As always, much has changed since 1 Jan 2011 but the aspirations and hopes still remain the same. I’m praying that this year would be sweeter than the years before and I know it would be. There’s a huge step I would be taking this year that would alter the rest of my life.

I’d love to quote again what I wrote last year for its meaning holds equally true even in 2012.

So here’s to the new year, friends. For its many trials and confrontations we’re bound to face, that we may gain strength and courage from above to look them in the eye, tackling them head on with wisdom and grace that we may emerge as conquerors at the end of the day. For the days when it feels like it’s not worth it, we’d stay focus on the prize that awaits us at the end of our race. For the blessings that will be showered upon us in the days to come, that they may not go unnoticed like before, but that we’d count them one by one and be thankful. For the love that is found in family and friends that surround us, that we’d cherish and learn to love and give back immensely more – to those who deserve it and even to those who don’t.

And to commemorate the new year, I’ve redesigned my blog.

Huge thanks to my super talented sister. She is one creative kid.

It’s my all time favourite iPhone app game’s birthday and these cute little feathered creatures are turning two!

What’s makes it even more cool is that Rovio will be updating its app to include MORE levels to play today! *dances around in excitement*

I’ve shown my undying love for this super addictive game by posting my Angry Birds Achievements in the past – both Part 1 and Part 2.

May I be given permission to brag more?

Here’s the beautiful stars from Angry Birds Seasons.


2011







 

 

 

2012

 
And the latest addition for this Christmas season. Clearly it’s only be played up till yesterday as they only released each level per day. (sooooo sloooowww….)

NEXT!

Angry Birds Rio – considerably an easier game to play compared to Seasons with much better graphics, imho.

Pictures have said enough..

We were pretty excited to announce our engagement to our families and small group of friends and what better way to celebrate it in his mother’s newly built house in Nilai.  We’ve posted most of the pictures up on Facebook but here’s a few I’ve chosen to put up here.

His mother was super kind enough to handle the venue and the catering section of it. We were pretty much just in charge of coming up with the guest list.

The cake, of course, how could any party be complete without a cake? We didn’t want an ordinary round chocolate/cream cake with the bride/bridegroom figurines on the top – plus, that wouldn’t be quite right for an engagement party.

I was so pleased to stumble upon Mama Min’s blog. She is one heck of a super creative and talented cake designer. Seriously, the cakes she made and showcased were so cute and beautiful.. and I knew at that instance, I’d like a cake designed by her. He was totally in for it too.

Then came the question of what kind of design would I want for that day? That was a tough one to get through. It was silly to have the typical wedding cake design when it wasn’t even a wedding yet! Since my engagement ring wasn’t going to be with me for that day as it was sent for resizing overseas (which takes a month long.. and I was missing having it already!), so what a better way to have a cake to commemorate the missing ring, so to speak.

Take a look at the magic Mama Min came up with. I mean, isn’t it a gorgeous cake or what? Nobody actually thought it was a cake at first. I didn’t even have the heart to cut it to eat. By the way, it was an orange poppy seed cake.

Here’s a picture of the two families together.

My loving family.

He wanted a reunion for his university friends as well… so here’s a group of the Moscow grads.

So now that we’ve got the engagement party out of the way, we’re on to the next item from the checklist.

There’s so many things to get used to once you’ve become engaged. For instance, to start referring to him as the fancy F word (which is no other than fiancé, mind you) and to get accustomed to wearing a ring on your finger when you’ve never been wearing one for your entire life. There’s so much to do, so many people to see and so much decisions to make (that costs a lot of money!).

I took this off a wedding website called the Knot for just a glimpse of what’s in store for the year 2012. Pretty stressful just looking at the list!

• Congratulations, you’re engaged! Announce your engagement to family and friends. Consider making the announcements in local newspapers. – CHECK (refer)
• Having an engagement party? Set a date, choose a location, create a guest list and mail invitations.  - CHECK (refer)
• If you’re having an engagement party, start a small gift registry now.
• Decide on the budget, and enter it into your Budget Tool. - CHECK
• Start the guest list.
• Determine a time frame for your wedding date. Narrow down your wedding date to a few weekends that don’t conflict with other family events.
• Need help from a professional wedding planner? Start searching for one now, since the help provided can make the next decisions easier.
• Search for a ceremony venue.
• Search for a reception venue.
• Choose a colour scheme for your big day.
• Book your wedding planner. Record deposits and payments in your Budget Tool.
• Start your wedding workout routine now! Eat well, exercise regularly and get plenty of sleep. You may even want to join a gym or get a personal trainer to give you some motivation!
• Create your wedding website.
• Search for a photographer.
• Search for a caterer.
• Search for a florist.
• Search for a videographer.
• Book your reception venue.
• Get inspired! Browse your favorite wedding dress gallery to get ideas for your own dress!
• Search for a band.
• Search for a DJ.
• Book your ceremony venue.
• Book your caterer. Begin working on a menu.
• Book your photographer.
• Finalize your guest list.
• Set up your registries.
• Search for an officiant.
• Search for a ceremony musician.
• Book your florist.
• Book your videographer.
• Start shopping for your gown.
• Choose the members of your wedding party – maid of honour and best man, bridesmaids, groomsmen, ring bearer, flower girls as well as your ushers – and invite them to take these roles.
• Start shopping for bridesmaids gowns and flower girl dresses. View gowns in every hue and for every body shape.
• Reserve blocks of hotel rooms for out-of-town guests. Add accommodations and travel info to your wedding website, so your guests know what to expect.
• Send save-the-date cards (be sure your guest list is finalized first). Include hotel information for out-of-town guests, if it’s available, plus your website address.
• Search for a wedding cake maker.
• Order your wedding cake.
• Search for a wedding stationer for invitations, plus place cards, menus, announcements (if you’ll use them) and thank-you stationery (which you may need to order now).
• Search for rentals supplier if you need to rent chairs, chair covers, a tent, etc.
• Book your band.
• Book your DJ.
• Book your officiant.
• Select your wedding dress and place the order.
• Book your invitations vendor.
• Book your ceremony musician.
• Discuss rehearsal dinner with the groom’s parents.
• Select your bridesmaids dresses and flower-girl dress, and have your attendants place their orders.
• Search for a vendor to help with your hair, makeup or any pre-wedding pampering.
• Contact out-of-town guests and notify them about the hotel block and other discount travel information.
• Finalize your order for event rentals.
• Check your gift registry.
• Plan and book your honeymoon, including travel, accommodations and activities.
• Choose groom’s attire; will you purchase or rent?
• Purchase accessories for your gown, such as a veil, shoes, undergarments and jewelry.
• Schedule your ceremony rehearsal and alert your attendants, officiant, and ceremony musicians of the date and time.
• Finalize the text for your invitations and place the order. Also consider purchasing thank-you notes and wedding announcements from the same vendor.
• Book your hair and makeup appointment.
• Book accommodations for your wedding night.
• Search for a transportation vendor.
• Choose your bridesmaids’ accessories (shoes, jewelry, etc).
• Choose groomsmen’s and ring bearer’s attire (including a rental shop if they’ll be renting formal attire).
• Discuss and confirm party plans for bachelor and bachelorette parties, as well as any shower that is offered, with your maid of honour and best man.
• Provide guest lists to your maid of honour and best man for your shower, bachelorette party, bachelor party and other social events.
• Address your invitations (they should be mailed 6 to 8 weeks before the event, so leave yourself plenty of time if you’re using a calligrapher). If you’ll be sending announcements, address them now as well.
• Book your transportation vendor.
• Finalize the menu and service details with your caterer.
• Design and create favours.
• Schedule gown fitting appointments. Your first appointment should be directly after you receive the gown and the last appointment should fall no later than three weeks before the wedding.
• Purchase your wedding bands.
• Ask your readers to be a part of your ceremony. Begin a search for readings and discuss them with your officiant.
• Mail out wedding invitations.
• Confirm number of bouquets, boutonnieres and centerpieces with your florist.
• Purchase a guest book and a few nice pens.
• Purchase or make gifts for your bridal party and close family. Don’t forget ushers, flower girls, ring bearers and readers!
• Track gifts received from guests and send thank-you notes.
• Check on your hotel room blocks to ensure important guests have made their travel arrangements.
• Order alcohol (wine, champagne, liquor) if they are not included in the catering contract. Discuss with your caterer to determine how it will be transported to the wedding.
• Design your ceremony programs and print them. Create menu cards for the reception tables, if you’ll be using them.
• Research local marriage license requirements. Schedule a blood test appointment if one is required in your state.
• Write your vows if you choose to personalize them. Send a copy to your officiant.
• Alert your wedding party to the rehearsal.
• Determine your ceremony music selections and send the list to your ceremony musicians.
• Shop for all additional accessories like undergarments, jewelry, headpiece, bridal purse, etc
• Pick up wedding rings and check the inscriptions before you leave the store.
• If you have a DJ, work on a list of ‘must-play’ and ‘do-not play’ songs. Be sure you also send them selections for your introductions, first dance, cake cutting, etc.
• Finalize any special preferences, readings, or other ceremony details (in writing) to your officiant.
• Create a wedding day schedule. Send the information to your wedding party and vendors.
• At your final gown fitting, bring a friend to learn how the bustle will be tied.
• Obtain a marriage license.
• Call guests who have not yet RSVP’d for the wedding and rehearsal dinner to get a final head count.
• Pick up your gown. Before leaving the shop, try it on to make sure there are no additional alteration to be made.
• Give final head count to the caterer. Confirm set-up instructions and menu items.
• Verify with your reception venue to make sure your vendors will have access to the site when they need it.
• Confirm head count, delivery time, and location with your wedding cake vendor.
• If you’re having a receiving line, determine the order everyone will stand in .
• Determine any wedding day assignments for members of the wedding party and make sure they’re aware of their duties.
• Create your seating chart. Make place cards or give typed names to your calligrapher.
• Confirm delivery locations, times, and final arrangements with your florist. Make a list of who will get bouquets, corsages and boutonnieres and recruit someone to oversee this on the wedding day.
• Confirm the rehearsal details and wedding day schedule with your officiant.
• Pick up tuxedo/suit and try it on at the shop. See if there are any additional alterations to be made.
• Prepare your toasts and thanks to family and friends.
• Give the seating chart to your caterer, reception venue manager and wedding coordinator.
• Send your transportation vendor the schedule, addresses and contact phone number for the wedding day.
• Confirm all final payment amounts with your vendors. Mail your payment checks or make arrangements for the wedding day.
• Shop and pack for the honeymoon.
• Confirm location, date and time with your photographer. Create your ‘must-take’ photo list.
• Confirm location, date and time with your videographer.
• Confirm your wedding day beauty appointments.
• Confirm all honeymoon travel plans.
• Pull together wedding gown, veil, shoes, stockings and a last-minute emergency kit (aspirin, make-up, hairspray, safety pins, mints, etc)
• Drop off favours, placecards, guest book, pens, cake knift, toasting flutes, and all other reception items at the reception venue.
• Rehearse the ceremony with your officiant and wedding party.
• Give wedding announcements to your maid of honour to be mailed on the wedding day.
• Write a note to your spouse-to-be to deliver tomorrow, just before or after you marry.
• Enjoy your wedding day! Take a moment to step back and enjoy a quiet moment with your new spouse.
• Help future brides by reviewing your wedding vendors!
• Ensure all your vendors have been paid in full.
• Arrange for gown and veil to be cleaned and preserved. Make sure the provider is experienced in preserving wedding gowns.
• Write thank-you notes for all the gifts you received at the wedding and before. Traditional etiquette gives you an 8-week grace period.
• Take a bridal bouquet to be preserved, or save a petal to be pressed for your scrapbook.
• Arrange for all insurance policies to include you and your future spouse: health, auto, homeowner’s and life insurance.
• Do paperwork for official documents if you are changing your name.
• Upload your wedding photos and share them.
• Review the remaining items in your registry.

I love Angry Birds. Can’t wait to show you my Angry Birds Rio and am working on Angry Birds Seasons.

Super super fun.

I was already told that we were having dinner on the beach and I could see the staff setting up our table from afar. It was suppose to be just another birthday dinner. Nothing extraordinary. I know I am one very fortunate girl because romantic dinners for me were, well, not unusual. He behaved and acted like any other normal day.

As we walked on the soft fine white sand towards our little cozy table, I couldn’t help but soak up the beauty of the evening. Nothing could be better than this.

Our table was a sight to behold. It was surrounded by many candles. Candles nestled in many wine glasses and placed meticulously in the shape of a heart, which could be seen easily from afar. I have a thing for candles and just the scene of this took my breath away.

The first thing that caught my eye was the unusual champagne glasses placed right in the center of the table. It came in a pair and they shared a single stand with the famous words “Moet & Chandon” encrypted on it. It was the cutest thing ever and I told him that we should look for a similar piece like that for ourselves. Another item on the table stood out very strongly. It was a blue box with the hue absolutely similar to the ever famous “Tiffany & Co.” and a white ribbon tied around it. “Oh no, this can’t be happening,” I remembered telling myself as the waitress led us to the table to be seated.

After she introduced us to the Chandon wine we were going to have that night, he told me to open that little blue box. As I untied the white ribbon, the words “Tiffany & Co.” were clearly printed in gold on it and I remember hearing the words “not now, not now, not now, not now” in my head. I lifted the lid to reveal what was inside the box which was…

…none other than…

…chocolates. Yup. You read that right.
Chocolates. Six of them squished inside the little box.
What were you thinking it was going to be?

“Phew”

Then I remembered him talking about what a memorable this day was, about our past and all the things we’ve gone through and that was when I heard something unusual.

Someone was singing accompanied with a guitar to my all time favorite love song.

“If there were no words, no way to speak,
I would still hear you.
If there were no tears, no way to feel inside,
I’d still feel for you.”

“Oh no.” My heart sank. It is happening.

A waitress came forward and presented me with a bouquet of roses. My heart did not just sank, but it started palpitating. I was getting nervous. I felt like I wasn’t prepared to face this situation even though I’ve dreamed of this very moment for a long time. What am I suppose to say? I could only remember hiding my anxiety with a lot of laughter with him. It’s an emotion which is a little difficult to describe. It’s a mix of shock, excitement, happiness and a little scared.

Then the second song came along.

“Forever and ever can never be long enough for me,
to feel like I’ve had long enough with you.
Forget the world now, we won’t let them see,
but there’s one thing left to do.”

This is so happening. The second waitress came with a platter plate with a dark blue ring box nestled ever so comfortably on it. My heart was not only palpitating louder than the music, I could feel my hands start to tremble and I think everything felt and looked blurry. I don’t think I even heard much of what he said and up till now, I can only remember him going down on one knee and vaguely hearing the words “marry me”… or was it the chorus to the background music the guitarist was singing away in the twilight of the evening? I remember being so overwhelmed by the moment that I couldn’t even utter any words and all I could do was nod my head (quite strongly too, I think). The picture below was taken almost immediately after that, and it’s quite evident that I look like I’m in a little shocked state of mind. Ruffled hair and almost pale looking.

I said yes to him that night… the same yes I gave about 2 years ago when we first started out. From that point on, I knew that he is the one I’d want to spend my entire life with. He has been my pillar of strength, my pillow of comfort, who has been ever so patient and loving, ever so loyal and true. I couldn’t have asked for more.

So here’s the announcement I promised I’d make from the last post.

I’m officially engaged.

“Time flies. Literally. Soon enough it will be another two years.”
– What’s a century divided by four? -1 Nov 2009

Shocking. It already has been ‘another two years’. I’ve been looking forward to writing this post for awhile now as it has now become a tradition for me to write on my birthday every two years to remember and reminisce the moment of my turning of age. Interestingly, as I sit and start writing, it suddenly became more difficult than I imagined. What’s there to say? What do I want to remember from the past two years of my life?

As I looked back and tried immersing myself again in the emotions of my past birthday blog posts, I have realized that much have changed in these past two years.
Never in a lifetime would I have imagined two years ago that I would be doing the things that I do now at work. “O&G. Seriously?”
I would never have thought that I could actually cook decent meals at home now. “It used to be just boiling eggs, rice and instant noodles.”
Never thought I could run like I once did. (Att: Past tense. Until I became lazy and weak again!) “Never great in sports at all.”
I never knew I could find love again. “Was ready to stay single my entire life.”

Indeed, much have changed. God has truly been good and very gracious to me. I have been blessed more than I’m worthy of. What words could capture the gratefulness in my heart? How else can I say of how much I love my family, especially my parents who have been so supportive of me throughout my entire life?

Well, much is also going to happen in these next 2 years. A lot of exciting activities, that’s for sure. Stay on your toes… I will definitely keep you updated when the time’s right.

What’s there left to say but…

Hello, 27 year old me! Happy Birthday and let’s rock this new year!

All of this – home cooked by the two of us.
I think we’re really improving a lot.

For the past few weeks, I have been working on a project with my boss to come up with a presentation for our hospital folks with regards to the various methods of contraception available. This topic is pretty much our bread and butter in the O&G Department as we will only discharge a mother who has just delivered once she has decided upon a contraception of her choice.

The in-depth reading and researching about this brought up several questions about the sciences behind these methods of contraception and the morality which revolves around that. I’ve had such a struggle even back in medical school but never really paid as much attention to it as I should.

And now it’s part of my business. I’m giving advice to women everyday about using contraception to plan their families and to space their pregnancies, and now upon properly realizing this, I stand back in horror to what I’ve encouraged some women to do and use (but with the back up of strong medical reasons).

• What methods of contraception are available today?
• How does each method work in preventing pregnancy?
• What does the Bible say about contraception?
• As a Christian medical practitioner, how do I stand in this dilemma of advising women for the contraception they’re suitable for, but those that stands against my moral conscience?

So it was time to dig deeper past the medical journals and evidences about what works and what does not, to the reading materials which set one’s mind straight about the moral and ethical issues behind contraception.

This article was a great help to highlight the Biblical view towards this topic. Here’s another super useful article which talks about each type of contraception and explains how each works for its purpose.

So where do I stand in the definition of where does life begin? Personally, I believe it’s when fertilization takes place. This is really important because by that I have already crossed out several methods which would go against that belief. 

This is where it gets difficult for me. Do I encourage women to use contraception? If so, what type would I advise them to use? Most of the time, we’d counsel them to use the ones with only progestogen in it so as to promote milk production for breast feeding. There is a risk of fertilization in these type of contraception as it works by preventing implantation of the fertilized egg on to the wall of the womb.

Have I done wrong in promoting this type of contraception as a doctor?

Here’s an even increasing problem for me. We have a lot of obese women here, well.. it’s not just a Slim River problem, in fact, it’s everywhere. We just have a lot of obese people around and many of them are pregnant women. The giving of hormonal form of contraception would greatly increase their risk of deep vein thrombosis and other various medical illness, which is why we often advise women who are obese to use the barrier kinds of contraception – either the condom or the intrauterine contraceptive device (IUCD).

FYI, the failure rate of the condom is greater than the other methods and based on what I’ve heard and seen from my patients, men simply just don’t favour them and they’re hardly used. That leaves with the only other option of IUCD insertion – a little device thing we insert into the womb to prevent implantation. Yup. You read that right. Prevent implantation. Fertilization does take place in that womb but because the IUCD creates a hostile environment within that implantation of that fertilized egg cannot take place and therefore is expelled. It is an abortifacient. This is where I stand in horror. I guess I have known about this before, but never really consciously act upon it. I have advised women for IUCD and worse still, I have inserted so many in my line of work. How can I consciously stay clean of this?

I can’t! What do I do? Stop advising for IUCD, let alone for contraception? But I can’t do that as a doctor, as there are so many other complications of being pregnant too many times or having poor spacing between pregnancies!

Help! Any ideas?

Has anybody ever noticed these gold swirly lines on the numerous car number plates in KL?

I’ve seen them around many months back, even before moving to Slim River, but never quite had the opportunity to capture them on camera.

Does anyone have any idea what do these symbols mean?

Is it a secret symbol to those belonging to some exclusive society?

Perhaps a religious symbol of some sort?

Anyone?