although the hotel added a new wing, and it now looks like a cross between a castle and a glass-walled parliament, I still like the old English flavour of the hotel. :)

Now... I just hope for the best deal and we will be closing this chapter of phase one. There's still another thing to worry... and definitely more, in time to come. But, at least, we got the date and venue fixed. :)

I am so excited!!! And so looking forward to the day I walk down the aisle.

2nd Venue

I went to Merchant Court yesterday. And now... I am torn. Ha...

About a few weeks ago, I went to the Pool Side restaurant at Merchant Court and the hotel seemed really messy, cluttered and old when I walked past the lobby that day. In fact, I even felt that the lift was old. I didn't feel good about the hotel.

But yesterday, it looked different! The ballroom is spacious and it has a huge, private cocktail area. However... there's only one screen in the ballroom, on the left side. On top of that, they only have three selection of wedding flavours. Plus.. they only give a night stay in the bridal suite... Geez... too short a stay!

However, overall... the package is good. The venue feels all right.

The difference between Goodwood Park and Merchant Court is... Both are colonial style hotels but Goodwood Park exudes a lot more charm and grandeur. It also gives a lot more feel of exclusivity.

Venue Search

We started aggressively searching for a venue now. Since the day before, I have been receiving calls from hotels where I made tentative bookings that other couples would like the rooms.

So, now... panick mode... we are seriously exploring the venues. :)

Goodwood Park Hotel is very nice - colonial flavour, reputable (five-starts hotel), good service from the event manager and most of all, meaningful. Afterall, he proposed there at Gordon Grill. Even the waiter remembered me!!!

The package offered was decent. The wedding flavours are unique and the wedding set-up was not too bad too.

Overall, I was very happy with what I saw. The hotel also exudes romance and grandeur at the same time. It is the old English flavour I like.

However, I'd like to see if we can spend lesser moola on venues. So, I would like to explore other options as well. However... I think there's a high chance I would take this venue. :)

We'll see.... Getting all excited!! By the way, due to a wedding tonight, a couple was rehearsing at Goodwood Park Hotel. Oh my.... You can't imagine how elated I felt. I couldn't wait for the day I walk down that aisle myself. Haha.... Geez....

All righty... stay tune for more.

Cheers!

27 December 2009

The date has been fixed!!! Finally ~~~

Haha... the next thing we have to do is... book the pastor and venue.

We have narrowed down the venues to 9, which we would look in details in the packages and view them to finalise the place.

We also need to go down to church and ask a whole host of questions regarding Holy Matrimony and its procedures etc.

Thank God for the understanding of our parents. My mum is supportive of a simplified wedding. My dad would probably let us be too.

Phew ~

But at least... the date has been fixed. :)

I'll be anticipating this day.

Planning Nightmare

Geez.... Wedding is sure a nightmare to plan.

DD and I selected six dates and checked up the hotels. When I told my dad and checked with him, he suddenly changed our dates around because he couldn't be around on weekdays. So, we selected a Sunday and he insisted on giving us a date, which he did. That date didn't have any availability at all due to some APEC 2009.

Eventually, I came home and discussed with him again. And guess what?! It reverted to the original Sunday we selected.

Ha... I am sure this is just the beginning... Hopefully Dad would be more cooperative and let us run our own planning.

Anyway, DD is in his second day of work. He ended very late today. So, I am waiting for him. My poor darling. I miss him so...

DD's new phase in life

My DD started his new phase in life today! He starts his new job in the corporate world today as a Sales and Marketing Executive.

I am nervous, excited and happy for him all at the same time.

The job sounds prospective. He is visionary and often right about his gut feel. So, I know that he will be certain about the job.

I only pray that ABBA will guide and lead him in his career.

Meanwhile, I'll let him settle in and then I'll think about my own career.

Keep praying...

No pain, no gain!

Geez... I am in pain... Like... "chut chut" (crippled), as Joyce put it.

I put up a really good fight at the marathon that took place on Sunday, against my nose which started its own marathon since a few days before my big run. Trust me... it wasn't easy. I had to stop several times to ask for tissue paper from the supporters. Anyway, finishing the run in 6 hours 41 minutes is nothing to brag about but I am really glad I completed.

As though fate has it against me to run marathon, I have for two years been "banned" from it. So, I took the chance this year. Telling myself that even if I can't finish it in the best timing I wanted, I must at least persevere through and reach the finishing line in style.

So, I did. It was a satisfying experience being able to finish a full marathon of 42.195km. No pain, no gain. I brought back with me, not only the rewarding experience of finishing it, but also bruised and blistered toes, muscle aches on both my legs, hips and every leg joints you could imagine, sore back and also sun burns (and I am peeling like a snake now).

DD and I started the run at 5.40am, and 7km later, I slowed my pace to a jog and lagged behind him. In no time, I lost my DD. Nevertheless, I kept my pace and managed to reach approximately 18km at the same pace. After that, I felt weak and started walking, with a few hundred steps run in between. I did this until I passed the 21km mark and started my long trek with Joyce and James. We alternated between strolls and brisk walks with many chats to distract us, until 40km. After layering ourselves with deep heat, we started to look for the 41km mark to start running.

However, it was not in sight. We spotted 42km soon after and started our run. I took a sprint despite my painful toes at the end, and finished it in style.

So, here's a treat for the eyes on my stylish finish, which I think you would agree. Hee hee.

Planning in Progress

The planning has started. As per what I mentioned in the previous blog.

But this time round, there is more meat on the bone.

We have narrowed down from 35 hotels to 20 hotels. I have gotten most of the rates for the hotels. Next up, we would be looking at the costs and packages, and then from there, narrow down the venues further. After that, the exciting part will arrive - to go and view the venues!!!

My beloved Fiance said we could go and see whenever we have time. I think the earliest we are free this week is Thursday. After that, it would be next week or week after. I think I could be nursing my aching muscles next week and busy with Gilbert's farewell party. But, we'll see. :) Whenever we have time. I am really excited about it!!! To view the venues.

Naturally, I have in mind my preferred venues... But, you never know the real thing until you view it.

We have also attended the Romance and Dating seminar. After the seminar, we are now even more sure about marrying each other. We are also certain that we are ready for this next phase of our lives. ^^ Praise the Lord.

However, the only thing that is a bit problematic now is booking the church to officiate our wedding. They only conduct weddings on Saturdays!!! :(

I'm praying that we would be able to still have the church to officiate our wedding even though we are looking at weekdays.

Nevertheless, I am leaving it in the good hands of our heavenly Father.

Once all these are confirmed, we will be speaking with our parents. And organise a meet-the-parents' session.

Oh boy. I am so excited about it all!!! Nothing really bothers me much now. Haha... All righty. Till the next update...

I love my DD lots...

Stepping towards the New Phase

I am finally blogging again. ^^

Yes... It's really not easy to find the time really, to keep updating it.

But I thought I should for now.. because, I am stepping towards the next step of my life. To be someone's wife. Okay... not just SOMEONE's wife, but Derrick Teng's wife. :)

He has proposed on his birthday, making me, the surpriser surprised! It was a very sweet proposal.

www.picasaweb.com/zniccinz

So, the planning has begun as well.

We are starting with a few dates to look for a few nice venues. We have also set on the theme of our wedding and some of the details, to be confirmed at a later stage. We also have our dream wedding rings' brochure. The next step is just to find out whether to have them done in Israel or here, depending on who could do them.

The rest of the items could wait. :)

So... stay tuned for more! I will try to update in the year to come.. to archive the details leading up to the biggest day of my life - the officiation of becoming Derrick's wife. :)

Caught in Sweetness on 10th of June

On the 10th of June, I wanted to go to DD's place to get my charger because I refused to buy one.

But on the way there, I was caught in a storm!

The rain was so heavy that I had to take shelter at Junction 8. I finally braved the storm to run to the interchange to take bus. To my dismay, the bus didn't stop at the sheltered side of the road. It stopped on the opposite side. Despite umpteen times DD reminded me of the location to take bus, I still forgot.

And DD was uncontactable cos my phone was very weak.

I alighted the bus in the rain and was stranded at the bus-stop for a while, cold and hungry. Eventually, I couldn't wait anymore and decided to run across the road.

By the time I met DD, I was drenched, cold and starving.

He was very sweet. He got me to shower first while he made instant noodles for me.

In the instant noodles, he added a tomatoes cut in quarters and an egg. To avoid softening the noodles, he separated the soup from the noodles and then went to shower. After that, he still poured the soup into the noodles for me.

Instant noodles NEVER tasted so good before. Not because I was hungry. But because it was made with such thoughtfulness and sweetness that I was so touched.

My DD could be really romantic and sweet at times. And I love this aspect of him. His lovingness.. his sweetness... and the romance. :)

After the food, although tired, he still sent me home, saying that he couldn't possibly allow me to go home on my own at that hour. I was deeply touched.

He's just so sweet.

I just want to declare to the whole wide world that I LOVE HIM!

Baby, I love you.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Our Phoenix Twins

DD and I just adopted a pair of phoenix twins (kitties). They are simply adorable. We named them Cinnamon and Caramel, for obvious reasons - their coat colours. And I think Cinnamon looks like Daddy (DD)! :)

Here are pictures of the twins and their siblings, Gui Gui, Tuo Tuo and Yang Yang for your viewing pleasure.

Cinnamon (Elder Brother) and Caramel (Little Sister)

I can't sleep

I can't sleep... again

SO much on my mind all the time lately.

Marriage

I am watching a show called "Marriage".

In the show, the question most frequently asked was "What is the most important factor or what is the criterion for getting married?"

So, it got me thinking.

Why do people get married?

Do people actually know why they get married?

What do you think?

Habits

I was watching a drama serial last night and in the show, the female character said that she maintained her habit of writing diary to her ex boyfriend. Beats me who this ex boyfriend was. But she told that to her then boyfriend. It was kinda' complicating for me because I watched the show from the middle and really didn't know the story at all.

Nevertheless, that wasn't the main point. The main point was, most of us live our lives via habits. There were many things we did and still maintained because, we are simply used to doing them.

For instance, my mother still has the habit of picking up the phone and dialling my grandmother's home, or thinking of buying fish for her, only to remember that she's no longer around.

For me, I too, have my habits of worrying about her. And it must have been the ocsillation between worrying about her and the reality of her not being around anymore that caused me some stress and pent-up sadness. So, I fell sick.

Today is the first Saturday we are spending without grandma. This morning, when mum mentioned about buying fish for her, I couldn't help it but teared. It has been a habit for me to visit her on Saturday. To see her sitting on her chair waiting for me to buy her snacks.

Sometimes, she would give me this adorable, warm smile to show me how pleased she was to see me. Or else, I could crack a few jokes just to make her smile again.

For the past week since she passed on, I went to bed each night thinking of her alot and couldn't go to sleep. At times, I simply cannot believe that she has passed on already. At other times, I choose to believe she is happier and try to push her out of my head.

All in all, I miss her.

And on this Satuday (today), I feel a little lost. Still recovering from my illness and wondering what to do next.

Habit, is really quite a scary thing, and it really takes quite a bit to kick it.

My little brother - grown up

It's my brother's birthday today. He's 24 already. Although more mature and sensible, he's still imaptient, stubborn, hot-tempered and short fused. But what can I say/? He'll always be my little brother.

Even when I said I don't care, I would care. When I decided to ignore him and let him be, I would still protect him and take care of him from the side.

I really do cherish my relationship with him. Since young, we have a very close relationship and I would take care of him even when he ran into trouble in school.

But gone are those days when he would come to me, face pale and seeking me to see his teacher. Now, he's so much bigger than me that people mistaken him as my elder brother instead. And, he now takes care of me instead, and sometimes plays the role of a protector.

I hope our close relationship will be sustained for life, no matter what happens. I have seen many siblings go their ways when they get married. I hope my brother and I would always have such close ties.

Meanwhile, I just want him to have a good year ahead, and all the best wishes. I'll not stop praying for him.

Happy Birthday bro.

Bday Wish List

People have asked me what my birthday wish is. I seriously don't know... I have too many wants. So, here's a list... which I throw in which ever comes to mind...

1. Camera - Fujifilm F-50
2. Coach - Legacy series, in camel or white and dark brown colour (with pocket in front... one pocket only)
3. Nice watch - Casual Wear
4. Wallet
5. Room make over
6. New mobile phone - but I can't decide on the model - I am getting it already.7. Earphones for my ipod nano (Yeah! DD said he will buy them for me. Love him so much!)
8. Happiness, good health and peace for my beloveds
9. Promotion
10. Dresses... shoes... skirts... accessories etc etc (how typical of a girl)
11. New hairdo (getting it on Sunday)
12. A nice surprise from my DD
13. Emporio Armani sunglasses
14. New running shorts - with opening on the sides (airy)
15. New Nike sports bra
16. New bikini
17. Underwater camera casing (For Fujifilm F-50)
18. Underwater torch light - small, compact and powerfully bright
19. Gucci Envy
20. Other nice perfume - nothing too sweet. Something along the line of Issey Miyaki, Calvin Klein Eternity Moments, Polo Ralph Romance, Hugo Boss Woman etc would be perfect...
21. A dive trip not to maybe Phuket, Bali, Koh Samui... but not the same old place please...
22. A year's supply of Evelyn and Crabtree Rosemary Hand Therapy
23. O.P.I. Shanghai Shimmer Nail Polish, base and top coats and French Manicure Set
24. An Air Purifier for the office... (A small one)
25. Strobe (Sunpak)

My Pillar of Strength

Aside from Abba... My pillar of strength is none other than my DD.

Throughout my toughest moments lately, he has been through it all with me. I am loving him even more now.

Thank you baby.

The fraility of life

It's not uncommon to hear people say "Life is so fragile". And I absolutely agree with this statement.

I have seen and heard so many cases of lost lives, in rather abrupt situations. And, the recent cyclone that hit Myannmar, taking away over 20,000 deaths and still counting, shows how unexpected events could just happened. Of course, the proximity of such disasters may not impact our lives, but what about those that happen to our loved ones?

My grandmother entered Persistent Vegetative State today. It happened very abruptly and I last saw her on Saturday. On that day, I already noticed her body stiffness worsening on top of her loss in appetite. Even so, I had other activities I wanted to attend to, so I left her place early without much interaction with her.

I brought my observation up to my dad the next evening and we both agreed to take her to the hospital for a thorough check-up soon. I was secretly worried that she was gradually progressing to stroke. But I did nothing, but waited.

After that, I got busy. On Wednesday, I had to leave for Bangkok. At the airport, I called my loved ones, including my paternal grandma. Just before calling my darling, I thought of calling my maternal grandma. I contemplated. I didn't call. I decided that since she could hardly talk, it didn't matter. I would see her on Saturday.

But, I didn't get to see her, or talk to her. And now, I am not even sure if she could hear me. I was planning to bring my mom out for mothers' day lunch before visiting my grandma with her mothers' day tea. I didn't get to do it.

I wonder if she knows how much I love her or appreciate her. I so hope that she would watch me walk down the aisle with my DD. Yet, everytime I see her suffering from the pain of walking, it hurts me.

It occurs to me how we usually take people around us for granted, typically people who love you a lot. They are usually the family members. We always have this "there's still tomorrow" thought and sometimes, forget to appreciate them, or express our love to them. At times, we quarrel but we forget to love.

Ronan Keating's song, "If tomorrow never comes" suddenly made a lot of sense to me. I mean, it always makes sense, but I never ponder on the words so much.

I think it's very important to "kiss and make up" with loved ones. And, we should never wait for "tomorrow" to spend some quality time with them, or tell them we love them. Whenever we are able to, we should. Because life is really so fragile. Unexpected events could just take a life away.

I really do cherish and love my family. I hope they will always know my appreciate and love for them.

Time zoomed by

This is yet another "Time zoomed by" blog. But it's true. Sometimes, I really have no idea how time could just slipped me by. I am just so caught up in my own life events that I lost track of the ticking hands.

Nevertheless, today, I decided to blog again.

For two reasons.

1. It is Good Friday as I am blogging. It's a holy day when our Lord sacrificed for us to free us from all our sins. God loved us so much he sent his one and only son to die for us. This is a love so great. And as a Christian, I have seen so many miracles in my life. I really thank God for everything.

2. I saw something that really warmed my heart today. It's about another father's love. I was having dinner with my mom and two tables from us sat a father and a daughter. He got angry because the order took too long to arrive.

After much chasing, the food finally came. When the food arrived, I noticed they were sharing one plate of food. And the father gave most of the food to the daughter. It really warmed my heart how much a father who could be so furious and shouting at the restaurant staffs could be so gentle and generous with his daughter.

It reminded me of how my dad would wake up in the middle of the night to phone me when I was out late. Or when I forgot to call home to tell him I would be out late or staying out. It reminded me of how my dad couldn't sleep well when I travelled alone on business trips.

It reminded me of how my dad would worry about my heartbreaks and even had pet talks with me. Or how he would help me tie my hair when my mom was sick so I could go to school. Or how hard he works so hard so I could be comfortable.

Yet, not once did he complain. He is always happy to see me around.

Today, I felt the love of a great father, our God, a love of another father, my dad and the love of all fathers. I know all fathers love their children. O! How great is a father's love.

Happy Good Friday.

Let us remember this day that our heavenly Father sent Jesus to die for us and set us free. In doing so, he sacrificed his son and we know how much our heavenly father loves us.

Amen.

Shalom Israel

Shalom!

I have been to Israel, the chosen land of God and back. Feeling melancholic, there's a desire to pen (or type) some thoughts down before the pictures are processed.

On the contrary of what we have seen on CNN, BBC and other news broadcasts, Israel basks in a peace and tranquility that can only be experienced by setting foot on the holy land. Quoting my tour guide, Amir, a really charming and eloquent man, "I used to tell the Americans that the most dangerous part of the trip is the journey from their homes to their airport." Indeed, it's true.

No bombs, no guns and not even terrorist-suspicious-looking locals. This is a nation of peace-loving people. Believe it or not, Bethelem, the birthplace of Jesus Christ, became a popular breeding ground of terrorirsts. What happened to it? It has been cordoned off from the rest of Jerusalem! The security checks into and out of Israel is so strict that we had to be questioned and our luggages thoroughly scanned and physically checked before we could pass the immigration. If this is not sufficient to illustrate its stand on security, we drove on the West Bank, right into Palestine and back to Israel to get a sense of its peace between the stretch of two walls separating the countries. This is how secure that country is.

My interests in this country has risen by a few notches. I now look at this country differently - from a historical and archeological point-of-view and a spiritual, Christian point-of-view.

The country is steeped in history - having been under the rulings of several types of cultures. The Persians, Romans, Greeks, Babylonians, Arabs, Crusaders and so on, until they became independent under Isralis' ruling in 1948. Because of this, Israel has many charming sites where cities have been built upon cities. Through the ruins, we saw traces of the different cultures - architectures, materials used for buildings, household items and so on, spoke of the thousands of years of history that Israel had before becoming independent.

Israel is also the only country in the world that's transacting in the biblical age shekels. Of course, to fit into the economics world, US dollar is accepted. Its first language is also the biblical age Hebrew, which I thought to be extinct, as a Christian, reading the bible from a spiritual point-of-view. On top of that, we also witness the aged-old traditions of the Jewish rituals at the Welling Wall, where the Jews prayed with all their heart, mind, soul and body. This site was predominant even at the airport. While waiting to move on to our coach, we saw a group of Urtho-Orthodox Jews praying in front of a wall. Of course, it was a good start to the trip. We were full of curiosity of this country that we understood through our bible, which, we have so far considered a spiritual tool to understanding our Abba Father.

The bible, is in actual fact, more than just spiritual and the words of our God. It also contains thousands of years of history of Israel. The core of the "story" is of course, God. And indeed, this country has seen the works of God. The miracles that kept Israel's survival, which otherwise, the country would perish.

Geographically, it's located on the globe such that it has very little water access. It's also surrounded its enemies, who could wipe them out easily, population-sense. Geographically, it also has a bad military strategic location. But Israel has lived on, through God's promises.

It's a flourished land, where peace prevails. There's no barren but lands filled with green pastures, olive trees, springs and farmlands. As we drove by its neighbours, we could see the contrast of the barren lands as opposed to Israel's.

I can't speak enough of the beauty of Israel, and this Emmaus walk or the journey of Christ deeply seeps into my heart. I long to visit this Holy Land again.

For pictures (Day 1 - 6): www.picasaweb.com/pepperick

(Note that it's up to day 6 because the other pictures have been destroyed when the computer crashed. Very sad indeed. Nevertheless, enjoy viewing.)