Wedding Preps

2.00 AM: Fiddling with my hair, too many different things on my mind, getting disorientated and messy, perhaps now is that high time I blurt them on "paper".

WEDDING PREPS

Where do I even begin? Have been researching and stalking on the internet in hope I can find some inspiration on how my wedding would be like. Honestly, I have never done this extensive of research on ONE topic, not even in my studies, and not having a normal girl's dream of a BIG FANCY WEDDING is not helpful at all. 

However, I have managed to send some "Request for Quotation" emails (sounds so business-like, as opposed to a bride-to-be so to speak) and my oh my, they do reply immediately. I am impressed but they have to wait; I am still considering options.

Luckily I "terbuka hati" to grab this for AUD 5 when we were in Melbourne in May 2012, thinking how noob I am at wedding stuff, never knew this would come in handy this SOON (Jodoh! Alhamdulillah!), so I am excited to do some scrap-booking of wedding preps and I shall carry this planner wherever I go, insyaAllah! (PS: It has useful tabs like Bridal, Guests, BUDGET!!!, Details, Ceremony (Solemnisation / Nikah), Reception, and the best part Honeymooooooooooon!)

The checklist that I have INITIATED and are IN PROGRESS are as follows:

- Wedding dresses and suits (Nikah & Reception)

- Make-up 

- Pelamin & Hand bouquet

- Photography

- Videography

- Theme colours (Nikah & Reception)

- Bridesmaids and Dulang Bearers' theme colours

- Wedding cards (Thanks to Ezane)

Now on to the stuff I have not started:

- Door gifts

- Hantaran! (I have only bought 1 out of 9!)

- Canopies & Decoration (Mama's jurisdiction but have to help her!)

- Food (Mama & Abah)

- Guest list (Including bridesmaids list, dulang bearers' list)

- Emcee?

- Sound system?

- Who is going to be in-charged to monitor the wedding gifts, hantarans, and flow of the wedding??

- Who is going to be our pengapit?!!!

And this is just my side of the family. Not even getting started on Ezane's side. *HEART ATTACK!*

Mama hinted that we need a wedding planner, but honestly, I would not want to pay a "consultant" due to:

- friends' bad experiences with them

- mark-up prices of wedding stuff on top of their fees

- hence, we can't afford them

- over-reliance on them 

- last-minute problems with them

- them dictating how the wedding should be like

(P.S.: While all this are running through my head, there is Ezane who will silently say: "I just want to marry you sayang and halalkan everything..oops..sahkan everything." Ahhh...if only life is that simple.)

Sayang kerana Allah

Mum's advice to me regarding relationships will always be "find someone who loves you kerana Allah". Believe me I did not understand this until a month ago, because to me love is a feeling, I don't choose who I love, the feeling just comes and grows.

Failed relationships have taught me that I am very weak, always letting my emotions overrule my senses at times, sacrificing time to go the extra mile in helping the guy in his studies/work, spending weekends and holidays going out from morning till night, because of.... "LOVE." His happiness is your happiness, or so the saying goes. This is to a point that your daily life relies on the status of the relationship, and when it doesn't work out, you become a wreck and feel so betrayed that your effort and sacrifices for the relationship are no longer appreciated..then creeps in the feeling of hatred and regret. Regret of the things you have done wrong and regret not doing more. That person who used to say he will protect you, and to those firm words you believe in, become the very person he had promised to protect against.

DEPRESSION

Who is to blame? No one else but yourself.

Then who do you look for IF this happens? Your family. Mum and Opah who watched me as I cried every single night, who witnessed my nightmare episodes, who forced me to eat when all I can manage was 2 spoons. It was not fair for them because I made them worried and sad, yet it was not their battle.

Though I have yet to fulfill many of life's challenges, I think mum's advice makes more sense to me now. When you love someone kerana Allah, there is sincerity and respect in relationships before marriage. You DON'T do things that would jeopardise the health of the relationship, how ever tempting they appear to be, because the sayang is kerana Allah...you fear Allah and Allah only. So if it doesn't work out, you can still smile and go about your daily routine. You don't feel betrayed as Allah will have a better plan for you..you are rest assured because you have done nothing wrong..the relationship was just not meant to be for you.

And for the guy, if he loves you kerana Allah, he will respect you in return, wait until he has your hands in marriage before he takes your heart and body from your family. He will promise to protect you even from himself and would pray to Allah that you are protected and will not stop praying even after marriage. He wouldn't claim that you are his, because both you and him belong to the Creator.

Before marriage: to love and to be loved respectfully

After marriage: to love and to be loved wholeheartedly, soul and body.

Wallaua'lam

Khadeeja Khairil

This post is dedicated to my newly-born sister who is 2 days today..

She was born on 22 July 2011 at 10.06pm and weighs 2.85kg.

The name given is the beautiful Khadeeja Khairil, also the name of our Opah and wife of our beloved Prophet Rasulullah SAW.

Honestly Khadeeja, given the circumstances of our family, when your mother was pregnant, I did not give much thought as to how I would feel when you would leave your mummy's womb and into the world.

Abah was on the driveway when I bumped into him that night you were born. He was in the car, engine on, smoking, when I asked him "Abah nak gi mana?" He looked at me with that innocent look and replied "To the hospital. Someone nak deliver". Emotionless, I said "Oh". Abah did ask me to come along, but I declined. This was around 9pm.

I did not think much afterwards.

Around 10.30pm, as I was sorting out pictures on my laptop, I received a BBM msg from Abah. The next thing I knew I was looking at your very first picture, and before I can think of anything, I was crying because....I am in love.

I could not content myself from crying because you are so beautiful, so untouched, so pure and innocent, and it is just impossible to not care about you.

I was even crying profusely on the phone when I talked to my boyfriend, Hilmi, who was kind enough to drive me to DEMC so I can meet you on the first day you were born. It was near midnight, he has to work on the next day and so I could not thank him enough.

True enough, I was in love and I could not stop looking at you and feel so lucky that now, we have 3 girls in the family to match up to the 3 boys.

(See my mata yang lebam from all the crying..hehe malu je)

Diyana Khairil (04.09.1987)

Khalis Khairil (24.08.1991)

Khaliff Khairil (09.11.1996)

Khafiz Khairil (30.09.1998)

Ellynna Khairil (25.01.2001)

Khadeeja Khairil (22.07.2011)

You were born through an emergency C-section, and because your tali pusat was wrapped around your face, mummy's doctor needed to dig you out with a spatula, and hence the marks on your face and your head. But today, the marks are slowly disappearing. See your pretty pictures above. =)

So..welcome to the Khairil's family. PS: We are very dysfunctional, but with lots of love, Abah reminded me that night that he loves each and everyone of us. Praise to Allah for making you a healthy baby, and Praise to Allah for your arrival in our family.

Whatever decisions our parents make, whatever problems that should come, whatever tests that this family should have to face, I will make sure that all our brothers and sisters will stick together, like a really cool team. <3

By the time you read this, I think you will understand who your mother is, who Kakak Elly's mother is, and who my mother is, but you will also understand that we are FAMILY.

You are a Khairil, and therefore will always forever be my baby sister. Just like Kakak Elly.

With Unconditional Love, Kak Diyana.

10 Things I wanna do before I die

1) Perform the Hajj.
2) Belajar menjahit.
3) Paint on a canvas, the result has to be good enough to become a painting in my room.
4) Ride a Ducati, probably a Monster, coz I'm not tall enough. Not a pillion, but the actual rider.
5) Be a barrista at Starbucks, just because I love coffee so much, I need to learn how to make good coffee.
6) Take a diving course, and actually dive in the open waters of Sipadan. Scary.
7) Volunteer for a good cause. Eg: Mercy Malaysia, Teach for Malaysia, or even a Gaza human rights activist. O__o
8) Learn Opah's rendang. Can't believe I still don't know how to make this.
9) Visit Switzerland, New Zealand, South Africa, and etc (countries with GREAT landscape).
10) TICK ALL OF THE ABOVE. THIS IS A BONUS.

Bridesmaid

Can't wait for my bridesmaid dress for Fateen's wedding to be completed with these buttons. Pippa was my inspiration for the lovely buttons. Simple yet elegant. =)

Syahrir Nurdin

Both dresses: By Syahrir Nurdin.

They are perfect for both of us even from the first fitting. No expensive and fine kain needed, the designer had managed to work with these difficult materials (mine was embroidered net, and the embroidery is like wire) with no complaint (I've heard designer stories who would fuss over clients' cheap kain).

He even designed both of the piece:

My top was cropped diagonally to give a slight tilt to my left, yet the border was still even. My skirt had quite a big flare, which I have never ever in my life would think I can pull it off. He even reassured me and insisted profusely that I was not fat when I was doubtful whether the short top and flared skirt will look ok on me.

My mum's trims at the bottom and side were neatly placed and sewed together to form the frame of her lovely jubah.

This is simply to say, Syahrir Nurdin managed to wow us with true designer and tailor skills, with little of our own imagination.

Hence why I wanted to post this up so much; I think designers like Syahrir Nurdin should be recognised and publicised positively, even better than those stuck-up and overpriced ones. Hopefully the hospitality will remain as he becomes famous amongst the ladies (professionally of course). The trip to his boutique at Shah Alam Mall that cost us RM350 each dress was worth every ringgit.

A Date with the Prime Minister (By YCM)

(Monday, 27th June 2011, Intercontinental Hotel KL)

My lack of interest in the Malaysian political arena, or in fact, any politically-infused matter had not stopped me from wanting to meet Malaysia's Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Being above 21 and below 30, I knew I should grab this FREE chance to hear our PM's address to the "young corporate Malaysians" (as an ex-auditor, I believe I am eligible), and true enough, I was amazed by his eloquent speech and how honest and realistic his replies were to questions from the floor.

Apart from seeing our PM in person, me being me, I get excited and tend to focus more when he talked without a text, and with such clarity, proficiency in English, and perfect choice of words, that I am now a fan. Oh yes, I think I am a fan of PM Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. Not to mention I got to capture a picture of him smiling at me (below) or maybe he was just a smiley guy, yes?

Ok, moving on from the smile. On a more serious note, key sensitive issues were highlighted by audiences, which included the evergreen issue of tax on imported cars, call for younger members of the parliament, ISA and AUKU, rising property prices and cost of living (inflation and in comparison with the UK), IPP contracts, and also the education industry (from teachers' incentive scheme, call for creativity and innovation-based subjects, and the need for existing vernacular schools). Loads of comparison with the UK because I think most of the YCM members graduated from the UK.

As for the PM, he provided insights on how the ETP came about, along with how the 6 NKEAs, 12 SRIs, and of course, the concept of 1Malaysia.

All I can say is WOAH. I was quite a listener though, apart from the ocassional distraction from Syafiq about his personal savings (Syafiq! sorry you know i love ya xoxo). I applaud the young corporate Malaysians for having the courage to ask these sensitive questions. I would have to enrol in Toastmasters Club first before I think I can ask these questions.

If any of you wonder what are some of the terms above, haha no worries, I had to google some of them also for more in-depth info.

Summary of answers here: http://mymindajutawan.wordpress.com/2011/06/28/young-corporate-malaysians-an-evening-with-the-prime-minister-dato-sri-najib-razak/

Overall, this was my personal version of crash course of the Malaysian economy.

Read up!