Wedding Updates!

Almost everything is done! So far it has been quite enjoyable, the only little hiccup was the lady who was supposed to do up the table flowers for one of the ceremonies took weeks to give me her banking details for a deposit!!! Apart from that-I do enjoy DIY and crafting so I actually did up my own invites and even printed them myself. I also made some of the envelopes for the invitations given to Y*'s family as the ones I ordered were being sent to KL. So far, so good!

I've come to realize a wedding budget can be as big or as small as you want it to be. I have been given the luxury of not having to work whilst planning the 3 parts of our wedding (2 in KL and 1 in Japan) so I was able to do a lot of the sourcing myself. Some couples may prefer to have a wedding planner handle everything for them but I knew from the start I didn't want nor need one. Partly because our celebration was going to be really small (60 pax and 33 pax),  and also because I do enjoy planning parties and events. Plus, it's going to be a really simple event, nothing elaborate, pretty confident I can pull it off.

My dress is already done and fitted, and OMG I LOVE my dress. It has all the elements that I love, and I can't wait until Y* sees me in it. He's been so anxious to catch a glimpse of my dress. But no, he shall have to wait until the day itself. My mother, who initially had her concerns about my dress when I pictured it to her- too this, too that, saw me at my first fitting and was in awe. My dressmaker is so good!! Am making a second dress with her for the Chinese Tea Ceremony.

All weddings come with their fair share of drama and mine is no different. There will always be that one person with a snide comment or nitpicking on things. But to be honest, not bothered at all! I'm more excited than anything!!

Can't wait for Part 1 and 2 of #MrMrsKomai!!

Lunar New Year 2017

This is the first time in about 8 years since I've spent Lunar New Year away from my family. The years before, I spent them in Melbourne, Australia where I was studying and then working for a bit. 

Lunar New Year is also referred to as Chinese New Year but then I read many years ago that this mark of the "New Year" isn't just celebrated by the Chinese but also the Koreans, Laotians, Vietnamese and other Asian countries (except Japan) so instead of wishing everyone Happy CNY, I just say Lunar New Year to include everyone else who's also celebrating. 

What's Lunar New Year all about? The Reunion Dinner, Angpaus (red packets filled with money- unmarried ones receive them, married folks give them), cookies, pineapple tarts, Lou Sang (prosperity salad toss), visiting relatives and friends, firecrackers, prawn crackers, arrowroot chips, mandarin oranges; basically lots of eating. 

Though my family was never big on "Lou Sang" (the tossing of the colourful salad), I used to have it multiples times throughout the new year with my colleagues, friends and business partners. By the end of the 15 days, most would probably be weary of this prosperity toss, but then we don't eat it for the rest of the year. And by the time the next LNY rolls by, we'd be hungry for it again. Or at least I am.

Needless to say, I wasn't going to have any tosses this year because this celebration isn't recognized in Japan. I was quite miserable and missed my family and friends terribly. There were no pineapple tarts (my aunt makes the best ones! I've been eating them since I was a kid), no Lou Sang, no reunion dinner, it was so quiet. Y* tried to cheer me up by taking me out and to eat the things I liked. He even asked if I would like to return the next year, possibly without him as he may have to work, but I am not keen on travelling without him. So, we'll see how it goes.

My family had sent over a care package filled with goodies but they had not arrived and I was having crazy cravings to Lou Sang. I did Google for recipes online but the key ingredients such as chinese plum sauce and coloured crackers weren't available here. I left out a number of the seasonings and improvised on the sauce too.

Ta-dah!

It hit the spot for me and was so easy to make! I am probably going to make it more often with lesser types of vegetables to cut down on prep time. Fiance liked it too and said he's never tasted anything like it. Happy that he's game to try new flavours, also this will be our tradition from now on! I'm going to make it every year that we aren't spending it in Malaysia.

Have a great celebration, everyone!

Of Earthquakes in Japan

Early this morning an earthquake with a 7.3 magnitude hit close to Fukushima, and although Yamanashi is about 300km away, we too felt fairly strong tremors in our home. 

As a traveller, I never once felt tremors, not when I was in Tokyo, Osaka, not even Fukuoka. When I started living here, I became more aware of the earthquakes in Japan. No one can tell when it happens, and in Yamanashi weeks can go by without a single tremor but then you also get days where tremors occur on a daily basis.

My previous experiences were fairly short and small, lasting only about 5 to a maximum 10 seconds. Though short, even in slumber, the slightest quake wakes me and I always wait it out before dozing back to sleep. Y usually just sleeps through it, I imagine he must be used to it. However this morning's quake was strong enough to wake us both from the start. We lay in bed for a few seconds waiting to see if it would slow down or become weaker but it didn't. Y rushed me into the "safe room" the smallest space in our home which was the toilet to wait it out.

I felt so relieved as the tremors became smaller and soon stopped. We went back to bed but spent the rest of the morning watching earthquake videos in YouTube before Y had to get ready for work. Y let me listen to the "Earthquake Emergency Announcement" so I would know how it sounds like. Our street has a speaker which announces certain times of the day and is also used for emergency alerts, apparently they are all over Japan (I never noticed).

Y also told me the Tohoku earthquake in 2011 was the scariest he had experienced. I hope never to experience such a disaster but Y has told me to just be prepared, although Yamanashi hasn't had any major quakes, no one knows where the next one would hit. In contrast to my home country, Japan is relatively safe (in relation to theft and crime) but at high risk for earthquakes, tsunamis and typhoons. Wherelse in KL, snatch thieves are rampant and heartless but Malaysians are safe from such natural disasters. Hmm.. 

Might be a little over-cautious, but I'm going to pack an emergency bag and leave it near the door of our home.

Going to be Googling more about earthquakes today.

An Email Draft

Been clearing old messages in my email and found this draft from June 2010. I didn't write this nor do I remember where I took the excerpt from but even after so many years, I still find it relevant. Not too late to share...

"Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they were meant to be there, to serve some sort of purpose, teach you a lesson, or to help you figure out who you are or who you want to become. You never know who these people may be- possibly your roommate, neighbour, professor, long lost friend, lover, or even a complete stranger, but when you lock eyes with them, you know at that very moment they will affect your life in some profound way. Sometimes things happen to you that may seem horrible, painful, and unfair at first, but in reflection you find that without overcoming those obstacles you would have never realized your potential, strength, willpower or heart.

Everything happens for a reason. Nothing happens by chance or by means of good luck. Illness, injury, love, lost moments of true greatness, and sheer stupidity all occur to test the limits of your soul. Without these small tests, whatever they may be, life would be like a smoothly paved, straight, flat road to nowhere. It would be safe and comfortable, but dull and utterly pointless.

The people you meet who affect your life, and the success and downfalls you experience, help to create who you are and who you become. Even the bad experiences can be learned from. In fact, they are probably the most poignant and important ones.

If someone hurts you, betrays you or breaks your heart, forgive them. For they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious to when you open your heart. If someone loves you, love them back unconditionally. Not only because they love you, but because in a way, they are teaching you to love and how to open your heart and eyes to things.

Make every day count… Appreciate every moment and take from those moments everything that you possibly can, for you may never be able to experience it again. Talk to people that you have never talked to before, and actually listen. Let yourself fall in love, break free, and set your sights high. Hold your head up because you have every right to. Tell yourself you are a great individual and believe in yourself, for if you don’t believe in yourself, it will be hard for others to believe in you. You can make of your life anything you wish.

Create your own life and then go out and live it with absolutely no regrets. Most importantly.. if you love someone, tell them. For you never know what tomorrow may have in store. And learn a lesson in life each day you live."

♥

I'm in Japan!

It's been almost two weeks since I arrived in Japan, everything has so far been good- albeit a little scare at the airport, I was flying with a one way ticket and honestly did not know I could be denied boarding and even entry to Japan. However, the check-in staff at the counter went through my passport and was convinced I wasn't attempting to live in Japan illegally and advised me to just answer Immigrations confidently should I be questioned for not having a return ticket. 

Despite having a really good reason, I was worried whilst waiting to board and I kept reading results for the Google search "No return ticket denied entry to Japan". There were so many people that were denied entry even those from first world countries just because they did not have a return ticket! I was determined not to give the Immigration any reason for doubt so I filled up the Landing Card with my fiancé's number and full address. I pre-amped Y before I boarded that they may call him but he was sure I would be fine.

I was so nervous when I landed and as I handed over my passport to the officer, all I could think was *look confident, look confident, smile but not too much*. She did ask me to note down the person whom I was visiting and also reminded me that my visa was only valid for 90 days before smiling and returning my passport. I was so relieved! I can only assume I was not held for questioning because I have multiple previous Japan visas in my passport and thus am not a high-risk for overstaying.

So that's my experience with trying to enter a country with no return ticket. Reuniting with Y at the airport was just.. I don't know, so many words- happy, ecstatic, speechless, surreal. We were apart for 2 months and before that, 4 months! I could not stop smiling and looking at him as he drove us back. 

Packing up and moving so far away from family and friends is definitely not easy, but when I'm with him I know I've made the right choice. I love this man for so many reasons and count my blessings each day that I have met him.

Packing for Japan

In exactly 2 weeks, I will be relocating to Japan and deciding what to bring was really tough for me (because I have many material loves). Though I have 40kgs of luggage allowance, in the past week I have packed and repacked my 2 luggages so many times, each time removing more items to meet the weight allowance. 

 

Our bedroom in Japan would only be about half the size of my current bedroom, which is still an okay size, but considering how many things I've amassed over the years.. I knew I couldn't bring everything over. Not in one trip anyway. 

I used to have so many shoes, beauty products, bags, and nail polishes but these days I've limited my hoarding to just beauty products (which I use) and nail polishes. Specifically Chanel polishes.

This is my collection sometime earlier this year, I definitely added a few more colours to the rainbow but didn't manage a picture. I initially decided on bringing half of them over but they were so heavy! In the end I just picked the colours below for this trip.

My little box of polishes which will see me through Summer, Autumn and Winter 2016. Other staples which I am also bringing over are my beloved blushers (all of them!), some face care, sheet masks, most of my red lippies and some BB creams/cushions.

I have no doubt the beauty products took up most of my weight allowance. I didn't pack much body care as I did leave some in Y's apartment the last time I visited. But if I had extra weight, I would definitely bring my favourite body creams along.

I decided against buying new products in Japan (for now) because I don't want to spend time figuring out a new routine for my sensitive skin in the first month and also, what will I do with all my skincare left in Kuala Lumpur? I can make do without most of my clothes but not without my beauty products.

Super excited for the move, sometimes it feels like time is moving so slowly but part of me also feels that the days are counting down so quickly. 2 weeks will go by in a blink, I just know it. 

Bittersweet, but mostly sweet.