Healing Wounds

It's been a month since Humpty-Dumpty had a great fall. Ok, not HD himself. Just me. Looking back, I think it was so uncool to have fallen via running! The extent of the damage just didn't seem to match up! Nevertheless, I am healing. I still need to clean my "lake-like" wound every mornings and evenings and apply the antibiotic cream given by my doc in KL (No! No more International SOS from henceforth! To be fair, I wasn't upset with the paediatrician who treated me. She was just assigned to me and I believed she did what she could to the best of her abilities!)

Good news is, despite the inconveniences of the wound, I have resumed my training in full force. I have started my running and biking 2 weeks ago and as of yesterday, had my first official swim training after exactly 1 month away from the pool. And you know what? I was told today - I look a lot happier. Of course I am happier! I am not limping - finding it painful to even do something as simple as sit down and stand up and having to sleep in just one position! Major difference from right after the fall, where I was in pain all over.

Yet, even a couple of days after the fall, I sneaked out to the gym in the mornings to try to put in some training time at least. Instead of cycling to the gym like usual, I drove out - luckily, car is automatic gear. Haha! Much to MOH's chagrin and of course to the disapproval of my parents and a lot of my concerned friends (I love you guys too!). All those FB-slapping that I got. My goodness!

But you see, my dear friends - I am one-of-a-kind. I need to explain a little bit about my passion for the endurance sports. I've been doing it since I started going to the gym (more than 10 years now) and then by chance, I got hooked onto the races, which further motivated me to train even harder. I loved every second of my training and racing. Moving to Cambodia, I stopped training seriously and watched with eyes-wide-opened at my fitness level sliding dramatically - from marathon running to dying doing a mere 4km run. I was actually quite depressed! When I decided to make a so-called comeback after a 3-year hiatus, it took me forever to regain the glories of the past. But finally, after a lot of pain and determination, I was back on track and haven't looked back since. The 8 long months I took to regain my fitness level was a big haunting factor in my life. It was mentally challenging because several times throughout, I just wanted to call it quits and coupled with the fact that I had no training buddies with me at that time, it really took a lot for me to put in the gruelling hours. As such - I have this thing about not training. I fear the sliding motion of my fitness level.

Ok, I know that if you get off training for a couple of weeks or a month, it doesn't really quite affect your performance. But refer to above paragraph. Fear of the slide :P So, despite the slappings and threats of being tied to the bed and locks being changed and car keys being hidden, etc... and most of all, in spite of the pain, I went ahead with my training. I had to stay positive and not think about the bleeding wound. Furthermore, I had a race in June and was really quite worried about that. We always say - we race for fun and it's all about completing the race, etc, etc. It never is the case for me. You see, I am always in the Top Ten region in my category. So, true to form, I keep chasing the next best time. I am not a professional athlete and I accept that fact. I don't put in 5 hours of training time (IF I have the time, I would so do it!) but still - pride and glory at stake here!! Not to mention, for the June race, my parents will be watching me race for the first time ever and I am sponsored by JFT :) I definitely don't want to come in last!! There's also this psychological block in my head which tells me - if I don't put in the time to train, I will not get the desired results. So, like clockwork every morning, I wake up at 3.50am and I am hitting the machines by 4.15am so that I at least put in a good 3 hours before work starts for the day. 

I am stubborn. But I should be given points for my sheer determination, isn't it? (As an employer, I prefer to hire those who are into endurance sports as I know what kind of mental prowess they have :P) I know my knees are not as good as they used to be. The "great fall" had seriously knocked them out and I have no choice but to wear a knee guard everytime I train now (which I actually dislike) and after a long run or bike, I just feel like they would give way at any moment! The injuries have certainly slowed me down quite a bit but despite the pain, I am still going to push it with my training. I have just 2 months to go before the Bali Tri.

With a lot of positive feeling and energy, I believe in time, the "lake" in my knee would stop needing my care and attention and the pain in my knees would go away. Because people say - all wounds heal. They are never forever.

Traxx FM Interview

Chatting with Kong Eu live on-air

When Traxx FM invited me for an interview coinciding with my last trip back to KL, I was thrilled. But also anxious. I wasn't so sure about all these 'live' sessions because I have the tendency to either freeze or get my tongue all twisted. Then, when I proudly announced my interview to my parents, MOH, my partners and some friends - I got these responses : "What is Traxx FM?" | "Who the hell listens to Traxx FM these days??" | "Is it a new radio station?" - I was more at ease. Hahaha. So, even if I screwed up big time, the chances of people hearing it were quite low (people I know, that is). So great. And just for everyone's information, Traxx FM is on the 100.1 frequency. Start tuning in. They've got Justin Bieber on it since the Bieber Fever has practically overtaken the nation :P

Of course, I was reminded numerous time to make sure I do not wear anything that "menjolok mata" lest I get shoo-ed away by the guards. After all, we were entering RTM - government building, you know. Well, I wore my Double Happiness uniform. That should do the trick, yes? :P (Not according to my partners :P)

Anyway, well, I was pretty excited actually and Linda, the producer was extremely chirpy and bubbly that she put me right at ease. I was told the DJ - Kong Eu was new and in fact, only about a week-old on the job at the station and as a DJ. Shamefully, I was even more at ease with the fact. Why? Because it meant that if I screwed up, he will not look at me like an idiot :P This is all 'pasal jaga muka la'.... :)

This was actually my second interview with Traxx - the first one way back in ..... 2005, arranged by Kris Wong (who reads the news on Traxx!). Kong Eu was superb. He put me right at ease and it almost turned out as if I was speaking to a client who were asking questions. My interview topic was on destination weddings, something Nupts & Such specializes in. I answered general questions like
Why destination weddings (because it is oh-so-romantic!!),
How much it cost (can you really put a price tag on romance??),
My favourite locations (Bali - cos I fell in love and got married there and Langkawi),
Social norms for destination weddings (can't please everyone now, can we?)
Previous experiences with groups traveling for destination weddings (all great cos everyone was on their own holiday... !)
Destinations outside of Malaysia (Cambodia - but of course since it is a hidden gem)
and etc.. etc.....

The slot was for half and hour with songs in-between. And here's the real thrill for me - Traxx is one of the only radio stations where the music is not programmed in a playlist. SO, while we were on the discussion of my wedding in Bali, I requested for Kong Eu to play my walk-out music - MJ & Akon's Hold My Hand - since I used this song BEFORE it was even made popular commercially (and proudly announced this fact live on-air too!). And my wish was granted!!

The thirty minutes passed by too soon. I was only starting to get warmed up! One of my secret dream was to become a radio DJ. I did a small stint at the university - the Bathurst station (can't even remember what it's called) where I took the graveyard shift - for reason being that most people were asleep! - and I had been guest DJ on Mix FM before. My ... err.... DJ-ing career never took off, I guess. I even sent in an audition / demo tape to Red FM before - signing off as DJ T-Bones. (*slaps forehead and LMAO). And these types of radio interviews / shows are possibly the closest I'll ever get to becoming a DJ :P (I do sound good on air, you know!!)

Anyway, I had much fun and thank you, once again to Sal for putting me in touch with Linda and to Kong Eu for having me (by the way - I believe the myth that radio DJ's are ugly is really just that since I once had a huge crush on a DJ before and Kong Eu is cuuute!). Oh, and also - thank you to my parents who tuned in via the very old alarm clock radio at home and my partners who recorded my interview on their BBs. Woohoohoo!

So.... when can I be on-air again??

Here with Kong Eu

Posing.... !

Tumble, Stitches and Coming Out One Lucky Gal

The PP Runners - missing is Robin!!

What a morning indeed! As usual - woke up for my Sunday morning runs with the PP Runners. Ok, there was nothing usual about it since I am still recovering from a viral infection and I took flu meds yesterday and got knocked out. I jumped out of bed late, but was lucky enough to catch Robin & Clem at the start of the run.

You know what? I thought I was doing quite well and I didn't even feel tired, except the cough was annoying me some. But between the talking and the pacing, I was actually feeling grrreat! And then, between being chased by dogs and avoiding cows and all, I took a huge tumble and I don't even know how, but I managed to slide across the dirt road.... and well, my knees took the brunt of it all. Left knee felt like it may have cracked (but no, no,... I don't think it did) and the right knee had a piece of flesh hanging out. When I first saw the gaping wound with all the mud and the dirt, my first thought was - HOLY F***! And I could feel the on-set of a hyperventilation :P Luckily, Robin was there (Clem had ran ahead) and she was super solid! She was so calm and so knew what to do despite being fairly new to Cambodia. We were across the Japanese Bridge in the local village and me being in denial - I suggested running back. Of course, Robin said NO. We walked for a fair bit to get to the main bridge before being able to flag down a tuk-tuk who took us to the International SOS. Best part - neither of us carried enough money to pay the tuk-tuk. But once Robin got me settled in, she took care of that and went home to bring some stuff out for me - clean clothes, snacks and water.

Of course, while lying in the clinic bed, that's when I felt so much in pain, it wasn't funny. And my gaping wound was still bleeding and I just about fainted looking at it (now, there's a reason why I never pursued forensic science :P). I was dirty and stinky and I just wanted a shower! Then, the nurse came in with this hi-tech looking device (later, I found out it was the blady blood pressure monitor :P) and that sent me into panic-frenzy. She was great though. She said "Keep calm, keep calm. This is to take your blood pressure." In between tears, I kept asking her - how bad is it? How bad is it? She said I would have to wait for the doctor to look at it. Well, she went about cleaning up all of my wounds and they were all effin' painful. She kept apologizing though and I felt bad for her! She did say I could scream all I want. Just imagine - she had to lift the flesh to clean the insides. Aaargh!!! The image of her doing that was enough to make me feel nauseated! But nope, Robin came back and I had to look cool and all that.... :P But seriously, Robin's presence made so much difference! She joked and chatted with me - I knew the deal - take my mind off the pain while the "lifting and cleaning" was being done. And then doc said I needed stitches. Haha. Tattoos, I can take. Stitches make me cry! :P Go figure. The local anesthetic - I can tell you - was REALLY MILD. And nothing was numb when the stitches started. Meanwhile, Robin was still chatting animatedly to me.

Before I knew it, stitches were all done and I was good to go. Being a stubborn-headed pig, my first question to the doctor was "Can I start training tomorrow??" Oh, so typical of any athlete! Doctor calmly smiled and said "If you can bear with the pain, sure!" Robin and Clem (who rushed over to see me with fruits and fruit juices) translated that for me - "REST YOUR BODY!!" Ok. Ok. I guess this is finally God's way of making me rest. Migraine didn't. Injured knees didn't. Flu didn't. Viral infection didn't. I guess HE thought HE had to do something far worse to get my attention :P

Ah, you may wonder - where was MOH (for the benefit of new readers : MOH = My Other Half) throughout it all? SNORING - despite the numerous phone calls Robin made to his mobile! He finally woke up and showed up in time to pick up the bill :P

Despite this tumble and the pain I am in right now - arms, fingers, palms, knees, hips... OMG - I am feeling good. Because I was lucky - NOTHING broken. How lucky is that, right? And you know what? I always pray to meet kind and compassionate people and to meet nice people in my life. Well - I found them in Robin & Clem - my running mates. You think they have nothing better to do on a beautiful Sunday morning than to see me screaming like a baby at the sight of the blood? Sure they do! But nope - they were there - right there next to me while the sutures were done (I just saw the bill and it said a 4cm suture!!!! *faint again*) - and for that - I am grateful. Look, honestly, if Robin just dumped me at the clinic - I would've been grateful too - just that, the nurse would have to deal with this cry-baby. But she came back and she has a great sense of humour. Me like. It got me through. I'm lucky too because the nurse was the kindest, the doctor was the kindest and I know they both did a great job. So, so grateful. (You know, I've had previous nightmarish stories with the International SOS!!).

And that is not all! I now escape doing any household chores!!! Wooohooohoooooo!!! MOH said I am to do nothing but rest. No sweeping, mopping, wiping, cleaning toilets, etc, etc.. (YES! I am still having problems finding a maid!!!)
So you tell me - am I lucky or not? :) So damn lucky :)

Splendour of Nature : A Heartfelt Gratitude

The Team (photo courtesy of Nell Ng / Janet Lee)

When we first coined the idea for Splendour of Nature, we were not sure of whether any of our industry comrades would buy into the idea for something where the ROI wasn’t guaranteed. But things quite easily fell in place and I am personally very grateful to the following sponsors for your show of support and responding in record speed with a “Yes” to our emails. Without any of the below sponsors – there would’ve been no splendour of anything.


Clearwater Sanctuary Resort for the main sponsorship of the 3D/2N full board and lodging for all the wedding guests and as well as the working crew and organizing committee. Master Chef Ricky Parlanti was so hands-on with all the arrangements and making sure that on the resort’s side, they got it right for us as the organizers. His jovial character certainly helped ease the tension and stress :) Whatever it was, the generous sponsorship was absolutely much appreciated.

Weddings Malaysia, our main online media sponsor who have been featuring stories of all our sponsors as well as the wedding planning process on weddingsmalaysia.com. Kris Wong who was supposed to have attended the event had to cancel his trip at the last minute – but you were definitely much talked-about and much missed :) (Cindy and I were playing trampoline on your bed).

Events Wizard and Nupts & Such for the absolutely perfect wedding planning and wedding co-ordination to ensure that the couple, their guests and also the members of the media had a great time. Sure, there were some kinks we needed to work out during the planning stages, but that was only because we all had different work-styles – not to mention the fact that I am all the way in Timbaktoo. No, Cambodia. Specifically to my NS partners – I’d like to do more of such projects whereby I come back just to “show-face” :) :) :) (kena slap).

Playfolio for managing and designing our contest website. Jeffrey – you are a gem – because you had been so patient with this “technology-idiot”- ME.

Beauty Haven for making the bride look absolutely gorgeous and accompanying her for her photo sessions, her meals and doing everything possible to ensure she was calm and at ease. Not just the bride – the groom too! As well as for Janet Lee – because Connie got enthralled by Janet’s ‘bodek-ing’ and helped with Janet’s look for the evening.

Sunday Photography (aka 1am Studios) for the pre-wedding portraitures for the couple and really working them very hard – I heard. Not just the bride and groom are excited about their photos – we are super-excited to see them too. Under the hot sun, in the drizzle of the rain and a few kilos hanging around the neck – my hats off indeed.

Kid Chan Photography for documenting the happiest day of the couple’s lives. Kid – ever so busy, made the time to get over to Clearwater, took the photos, rushed some photos out for release to the media immediately after the event ended and took off again at 5am in the morning. This is what I call dedication and professionalism. By the way, Kid – the couple and the family were mouth-wide-opened seeing some of the photos – they were impressed into silence. Thank you, thank you.

La Flaire Malaysia for the absolutely gorgeous theme décor – Happy Turquoise for the ceremony and a Romantic Lilac for the reception dinner – and coming guns-ablazing in a lorry loaded to the brim with chiavari chairs, linens, décor props and all, showed your passion in the creative work that you do. The guests were too in awe of your linens and décor to even spill a drop of sauce onto the linens!

O’Hara Florist for complementing the beautiful linens with equally beautiful floral arrangements. Also another sponsor who came in fully-loaded – this one with an Avanza packed to the brim with flowers (and thankfully no police stop!!). Special thanks to Bryan for the Naked Chilli Dance – thus the absolutely great weather :) (yes, yes, no photos on FB. Promise. Unless you are slow in responding to my emails :P)

Cave & Cellar for the wines – the lovely, lovely wines – so fantastic them wines that most of the sponsors were drunk before the show started and I was slurring during my speech :P Can-dy Maaaah (must be pronounced the way Kid Chan does it), you are absolutely hilarious!!

Janet Lee whose sultry voice and “gorgeous body” (according to MC Lilian) was so captivating that even I myself was stunned with her performance. I am a big fan. French would be good *wink! wink!* And between Janet and Candy Mah, I’ve laughed myself off a few calories!

CROSSROAD PRODUCTIONS who backed up the wedding entertainment with their STATE-OF-THE-ART sound system – and the CAPS is because Edwin was very ‘bitchy’ about being mentioned as much as possible :P Jokes aside – Thank you, thank you, thank you, Edwin for agreeing to do this as well. Much appreciated!

Acadia Cards for the beautiful splendour of nature themed wedding stationeries. I can’t remember which, but one of the guests went home with either Faith, Hope, Love, Heart, Trust, Respect or Dreams. Either one, they are blessed.

Truly Scrumptious for the nature-inspired wedding cake – Aniza – Chef Ricky Parlanti said that your cake was fabulous – guess what? He packed some home for his wife and kids! Says a lot, eh?

That Special Occasion and Fit & Match for the couple’s wedding attire. It was hot and humid and the groom, coming in from cold weather was sweating buckets. But he loved his attire. The bride – looked absolutely so gorgeous in her gown – but the real head turner was the cheongsam. Kris Wong – the cheongsam was much talked about that night and the morning after too! :) (but the buttons… hmmm…)

The Bubble Beads for the bride’s accessories which looked so pretty, pretty, pretty. I want them too and I promise I will know how to put them on :P

Wicked Wax for the media gifts as well as the Wedding Favours. Ivy – the fans – such a life-saver indeed!!!! Great thinking on that!

Aunty Lilian and Uncle Lui aka Mom & Dad for sponsoring your time in being involved in the event. Much, much, much appreciated :) :) And Mom – you were fantastic as an MC. NS is signing up as your booking agent.

Our work hasn’t ended. We are sending out post-media releases to the media who didn’t turn up. We have definitely tried our level best to arrange for one-to-one interviews with some of the sponsors while on site and some of you do have the interviews scheduled in KL instead. But please bear with us – we do wedding planning. We are not a specialized PR or publicity outfit.

And finally - Kisses and Kisses to all of you – and thank you once again from the bottom of my heart.

The End of my “Oscar-like” speech. I lurved doing it. :)

Splendour Of Nature : A Splendid Finale

The Simple Ceremony for Sam & Gavin

After 2 months of contest period, 3 months of preparation and planning for the winning couple and a lot of co-ordination (no less the drama either) for the organizing committee, the Splendour of Nature project finally came to an end with a splendid wedding ceremony reception for Samantha and Gavin Clarke at the Clearwater Sanctuary Resort in Batu Gajah, Perak. I had written just last month – about the 1st International Wedding Fair in Cambodia and how the wedding industry in Malaysia has its fair share of divas and the high-noses especially when you are working with some of the crème de la crème of the wedding business. But when the push comes to shove, all differences and dramas are put aside to put up a great, great, great show – and in this case – a memorably beautiful wedding for the bride and groom.

For that, as part of the organizing committee, I am grateful and thankful to all our sponsors who believed in the idea when I first tabled this out to them and for their generous sponsorship in kind and time to put this whole project together cohesively. I think I need to write a different blogpost to thank the sponsors individually (If you are a sponsor and would like to read my “Thank You Speech” – click here)

Our vision of ‘beautiful’ could not have turned out more perfectly than what went on for the past 3 days at the Clearwater Sanctuary Resort. We could not have asked for a better bride and groom – AND their respective families. Right from the get-go, they were easy, they were courteous, they were absolute darlings. Had they been paying clients, we would still have gone out of our way to ensure that they get a perfect dream wedding. And I am pretty sure I am speaking on behalf of all the vendors too! Sam & Gavin were sweet and in love and they definitely had a very interesting tale to “how it all started” (talk about an online love affair!). The best part of it was that they were utterly and obviously appreciative of every single vendor and thanked each one personally – we all got ang pows from them. I’m rich! I’m rich!

Rich not because of the sum of money in the red packet – rich from yet another great experience being a part of someone’s wedding (notice I did not say “planning” the wedding as I was not directly involved in the daily grind!). And as I said, our joy in doing what we do is much derived, not just from seeing our ideas come to life, but also in seeing the joy and pleasure on the couple’s faces. This is a thankless profession most of the time so when clients do come up to say thanks or express their gratitude – we get a high :) At least, I do and still do.

The weather had not been great in Perak for the past week. In fact, on the morning of the wedding day, it was raining since 6am in the morning. At 11am, the entire crew was still refusing to do a Plan B set-up, rooting for the bride and groom to have their beautiful outdoor wedding amidst the backdrop of nature and the serenity of the gorgeous lake (not to mention, everyone had planned their best for an outdoor showcase!). We stayed positive, we prayed together – by 11.30am, the skies cleared and by 4pm, it was blue skies. A little hot – but we were happy hot. Even Candy Mah from Cave & Cellar said, “All of us sponsors are not stingy – sure it won’t rain!” That was a hilarious moment.

The poolside ceremony was simple and a little strange for me because the celebrant was my Mom. Since I did not do the planning of the wedding, I can safely assume that my partners had a big part to play in getting her on board as a “sponsorship” of her time. I also did not realize that the NS team had hired a ‘part-time operations person’ until my Dad started arranging place cards and did a final check on all the set-up off the checklist. OK – way too strange. But when one is not ‘in-charged’ – it is best not to meddle (remember – do not be a part of the problem if you are not a part of the solution!).

Anyway, the best of the best moment for me was during the bride & groom’s speech after their ceremony. The groom cried!! And so did I. Hah – exteriorly tough as I look, I’m very much a big sucker for things like these. You can so, so, so feel the love from the bottom of his heart for the woman he is marrying. Oh-so-romantic!!! The day I get stone cold at a wedding we plan is the day I know the time is up for me in this business.

For the reception after the ceremony, we had Master Chef Ricky Parlanti – newly onboard at the resort customize a nature-inspired menu for the wedding – which included a whole roasted lamb on the spit. Whilst I have to admit that the guests were a little ‘boring’ – I have to say that they were very nice and very “well-behaved”. Absolutely no complains, requests, treating any of the vendors as their servants (since we were ALL staying at the Clearwater Sanctuary the entire duration) and even the young kids were so well-behaved! The team from La Flaire was even more surprised to find that their table linens were still spotlessly clean after the function ended. Wow – definitely a different kind of guests!

They were no doubt enthralled by the sultry and very sexy Janet Lee – and since I had been holed up in Cambodia, this was my first time watching her perform live – and I too was enthralled. She was not just good. She was damn good. She got the crowd to sing together with her, cracked jokes, dance – she was just that – blady good. I am a big fan.

The media too – came in full force – The Star, Berita Harian, China Press, NST and Malay Mail – something which we were also very, very grateful for because it at least gave our sponsors the mileage in return for their sponsorship. And guess what? Even the media were friendly, polite and un-demanding. Of course our press kits were absolutely so complete that Berita Harian commented, “Wah, you orang, betul-betul sudah prepare semua. ‘Cam in, kita tak payah nak tanya-tanya lagi!” I suppose being a little kia-su pays off sometimes :)

The vendors too – had been absolutely great. I was imagining cat-fights and all that jazz, being holed up in an enclosed environment like that and having to sit-down together for meals. (You know, kinda made me imagine college cafeteria – which table do you join? Hmm..) But nope, we all had a great time laughing, talking c*** - although I must say, much of the entertainment came from Janet, Candy, Aunty Lilian and Uncle Lui. How superficial it was or how sincere it all was – who cares? What I knew and saw at the event was how we helped each other out as vendors to put up a great wedding. No one was being calculative or catty. Those who needed extra flowers got extra flowers. Those who needed additional vases got vases. Those who needed make-up got make-up. I wish the entire industry was like that everyday. You can still bitch, you can still have your dramas and divas – but at the same time, we’ve also got each other’s back when required to work together. You see, sometimes, we don’t get to choose who we work with.

Well, the 3 days were a little tiring (also plus the fact that I still dragged myself out of bed before dawn to go for a run in the nature, followed by a kayak session in the serene lake) – but it was enjoyable. And I find myself wishing it hasn’t ended.

Kudos to all! Certainly another big applause for such an absolutely splendid end to the grand finale of this project and we are looking forward to more opportunities to work together again. Of course, congratulations once more to Sam & Gavin – first for winning the contest and then for their dreamy, nature-inspired wedding. You have been so adorable to work with.

Wedding Industry : It's Not All About Dramas and Cat-Fights.....

All The Vendors
Photo Courtesy of LiveStudios Singapore

When I was in the ad industry, I had thought that no other industry could be bitchier than this. Enter the world of weddings. I've certainly had my fair share of dramas and what-nots. There are plenty of divas in the industry - yours truly included :P and believe you me, I can most definitely be a queen bitch if I wanted to.

Over the last weekend, the 1st International Wedding Soiree in Phnom Penh, Cambodia finally materialized. Jointly organized by The Wedding Planners and Nagaworld Hotel, it was the first time ever a 5-star hotel hosted a Wedding Fair of such a scale. And we are proud to have been working with the team at Naga on this. I would first of all like to say a BIG BIG BIG Thank You to Romyr Libo-on from the Naga team for his unwavering patience throughout. The sweetest gay I've ever known in my life, he has my full respect just based on his level of patience :) Romyr and I often found ourselves sandwiched in between - him from the Naga's side and me from the vendors' side. Hahaha! Needless to say, we bitched about it to each other too! :P

It was no easy feat, co-ordinating between all these vendors from all over the region. Point-to-note : First Paragraph of this blogpost :P After a lot of chasing and screaming (Jason said I chased worse than Kris Wong. That is NOT POSSIBLE :P) and of course, some head-on collision with the team at Naga due to differences in viewpoints and ideas (the differences were not personal, merely that both parties were particularly passionate about their own POV! ), it all took place. The international vendors were all hosted to a full board 4D/3N stay at Nagaworld in exchange for their full support in putting up a fabulous show for the Soiree.

In support of me, my brother made it to Cambodia for the first time and offered himself at my beck and call. He was of course given a general overview of Weddings 101 : Of Dramas and Cat-Fights :) We had from Malaysia : Carven Ong Couture, Mohan Executive Custom Suits, Jason Victor Photography, Andy Wang Cinematography, La Flaire & Wishing Tree Couture Decorations, Hanna Liew Hair & Make-Up; from Singapore : Truly Harmony, Dazza Pictures, LiveStudios, Ichiro Films, Moomedia and Amanda Lee Weddings; from Vietnam : Hil & Jas Foto Concept, B&D Florist; from Indonesia : Dekko Photography, Marsio Timeless Productions and Rusly Tjohnardi Atelier. Our Thai friends pulled out at the last possible minute due to the on-going Thai-Cambodia border war. But we did have one rep from Thailand : Acadia Cards

I was eagerly awaiting everyone's arrival. Catching up with the old friends from the industry, meeting up with new ones and simply putting faces to the names after months of back-and-forth emailing :) And as it turned out - the wedding industry in Malaysia and beyond, isn't all about dramas and cat-fights :) When the push comes to shove, we are all able to put our differences aside and look at the bigger picture - in this case - to showcase ourselves at our best and put up a damn good show to WOW the local market. And they were WOW-ed indeed. So were the media who turned up in full force.

When the vendors arrived on Friday, it was a bit of a stretch for me when everyone seemed to be needing something from me - and I would not have been able to do this without my local team's support (I'm so, so, so proud of them) but overall, the vendors were all gracious and handled themselves very well. Jason Victor lost his luggage and with it - his stands, posters, cables, etc. Rather than sulking about it, he improvised with whatever he had and my team assisted in whatever ways we could. There was a slight issue with steam irons too initially, and instead of creating drama about it, Carven coolly said he will use the hot-water-in-the-bathroom technique. The vendors just basically went about doing what needed to be done and everyone made friends and in a crude and vulgar way - TCSS :) with each other. Of course, did I mention too that the moment I stepped away from Naga, my phone rang non-stop? :P

I personally had a great time with all of the vendors - especially my comrades from Malaysia. I took them out to dinner at a local BBQ joint and they were promptly introduced to the world of grilled snakes and crispy bugs. I never knew Jason could scream like a girl. I also took the Singapore team to visit the orphanage where I volunteer - upon their request - which was extremely big-hearted and kind-hearted of them. All in all, it was great that I was able to "welcome" them to Cambodia and introduced them to my life here in da Penh. This is part of my world and this is what I have to deal with. So, on certain days where I may sound extremely insane - they should now know why :P

The one thing which touched me the most was all the goodies that I got from all the vendors. Whilst some actually took the time to ask me if I would like anything (and I shamefully replied junk food to all who asked), some just came right up with a bag of goodies for me. I had really not expected this at all (I mean, "junk food" was really rather vague, no?? Except Uncle Mohan actually gave me a bag of Twisties and Nachos *LOL*) and what was even more noteworthy was the fact that they all had excess baggages, yet they still endeavoured to carry my "junk food" over. Aunty Debra said they were spoiling me silly. This stash of ration from everyone is precious and I shall take my time eating them :) Thank you, thank you, thank you to all!!

And so you see.......... no dramas, no cat-fights...... just gracious and appreciative vendors who know their Ps and Qs. And we certainly showed the locals how weddings are done our way!

I would like to express my humble appreciation once again to the show of support from all the vendors for me and for TWP, to the designers and HMU artists for bringing it on for the bridal shows, to the photographers and videographers who were sweating buckets while attempting to document the entire historical wedding soiree (1st ever in Cambodia!!) and to the florists and decorators who went all out creating new trends and styles for the Cambodians to see. On behalf of the vendors too - I would also like to thank Nagaworld for graciously hosting the international vendors to full board and lodging and offering the best you had to all of us.

I hope the vendors had a great time here in Cambodia - despite being stuck indoors for the most part and I hope to see all of them back again soon!!!

p/s : Withdrawal symptoms haven't tapered off much since the gang left.......

My goodies from industry friends. THANK YOU!!

Am I Making A Difference Or Not?

The Three Love Of My Life

Last weekend, aside from giving ang pows to over a hundred of the kids from the orphanage that MOH & I volunteer at, we were also finally granted permission to bring the kids out for a couple hours every week. I was elated, of course! It would mean so much for the kids to be able to experience at least some form of living - outside of the Home.

We had been volunteering for close to 2 years now at the orphanage. Hmmm.... to those who know me well, would find this side of me rather contradictary. I do not wish to have kids of my own. In fact, I am annoyed at parents who bring their kids to the pool and think it is sooo cute that they swim in the adult pool. I am annoyed at parents who cannot keep their kid quiet in an aeroplane or in a restaurant. And if friends wish to catch up with me - having a kid around isn't going to help with no catching, trust me on that one. I am so disapproving of kids being a nuisance that I had it printed in my wedding invitation : "Strictly No Children Under 12 Allowed".

But you see, these kids are different. They are first of all, HIV+ kids and mostly abandoned. Some do have parents but because the parents cannot afford the medication for the kids therefore they had been sent to the Home. These kids are so deprived of love and affection. I could tell - from the moment I first started at the orphanage - how they yearned to be hugged and carried all the time and they cling on to you any which way possible. It was overwhelming for me initially. I almost gave up - because I did not know if I really have all that much love to give!

A year on, I have grown to love these kids. I adore them and I miss them when I don't get to see them. When I do see them, the time seem to pass very quickly. Of course, I have my favourites, MOH has his favourites. The kids too, have their favourites. I'm sure some of the other kids who don't get much of me feels sidelined, but I try. I'll tell you one thing though - being able to put even the tiniest smile on their faces - makes you want to cry.

So when I had the opportunity to take them out for lunch, I was delighted. We took Peuv, Samnang and Yuth out to Sam Doo. It's not a fancy place. I don't think I can afford fancy every weekend and I certainly do not think fancy is what is required here to make the kids happy. We ordered Wanton Noodles, some dim sums and Fried Rice as well as Porridge for them to try. There was a point, as soon as they got into the car, I watched as Peuv smiled - her smile was so, so, so genuine and so sweet, it reflected her heart - it reflected how happy she was to be given this chance to be taken outside - I just teared. I had a blessed childhood. I used to think that my parents not allowing me my chocolates and my storybooks was abuse. Shame on me.

Anyway, they had a great time and they ate all the food on the table. They were also a handful, though and we were glad that one of the caretakers came along (which in all sense - they should have a caretaker follow ANYONE wishing to take the kids out. Who knows what other people might be up to, right?). Afterwards, we took them to Nagaworld as I knew there was the Lion Dance performance there. They were so in awe at the lion dance performances and they took in the sights and sounds. But they were also very well-behaved, I must say :)

Before you knew it, it was time to head back. I didn't know what were their thoughts. Were they sad to get back? Were they careful to be polite and smile instead of throwing a tantrum at having to return? Were they just grateful they had been given the opportunity?

For me, I just wanted to be able to give the kids a chance at normal childhood - even if just for a couple of hours. I had seen them with their meals and all year round, it is the exact same food everyday and every meal. I wish they had the childhood I had. I wish they had as blessed a life as I had.

I question though, what fair advantages do they have at growing up and making it on their own? They are not getting a proper education. As it is, the education system in Cambodia sucks. I had seen some of the kids' schoolwork - it is almost as if the teacher marks the homework blindly - a star for a page full of spelling errors? And unfortunately, kind as the caretakers are, most of them are not literate themselves. And it is one caretaker to about 40 kids! How will these kids even make it in life? What chances are there for them? And that is - IF they battle HIV itself. Sometimes, I feel very, very sad. I feel I am not making any difference in their lives. I feel powerless. I can only make them smile for awhile. But what about their future? What about in the long run?

Sometimes, I beat myself up thinking about them. I am always torn - wondering - do I really make a difference in their lives? You see, they are stuck to the Home. I am not. If I am not free, I don't go in. If I am out of the country, I don't go in. Worse of all, if I pack up and leave Cambodia - they too, will be left behind. (I think I just heard my heart break at this thought!). Sure, I donate food and rice and the occasional goodies. What's after?


I have a bigger dream now. I am going to work hard and smart and I am going to make lots of money and I will rescue these kids - one kid at a time.

I pray for these kids to always find love and happiness surrounding them and I pray that they grow up to be wonderful and inspiring people.

p/s : To those who think this experience might change my mind about Motherhood - you are unfortunately, VERY WRONG :P 

Yuth chowing down his Fish Porridge...

Peuv laughing gleefully

Samnang 'manja-ing' with MOH



Samnang, Yuth and Peuv at Nagaworld Park