Ghost!

2008

I realized for year 2004 and 2005, I had a little flashback on my blog, taking account to what are some of the things I've done in those two years. Then I skipped 2006 (not sure why), maybe because that year too went by so fast. so I thought I should probably write a few lines about 2007.

2007 went by really fast, and it definitely was a huge turning point in my life!

From Jan-March,then April-June I was working on two television projects that I am proud to be associated of. First, the agricultural show that brought me and the crew to places over Malaysia, visiting farms and factories, speaking to entrepreneurs and farmers, it really opened my view on the world of agriculture and how important it is in the future. Baha'u'llah, wrote in Tablet of the World that "Special regard must be paid to agriculture..." and in many other Writings the emphasis was also given to this industry. It was also great that the team I worked with was united and fun to be with. It's definitely a highlight in my working life. The second project was a reality show, and this job really pushes me. Everyone on the team worked really hard, 7am till 11pm everyday... if I go on for more than 6 weeks on this, I would have gone nuts, you just don't have a life after that. :-P But at least I've tried, and I know the schedule isn't exactly what I'm excited about.

June-July is wedding time. yeaaaaahhh.. the best time in my life! There's still lots to do like designing wedding cards, editing online video invite, our how-we-met video, sending invitations, shopping, arranging venues and accommodation for our guests, etc. It was one full-on event that both Rosh and I organized ourselves! Of course, many things are left to Faith, that took most part of our stress away. After the wedding, a friend came to tell me and said that the fact that there are some bloopers, it only makes the wedding more memorable. :-) How sweet.

August-September. Rosh and I have just been travelling travelling, and adjusting to staying together. We stayed together for one week at my little room at my apartment, then we both agreed that it might just be best to live with my in-laws. Contrary to popular belief, it was fantastic! I haven't had so much yummy home-cook food for a loooong time, and having sisters around was really fun too. That was great. We went around Indonesia - Thailand - Cambodia - Vietnam for our getaway. Then the whole rush of getting UK visa, that was another ball game!

October. Finally, we packed. The air tickets were bought one week before we flew. UK here we came.

November. Still settling in. Finally got a temp job as an administrator at a mental hospital and despite mundane routines, it was a good 'British' experience. I'm the only person who is non-white at a department of 20+ colleagues. Except for another girl, the rest are all 35 years old and above. I gotta make coffee, answer calls, manage boss's emails, etc which are generally very easy except the fact that I have some challenges in understanding the accent or the expressions they use. hehe.

December. Christmas was coming and off we went to Czech Republic! For two weeks we were surrounded by wonderful people who're doing great things from all over the places, and there were just so many inspiring stories. One thing I learnt was the use of the arts and how when someone perfects his/her crafts/arts, it brings beauty to this world and opens the hearts. The question I'll post to myself next is, what is my role and my contribution in building this new world civilization. I can be an artist, but how am I different from the rest? I always knew the answer, it's doing that takes time and effort.

2008 swings in. I wanna read more, wanna travel more, wanna dance more, wanna paint more, wanna learn more, wanna save more, wanna teach more, wanna love more, wanna hug more, wanna laugh more, wanna be more patient.

Wishing you too a happy new year my dear friends. :)

A Woman's Worth

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate,
our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is light not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous,
talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God
that is within us.

It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others"

- Marianne Williamson

A Brand New Chapter

If only life is like your blog - get a new one anytime and start scribbling on it again whenever you feel like your previous blog is not good enough. But it's not. So, I've been thinking of 'moving' again, to a new blog, as a significant mark to the changes in my life now. Then, I thought about it again, I like the life I had/have, there's nothing I would say that I'd like to change or did not do. Alright, cut the philosophical crap, I'm just too lazy to do up a new blog and to think of a blogtitle better than this. hehe.

I'm married now. for almost 4 months. Rosh and I both got the working-holiday visa and now we've moved to the UK. as of today we're officially in this very expensive country for one full month, and tomorrow i'll be starting my first temp work as an administrator/receptionist at a hospital near where I live here in oxford.

All this time I was worried I may have problem settling in, but these past few months there's been so much changes that we're actually doing pretty alright in embracing new ones. I mean, I'd still like to 'settle' in one place and not live out of a suitcase..at least not for the next couple of months.

There are times we suddenly wonder why are we here, it is after all a difficult place to live if you couldn't get a job considering everything is so pricey. But we know these coming 2 years is what we want to try out, to experience, so... who knows how it will turn out right. Life is full of surprises!

got married!!

the date was 20.07.2007.
Yupp, rosh n I got married!! ;-) there's so much to update but I just couldn't cath up with it - the thousands of photos taken are waiting to be sorted out, presents and thank you notes for people who helped out, accessories and clothes all over my messy little room... etc. yeah, it was a 10-days journey of 3 receptions from langkawi, subang to sibu. i stayed back in sibu to spend a week with my folks, then rosh n i flew to bukit tinggi in indonesia for another week to spend some time with his grandmother and aunties and uncle, paid respect to papa jaan at his grave, and now back here in the middle of august which we originally planned to be somewhere on an island chilling, drinking mango juice and reading some books if not snorkelling. reason we're back is for an interview that is going to take place in another 7 hours time from now.

i'm excited! and really hope that everything goes well!! will update soon. what's happening next in our lives is going to depend on that moment. *cross me fingers*

at the meantime, u could also check out some photos on my facebook album:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=17242&l=1bdee&id=598695195

bangkok

10 days there weren't enough for me!!

we had so much to do, every day we woke up, "what's our priority today?" shoes? bags? clothes? suits? what seemed like an easy shopping trip isn't as easy as it is.

that wasn't the only fun of course, the best part i enjoyed the most was spending quality time with my friends in thailand. good food and good company man.. that's what it's all about.

..i'm a bit lost of word right now. had a 'hangover' when i got back to my room here in PJ - used to complain that the highway across was bit noisy. but after coming back from bkk, this is considered VERY quiet. also, being in a new environment makes me feel more alert and eager with the surroundings - i guess that's the sign for me to move on.

sometimes when one gets too comfortable with our own environment, we just take for granted many things.

anyways, this entry is bit boring-lah. better ciao now.

2 more weeks...

I've not really written about getting married. Counting down, it's only 2 more weeks to go. I have 10 more days before I leave KL to go Langkawi. And here I am, without accessories, no confirmed make up artist and hairstylist for the receptions, haven't seen some of the wedding favors ordered, no wedding band yet, big zit on the forehead, put on weight after coming back from bangkok, and worst of all, SICK.

I'm not complaining, didn't mean to use this blog to do so - I'm just writing to note down some of my feelings, that yeah, 2 weeks before I tie the knot, I actually still have a lot of things not done! It's already hard that my mum's not near me and I've got no sisters to count on. I do have girlfriends but I'm hardly the girlie type, so yeah, Rosh and I just have to figure out our own ways as it goes. Recent chat with Sheils over skype really made me feel like, O GOSH, where did it go wrong? I thought I've got the whole timeline planned out. I took off from work for 6 weeks and still, lots are still to be done. I wonder how the working brides handle. Now I understand why some couple start preparing as early as one year ahead. But for me, 95 days are enough to go on and on and on about me, me, me, and me. why 95? It's the number of days (or less) a Baha'i couple should marry after their engagement. To worry and keep thinking about your wedding for one whole year, brrr... sends a chill down my spine man.

Nevertheless boys and girls, I'm definitely excited. I'm thrilled to meet friends and families, enjoy a good dinner by the beach and at hotels (for the receptions), good music, good company..... on top of it all of course, is to be spending my every moment with my dear suami-to-be from then on. Whatever physical arrangement that didn't work out won't really matter after that one day I guess.

I know this definitely marks a milestone in my life, and we'd like to enjoy every bit of it. As for plans after? Beat me. I'm still waiting for a Sign from above. hehe. Well now. thanks for all your prayers and wishes. =)

6 months of sweat...

That's right. I worked on thes two projects since last mid November. "Seeds" I started from the very scratch as the Assistant Director, and "The Firm" I only joined in halfway, assisted in both the production and the post production. Both were really exciting to work on, and I had the opportunity to learn many things from organic farming to real estate situation. ;-)

Seeds is a fresh, hip and more attractive look at the agriculture sector. It takes you through the upbeat side of agriculture and showcases its appeal and how lucrative the business can be. Watch every Sunday 5pm on NTV7. www.seeds.tv/

The Firm is a one hour corporate reality tv program, ala 'The Apprentice'. The 10-episode series, which will start on June 24, will be aired at 9.00pm every Sunday and is expected to attract up to 600,000 television viewers.

Baha'i Awareness Week

This week is the Baha'i Awareness Week for my community here in PJ. It almost comes to an end, but I thought I'd like to cut and paste this little writeup about this very wonderful Faith I have, and share it with you all.

ps. last day of work today. marking the end of a phase, and the entering of a new one. :)

***
About the Bahá'í Faith

The Bahá’í Faith is a world religion based on the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh. He explained that there is only one God and one human family, and that all religions are spiritually united. Bahá’u’lláh’s writings offer spiritual guidance as well as directives for personal and social conduct.

The more than five million Bahá’ís around the world are engaged in the process of learning how to translate that guidance into realities of individual and community life. Though they come from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds, they are united by their belief in Bahá’u’lláh and by their desire for a united, prosperous, and peaceful future for all of humanity.

Principles of Bahá’í Belief

The Bahá’í Faith recognizes the unity of God and of His Prophets, upholds the principle of an unfettered search after truth, condemns all forms of superstition and prejudice, teaches that the fundamental purpose of religion is to promote concord and harmony, that it must go hand-in-hand with science, and that it constitutes the sole and ultimate basis of a peaceful, an ordered and progressive society.

It inculcates the principle of equal opportunity, rights and privileges for both sexes, advocates compulsory education, abolishes extremes of poverty and wealth, exalts work performed in the spirit of service to the rank of worship, recommends the adoption of an auxiliary international language, and provides the necessary agencies for the establishment and safeguarding of a permanent and universal peace.

For more: www.bahai.org

"Let your vision be world-embracing, and not confined to your ownselves..." - Baha'u'llah

let me see...

there's few things that i never thought i could, or WOULD do, but somehow did it (or is still doing it) - this year thus far.

1. work night shift - to go back and edit again, and actually having to work from 10pm - 6am. always wonder how the rest of the world did it (esp. the call centre ones), but yupp, i did it for couple of days, and going to be doing it for few more days.

2. tutor a ruhi discussion group - although so far only 2 classes, but glad we started it. i've tried co-tutoring with another tutor before, but this is the first time i had to facilitate fully the discussion, of course with help from others. ;-) guess all i have to do is don't think so much, just jump on the wagon!

3. spending $$ on make up. gosh, i feel old just going around shopping for make up, trying out this brand, that color, this material... guess when i was 10 i'd never thought i'd grow up to do so after all! (it's essential shopping, not leisure...).

4. to survive a 15 months long distance relationship and is still kicking butt. hooray!

5. erm, and getting married too. =)

the 25th-year-old's party

Finally I managed to upload my photos. Yupp, thanks to Fabian who volunteered to take the photos for that night. They turned out really nice.

It was an open mic session which is the 3rd time I organized during my birthday - what I do is I invite friends to come sing a song or two, either they wrote it themselves or just something they'd like to express. Mien did a poem recital and she's really happy that she's got the space to do so, and I thought that is the reason I organized something like this, I wanted a space to sing too! ahah... Anyways, it won't be successful have I not lucky enough to have sporting friends, and talented ones around me. Love you all, it was another awesome birthday.

We all want to be beautiful...

I would like to dedicate this video to all the women in my life.
sung by devon gundry.



:)

craftsman

"It is the commandment of the Blessed Beauty [Bahá'u'lláh],...that whosoever engageth in a craft, should endeavor to acquire in it utmost proficiency. Should he do so, that craft becometh a form of worship."

My father is a denture maker. Since young, I always have difficulty explaining to my friends what my father does. He is not a dentist - thus every time his patrons call him 'yi sheng' (doctor), he'd humbly corrected them. Making denture involves many steps, among which including mounting, boiling, carving, brushing...

Until today, my father still sits at his little corner in the house - he called it his lab but i think it's more like his little sanctuary. Many long hours are spent to perfect his 'art'. And many customers keep coming back to him and many introduces many others as they like his 'artwork'.

As I grow older I start to appreciate more what my father does. He may not be a 'successful' lawyer, businessman, engineer, but he serves as fervently. Like how he usually jokes, "my job promises beautiful smiles for others."

Love you dad, Happy Father's Day!

journey

you have no idea how much i miss travelling... miss being in a new place, or a familiar place, miss being anonymous, miss being with friends i meet along the way...
Over the year there's been many times i heard from people who'd been moving around countries - as i listen to their sharing, my heart yearns too.
"Soon." I tell myself. :)

Happy Ridvan!

It's 1st of May today, and tomorrow's the last day ie.12th day of Ridvan. The Ridvan Festival is the King of Festivals and it is during these 12 days that marked the significant period of Baha'u'llah's declaration as the Promised One. To celebrate, among one of the many things that I was involved, was my little birthday open mic party which i had few nights ago. Many friends were invited and thank god the numbers who came didn't bring down the house. ('ferncroft' is one of my fav homes, i'm lucky that i get to use their homes twice as venue for this.) We had no less than 10 performers singing, sharing a story and reciteth poems. It was the 3rd time I had the open-mic thingy cum bday celebration, (skipping last year) it was as good, if not better than the past years. Must really thank everyone who had so graciously agreed to contribute for the night. Oh, I can't wait to put the photos up - although I forgot to bring my fav cam, a friend showed up with his professional digicam n said "this is my contribution for the night". voila! Mayb next week I'll get to post them.

A couple of weeks ago, the community also had Kippy's tales again, this time on the theme of 'we are different but the same'. I was in one of the puppet show - gosh, it ain't easy singing and being a puppet at the same time!! Then there's some face painting for the kids, and here I attached two little clips I managed to capture during the show.

a tribute to equality.

watch this! ;-) hiak hiak hiak.

It's a wrap!!

I started on this project on the 13th November 2006. And today, marks the end of our shoot... It's been 5 months of labour, and I'm glad. I'm glad I did this project, I'm glad to have a great team to work with, I'm glad I learnt a lot of things, and I'm also glad that it's o.v.e.r. =)

spring has come

having EARLY breakfast together? that was fun. at 630am the 'few' of us gathered together for chinese dim sum in taman paramount. some of us are big fans, some of us are there for the company.



then, there's NAW-RUZ! THE TIME OF THE YEAR! =)
just random photos... I didn't shoot much that night, wasn't feeling the most comfortable coz I wore this dress that felt as though it could drop just anytime. *_* couldn't totally enjoy myself (note: it's important to wear what's the most comfortable to u!), hehehe. alfred n cherissa, my bro n i, son n ziwen, my 3 musketeers-ex-boys-next-door.

march...

fasting month has come and gone so fast. it wasn't an easy fast, mainly because i had to be on shoot most of the time. out in the sun and standing for hours, u'll see me attempting to steal some quick chill-out moments whenever i can... hehehe.. but it was still cool. we interviewed datuk siti nurhaliza, met the prime minister for a walk-around interview in his garden, shot in the rain in the paddy field, wear funny boots to see how chickens are being slaughtered and cleaned and processed...

anyways, just some pics for fun. :)