Brenda Yap

So.. It's been a whopping TWO years since I've last posted, yet alone visited my own blog.

So much has happened/is happening lately, but the most major thing is that WAZIR AND I EFFING GOT MARRIED! After 8+ years, it's finally legal and official and I now have a husband. How grown up does that sound??

Funny thing is, in the last year or so, so so much has happened and I didn't document any of it in this blog. I do wish I had documented some of the planning process but frankly I was too busy - what with a full-time job and the venue/vendor research and the DIY. So I just thought that this would be a good time. We had 3 wedding events - nikah (solemnization/registration of marriage), and 2 receptions (1 tea ceremony & luncheon, and 1 garden party). All of which wouldn't be possible without the help of everyone who pitched in and helped to make our big day(s) happen.

It was all incredibly special and Wazir and I are eternally grateful. So many people flew in from different countries just for us and we are very lucky indeed; not only to have found each other but also to have such wonderful family and friends. Thank you again to all those who have been a part of it. Special thanks to our families who pitched in financially as well. We had so many DIY sessions, my mum and I made 400+ origami cranes, the cake was baked by my aunt, my friend Marlyn coordinated the wedding schedule... Most of my bridesmaids and some guests flew in from halfway around the world.. THANK YOU! ♥

Here's a couple of pictures as proof haha:


You can read a summary of our wedding here and here. One of my bridesmaids, Mae is the editor of WeddingGuideAsia and she featured our wedding. <3

Btw funny story; Wazir and I have been together for 8.5 years now, and for the first few years, since most of my friends were studying overseas, they didn't get the chance to meet Wazir. Plus he's never been active on facebook or any social media website. I did worry that they would start thinking he was imaginary! (But as you can see he's not)

1. You'd rather stay in than go out, or have friends over, rather than drive out to some crowded mall for dinner.
2. Weekends used to be spent wandering around shopping malls, but you prefer to stay in, cuddle and do house chores these days. It actually gives you a sense of accomplishment.
3. You can cook. Not just Maggi mee, but actual dishes. And you help your mother out in the kitchen.
4. You get excited about setting up a new bank account so you can manage your own finances and transactions.
5. You feel proud that you can treat your parents to meals, and not just using saved up money that they gave you, but money you earned with your own time and hard work.
6. You have a ton of bills to pay and to contribute towards - utilities, mobile phone, petrol... You don't want your parents to pay for that much anymore, because it's your own responsibility now. No more frantic calls to dad from the mall, asking Dad, can I please buy (insert item here) on the credit card please?; you just charge it to his card, but you pay him back the following month.
7. You meet your client(s) and have to stop yourself from calling them Aunty/Uncle, because they are now Mrs/Mr ___. You have to be professional, you're an employee now, not a student anymore!
8. When you first started work, you used to feel excited because it was a new phase in life, but now you dread the long hours. You have become one of those people who preach to others, Make sure you enjoy your student years, because it will probably be the best time of your life.
9. You go back to your primary/high school alma mater to watch a school production, and see your ex-teachers and they ask you when you are going to get married, and you can actually answer maybe soon, in fact, that's my boyfriend just over there and not get mocked. You also realize that some of those teachers have known you since you were a 6 year old crybaby. You actually feel incredibly nostalgic (I went to the same school for 11 years). (Btw, Cempaka School's Box Office Production this year, Beauty & the Beast was good! I was pleasantly surprised and impressed! Now why wasn't I that talented when I was a teen...?)
10. You've been in a relationship that has lasted over the duration of 2 World Cups already.
11. You met your boyfriend when you were still a teenager. (I was 16, he was 21; and now I'm going to be 23 this year (What?!!), and he'll be.. Well, you do the math.)
12. You constantly look back and wonder where ALL the years went and feel nostalgic about it. (Yeah yeah I know I'm not really that old though, but it does feel like time is flying way too fast for me to catch up with!)


Wow I really do love making lists. I could go on and on and on but for this blog's sake I should stop.

I'm back from my uncle's house; Mel came over two days ago and helped me lug my luggage home in the rain, which was really sweet of her.

Yesterday was the last batch of presentations for our interims, so I went to have a look; after all, this is the last time I will sit through presentations - the next time I'm at a presentation, I will be waiting my turn and when that is done that's it! I am very excited about going home next year.

I've been having trouble sleeping lately - the day goes by so fast and everytime the night comes I'm super awake. Actually not just lately, it's been nearly a month now; ever since Wazir went home more than 3 weeks ago, I have been sleeping between 6-9am everyday, and I typically wake up at around 1-4pm or so. And for the past few weeks when I had classes, I was sleeping for only about 2 hours, then going to class, then coming back to nap.

I've also always been a day worker, not a night worker. I usually don't do any work past 10pm, it's just not condusive for me, although I know a lot of people work better at night. So for the past week I haven't done much work, needless to say. I've been to the pharmacy and they gave me some valerian vitamins which is supposed to cure insomnia but I don't think it has helped particularly... :(

Anyway.. Today is Brandon's birthday too, that little one is turning 3 today. I feel so bad for missing all 3 of the birthdays he's ever had but it's ok, da jie will be home next year ok? I don't want to miss any more moments. I miss my family. :(

Here's the cheeky boy a year ago after stuffing his face with doughnuts. This picture puts a smile on my face everytime.

And this is Wazir, Brynna, Brandon and I at my grandmother's house for Chinese New Year in January. I did not get to talk to Wazir very much because Brandon insisted on dragging Wazir everywhere he went.

Happy 3rd Birthday Brandon! Next year da jie will plan a party for you ok? Love and miss you lots!!

Here I am, at my uncle's house for a couple of nights. He's in New Zealand for a week or so, so I'm here to look after the place/hang out here because it's much more awesome than my own place. Seriously. There's an awesome view overlooking Crown and the Yarra. It's really beautiful and the house is great. As a student, using the 42" tv instead of my 15.4" laptop is a privilege, lol.

Shah and I even lugged my laundry here so I can save $10 dollars at my place. Do you know it costs me $3 to use the washer for only 24 minutes, and $1 for 15 minutes for the dryer at my place? It's ridiculous, and everytime Wazir and I do our laundry we spend about $17 or more in $1 coins. What a rip off.

I received some reasonable good feedback from my presentation and I've been pretty lazy ever since. I find it's the hardest to work after a presentation. Good feedback and I slack. Bad feedback I'm demotivated. It's never satisfying enough because there's always more work to do, more that could be added to make the project better.

Going to bake chocolate chip cookies tomorrow, the dough's already in the fridge and I'm going to pop it into the oven tomorrow. Thought I would do something for my uncle for letting me stay at his place and use his stuff. Plus everyone loves cookies and I do bake some great ones if I say so myself! :P I use this recipe I found online and I will put it sometime because it's really great. :)

Spoke to my old housemates Lynn and LY online earlier tonight and I miss them so much!!! We really had a good thing going on. Love you guys lots! I could not have asked for better housemates.

Looking back, I think Cenfad was one of the best times of my life. Well, of course I loved being a kid and being spoiled crazy by my parents; getting Polly Pockets and Barbie Dolls all the time and scolding my maid til she cried even though I was only 5 years old (I was horribly terribly spoiled and I'm so glad I am not that person anymore). Form 4&5 at Cempaka was great too; failing Physics and Chemistry for midsems and midterms when I had never failed anything in my life, and finally after great teachers, extra classes and tuitions I managed to rise above it. But my 11 years at Cempaka is a different story. :)

And now I am in Australia, I've been here for nearly 3 years and still I long to go back to those old times. Sure, the people there appear to be snobbish and stuck up, artsy fartsy people tend to do that; but the people at Cenfad were nice. Great friends, great tutors, laidback environment, and I learned so much there.

I learned that I was a spoiled private school kid, who could hardly understand a conversation in Malay even though I had studied the language for 10 years; that I could love someone so much more than I loved my ex; that I could make models and that I was a pretty good presenter, even though I was terrified of public speaking at school; that I could speak up and not be shy even though I was the most shy person before; that I was just a child even though I thought I was mature then.

I modelled a garment for the 2005 Icon Show exhibition because my classmate had to pull out. I was the worst model ever (short, all 5 feet 0 inches of me, and I think I was doing well until the actual walk when I got terrified seeing all the cameras flashing and all the people!). I made friends with people who were incredibly different from my usual friends (but of course I love you all still!), learned to speak Malay rather fluently if I say so myself. I was the baby of the bunch yet I landed the oldest guy for my boyfriend.

And a week ago, on the 4th of October, I realized that we have been together for 5 and a half years. (Can you believe that our first date was on 040404? Damn suay date right!) What an achievement. And I will forever be grateful to Cenfad for bringing me to Wazir - I don't think we would have crossed paths otherwise. We're of different ages, different habits, different lifestyles, different neighbourhoods.

Thanks Wazir for still standing by and loving me even though I whine and complain; even though (part of) my family is the most clingy and needy family ever (all girls ma); even though we are miles apart because of my decision to study overseas, and for coming to Australia even though it wasn't within your plan; for giving me support always even though I am the emo-est crybaby. I can go on forever but I won't... Lol.

I love you. :)

Just before we left for the airport.

I'm not going to lie, I miss him so much. :(

I had a final presentation for my elective two days ago, and yesterday an interim presentation for my studio, so now I have about 3 weeks to edit and finalize everything, and then I'm done with university!

But it was such a blow when I finished my presentations and came home alone - Wazir and I usually go out and celebrate but this time here I am Skyping with him and watching SYTYCD with the cat on the bed. -.- Am I becoming a boring old cat lady...?

Funny thing - I thought when Wazir is not around I would be saving money; but I seem to spend just as much. I buy take out more often because it's too troublesome to cook for just myself, and my phone bills are getting ridiculous.