Wish I was dreaming instead.

It's 3:33AM as I started writing this. I am going to pay for it dearly tmrw. I suspect alcohol is the culprit. I know it is supposed to knock ppl out, but this isn't the first time I have had trouble sleeping after a few glasses. Makes me wonder...

Celebrated Ck2's wedding earlier in the evening. I still remember him walking down the aisle with us a little over ten years ago as our bestman, he must have been 17 then. How time flies! Dinner was held at Doubletree Hilton, and it was a splendid affair.

But what I enjoyed most is to be able to catch up with old friends---save for that one awkward "friend" who was on my table---I've given up trying to figure out what had happened to again have driven a wedge between us and why is she so weird and what's up with her stuck-up attitude and what we are (basically that stage where it's worse than being strangers) so yeah, whatever! *just annoyed that we were seated together*

(can't believe I spent a para ranting abt this, but really, it's the first time in the X years that I've known her that I've actually wrote this so excuse me for being ticked off)(honestlyyyy thoughhh, i think i could have been just as inscrutable---perhaps we are both diff sides of the same coin, just never meant to meet)(oh well).

That aside, it was nice to know what everyone has been up to, and what are the changes that have happened or are happening.. and how everyone's kids are doing..Like how I can't believe J's turning 21! And Auntie S is retiring in a week's time! And Uncle & Auntie L's trip to Iceland (alas they missed the Aurora), and Auntie J's globetrotting son's adventures, and lil G's straight A's SPM results.. I had a good night ^_^

Oh and my hair behaved very well today, and I'm pleased.

Btw I have started going for weekly vocal lessons (2nd class today). The centre's run by a Philipino husband-wife duo, allllthe way in Subang. Distance notwithstanding, I am not too keen on their method (plus todate, they have not tested the quality of my voice -- doubt they cld really hear what it really sounds like over the karaoke music and amplified mic with echo.) Still undecided if I wld continue after this month. I have two more lessons before I decide so we'll see.

Yikes it's 3:55AM!!! Thadd is preaching in Puncak Jalil tmrw morn. And I have a lunch appt to keep (thankfully a dinner appt is postponed---I really need to rest after this long week of being away at Miri for training and the delayed flight home and a full Saturday. I hope I won't fall ill---the weather has been erratic these few days, scorching hot one min and torrential rain the next). My alarm will ring at 8:00...sigh. I read that if I kept still for 15mins I'd fall asleep.. but how not to move over 15mins??

Okay 4:16AM. Imma again try to force myself to sleep. Good night. XOXO.

这种 forever love 那么深, 我们的歌 那么真

It's Friday again! Yay, I lurrve a short work week..  although not much work has been done this year.. I mean, week. The boss's wedding is coming up this weekend and I'm super stoked about it. Look at what I got the couple! Cute right? I commissioned my friend (an ex-colleague who is doing this as a hobby -- let me know if you are interested!) for this job, and I love how the polymer clay figurine has turned out!

I was quite specific as to what I wanted, and every detail I'd hoped to be captured came out just as I imagined it to be:

She is wearing her favorite black sheath dress from Zara (every time she wears this to the office, I'd know that she's having a special dinner after work), with her purple pumps from The Cobbler (with a matching bangle). In her hand is an old-skool camera cos she loves film photography, and she's had this haircut since I knew her.

As for him, that bumblebee shirt is special cos he wore it on his first date, and he wore it again when he proposed to her. He usually wears it with upturned collar, khaki 3Q pants and moccasin. The look is completed with his gelled spiky hair. I've only met him once but she does describe him to me in our conversation, so I am very impressed with myself for remembering. Hahaha..

This is our wish for the couple [it's printed on the other side of that card that's clipped to the cardholder (recycled from another wedding card ;), which contains our wish for the couple: We are absolutely delighted to be sharing in the joy of your union, for we truly believe that you two are perfect for each other! ;) May this love that you share sustain you through every season of life: when everything’s quiet and rosy but especially when the ride gets bumpy! 

Anyways, today I was listening to wlh again on the way to work and the CD was playing some of his more popular tunes such as Kiss Goodbye, Forever Love and 唯一 Only One and I realised that I have not attempted to translate those [I wonder why].. so in line with today's post about the newlyweds, here's Forever Love..

Incidentally, Lee Hom performed this song at the wedding of his bestie Blackie to FanFan.. check out the video below :)

爱你　不是因为你的美而已　我越来越爱你　每个眼神触动我的心
因为你让我看见forever 才了解自己　未来这些日子　要好好珍惜
I love you not just because you are beautiful
My love for you keeps growing
Every sight of you stirs my heart
Because you let me see forever and understand myself
We must truly cherish the days to come

爱我　有些痛苦　有些不公平　如果真的爱我　不是理所当然的决定
感到你的呼吸在我耳边　像微风神奇　温柔的安抚　我的不安定
所以我要　每天研究你的笑容 Oh 多么自然
Loving me is sometimes painful, sometimes unfair
Because of that, I have no right to expect you to love me truly
But as I feel your breath next to my ear
Like a magical breeze, gently pacifying my insecurities
Therefore I want to daily behold your smile, oh your natural beauty

Forever love　Forever love　
我只想用我这一辈子去爱你
从今以后　你会是所有　幸福的理由
Forever love　Forever love　
I want to love you with all my life
From now till forever
You will be every reason for my happiness

爱情　是场最美最远的旅行　沿途雨季泥泞　偶尔阻碍我们的前进
感到你的体温在我怀里　像阳光和绚　巧妙的融化　我的不安定
不可思议　证明我爱你的理由 Oh 多么自然
Romance is the most beautiful and longest of journeys
Along the way, the muddy rainy season will sometimes hinder our progress
Feeling your warmth in my embrace
It's like the brilliant sunshine cleverly melting away my uncertainties
Unbelievably proving why I love you, oh so naturally

你感动的眼睛　我沉默的声音　仿佛就是最好的证明
就让我再说一次　I love you oh (直到永远)
Your expressive gaze and my silence seem like the best proof
Let me just say this again: I love you (for all eternity)


触动 chùdòng - to touch / to stir up (trouble or emotions) / to move (sb's emotions or worry)
理所当然 lǐsuǒdāngrán - as it should be by rights (idiom); proper and to be expected as a matter of course / inevitable and right
安抚 ānfǔ - to placate / to pacify / to appease
安定 āndìng - stable / quiet / settled / stabilize / maintain / stabilized / calm and orderly
研究 yánjiū - research / study
沿途 yántú - along the sides of the road / by the wayside
泥泞 nínìng - mud
阻碍 zǔ'ài - to obstruct / to hinder / to block
绚 xuàn - adorned / swift / gorgeous / brilliant / variegated
巧妙 qiǎomiào - ingenious / clever / ingenuity / artifice
融化 rónghuà - to melt / to thaw / to dissolve / to blend into / to combine / to fuse




Forever Love
王力宏

爱你　不是因为你的美而已　我越来越爱你　每个眼神触动我的心
因为你让我看见forever 才了解自己　未来这些日子　要好好珍惜

爱我　有些痛苦　有些不公平　如果真的爱我　不是理所当然的决定
感到你的呼吸在我耳边　像微风神奇　温柔的安抚　我的不安定
所以我要　每天研究你的笑容 Oh 多么自然

＊Forever love　Forever love　我只想用我这一辈子去爱你
从今以后　你会是所有　幸福的理由

爱情　是场最美最远的旅行　沿途雨季泥泞　偶尔阻碍我们的前进
感到你的体温在我怀里　像阳光和绚　巧妙的融化　我的不安定
不可思议　证明我爱你的理由 Oh 多么自然

Repeat ＊

你感动的眼睛　我沉默的声音　仿佛就是最好的证明
就让我再说一次　I love you oh (直到永远)

Repeat ＊

Forever love　Forever love 我只想用我这一辈子去爱你
从今以后　你会是所有　幸福的理由　Forever love
Forever love　Forever love
Forever love

just because

i *have* to post something here today, because it's Feb 29, 2012 (a once in 4-year day if you reeeally have to know).

what do i say, what do i say?

i have nothing to say, i have nothing to say!

well, actually i do, i always do, but the thought of having to construct whole sentences that make sense is too daunting. i'm at that stage in my life where i'm just. too. layzee. to. urm. whatever.

oh, did you know that i have eight wedding invites for this year alone? yes EIGHT. don't get me wrong -- it's not that i'm not happy for my friends who are settling down, but you know what i'm implying. with the escalating cost of wedding banquets, an invite naturally places a financial burden on the invitees (yes, me and the rest of us who are going through the economy slump AND have vacation plans :D). so please understand why i'm going solo although you invited my other half who doesn't really know you at all. and i sincerely still want to be there for you, even if you have not contacted me since we left school 15 years ago (yes, one of those). and yes, i can get a bit grumpy at the quality of food, especially at *that* price tag. ok, sorry about the rant. i feel guilty cos i know the special day means a lot to the couples. i'm not upset at any one in particular.

just the collective group of you. haha!

btw i'm semi active again on twitter. almost abandoned it for good as i couldn't deal with the information overload, but gonna give it another shot. uh oh. this is gonna be another complaint (the husby is right, i do complain a lot! :D). i have this friend whose tweets flood my homepage by RT-ing (that's retweet for you non-twitterers, i.e. quoting someone else's status verbatim) everything her friends say. like "hello" and "good morning". and other nonsense that are so not RT material. this explains why she has 11,000+ tweets when she just joined twitter less than half a year ago. no, i can't unfollow her, due to certain "social pressure", if you catch my drift. yes, i succumb to that sometimes.

ok, i shall limit myself to two complaints.

i've been watching this TV show called Community (now in it's third season - i'm a slow adopter). and it's HI to the LARIOUS! it's an awesome cast and scenes and i haven't literally LOLed so much in a long time watching a TV show (even movies for that matter)), not even with HIMYM or TBBT or Modern Family (all of which i still love uninhibitedly). oh here's a pic of the cast (the only pic i have for this blog post):

last one before i ciao, (maybe you can click on this link to leave this blog) check out Caleb Wilde's blog. i've been following him for a while now and i enjoy his writing. he writes mostly on more sombre topics like death, not just because he's a sixth generation funeral director. his writing about dealing with death and loss, theological thoughts, and his vocation as mission, offers a rare insight into a world we rarely and reluctantly tread, and is worthy reading.

happy leap day!

*hops away*

[ala Robin] holy matrimony!

married at last! hehehe.. i gained a new sister over the weekend as my bro took my SIL's hand in marriage (well, they were officially married on 09.09.09 but only got to performing all the ceremonial rites + dinner the past few days - dinner on Christmas, no less!)..i didn't take many pics the past few days as we used the family camera for the pre-wedding day activities, and had engaged a photographer for the wedding day itself.. will post more pics when i get the whole batch! :)

the wedding was a mainly family affair.. it's been a tiring past few days but it was so fun to meet all the relatives from yonks (srsly, i won't recognise 60% of them if i were to bump into them on the street on any given day).. my cousins and aunties (and hubby!) were a big help in getting the day going.. i was there to show my face for most part hahaha..

my first time witnessing a 上头 (hair-combing) ceremony.. i didn't know people still do it haha..

the vicious chee-muis and sacrificial heng dais jip-ping the san leong (lit. fetching the bride (?)).. my cousin sis led the chee-muis into torturing the heng-dais and it was really fun to watch! haha.. i got to be there as i had to lead the in-laws from Penang to my cousin sis' place where the bride was waiting.. the chee-muis really put a lot of thought and efforts into entertaining the crowd and making the dudes suffer :D

the dashing groom and blushing bride
白头到老 oh! ;)

left: my baby bro with the angpow he received for opening the door for the bride.
right: me and sis and our dinner 'do. ;)

my parents were delirious with joy, striking a pose with "cool" hand signs.. and later with the newlyweds.