88. the first prayer

After our solemnization, and photo ops and portraiture and what not, me and my husband finally settled into our bridal room. It was silence. Peaceful. It was around 8.30 pm, right after isyak prayers. The calm after the storm.

Right there and then, I rolled out the sejadah (prayer mat) he had given to me as one of the hantaran gifts, along with a telekung (garment women wear whilst praying). Instinctively, we decided to pray together. Solat jemaah.

The first prayer sealed the bond of husband and wife perfectly together. I knew the speed of my husband's prayer, his favourite surahs to read whilst he prayed, the angle of where he bent his head. It was a sweet, intimate moment, post prayer, when I kissed and salam-ed his hand.

For any bride-to-be's, I strongly suggest for you to pray with your husband. It is a sweet, tender moment you will remember forever.

87. i am a puan!

Alhamdulillah, our akad nikah and bersanding has passed! My husband managed to lafaz the akad once. Am so proud of him :) Hope to chronicle our journey as husband and wife from now on.

SDE - SOLEMNIZATION JUNEE & FAHEEM from studio24seven on Vimeo.

86. kes ragut/ assault + robbery @ oasis square

For many of those who know me, I was recently assaulted and robbed at B1 parking lot at Oasis Square, Ara Damansara.  Here is my Facebook post status which got a little viral.

https://www.facebook.com/junee.yusoff/posts/10152297636056776

I was not using my phone at that particular time. In fact, I had gone down to the parking lot with a colleague of mine who parked her car behind mine. She left for less than 5 minutes to retrieve something in the office. There was not a soul to be seen. Within that time, the attacker had assaulted me. He demanded my phone and when I had panicked and screamed my head off, he punched me in my face.

He took my Samsung Note 3, which I had saved for a long time, as a hantaran (wedding gift), before running off to his bike which he had hidden well, and drove off, I screamed for a good few minutes until my colleague came down. No security guards ever came.

The management team then arranged a meeting with me (where they had insinuated it was my fault for the attack by trying to established if I was using my phone at that time, or if I had any enemies) and asked me for some tips to make it more safe. I told them:

• Allocated single ladies only parking on the ground floor
• Increase more security presence

To my dismay, they have started:

• Giving out fines to ladies who drive alone (my colleagues) who park their car on the ground floor, saying it's for reserved parking POST assault, and;
• Every time me and my colleagues go down to the basement parking lot, it's empty. There is no security presence there post assault.

BTW the CCTV did not cover the area I was attacked in, and the quality was unclear for them to see the culprit's face. The management had admitted that there are many locations for the motorcycle to enter and leave the area, and that there was high probability that they will not identify the culprit. So whose fault is it now?

I am now terrified to go out alone, to be alone, and to drive myself. My fiancé has to drive me to work and send me to work as I can't be by myself any more. Who will replace my sense of insecurity? 

Please help share because the management doesn't seem to be making sense to me.

85. What makes a marriage work?

Me and the fiancé had an interesting conversation the other day.

He mentioned an article he read online, aaaand it goes something like this:

'Apparently there was this marriage counsellor, who wrote an article.. she said that nowadays the reason divorces are more frequent is due to the fact that women now are more independent compared to the olden days. Before this, women would stay at home, cook, do chores, have kids, looks after the kids, whilst the men would go out and find ways to make money. Men would be the one who cheat. Because they can. Women were more dependent on men. 

'But now, women are equally as successful, if not even more. Not all women stay at home, cook, do chores. Many women opt not to have kids. They find their own way to make money. Women are the one with the power to cheat.

'In the counselling sessions, the men had adopted more feminine traits, and the women adopted a more masculine trait. The men would be the one breaking down, crying. Whilst the women would admit, on their part, that they had cheated on their spouses. So in a way, society had switch roles,' he concluded, driving nonchalantly down Tol Sungai Besi.

'Okay, b, what is your point?' I asked.

'There is no point. Just sharing with you,' he replied.

Gender inequality or equality? 

When I thought about it, it's quite true. Women are so successful now! We are so driven and determined to forge our own career paths. And wow, my heart is full of pride to hear many females doing so well. Vivy Yusof from ProudDuck.com, Malaysia's own entrepreneur who successfully launched an online fashions store. Indra Nooyi, CEO of PepsiCO, the second largest food and beverage business in the world by net revenue. Beyonce. Oprah. Kimora Lee Simmons. Powerful, strong women.

Sometimes, I am scared at my own determination to make my own way in the world that I tend to say yes to every opportunity I get to expand my name.

But maybe... along the way, some career women (not these mega women) got caught up in the thrill of the chase. The adrenaline. It's fine when you start dating that you experience butterflies in your stomach. When you fret for hours about what you are suppose to wear on a date. When you're so comfortable with someone, you tend to forget about dressing up. Out comes the sweats, the hoodies. Letting him see you barefaced is okay. So maybe that is when the sizzle fizzles out.

BUT! When someone else woos you, you melt and immediately that's when the relationship is in troubled waters. That is when you forget about what you and your partner for life has gone through. Instead, you start having feelings for someone who is feeding you what you have felt before.

I don't think you get married, have kids, live old together and that's it. I think a marriage is hard work. I've witnessed many people who are married, and the love just disappears after X amount of years. All the imperfections are easy to see, easy to pick out, you begin to find his quirkiness annoying. All his flaws irritate you to no end.

So, in a marriage, I think there should always be a balance between partners. But the best thing is, to never let a marriage become routine. Yes it's nice to watch Walking Dead marathons. Go for brunch. Attend weddings together. Read books together. But the key is you need to always add spice and surprises. A vacation. A date. A movie. Reading interesting articles to each other, even if the other party is yawning away. A walk in the park. Roses. Chocolates. Special, er, nights. I think many people have emphasized on how sex is an important part of marriage. Hopefully, when someone reads this, he/she realizes that I love white and pink roses ahem. With God's will, may our union be blessed and full of good surprises!

This post is a tribute to my favourite Hollywood couple, BRANGELINA, WHO FINALLY WHO TIED THE FREAKING KNOT! I still love you Angelina even though you're a homewrecker. Ho!

83. HIV test

Alhamdulillah, we did our HIV test yesterday at Klinik Kesihatan Kelana Jaya (non-reactive for us)! For some bride-to-be's, here are some tips for you:

1. If you're submitting your marriage forms to JAIS, the borang ujian saringan HIV is available at the clinic. If you're submitting your marriage forms to JAWI, please download the Borang Ujian Saringan HIV from http://www.jawi.gov.my/borang/borang_hiv.pdf Make sure you print 3 copies for yourself, 3 copies for your partner.
2. As soon as your enter, turn right to "Kemasukan Pesakit Luar", counter 1, where you have to queue. No need to take a number. State that you're there to take the Ujian Saringan HIV for akad nikah; they will give you an additional form to fill in.
3. Submit all your filled in forms; the person behind the counter will pass you a number and tell you to wait for your name to be called.
4. Once your name has been called, collect the forms from the counter 1; they will tell you to proceed to the injections/tests area, where you place your documents in a document box next to the door.
5. Wait for your names to be called. 
6. When they call your name, go into the ward and have your HIV test taken. NO, it's not a big needle or syringe or whatever. They'll do an alcohol swab on the area, prick a needle into one of your fingers, then they'll swab blood from your finger into a test swatch thing (looks like a pregnancy test kit).
7. According to the guy who took my blood test, the test response takes very fast - around 15 minutes - but waiting for the doctor to sign the test might take up to an additional half an hour.
8. Wait for your name to be called out and receive your test results!

I was surprised that there wasn't even any charge for us (was expected to pay RM 1 per person). It was very fast and efficient (around 1 hour for everything). There's an open car park around the area for RM 3 per entry, so no worries about parking.

No need to take full day leave, half day will do. Come either morning session (not sure of the time) or noon session (2 pm - 4 pm). No appointments accepted, walk-ins only. This was my experience at government clinic, and a very pleasant and efficient one. Please note that the test is valid for up to 6 months only :)

Best of luck, future brides! This tips/advice is only for Klinik Kesihatan Kelana Jaya, am not sure about the procedures from other clinics.

82. One Step Closer!

Alhamdulillah, me and my fiance collected our Sijil Kursus Pra Perkahwinan (pre-wedding course certificate). It's a small feat but it's one thing less to worry about.

Honestly, there's still a long way to go. Since we have to complete the HIV test (it's valid for six months only), I thought I could get all the applications out of the way... but one person is telling me this, another is telling me that. It's too complicating...

Scenario:

Me and my fiance are living and working in KL.

Our akad nikah (solemnization/"I Do's") takes place in Putrajaya.

The lady on the phone told us that we could book the jurunikah (the guy who officiates the ceremony) from KL, no problem.

But when I met the lady to collect the pre-wedding course cert, she informed me that it would be easier to get the jurunikah from Putrajaya.

The problem is, if there are any complications, I will definitely have to take a day off work (or half day) as Putrajaya is quite a distance from my current house.

Add to that, when I called the clinic to make a booking for the HIV test, the receptionist informed me I had t otake HIV approval papers from JAKIM (the Islamic regulatory gov agency that controls all marriage application) BEFORE coming to the clinic. I prefer to do everything one shot. So, do I take from JAKIM KL? Putrajaya? 

Oh. And some other lady said I shouldn't do it too early -__- Then how the hell else do I book the jurunikah. Grrrrr. WAIIII MALAYSIAN GOVERNMENT WAI YOU MAKE IT SOO CONFUSING TO GET MARRIED.

81. Saturday with Seqoci's 1st Anniversary Tea Party

I received an invite to help emcee and help the launch of Seqoci's 1st Anniversary Tea Party on Saturday, 31st May at Royale Bintang Curve. I agreed to it because Tassa, a friend from a workplace had invited me, and another ex-colleague, Adeline, would be there. So I thought it would be super fun to work again with these ladies!

Adeline, Tassa and me!

(I don't really have any individual shots at the moment, Tassa is probably editing it cause I look like such a berk lol). It was a very intimate and casual event, with less than 40 pax. The guests comprised of winners of some Seqoci contests, Seqoci fans and Seqoci vendors.

(Sorry Suzy! Tak jumpa on IG, nanti I cari you  - picture from Seqoci IG)

Everyone was really attentive to Suzy, Seqoci's make-up artists for models photoshoot, as she demonstrated a day look and a night look on participants. I learned a lot about using base make up for the face, the differences between pressed, loose and compact powder. A trick to keeping make-up stay on is to use ice on your face before placing your foundation. Suzy was very helpful on the shades to use for Asian skin tone. Will definitely KIV her for my wedding make-up!

CandySofea giving tutorial on Adeline- taken by me

Another talented lady who spoke for the day was CandySofea; This model-cum-youtuber was very sweet in demonstrating different and creative ways to play with the hijab style of tudung. She even dressed up Adeline, who was a volunteer to try on a hijab style. You can check out her instagram at http://instagram.com/candysofea

Asides from the interesting tutorials, Seqoci had a special preview and sales for the guests, including Maysaa, Raqtive, Sooka Scarf, Kyla Ruiz, Nade el Luna and other brands, just to name a few.

We took home an awesome goodie bag containing:

•  A black slip skirt from Maysaa
• A black chiffon shawl from Miasweetopia
• Yasin and tasbih courtesy of Telekung Kareful
• RM 100 Seqoci voucher

All the brands are available under Seqoci, of course. Thanks Seqoci for organizing such a great event! It was a really great event to meet so many sweet and talented girls, some from Bangi, Ampang etc. I had a blast emceeing the event, and it helped my communication skills immensely.

And ohhh yeah! Some shots with big boss, Danny! This is the talented bunch behind Seqoci (minus Nana, who's sick). Visit http://www.seqoci.com for the latest and trendiest Muslimah apparels! 

http://www.seqoci.com

80. Food Review: Noodle Shack @ Citta Mall, Ara Damansara

Today, some colleagues wanted to watch the queen of movies, Angelina Jolie Maleficient at Citta Mall. I am planning to watch it with my fiance so I joined them for dinner beforehand at Noodle Shack, Citta Mall. 

Colleague: Ah?? Noodle shag? What you order, wan?

Me: Noodle SHACK LA!

-_-

Ridiculously sharp, stock-image quality, all the things my pictures are not photo from their website.

Although it hasn't received any halal certs from JAKIM, they do not serve pork and they claim to be MSG free.

I ordered the Sambal Chilli Shrimps and Eggs Pan Mee (RM 11.90), and Rose Tea (RM 4). After waiting for a bit, the long-anticipated meal finally arrived... and I gotta say, it is pretty darn good. The awesome folks knows that us Asians like the spice and heat when eating, so they gave us complimentary sambal belacan and soup with the meal (I had four small portions of sambal belacan because my colleagues was not into it).

 Sambal Chilli Shrimps and Egg Pan Mee

Excuse me for the low quality photo. 

Man, I really need a better phone if I'm gonna be commenting on other people's places. 

The Sambal Chilli Shrimps and Egg Pan Mee was really fantastic! Really chockful of flavor. The pan mee was not overcooked, it was still a little 'al dente', as the Italians would say. The minced chicken had a subtle taste of garlic. The egg was cooked and still runny. Love it when they cook the eggs this way! But the star of the dish was definitely the Sambal Chilli Shrimps. It was really good, wished I had more of it. When you mix everything together (with the sambal belacan condiments), it was like an explosion of Asian flavors and you just wanted more. I really loved this dish. This is saying something cause I don't particularly like noodles much.

Rose Tea, RM 4

The rose tea was surprisingly good; it was four small rose buds in a strainer steeped in hot water. I drank it 10 minutes after it was served, and the flavors were so intense. It was like drinking a hot and less-artificial sirap ais. Really flavorful. Nice to have on a cold, windy day. Being the Asian that I am, I forgot to ask if I could refill the glass.

Review Scores
Food: 4/5
Menu options: 4/5
Price: Affordable - less than RM 12 per dish; drinks were around RM 4 - RM 6
Ambience: 3/5
Service: 5/5
Overall: 4/5

Definately would come back again!

Details:
Noodle Shack at Citta Mall, Ara Damansara
G33A Citta Mall,
Jalan PJU 1A/48,
47301 Ara Damansara,
Selangor
Website: http://www.noodleshack.com.my/



Disclaimer note: This is an independent food review, in no way endorsed by Noodle Shack or it's subsidiary holdings. However, if the good people from Noodle Shack would like to send me some awesome vouchers, you can e-mail me at junee.yusoff@gmail.com

79. #kimye

Can I just say, even though pelamin is just temporary, this is the most elegant, simple, and sweetest pelamin I've ever seen, and looking at this picture, it's gonna be in all the pictures for all ages, for your kids, grandkids, etc to see. The dress is also very elegant and sweet on her. I love it, it's just flowers, none of that garden fence, styrofoam, foam thingymabobs. Simple and sweet.

Mana Faiz (my pelamin designer) ni? Haha.

78. khusus kahwin

Last weekend, me and my fiancé went to the compulsory khusus kahwin every Muslim couple in Malaysia has to take before getting married. In my head, I was like greaaaat.... a weekend gone... what can they teach me anyway? It was RM 80 at Masjid Al-Taqwa, TTDI.

So. Negative.

It was 2 pm - 7 pm on Saturday, and 8.30 am - 5.45 pm on Sunday, can you imagine?

So okaylah, I went there with the mindset to just get it over with.. faster take my cert.. 

But to my surprise, I learnt a lot.

I learnt about what a husband's duty is, and a wife's expected duties. About the doa sunat to read before... you know. I found out more about talak, and why a husband has to say it three times. Why women are not given the power. What the reasons are for getting married:

• Untuk memperoleh ketenangan hidup, kasih sayang dan ketenteraman
• Memelihara kesucian diri
• Melaksanakan tuntutan syariat
• Menjaga keturunan
• Cara yang halal untuk menyalurkan nafsu seks
• Mewujudkan kerjasama dan tanggungjawab
• Dapat mengeratkan silaturahim

So you get the gist. Going there, opened my heart even more to become a better Muslim, and also, to try
 and be the best wife possible. Insha Allah, I will try.

But when I looked to the men's side, where my fiance was sitting, he was asleep, mouth wide open -

77. a moment to remember

This is my seventy-seventh post! 
Wazzaaap. 7 is my lucky number, so double seven means double luck.

So, to watermark this momentous week (cause I just celebrated my 26th birthday on 7th April!) I want to post about what a sweet, romantic moment I had on Monday, 7th April 2014. Because it's so beautiful. Because it's an endearing moment. Because I want to be able, to remember this story, when I'm 40, 50, 60, or 70, and I want to remember all the details. Because if my kids ever asked about the day their father proposed, this will be the story ~~

I came back home on my birthday, and my fiancé was wearing his black slacks, looking out of place in the kitchen. He said he had a 'surprise for me'. I suppose the surprise was him cooking a birthday meal for me. He didn't want me to enter the kitchen, and shoo-ed me to:

"Go and do stuff, I don't know baby, go watch your movie or something".

So I was just minding my own business, looking at floral arrangements for my headband business (oh ya I have tons and tons of artificial flowers at home). Then, he came to me saying, "baby, I don't want you to see this, but can you help me open this??" As a person who cooks, I knew what the package was when I saw the gold, vacumn-packed sheets... beef bacon strips!! Haha. His first time cooking a complete meal and he didn't even know how to open a sealed pack. Ishk ishk.

After I opened it, I went about my own business (note: groom cats). Barely a few minutes later, he asked me:

"Baby, how can you tell if a errr, ahmmm, springy carbohydrate is cooked?"

-____- So I already knew, he was cooking pasta. Pasta + beef bacon = carbonara for dinner. I told him to how to cook pasta al dente (to him, it means it's not so starchy anymore).

So then I went about my business again... barely had  time to sit down... Then he called me to the kitchen to ask me:

"BABYYYYY IT DOESN'T LOOK GOOD".

He had also used salt very sparingly so it tasted so bland haha. So I added in some Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.

He told me to go into my room after everything, and told me not to leave the room at all costs. After 15 minutes, I asked him,"baby?? How long more is it gonna take?? I'm hungry"! And he shouted:

"PATIENCE I'LL CALL YOU WHEN I'M DONE." 

I folded some clothes whilst waiting for him. Was super hungry. Then, finally he called me.

So I came out of the room. It was pitch black.
Except for a trail of dim tealights.
Jessie J's "Domino" acoustic version was playing in the background.

It lead to a table, where the tealights spelled "MARRY ME?".



Here's the funny part. I was dressed in a baggy yellow shirt, and he was dressed in black slacks and a checkered red-and-white collared shirt, and smelled really good. So I ran back to my room shouting:

"BABY WHY DO YOU LOOK SO HANDSOME?"

He looked so baffled haha. I changed into a red dress I had.  Walked out again, this time, he held my hand, said 'I love you', then got down on one knee. I actually can't remember what he said, I was really overwhelmed with emotions. He had set the table next to the balcony, it was pitch black, and we could make out the hills and the highway lights in the dark. He told me he had sweated so much trying to set up the candles haha.

The pasta was alright, but it was a beautiful night. A night to remember. He mentioned the last time he saw me wear the red dress was to a date we had in Publika. The restaurant's closed now. We talked, about our future. And I know, this man, who attempted to cook for me, is truly the man for me. And I can't wait to grow old and have kids with him :)

76. of cheating men

Actually, I've been wondering why this Hanez Suraya name is suddenly so popular... then on my Facebook feed, terkeluarlah update from beautifulnara.com tentang the whole instagram upload, the fact that the guy she's going out with actually is still married... this Hanez went to Thailand on holiday with this celebrity... That Hanez uploaded a picture of her and his children.

The truth is, once you are a celebrity, you are a public figure. People look up to you. People talk about you. People want to be you. So when you go out with someone who already have kids, mestilah orang tertanya. Lagi-lagi kalau upload dekat Instagram. Anak sapa ni? Nak tunang ngan ayahnye ke? So, I don't agree with what she did, even if she did not know he's still married. If anything, should have waited until they both kahwin, baru boleh macam mak orang. Usually, private matters should remain private, but this is what happens when your dirty laundry is aired to the public... when you have 100,000++ followers in Instagram.

This is an article I read from Mr R's wife... it's quite sad, to find out your husband's infidelity from your friend... from the social media...

I can understand a little of what this lady is feeling, tapi kenapa blame Hanez sahaja? Kenapa tak blame Mr R. sekali? Memang susah nak faham sikap lelaki macam ni yang suka main kayu tiga ni. Lagi-lagi yang dah kahwin, dah beranak. Ishk, memang geram with this sort of guy. Tuhan dah kurniakan you with a beautiful family tapi still nak main kat luar.

Actually, I dah write quite a bit... but lately before posting I always take a few seconds to reflect, is my posting positive or negative? Will it affect the world for the better? For my case, yes. Kalau ada any of my readers, yang male reading this, please understand, marriage is not a joke.

It's not easy. Once you kahwin, you kahwin until jannah. Forever. The end of time. Dosa bini you tanggung. All the smile and laughter, is caused by you. Tears on her face too. A woman bears the scars of pregnancy, stretchmarks, extra weight, so she can give birth to a life, a human being, created between the love of a man and a woman. Koyak segala-galanya. The pain she bears before pregnancy, during, and afterwards - it's not a joke. During pregnancy, she's up all night vomiting from the morning sickness. During birth, she's tearing her body to give birth. Post birth, she's bearing the physical marks and scars. She has the responsibility to feed and nurture her child. So please, janganlah just 'up and leave' her. Find beauty in her smile, the journey you've shared, and cherish that. All 'hot piece of ass' will eventually wither anyway.

I hate cheaters. Liars. It makes me sick that you can 'love two women' or claim to have so much love for other women, sedangkan you dah janji untuk forever and always with someone first. There's no such thing. Jodoh you dah ditentukan Tuhan. But it's not just gonna stay all roses and shit forever. You have to work at it. Nothing stays the same, so it takes both parties to work at it.

Perempuan pon, if you're going out with someone who *might* be married, find out everything you can. Kalau tak, jatuh maruah you. Kenapa nak kacau rumahtangga orang lain? Just chill, leave it. You're so beautiful, you can probably find another man anyway.

Okay end rant. Sorry.

75. race to the finish

Ya Allah, grant me the patience, humility, strength and grace to do my full time job, Floralistik headband project, and a third part-time digital content strategist project with all of my heart, and may I never tire, all in the pursuit for a better future and wonderful wedding.

73. a little gripe about booking halls

"PPj berhak untuk membenarkan atau menolak sesuatu permohonan sewaan tanpa memberikan sebarang sebab atau pun menarik balik tempahan serta tawaran penggunaan ruang/tempat di atas kepentingan dan keperluan PPj tanpa notis atau bayaran ganti rugi."

THANK YOU PPJ THANK YOU! THANK YOU SO MUCHHH!

72. Making the hantaran (Part II)

For part I, click http://latteandfrap.blogspot.com/2014/01/71-making-hantaran.html 

Sorry guys, have been busy with a new job, cleaning up houses, cat problems, wedding plannings etc. I'm sad to say that my photographer didn't capture pictures of the hantaran individually, just as a group, so there's no pictures that focuses particularly on every hantaran. A bit sad, as the hantaran arrangements were really nice and these pictures doesn't really do it justice, but it was miscommunication on my part too. She still did an amazing job with the photos.

By the way,  if you are look for dulang hantaran arrangements, on a budget, contact me at 012-6355432 :) We can work out a budget, I'm sure of it. Whatsapp or SMS me!

Anyway, here's the gist of the hantaran:

(Top shelf L-R: Fruit basket, Ferrero Roccher, two books - Ibn Al-Arabi's Bezels of Wisdom & Bounty of Allah; Bottom shelf L - R: Macaroons tier, cookies  and pineapple tarts, and sireh junjung).

As you can see, the decoration was very simple, but sweet and romantic. Here are some shots of the dulang, pre-decorated, with some details.

1. Sireh junjung

I really wished there was a picture of the sireh junjung as it was made the night before with Sheila and my stepgrandmother. One of my best friends, Sheila, was supposed to bring fresh roses for the sireh junjung, but due to complications, we ended up using a mix of fake roses for the hantarans. Doesn't matter, still looked beautiful. It was RM 6 for a stem of 5 flowers. I bought 6 stems, along with some fake lavender stems (RM 5 per stem) and two bunch of hydrangeas (RM 3 per stem). No pictures for this, the base was just the  base polystyrene covered in lilac silk fabric.

2. Macaroons

The counter lady lied too, and said that the macaroons wouldn't melt. Well it did!! It was like RM 4 per piece and wouldn't fit into the container I had  prepared earlier. It came in an ugly box where you couldn't see anything. Ugh I would have changed this idea if I had the chance. Future brides, please don't get macaroons. They meltttt. The stand was borrowed from Sheila, polished by a best friend, Sarah, using coca cola haha. That stuff works.

3. Fruit basket

My best friend, Cellene, made the arrangements of the flowers on the fruit basket - it looks so sweet, right? I forgot to take the glass container from my house, so we had to arrange the fruits carefully, less the cherries and grapes fell out. Thank you to my mom for buying the fruits, she insisted on paying Alhamdulillah. The trick is to pour some minyak masak (I used olive oil LOL) onto tissue paper and wipe all the fruits with it. TQ Sheila for helping me with every little cherry.

4. Ferrero Rocher

We were scratching our heads to present the ferrero rocher because the box was wider than the hantaran tray. I sawed off some polystyrene somewhere and pinned it to the base using pinheads, and managed to "artfully" arrange the chocolate box. There were two circular stickers on the top casing (now covered by the white flowers) which said something like Merry Christmas LOLOL so my stepgrandmother managed to cover it. Yay!

5. Cookies and pineapple tart

We cut circles from the balance of the lilac silk fabric used to line all the trays and glue-gunned it to the top of the container head, which was an ugly red (if you live in Malaysia, you know what I'm talking about...). Then we gluegunned some ribbons (90 cents from a shop!) and some beaded flower decos. I loved the deco for this tray (Cellene decorated it) but there's no close-up shot of it.

6. Book

Two books, purchased from Kinokuniya - the total was almost RM 200. I love this dulang too.

7. Cake

The cake stand was basically half of Cellene's vacumn cleaner box, cut in half, then covered with layers of shimmering white and lilac organza paper, with the flowers gluegunned to death on it. I think the cake box was a bit overdone to be honest, but we learn from past mistakes. If you are planning hantaran ideas, please do not get Secret Recipe cakes. Originally I had planned to get cheesecake, but upon the cashier's advicement - she told me cheesecake would melt and chocolate cake would last the whole day - the cake had melted and sagged a mere few hours later.

Conclusion

Maybe I'm 'syiok sendiri' (full of myself) for saying my hantaran is cantik, but I think it was beautiful because my closest and dearest helped me with decorating it :) The dulang can be re-used for my future solemnization event. I'm always thinking of ways to cut cost and diy-ing everything myself so my friends and family become victim to my project haha. Learned a lot, so I'm more prepared for my wedding hantaran now. I actually enjoy my time doing this, so if you are look for dulang hantaran arrangements, on a budget, contact me at 012-6355432 (whatsapp/sms/call) :) I loved trying to find the flowers, matching the color combos etc. and I know how stressful it is, so do contact me!

71. making the hantaran

According to Malay customs, the groom will give a certain number of hantaran (gifts), usually in odd numbers, which the bride reciprocates with additional two hantarans in return. The hantaran will be exchanged twice: once during the tunang (engagement ceremony), once during the akad nikah (solemnization ceremony). Usually for the engagement, perishable items are exchanged, along with one item that is meant for your fiancée-to-be.

He gave me five trays and in return, I gave back seven trays. He gave me:

1. Tepak sirih
2. Fruit basket
3. A jar of chocolates
4. Kain (fabric to make clothes with)
5. Engagement ring

So I reciprocated with:

1. Sireh junjung
2. Fruit basket
3. Chocolates (Ferrero Rocher)
4. Chocolate cake (Secret Recipe sudehhh) this melted under the heat
5. Pineapple tarts + cookies
6. Macaroons please do not get this as it melts really, really fast
7. 2 books - The Bounty of Allah and Ibn Al Arabi - The Bezels of Wisdom

Initially I was going to hire someone else to decorate the hantaran as I had no idea how to even proceed with such a task. After researching, I was quite shocked at the price demanded... and I read that many girls did their own deco for their hantaran, so I decided to visit Semua House (Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman) and GM Klang. I scored some trays and stands, flowers, ribbons, sequins, fabric, and details for a considerable amount less than what I would have paid someone else to do it for.

My choice of flowers was based on my dress (lilac); so I bought white, lilac and green paper roses (which looked pretty real), some lavender stems and some hydrangeas (not in picture). One bunch (had 5 flowers) was around RM 5.90.

The flower choices may look odd to you, but after we made the hantaran, it looked very nice hehe. Will update in part II about the hantaran... TBC ;)

70. engagement!

Apologies for the late blog post :) It has been a very busy and hectic past few months, and I hope to keep updating frequently now so I can look back from the future and chronicle my journey... towards becoming a future wife :) That's right! I was engaged on fourth January, 2014 :)

As of now, I am someone's fiancée. I will post soon about the process, from merisik, to engagement, and to the future wedding plans. Pretty much everything up to now has been diy, and with the good grace and help of my family and friends :) Will post pictures and my journey for this beautiful chapter of my life one by one. 

All I can say is it took me twenty five years to finally find a man I can hopefully look on to, to lead me physically, spiritually, and emotionally. In return, I hope to be his crutch for the rest of our lives together. He is my best friend, my confidante, my joy, my everything. I am so excited to be embarking on this journey to tie our union together. As for now, here's a picture of me and my fiancee :)