Post-wedding reflection

This blog has sure collected some dust, but since I have some time to spare, why not write my post-wedding thoughts for archival purposes (and while it’s still relatively fresh in my head)? 

10 October 2015 was THE (long-awaited) day. After 1 year of wedding preparation, it all came to this. Many things to be thankful for, of course, and there have been no regrets for any of the decisions made. Though of course, I might change some stuff if I could turn back time, like arriving at the church earlier so my wedding coordinator and AV i/c didn’t have to panic.>.<

Many girls like to ask, “what’s your dream wedding?” Since young, it has always been simple for me – to have my Dad walk me down the aisle in a church. And it happened! Glitz, glamour, puffy flowery gowns and dinner banquets have never been my thing. So the keyword in the whole preparation was simply, ‘simple’. I do not think that we should be splurging on things that only, well, LOOK good. That’s why I decided to not splurge on a dress that I would only wear once. Fortunately for me, H&M came up with a USD$99 weddding dress last year. It’s not only affordable, it’s simply gorgeous (or gorgeously simple). Plus, I could wear it again after the wedding just by trimming the length. Mom felt it was too plain, though, so she suggested I alter the dress and add a detachable train at the back. So what the tailor did was to remove the upper cloth and replace it with a lace while retaining the same design. 

Having attended so many weddings, I realised that people usually remember or talk about how good/bad the food is or whether there was enough. So food was a huge priority and something we didn’t mind splurging on. We were also careful when it came to the number of heads to cater for. We knew for sure we were going to order just slightly more than the number of people who were coming, because for my sister’s wedding, there was not enough food and many people went home remembering that. I didn’t wanna make the same mistake. Talkng about food, I can’t help but gush about how amazing the food is. Didn’t get to eat during the wedding, but no worries, because… #foodtasting! Our food caterer was Kigi Catering. We first tried Kigi when we attended our friends’ wedding. Having tried so many caterers after that, I couldn’t find caterers that could match Kigi. They are a little bit unknown, though, but their food and décor is amazing. Very relieved that we had very favourable responses from our guests regarding the food (except for the Laksa).

We were very blessed and fortunate to have many supportive friends and family members who made the whole wedding day possible. Tasks were completed without complains, and everyone went all the way out to help us. We had friends who arrive at 7:30am to pump the balloons for décor, friends who stood under the scotching sun to guide traffic, friends who had to miss the wedding ceremony cos they were settling tasks outside, friends who followed us through the whole day, friends who sacrificed their time and effort to make our wedding so beautiful.

So there. Wedding day reflections – archived.

Remembering LKY

I haven't blogged in a very long while.

But I guess I have too much thoughts this week that I feel like I need to put it down somewhere. 

Singapore's first Prime Minister, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, passed away on Monday. I've learned so much about him in the last 5 days than I have in the 10+ years in school. I took history in both Secondary School and Junior College but I've always seen Mr. Lee as just another political figure in the text book. What the textbooks depict were mostly on nation building and independence. Lee Kuan Yew and Singapore were synonymous. But this week, I realised that the textbooks only scratched the surface of who he really was and the contributions he have made to this country. 

I never knew that Mr. Lee had a huge impact on many countries. I never knew that big figures around the world sought Mr. Lee's wise counsel. I never knew that Mr. Lee could be such a loving husband to his wife. I am simply too ignorant to understand what it really means when people say that Mr. Lee is Singapore's "founding father". 

For me, there is just so many things to be thankful for. 

Because of Mr. Lee's vision, I do not have to worry about being persecuted for my faith.
I do not have to worry about corruption, nor high crime rates, nor polluted water.
I can drink straight from my tap!
I have a shelter over my head.
I can speak at least two languages. (more, if you count dialect)
I have easy access to education.
I am protected as a woman. 
I can choose my government. 
 

I don't think I've ever seen Singapore so united before. It's heartening to see the government supporting Singaporeans as they queue overnight to pay their respects to Mr. Lee, be it through extending the hours of operation for public transport or just being there to speak to the people in the wee hours of the morning. It's also very heartwarming to see the giving spirit in many Singaporeans. I read about random people from all walks of life coming together to volunteer - be it in the giving out of food/drinks/umbrella to people who were queuing at the Padang. Let's also not forget the people at tribute sites.

It's been a sad week for Singapore, mourning her loss of Mr. Lee. But from how I see it, this might be a blessing in disguise. I'm sure many Singaporeans now have a greater knowledge of Mr. Lee and his contributions, but what would this knowledge do?  I hope that this knowledge translates into a greater appreciation for this country. I hope that there are more who feel proud to be Singaporeans. I hope that Singaporeans will continue to have this giving spirit, not just in moments of crisis. 
 
To end off, I quote a poem from Robert Burns (he wrote Auld Lang Syne too)

An honest man here lies at rest
As e'er God with his image blest.
The friend of man, the friend of truth;
The friend of Age, and guide of Youth:
Few hearts like his with virtue warm'd,
Few heads with knowledge so inform'd:
If there's another world, he lives in bliss;
If there is none, he made the best of this.

desert

in a desert.

any signs of an oasis 

is just a dream

ready or not?

Maybe I think I'm ready to face what lies ahead, when in fact I'm not.

getting old

but who cares about the pocket burning? so happy and excited for 3 couples who just got engaged and are getting married. good for them! :)

1,2,3, FOUR!

Thank God for you.

Thank you for everything :)

Romans 12:12

Blessed 4th!

"Brighten up your day"

Yea it sure did... thank you :)

Daffodils

I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud -
William Wordsworth 

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed---and gazed---but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.        

Great minds think alike

How interesting can this get? We both got each other similar gifts in similar packaging. Even the way we tied the ribbon around the box was the same.
I passed you my diary and wrote you 100+ days worth of notes. You gave me 7 envelopes of letters to be read in various circumstances. And err, a packet of tissue paper. I won't open it unless I'm gonna flood my room with tears. But you know what? You're really terrible cos you finally unlocked my tears tap with your departing letter. :(

Its probably gonna take some getting used to now that you're away. The time difference isn't exactly helping much, neither is the lack of Internet access in your apartment. No worries, we might not speak in real time but we'll never be too late for each other.

Hope you're settling fine and enjoying the cleaner air and colder weather. You now have easier access to salads, wraps and soccer. Don't overeat just because its cold. Please moisturise your face on a more-than-regular basis.

Will always be praying for you as you start work and even as you search for a church.

Be safe!

Mingling toil with peace and rest

Day by day, and with each passing moment,
Strength I find, to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment,
I’ve no cause for worry or for fear.
He Whose heart is kind beyond all measure
Gives unto each day what He deems best—
Lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest.

Every day, the Lord Himself is near me
With a special mercy for each hour;
All my cares He fain would bear, and cheer me,
He Whose Name is Counselor and Pow’r.
The protection of His child and treasure
Is a charge that on Himself He laid;
“As thy days, thy strength shall be in measure,”
This the pledge to me He made.

Help me then in every tribulation
So to trust Thy promises, O Lord,
That I lose not faith’s sweet consolation
Offered me within Thy holy Word.
Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting,
E’er to take, as from a father’s hand,
One by one, the days, the moments fleeting,
Till I reach the promised land.

Wait

Good things come to those who wait...
But great things come to those who patiently wait.

Letting Go

"Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD." Job 1:21

In light of so many accidents and fatalities that have been happening, I ask myself:

Will I be able to echo this as Job did?

When pain and hurt comes my way, will I be able to let go?

Lord, please remove the idols in my life.

Help me to rest upon your promises.

'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus

Just to take Him at His Word

Just to rest upon His promise

And to know 'thus says the Lord!'

Be patient

He makes all things beautiful
In His time.

it's just this period

ha ha
4th this month!

soon, i hope

it happens so 
frequently
it's 
like a trend

itsjusttheage

i guess

my time 
will come
soon

i hope.


SO LORD, PLEASE 
HELP ME TO BE 
PATIENT
AND NOT 
ENVIOUS 

THE NEXT TIME I SEE SOMETHING LIKE THIS

səˈpraɪz - to present with something unexpected

If I asked for a surprise, is it still considered a surprise?

having your own family doesn't mean you disown your original family

sometimes I forget I'm not the eldest daughter.

oftentimes I feel like I only have a special-occasion-only sister.

many times I feel sad for my parents...

and always I'll remind myself to be a daughter/sister who will be there for my family.

Tap

Time travel

If only I could time travel...

an insatiable hunger for words