Look Into My Kitchen!

The countdown has begun and I'm happy to say, my kitchen is ready! Paint is fully done, cupboards fully stocked, new dishes bought & washed, pots and pans bought & washed, mugs and glasses are visitor ready and the oven plus microwaved is cleaned out. All the hard work in the kitchen is completed!

My everfrost green and white kitchen

The stocked up pantry. Junk food isn't mine!

With one hurdle over, the next big thing happens tomorrow when the movers come and start moving some furniture that Alex's parents are giving to us from their house to help us begin our new home. There is an event every day of this week!

Monday -Finish kitchen, install cable tv
Tuesday -Movers!
Wednesday - Finish living room, bedrooms
Thursday -Family arrives!
Friday - Rehearsal & church decorating!
Saturday - BIG DAY!

Busy, busy, busy. Please pray for us that we stay in the pink of health!

On Sunday, the church announced our impending wedding day and officially introduced us to the congregation. We were asked to the front and had the church pray with us. It was wonderful! A very nice gesture from the church. And as an even bigger surprise, we were given a gift! We think its a book. We are leaving the unwrapping of the gift until after we get married. Will let you know if our guess is right..

The orange wrapped gift

cheryl

Weekend Pictures

A very foggy morning - 10am, 2C

Heave Ho! Get a good look at this giant!

Very happy with the 'fruit' of my labor!

I most certainly didnt pull the giant out of the ground :) It came from here, Mitchell Markets

Music at the market

cheryl

A Week To Go!

It feels a little surreal that in a week, I will be getting married.

That sentence makes it sounds like I'm really composed and calm about it.

I AM SO NOT! Oh my goodness! Its in a week! All the months of planning and work is finally coming to a crux in 7 days! Only 7 days! 148hours! 7 more nights of sleep! Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, oh my goodness!

Starting tomorrow, everyone in this house is going to need lots of shut eye. My parents, my sis, my aunts, my friends are coming to Canberra 2 days before the wedding and the coming days leading up to the day is going to be craaazy!

If any of you have been checking in, I do apologize for the lack of posts. I just got back from Melbourne on Tuesday and have not stopped working my bottom off since then. Today was spent alone at the new place painting, washing out cabinets/drawers, arranging the pantry and giving our new dishes a good rinse before use. It was non stop 8hours of labor for me. I think I have lost the use of my right arm. Alex has been given notice that he has to feed me tomorrow since I think I won't be able to lift my arm.

Oh and I have something to be grateful for today. While leaving no.32 at 940pm tonight, I missed the final step outside our main door and with a loud yelp, went crashing to the ground on my right foot. I, who have lost the use of my right arm, nearly lost the use of my right foot as well. THAT, would not have made for a beautiful bride going down the aisle in a weeks time. For that, I am oh so grateful. After falling to the ground I couldn't move because of the excruciating pain shooting up my leg. Imagine me the clumsy goose sitting by the road on a wintry dark night... Had Alex worried there for awhile :p

Thank God all is good! No sprain, just a little sore.

I will update once again in the midst of the coming madness. Could be more than one entry if we have the time!


cheryl

Sneak Peek

I have been 'chased' by some folks to post our bridal studio photos on the blog. I had promised to do so when the time is right and I guess the time is right now. :) I know that at this point, everyone who is reading is just going to breeze right through all these words and scroll right down to where the pictures begin.


However, I will still waffle on and take up a bit more space with alphabets. Heheh. To clarify, these are posed portraits done by a studio in Penang. Back in Malaysia, it is our culture to get our pictures taken, immortalizing our youth, radiance and some might say innocent joy before beginning to live life with someone else. These pictures are taken with multiple outfits, different backgrounds and multiple locations so as to create variety for the photobook and a unique memory for each couple.


We took most of our shots on location in the studio itself and as for our outdoor shots, we went to the beach, a small fishing pier, a forest reserve and a dam. I wanted memories of Penang's beaches, the greenery of the tropics and some rustic, heritage kind of background. We didn't have time to head to the colonial, old heritage buildings in Penang hence the fishing pier made do for it.


I would have liked for less posey shots as is the current trend for wedding pictures (seen in Whizarts) but since I'm hiring a photographer for the wedding day here in Aus and another for the dinner in Penang, we figured we should just go for the bridal studio shots as our pre-wedding shoot in Penang.

Here are some of the pictures. The rest will be shown at the church and at the dinner in Penang :)

One of my favourite shots because Alex has the 'innocent boy' look going here

I like the way we look comfortable and relaxed in this shot

Those were the indoor studio shots. Now for the outdoor ones.

This has grown to become my favourite shot

This was as rustic as it got

I look kinda dwarfed by the trees but when blown up, this picture is gorgeous. I like the symmetry of lines created by the trees in the background.

I'm glad we managed to capture the Penang sunset. It's great that the photographer managed to take this in the glare of the setting sun though I'll like to see if there are other similar shots like this taken with better light on the subjects.

Again I love the beauty of the sky in the background. Couldn't have asked for a better artist :)

There are more pictures but I guess its for a later post after the wedding (maybe not) or you can meet up with us over coffee and we'll be ever so glad to share the pics. I only intended to post 5 as a teaser really but I got carried away and did 9!

Walking away from this photo shoot, I realized that it may not have been perfect (I have my complaints about certain things) but it is an experience Alex and I share during the course of our relationship. Its another chapter in our little novel titled Alex-Cheryl and hey, I learnt a lot from it so if anyone needs advice about bridal studios, do's and don'ts, things to look out for and pricing, come ask me!

Comments, comments please...... :)

cheryl

FOUND: A Place to Watch Asian Drama

Whee! I came across this website which is currently my source of Hong Kong, Taiwanese, Japanese & Korean dramas. Yes I have found something else "useless" to do on the web, apart from facebook-ing :) to fill my free time with. It works like youtube so you are just streaming the video to watch instead of downloading it for watching later.

Thought I'll share it here for anyone who is interested :)

http://www.mysoju.com/

cheryl

JOINED: Doing the Karen Cheng

I have been reading KarenCheng's blog since 2004 and have over the course of time been recommending it to many of my girlfriends because she is such a good read. Most of the girls have become like me, keeping up to date with her latest entries. Her blog is about parenting, children, art, fashion, online shopping, design, food (everything a young, hip mother is all about) and of late, about trying to fall pregnant :) And I must put a disclaimer here, no.. I don't have such plans yet.

When I arrived in Australia, just by chance Channel 10 was doing a segment about blogging for a living and Karen was featured in it. I was soo excited and made double sure that Alex reminded me about the time so I wouldn't miss it.

Just last week, she started a Facebook group called "Doing the Karen Cheng" which was inspired by the fact that many of her readers had adopted her way of taking pictures of herself in nice clothes through the mirror. And this is so funny because it is so true! Many of us take pictures of ourselves this way (be it because of inspiration from Karen or just on our own) and now there is a group in Facebook commemorating this.

So yes, I joined the group and had a good smile browsing through the pictures of its members. Join in!

cheryl

Shoutout to a Girl Friend

This is a BIG shoutout to a girl friend who just got engaged over the weekend! I can't divulge details about who it is because the news is for her to announce and as such I'm just posting a big CONGRATULATIONS on the world wide web. Hehe... :)

I'm so happy for you!

cheryl

Wedding Vows

I have always thought its sweet that couples write their wedding vows. I will say that it is a BIG task and that only the literature-ly talented should attempt it. Personalized wedding vows provide an insight into the thoughts and characteristics of the couple standing at the altar front. Its reveals much about the relationship of the couple and their 'together-ness' hence the task should not be taken lightly.

Alex and I have decided to go with the traditional vows since we really don't have the time to sit down and go through the dictionary for more ways to say 'I do' :) Our marriage counselor did suggest that we use a Dr. Seuss version of the wedding vows, that is if we were game for a little wit and humor on the biggest day of our lives. He has suggested this piece to the other couples he counseled as well but so far, there were no takers. So I'm posting it here.

Anybody game to use this? Warning: Its quite a long read

Pastor: Will you answer me right now
These questions, as your wedding vow?

Groom: Yes, I will answer right now
Your questions as my wedding vow.

Pastor: Will you take her as your wife?
Will you love her all your life?

Groom: Yes, I take her as my wife,
Yes I'll love her all my life.

Pastor: Will you have and also to hold
Just as you have at this time told?

Groom: Yes I wil have, and I will hold,
Just as I have at this time told,
Yes, I will love her all my life
As I now take her as my wife.

Pastor: Will you love through good and bad?
Whether you're happy or sad?

Groom: Yes, I'll love through good and bad,
Whether we're happy or sad,
Yes I will have and I will hold
Just as I have already told,
Yes I will love her all my life,
Yes I will take her as my wife!

Pastor: Will you love her if you're rich?
Or if you're poor and in a ditch?

Groom: Yes I'll love her if we're rich,
And I will love her in a ditch,
I'll love her through good times and bad,
Whether we are happy or sad,
Yes I will have, and I will hold
(I could have sworn this has been told!)
I promise to love all my life
This woman, as my lawful wife!

Pastor: Will you love her when you're fit,
And also when you're feeling sick?

Groom: Yes, I'll love her when we're fit,
And when we're hurt and when we're sick,
And I will love her when we're rich
And I will love her in a ditch
And I will love through good and bad,
And I will love when glad or sad,
And I will have and I will hold
Ten years from now a thousandfold,
Yes I will love for my whole life,
This lovely woman as my wife!

Pastor: Will you love with all your heart?
Will you love till death you part?

Groom: Yes I'll love with all my heart
From now until death do us part,
And I will love her when we're rich,
And when we're broke and in a ditch,
And when we're fit and when we're sick,
(Oh, CAN'T we get this finished quick?)
And I will love through good and bad,
And I will love when glad or sad,
And I will have and I will hold,
And if I might now be so bold,
I'll love her my entire life,
Yes, I WILL take her as my wife!

Pastor: Then if you'll take her as your wife,
And if you'll love her all your life,
And if you'll have and if you'll hold,
From now until the stars grow cold,
And if you'll love through good and bad,
And whether you're happy or sad,
And love in sickness and in health,
And when you're poor and when in wealth,
And if you'll love with all your heart,
From now until death do you part,
Yes, if you'll love her through and through,
Please answer with these words:

Pastor and Groom: I DO!


It's a mouthful isn't it? I think this could be the one time where both the wedding party and the guests are glad the ceremony is over! :)


cheryl

4 Weeks To Go! *GASP*

Time is running short! From the very beginning I thought that the best way to get through all the work needed to be done right up to the wedding day would be best and effectively handled without strife, by making a list. So a list I made. Since then, I have made a list to put into the list, another list to get done before the items of the first list can be done and then a multitude of other lists linked to the main list.

LISTS!

Having a wedding can drive the most organized of people mad. But in retrospect (although the wedding is yet to come) I think that only the organized tend to feel the madness of it. A happy-go-lucky bride/ a bride who expects less from her wedding day will tend to be more relaxed about the details hence never having to experience the madness.

GREAT EXPECTATIONS - I need to be less expectant. ( Haha. Is that the right expression?)

Who am I kidding? I can think of a million things that could go wrong. Oh help.. Its only 4 weeks away!

I think they should have those breathing classes - the kind pregnant mothers learn - for brides to be too.


cheryl

As It Was Before & 4 Years On..

It has been rainy with overcast skies for the past 3 days and we have not been going out much. So I'm going to post an entry of my recent trip back into University of Canberra.

I studied here for 6 months as an exchange student 4 years ago. On a Monday a week ago I decided to follow Alex into uni and explore the grounds on my own while he had his 3 hour lecture.

Garden next to the concourse where students sit in the sun

Across the garden, School of Applied Science

The walk on my own brought back a heap of memories. Crossing the gardens, hanging around the concourse area and even walking into the library brought all the feelings that I had felt in the past, alone on my own in a foreign land, different culture, different air, different sights and smells, coping on my own and watching out for myself in a place where the nearest call for help would be 4000+ miles away.

Because I was an exchange student, the only one from my uni back in Malaysia, I was alone and had no friends who came with me to this foreign place. There also wasn't another exchange student from Malaysia. Most students travel to another country with friends undertaking the same degree. Me, I was alone. I didn't even stay on campus. My choice of courses for the semester were unique since I was here on exchange. All that limited my ability to meet friends the way most students do with their course mates or flat mates. Sometimes I wonder where I got the courage and the confidence to have done it all on my own back then. Was it the ignorance of youth? Or was it that I really had bravado?

All I can say is that I was really blessed. I met great friends while here, attended a great church, had a fantastic land lady and even met my husband to be! I can tell you so many testimonies, evidence of how I was here not by chance (ask me about it!) and even though it was all foreign to me, God had my back covered. So it was probably some youthful ignorance and some bravado but mostly God's favour on my life.

Well, I didnt mean for this post to be so deep :) So let's get back to the pictures!

Back then after classes, I would normally walk from the uni to the bus interchange which is located next to the Belconnen Mall. It was a ~20minute walk and I took that same walk that day. It was a walk down a slope past student residences, then past a lake where I would always stop to admire the beauty and the birds, cross a wooden bridge, walk past some restaurants by the lake, then drop by the Belconnen Public Library before hitting the mall for some window shopping and lastly board the bus for home.

The walk down the slope past student residences

Serene walk towards the lake

Lake Ginninderra

View across the lake

Towards the restaurants

Bridge walk

Looking back midway on bridge

Some 'Wind in the Willow'

By 'coincidence', my landlady worked at the Belconnen Mall hence most days I need not take the bus home - saving $$ - instead I followed her back when she ended her day at 5pm. Bus fares are expensive here. $3 each trip. So was that a blessing? You betcha!

The 3 hours spent that Monday reliving my memories was very meaningful and it gave me a reminder of all the things I have got to be thankful for. For everyone who has studied somewhere foreign before, do go back when you have a chance to. Going back as a more mature you, seeing through the same pair of eyes yet it is a pair that has seen more since then, is an experience so personal and meaningful to yourself that it is hard to put them into words to describe to others.

I had a great day. I am excited to see what's in store for me this time around in Australia. Not as alone, but just as new. A new age (approaching my late twenties now!) A new phase of my life (No longer a student! Soon to no longer be a single girl!) A new home. (No.32)

cheryl

Blue Weather.. a Blue Me

I am titling this post after the monday blues except its not a monday. Its Tuesday and its raining.

I spent the first half of today at no. 32, bent over, putting my muscles to good use for the very reason God made them....... hardwork. To give my hardwork some credit :) I'm listing them below.

1. I vacuumed ALL three levels of the house, ALL the rooms, ALL of the carpeting (90% of the house is carpeted)

2. I scrubbed 4 walls down (to get ready for painting)

3. I scrubbed the shower box down

4. I mopped

5. I removed a built in cabinet currently standing in the way of our incoming fridge.

After doing all that, I had to make my way home to Alex's house, taking the bus and spending 30 minutes on foot in the cold and in the wet thanks to rain. No umbrella too!

This is a whiny, whingy entry. Rain + winter = absolute misery.

cheryl

Big Rain

Turtle crossing a flooded road. Pic: Brisbane Times

Heard on the news that massive amounts of rain are falling in Queensland causing serious flooding in some areas. I saw some footage that showed water flowing like a river through the streets, partially submerged homes and cars. Malaysians reading this are probably going " Bleh.. we have that here a couple of times a year. Nothing special."

Well over here, while noting that flooding is a tragedy to the home and car owners affected, the state authorities are about to pop the champagne bottle to celebrate this blessing of water especially since Brisbane has been on a severe water restriction programme since last year. The champagne is currently on ice ready to be popped but won't be unless the dams hit 40% in the next few days.

I repeat, the dam is less than 40% filled. In Canberra, the situation is no better with the dam only 47% filled. Yet this is a cause for celebration because the country has seen worse water shortages in the past 12 months. I'm thankful for the bountiful supply of water available in Malaysia.

The clouds moved south to Canberra today.

cheryl

1st June - Winter arrives

1st June.. It is officially the first day of winter. The day started out really cloudy, no winds but it felt extra chilly... more clothes layering to do!

cheryl