WeDDing Bells ding-A-ling

honeymoon...crazymoon

2007-03-21T10:31:00.000+08:00

after the wedding, i guess the next most anticipated event would have been the honeymoon. it was supposed to be the chance to catch a breath after all that stress of planning the wedding, n not to forget, a chance to spend some "quality time" with the groom. well, that was what a honeymoon was supposed to be.

on the night of the wedding, kelvin n i were so tired that after having dinner with his parents, followed by a second dinner with my relatives from out of town, we slept the sleep of the dead. we couldn't even wake up at seven to have breakfast with kelvin's parents. luckily their friends treated them to a dim sum breakfast while we slept! soon,with full stomachs, kelvin's parents packed to leave for kelantan. which left my relatives to entertain :)

after another full day, doing what teohs do best...eat, drink n be merry, we finally had the home to ourselves. unfortunately, i came down with high fever and a bad flu. my nose n throat were so stuffed, i dare not kiss kelvin for risk of passing it on to him!!! we had to cancel our plans for a romantic interlude at the cove of lumut :( our holiday was used for me to rest and recover. poor kelvin!!!!

with chinese new year hot on the heels of our wedding, it was another flurry of activity while we prepared for our first cny as a married couple....basically it meant spending more money...really, it seems as if getting married means a culmination of debts... not fortune!

my first of many chinese new years to come was spent in kuala krai, where the Tan clan gathers. it was a novel experience sharing my cny without my family. i miss the comfort of the familiar and the warmth of the family. my cny just didn't start until i was in the bosom of my family. perhaps time may change my perception but till then, i eagerly await for the first glimpse of home after celebrating cny in kelantan.

so much for my honeymoon, it felt more like crazymoon to me. only now, after almost two months do i feel more settled. i guess that honeymoon will just have to wait.

pssttt..beer brat...now u know why there aren't any pics of the honeymoon ya!

the BIG day!!!

2007-02-26T23:04:00.000+08:00

the BIG day finally arrived!!!!

well, actually it started a little earlier than that. according to chinese customs, the night before the wedding (also known as "lao tia meh"), the bride's family will treat the guests to a meal. we had a tasty dinner at mun chong restaurant, a tantalising preview of what was to come tomorrow as our wedding lunch was also held at the same place...(easy planning, since my dad is one of their favourite customer!)

after that, there was a small ceremony where i wore a new pair of pajamas-given by someone lucky (my mother-well, she has me rite!), prayed to the Jade Emperor and then had my mom comb my hair while saying some traditional blessings. then it was followed by the making of "tang yuan", the symbol of fullness. only those who were happily married could participate, which included my parents, n the relatives.

after all that, i managed to go to bed at about two, though i could hear my sister downstairs tinkering around (she pulled an all nighter! thanks sis!) i doubt i slept much that nite as i was sub-consciously too tense to fully relax.

before forty winks, i was up again at six am, to go to the studio for my "transformation". my bro n sis had to go to pick up bride's mate from the bus stop. she was my partner-in-crime from my uni days. she probably knew more about my sleeping habits than kelvin currently does since we "slept together" three years and knew almost all my secrets...:P

promptly the powders and colours were applied, and the hair teased n styled..and viola! a masterpiece was created! the wedding dress was gorgeous and when my parents pinned the veil, the ugly duckling had turned into a swan :)..of course my obligatory pimples were there! it was a bittersweet moment as my mother prepared to hand me over to a new life, and tears were on the brink.

at the door, the auspicious time was due, and promptly after nine, the wedding entourage arrived in a spanking new toyota vios (courtesy of the mr tan senior). with a lot of laughter, ang pows, some chili padi, some fondling, some push-ups, more ang pows and laughter, the groom forged thru the barricades to my door. and he was handsome.

the tea ceremony was performed and all too soon, it was time for me to join the TAN family. with a shower of confetti and goodwill, we left for the groom's house...which was opposite my mom's house actually.

more tea and ang pows later, the "bed" ritual was carried out where an ang pow in a red chamber pot was retrieved by a young, virgin boy, who was then asked to jump around on our wedding bed. unfortunately the baby cousin cried and alot of persuation was needed.

after all that, i was back at the studio for touching up of the make-up. then it was on to the restaurant for our lunch. tired out, kelvin n i could hardly eat, but when the drinking rounds started, our spirits were high again. lucky it was noon and not many were in the mood for drinking.

all in, it was a hectic, hectic, happy, happy day. u had to be there to fully appreciate it, and kelvin and i truly thank those who graced our wedding with their attendance from the bottom of our hearts. thank you for sharing our special day with us and making it even more memorable!!!

pssstttt...it took so long to write this...BECAUSE...well, it is our honeymoon after all...one month to let everything settle in..and to hit me that hey! I'M MARRIED!

6 days n counting!

2007-01-21T23:08:00.000+08:00

help!!! i have only six days n counting left!!!

there are a million n one things to do n not enough time to do it. i realised i lost track of time when i sat in front of the computer just now and realised....hey, what's the date today?

its been a hazy blur of work, cleaning, packing, unpacking, spending money, running errands and trying to keep track of everything...sigh...i lost track of myself.

we "installed" our wedding bed on an auspicious date and auspicious time last friday... with blessings and anticipations of a wonderful marriage... its a customary tradition done by the groom and some oranges, longans, dried "pak hak", dried dates and pomegranate leaves are placed on the bed...may the couple be blessed with abundant children and happiness....

we also "moved" into our rented house on friday...auspicious date and all and had our very first dinner there. there was plentiful of food, family and laughter...what can i say, the money on the large dining table was money well spent...especially in my family with a love for gastronomic pursuits...

the sofa is there, the kitchen is stocked, the fridge has some obligatory 100plus, milk n beer forthcoming...yup, i guess i'm ready for the guests :)

the guests have confirmed...well, almost all..it is malaysia after all...., the hotel booked, the dinner menu checked, the house in the midst of super spring-cleaning...all the important stuff done...except for some small stuff...

the bride to be has yet to do her obligatory 100 sit-ups a nite, have yet to polish her face to fairness (there are more zits popping out now than in my entire life so far!!! must be the stress!!!), have yet to pluck and scrub and pamper n perfume to sublimeness., have yet to get rid of the panda eye bags...i only i hope i do justice to the legions of brides around the world n not mess up their good name.

well, my friend asked if i was nervous about the impending wedding...me..not at all, stressed more like it...i'll bet i'll make a good chaos center controller....since good looks are not a criteria but good organisation skills are...

i hope that all will go well, and i won't fare too badly in looks on that day...

fingers crossed, wish me luck!!! n happiness n everafter!!!

2007

2007-01-02T16:30:00.000+08:00

today is the 2/1/2007!!! happy new year everyone.

this will be the year i accept a different surname and family, the year i become someone's wife, daughter-in-law...i will have to learn and accept new customs and traditions, and a new way of life. my yearly celebrations will be different than the one i have grown up with, and there will be new ties to forge with people i have yet to meet.

i will miss celebrating traditions being surrounded by customs i have grown comfortable with. it will be strange that the first people i greet will not be those that have greeted me in the years that have passed. for my mom have always told me that when i marry someone, i will have to marry his family, and everything that comes along with it.

but i will always remain my mummy and daddy's little girl, and being the second "diamond" of the family. for the blood that runs through me is stronger than anything that binds me.

in another 25 days, i will be joining a new family...

say cheese!

2006-12-25T23:32:00.001+08:00

hmmm, the next most important thing to choosing my wedding dress would probably be the photos that would immortalise me in my wedding finery....hmmm...

i was worried, man was i worried big time! i just came back from a wonderful but sunny holiday in australia which change my "latte complexion" to mocha....sigh... n all that glorious food (heavenly fruits, indulgent oysters n sinful deserts and ice-creams, to name a few) were not kind on my waist too!!!

i wasn't very keen on having my face made-up too, as the only cosmetic i have is the lip-stick mom bought me when i entered university...and that was eight years ago! so u can imagine my worry at getting all covered in creams n colours. what will i look like? will anyone recognise me???

anyway, we decided to get a photo package from nearby, so that it would be convenient for the "D-Day" and also it solved a lot of head-aches for us.

the actual day for our studio photos came and went, without a single click as i had a pre-christmas costume rehersal of rudolph...my nose was bright red, stuffed n leaking! n kelvin was coughing his heart out! so we had to re-arrange and take a day off from work to freeze our mugs forever!

it was a full day affair, lasting from 10am til 7pm, and the initial
covering up of my facial flaws took nearly an hour! but boy was the "artist's" magic good! kelvin could barely recognise me initially...hmmm, maybe that wasn't such a good sign after all. he too was given some covering up, to match my almost flawless state. then the dress changing, touch-upping, hair-styling (more like pulling) and shooting marathon started! there was a total of eight dress changes and endless poses, some silly, some far-nee and some sweet.

at the end of the day, we were both worn out, n neither wanted to see a camera pointing at us, at least not until the wedding itself.

well, we managed to sneak some behind-the-
scene photos, but to be honest, i guess they don't really compare to the professional. anyways, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder so u shall be the judge when the actual photos are out!

so meanwhile, here's a sneak preview!

once upon a time....

2006-11-24T16:19:00.000+08:00

once upon a time, there was this girl. let's call her jean. she was invited to a birthday dinner and little did she know, it would lead her to the man who would sweep her off her feet. she had some good food, had a few laughs and met some new friends. at the end of the evening (which was about 3 hours long), a girl declared that she knew the perfect guy for jean! what a laugh! even movies were a little more realistic than that! jean hardly knew what she wanted, how did someone she just met over chinese food and karoake know what sort of man would fit her!

apparently, she knew her stuff. this fairy-match maker, not only found a guy, tall enough for jean, he fit her nature well enough. he was calm where jean was chaotic, he was steady while she was always on her toes. he hesitated, thought things over, she made snap decisions.

he made her laugh with his jokes, she tickled him breathless!! he swept her off her feet (figuratively and literally), she brought him to his knees. he gave her strength, she gave him support. when things go wrong, they make it right.

this story has no ending yet, we really don't know how it ends. but we do know that they get a chance to build a life time of memories together, to fill it with laughter and joy, happiness and light.

mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?

2006-11-16T21:11:00.000+08:00

wedding's coming, all seems to be ready or in the plans...then the comments started rolling in...u better not eat too much or u'll be a fat bride!...becareful, u may end up altering ur wedding dress five times!!!...aiyoh, why u so dark, u'll be the "chow-huey-ta"(over-burnt) bride...n blah..blah..blah..

sigh, why must the bride be the epitome of beauty? why must she be a perfect ten? it may be her day, but if she's happy how she is, must she be primped and plucked and trussed and powdered and packaged to perfection? and what is perfection? is it even acheiveble? or do mere mortals have to contend with almost there?

well, my sweet, new, hubby of mine bought me some facial products, to polish my face so that i can actually be the "fair" bride on my special day...well, i'm not sure if it'll work, but at the price they cost, n the way they smell, i sure hope they work their magic on me! especially since i get weekly facials with the deal too!!! :0)

now all i have to do is make sure i don't overeat out of stress n pack the pounds where they don't belong! perhaps i will have better luck if i exercise...hmmmm, maybe i'll try moving instead of parking myself in front of the computer!!! hahaha

so let's see what happens on the special day...whether cinderella will turn into a beauty or a pumpkin :P

jk 51106

2006-11-08T22:42:00.000+08:00

it was a sunny day, bright n beautiful, though i was rather bleary eyed, as i only slept at 2am the nite before. i wanted to roll over n sleep again, when it hit me, i'm getting registered today!!! this was one day i could not sleep late!

out of bed i dashed and ran downstairs. mama was already up and about, getting ready for my big day. after a hasty breakfast and a quick grooming session, i slipped into my sister's gift, a pretty, luminous ao-dai, a traditional vietnamese outfit that looked similar to the cheong sam.

in the car ride to the temple where the registration was to be held, i was rather nervous. would this be happily ever after? i didn't know. but i did know that i was ready to share my life with kelvin. to cherish and to love, in good times and bad.

the ceremony was over quite fast, but it was one filled with laughter. as the marriage registrar, mr. low explained our husbandly/wifely duties, he peppered his speech with anecdotes and jokes. but one thing was made clear, we were to be legally bonded to each other, in the eyes of the law, n it was no laughing matter.

after he was satisfied that we were not coerced into this marriage by any party, we proceeded to sign the certificates, with mr. low, mama, papa, 4 yi zhang, 4 yi ma, sis, and the heavens as our witnesses.

with my snap-happy sister taking the photos, the happy occasion was immortalised digitally.

and thus, on the 51106, two individuals became one. i became mrs tan. i was now part of the teohs, the tehs and the tans. and i am still getting used to the idea that i am no longer a miss but a missus :P

go forth n multiply!

2006-11-03T21:34:00.000+08:00

when the pomegranate is in bloom, it signifies a happy event - a birth or a wedding in the family. it is also a symbol of fertility to the chinese.

when my mom got married, my grandfather gave her a pomegranate tree, which he planted himself. the plant carried his hopes for her, that she may have a big and happy family, filled with many children and even more grandchildren. thru the years, mama has nurtured and tended the tree, and to this day, it stands proud and heavy, laden with fruits of her hardwork.

many a chinese couple, strangers, have stopped and asked for a token fruit, to be used as a symbol of fertility during their own weddings. and for every offering the tree has given, she was rewarded with a red string, a token of thanks from the couples who have received the tree's blessings.

my mother have also planted a pomegranate tree for me. it is a small bonsai, but blooming beautifully, pretty and gay. and in the time leading up to my wedding, she hopes that it will bloom even more. and along with the gift of the pomegranate tree, it carries my mother's hopes for the pitter patter of little feet and children's laughter, to light my home and her heart.

a symbol of love n forever

2006-10-31T22:46:00.000+08:00

"By wearing rings on the fourth finger of their left hands, a married couple symbolically declares their eternal love for each other. This has now become a matter of tradition and etiquette. - Wikipedia"

Kelvin and I went searching for the perfect wedding band last friday. We wanted it to be simple, yet classy, not common, and most importantly, special. after much debating and discussion, with plenty of advice from the family, we decided not to buy the popular "white gold" rings. papa was not keen on something that was of dubious contents as white gold is actually a mixture of gold and various alloys.

stuck between platinum(expensive!!!) and gold(old fashioned) we went to see what the shops had to offer. we were delighted to find a special design where a gold ring was layered with platinum!!! it was perfect. a wonderful symbol of two distinct individuals, bonded together as one. and we had even better surprise when papa proceeded to pay for the rings! generous papa wanted to give it to us as our wedding gift! it was truly a gift of love :)

kelvin is still debating whether he will wear the ring daily as he is not used to wearing adornments while i will definitely wear it proudly on my left hand, a reminder of our love.

but what is the true meaning of the ring? does it lose its meaning if we do not wear it? do we wear it to remind ourselves of our marital commitment to each other? or is it a sign to the world, announcing that u are no longer on the market? what actually ties one soul to the other? our vows? our love? both of which are intangible? or the marriage certificate and the wedding bands? tangible and solid, legal and binding? til death do us part?

regardless, with many years ahead of us to figure out the bond which binds us together, we are still delighted with the ring we found. and we hope that the eternal circle will be a true symbol of our love, and forever.

~27th, Oct, 2006, Friday

dumplings n elephant feet

2006-10-26T23:22:00.000+08:00

the past two days have been spent looking for the perfect wedding dress n shoes.

the photo studio that we have chosen have lovely, lovely dresses. dreamy creations of silk, brocade, lace, embroidery, sequins, colours n yards n yards of chiffon. i've never felt more like a princess, in gowns of bell shape skirts which gently swayed when i walked. and mama said i looked positively sexy as almost everyone was a bare back -due to one unfortunate detail, the dress could not be zipped!!! i was broad of chest but flat of breasts, large of hips n wider thighs!!! so when the top fit, the bottom didn't, n vice versa. oh dear, pears definitely aren't good models!!! in fact, in some dresses, i look like stuffed dumplings!!!

on to shoes then, it was the same problem. pretty, sparkly shoes-white, silver n cream. they were either too high (i was worried i may break my neck on my wedding day...not a very good way to start a marriage i think! ) or too small, or my size have been sold out! good thing kelvin didn't come looking for me with a shoe, it probably wouldn't fit!

so i guess i just have to continue my search, probably looking for a needle in a hay stack would be easier though! n thank goodness my mom have loads of patience! she have been a real angel indeed with her daughter of elephant feet!

double happiness!!!

2006-10-25T11:42:00.000+08:00

the chinese symbol of double happiness, used to adorn all bridal gifts and decorate the bridal room and wedding reception area

chinese says that happiness comes in two folds and i believe that. shortly after kelvin proposed to me, we received even happier news in the family! aunty swee got a job with CSIRO, something that everyone have been looking forward to!

so three big round of HIP HIP HOORAYS everyone!!!

~19th Oct,2006, Thurs

supermom n the rock!

2006-10-25T11:08:00.000+08:00

its been pretty crazy for the past few days as it finally hit me that i am going to be married in three months. i also have a trip at the end of november n my parents will be overseas till early january! with that in mind, we started making lists, but the more we talked the more it seems like we had to do!

so enough with talk, lets get started! amazingly mama seems to have been preparing for this all our lives. she started pulling out plates n cups n wine glasses from thin air! its fantastic how she manages to keep all this stuff for me, n where it came from, there's even more for my sis!

within one week, she has almost finished preparing the neccessary bridal stuff for me to start a new home. a traditional chamberpot, red "ka kiak" (clogs), bed lamps, curtains, a complete china dinner set...the list goes on, and all of them stuck with a pretty "double happiness". sigh, what more can a daugther ask for? she even accompanied me on a mad run around town, looking for the best offer for wedding photos and shopping. and in the middle of it all, she has also manage to give the house a face-lift...the garden looks inviting, n the house-gorgeous!

papa himself started calling all the relatives to share the good news. and when the wedding date was set, he helped book the restaurant for our wedding lunch. (we weren't able to book a place for dinner becos it has all been booked due to the auspicious date we chose) and thru all the commotion he has been steady as a rock. there is nothing too big that he cannot take!!! of course, deciding our lunch menu falls on him too since he is the gastronomic expert of the family :) slurp, we are in for some good food!!!

when mama n i were busy pouring over magazines for the perfect hairstyle n dress, papa helped check out the newspapers for more ideas :) hehe, of course, having an uncle who is a kitchen goods supplier helps since he has almost everything in his shop :) and 4 yi ma has been great help too with ideas and suggestions and reminders of traditions that we might have missed out!

what would i do without them??? my supermom, the rock and the sidekicks!!!

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!

u got to be kidding!!!

2006-10-23T22:50:00.000+08:00

27/1/2007...the parents have picked the auspicious day for our wedding....u gotta be kidding rite??!!! that means i have only 3 MONTHS to plan for the wedding!!! forget about colour schemes and matching door gifts, i'll be lucky if we can manage to book a place for our wedding dinner!!!

as it turns out, its a really "ong" day (which means many, many other people will also want to marry on that day) so we won't be able to book a place for dinner. nevermind, lunch it shall be then.

when i patiently explain for the hundreth time why our wedding is so rushed, i am dying to take a bet with "friends" who thinks i am pregnant, since it will be easy money for me!!!

so anyway, our families n the two stars of the show are literally working around the clock trying to prepare for the BIG day,and the list seems endless....from petty things like matching towels and bedsheets to dowry and registration and wedding photos.

so, my only wish for my wedding is that i hope that it doesn't mess up! so wish us luck guys!!!

~15th Oct,2006,Sun

will u????

2006-10-20T21:52:00.000+08:00

the sparkly :)

it was a quiet day at my clinic n we were just about to close up. oh no, i noticed someone at the door n i can't believe a client would come in so late. i'll probably have to work overtime again today.

THEN i noticed kelvin standing at the door way. what was he doing here? he was supposed to be 200km away! "i thought u said u didn't want to come? what changed ur mind???" he just grinned and gave me a hug. "i just wanted to see u"...which was a good enuf reason since i know i'm irresistable :P

anyways, the uncle who works at the clinic helped me close up while kelvin looked around. suddenly the phone rang...not another late client???? oh, its mom. "Hi? why did u call?" ..."nothing, just wanted to check what time u close. did u bring ur keys today?" mama was sounding real weird. when i mentioned that kelvin was at the clinic, she just giggled and hung up.

kelvin on the other hand was spending a REALLY long time in the toilet, so i asked the uncle to leave first n that i'll wait for kelvin. when he came out, he just took my hand, gave me a big hug, and suddenly, it all felt very weird. when he knelt on one knee....i knew, and with a fluorish, he pulled out the little red box with a sparkly ring and he asked..WILL U MARRY ME???

i do, i do, i do.......my knees were weak, my heart was pounding, n i was smiling so much for the rest of the day, my face ached!

apparently he went to my home first and formally asked for papa and mama's permission to marry me...when mama realised that he wanted to propose to me at the clinic, it was almost closing time, so she shoo-ed him out of the house n called me at the clinic, hoping to delay me in case i left early!

it was one of the happiest day of my life n my parents too!!! their "og kai boh" was getting married!!!

so weddings bells are going ding-A-ling!!!

~ 14th Oct,2006, Sat