aliaaiman - Undecided

I think the only reason why I get lazy to do wedding errands is because I'm undecided on what I want, if that makes sense. Everyone wants a perfect wedding, but then you start asking "what combination would give a perfect wedding?"

Is it colour A + flower A + pelamin type A + wedding dress design A or all type B?

The more I give myself time to think, the more magazines I flip, the more ideas I have, the more things I want, the more times I change my mind and....of course the more stressed up I feel and subsequently my parents feel. If only weddings aren't expensive and time consuming, I think I'd do receptions all the time. With the same guy. But different themes every single time. Haha! No mama, just this once ok? (I foresee her gritting her teeth if she reads this giving me a lecture about do you know how much time this takes and do you think money grow on trees kinda lecture). Haih, so much love for your parents right, they work so hard to give you the best in everything. This is what you call marah sebab sayang you know.

Anyway, over the weekend I sat down to (once again) finalize exactly what I want. From the pelamin, to the stage to the drapes, the flowers at the high table, hand bouquet, colours for the family and the  stage etc, all to be passed on over to my wedding planner to see if he can replicate or reconstruct my ideas to become even nicer. I even made a powerpoint presentation for him to run through line by line items. Last I checked, seller does powerpoint presentation for the clients. Not the other way around, haha!

All these in between running in and out of a meeting to plan the Young Corporate Malaysians Summit 2014 this December! (Hint hint)

Also, I've finally found the time to see the designer to confuse them seek their advice about my wedding dress designs. Sketched a few, tried a few and came out of the shop happy with what I wanted my dress to be like!

....before I changed my mind when I got home because I had a different idea of what I wanted 90 minutes later.

I SO KNOW I'm going to want the total opposite in the future, but for now "I can't wait for wedding to be over, really". Haha!

No more

 

I came back from CIMB SEA Games recently with a silver medal and...an injured ankle. Only this time, it was a terrible injury. That was worth it. That I don't mind going through the pain for. bla bla bla. Ok I shall stop now. 

My point is, that was my first ever SEA Games and I was incredibly excited that I was pushing myself like crazy at every training I had (and it wasn't many because I couldn't get time off from work). 2 days before we flew off for SEA Games we had a friendly tournament with some professionals and that was the beginning of a nightmare for me. Had a little accident during the second game and the ankle gave the loudest C-R-A-C-K I've ever ever ever heard in my entire life and almost immediately I felt faint. All the time thinking "SH*T it's broken! It's broken! It's broken! I'm so gonna get scolded!! It's broken!!". Was taken out immediately and attended to by my teammate who was trying to correct the twisted ankle. 

A game, a bandage and full consciousness later I went on to play the final 2 games and pushed through all the way scoring goals after goals I almost forgot about the ankle. Of course the next day, I wasn't able to walk properly anymore and was limping with ice pack attached to it the whole time (yeah yeah ok padan muka siapa suruh main). Worst times are in the morning when I get out of bed and it stings! So a night before flying off, I had to go for Physio at a sports physiotherapist and OH-MY-GOODNESS-SO-PAINFUL-I-CAN-FAINT.

However, there is something about that pain that feels very satisfying, I can't describe it in words, you've just got to believe me or feel it for yourself. Of course that would require you to sprain that ankle first for a good cause. LOL! SEA Games is held every two years, and 2 years ago I wasn't allowed to play as I was based in the London office. Last I checked London was not part of South East Asia :P Thankfully on competition day, I had enough adrenaline to push me through and amazing contingent-mates who strapped my ankle so tightly that I managed to run and played for team Malaysia. Frustrated I was for not being able to run as much or as fast as I wanted to and winning only the silver, but I felt proud watching everyone battle it out on the field and winning it as a bigger team, Team CIMB. 

I don't deny that Futsal is a dangerous sports, very injury-prone and perhaps some feel that it's a little rough for girls, I partially agree, but hey I can tell you once you start playing, you will never want to stop competing for your team! The feeling is just so so so motivating! :) But for now, I'll be out of games for at least a month whilst my lil ankle goes through recovery period unfortunately. A tad sad but if I plan to continue playing in the future, I've gotta do what an injured football player gotta do - REST AND RECOVER.

Ho well, it's a good reason to start looking into that wedding chores to be done ey?

aliaaiman - SIMS

So I was busy stalking looking through Instagram when I realized Aiman switched on his laptop to play SIMS. I never knew how to play SIMS so I was a bit kepochi poking my head in front of the screen to see what he was doing to those humans on screen. 

Click. Aiman made the boy talk. 

Click. Aiman chose the way he had to speak.

Click. Aiman made him go to the kitchen to take out some chicken front he oven to eat as he was hungry.

"Eh? How is it that the chicken was already there?"

"He cooked last night"

"You mean YOU made him cook last night?"

Click. Aiman made the sister who just woke up go to the toilet to pee. 

"OMG! The brother can see her peeeee!!! (Mind you she was only in her undergarments)"

"Noooo la. Ada wall la (There's a wall). When I play I just take down the wall, but actually ada wall so the brother cannot see"

-_________________________-

"So you just control their lives hari hari je la?"

"Yeah, but there's KPI this thing. Like his sister ni nak jadi professional thief in the future. So now I have to make her pickpocket 5 people, that's the KPI"

Click. "Arghhh nooo, that girl knows she wanted to pickpocket her, now awkward dah"

-_________________________-

Adapt

Have you heard of that phrase "Treat others the way you want to be treated"? 

I realise that it actually happens. To me.

I've been observing myself (hahaha I sound like I'm not attached to my own body!), and I do realise that when someone speaks politely to me, I naturally will do the same and would probably become super duper friendly. When someone speaks to me grumpily, I tend to speak right back at them the way they spoke to me and when someone gets frustrated for no reason when speaking to me, I often choose not to speak back at all and probably would continue doing what I was doing or leave the place i.e. watch TV, read a book, continue working. 

Naturally, I believe someone does earn respect because of their character.

SUPERMOKH

Watched the restage of SUPERMOKH last night for CIMB's Corporate Night with our clients and the musical just reminded me of so so so many good memories. Supermokh, as fondly known by many was the legend of Malaysian football. He was one of Malaysia's most celebrated sporting icons who has inspired many! 

When abang and I were younger, we made a visit to Allahyarham's house to learn and get to know more about his life as a footballer. His wife who we used to call aunty Ina happened to be a family friend's best friend. I don't clearly remember every single detail of it, but one thing that I remember from the visit was going through loads and loads of photos of Supermokh in the field, at training sessions and podiums - often proudly carrying the Selangor and Malaysian flags. 

Throughout the show, there were a couple of scenes during the show that I felt I could relate to. 

First 
In one of the scenes, Supermokh mentioned that Selangor paid their athletes well -he used to get RM 28. When I heard this, I remembered how I used to feel the same - that the Selangor state takes very good care of their athletes and I happened to be one of the very privileged one to be serving the state in Rhythmic Gymnastics. We used to have the nicest track suits, the benefits of all those professional doctors' treatments when I had to get my toe stitched up and go through physio when I couldn't walk, supportive management, and monetary allowance as well as rewards when we brought home medals for the state. Hat's off to the Selangor state, I was very well taken care off under their management. 

Second 
Once when Zarina's best friend played by Dina Nadzir was falling head over heels for Reduan Abdullah, she made a statement "Saya sokong pasukan Johor, apa kata korang join je Team Johor?" (I'm a fan of the Johor Team, why don't you guys just join Team Johor) 

Reduan's immediate reply was "Hidup mati Mokhtar takkan tinggalkan Selangor" (Over Mokhtar's dead body, he will never play for any other state but Selangor) 

There is something about state loyalty that you cannot take away from most Selangor athletes and truly, when I was at a crossroad right after representing Malaysia (whether do I stay in competitive sports and (perhaps) become a coach one day or do I drop sports and get down to studying full time?) I was awarded the Kolej Tuanku Ja'afar scholarship and with that I had to relocate to Negeri Sembilan. At that time, I was given the choice to take up a sports scholarship to switch and become a Negeri Sembilan athlete. Right that moment, it was an easy decision to make and that is if I can no longer represent Selangor, I am not going to represent any other state. I quit sports after 9 years of serving the Selangor state. 

Having had the opportunity to represent Selangor and Malaysia when I was in my non-studying days, it brought so much great memories watching Supermokh last night. Added with my passion for performing arts and football, there was no better combination of the things I love than this :)

aliaaiman - Sneak peek into the future

When it comes to timing, I love planning everything by the minute. Why? Because then I know how much time I have left before the next appointment and I can make sure I'm not late to the next one. Most importantly, I can plan nap time (something I've been needing lately). I get very very agitated if I'm still on the way 5 minutes before. Even if I know I can be there 2 minutes before - technically that's on time. 

So last Saturday I had a jam packed day having to attend an event first half of the day with the Boss, had a 1-pm lunch meeting with a colleague, then bridesmaid-dress meeting afterwards, followed by another event to attend later in the night at the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra. On days like this, I want nothing but a plan that's scheduled by the minute or otherwise I'd forget where I'm needed and at what time. 

Later that night when Aiman arrived to fetch me to go to MPO, he looked so rushed and a little annoyed. He feels that everytime he comes back to KL on weekends (yup, we still go through a not-so-long-distance-relationship), his schedule is jam packed and it just so happened that of all days, he just felt REALLY EXHAUSTED that day. And btw, from where I live, we had to be at KLCC in half an hour (of course we arrived there late. Even missed the first opening act, lol!). So then he decided that "Tomorrow we're going to have a chilled day, no plan plan like we have to be here at this time la, there at that time la....that time...that time...". 

I thought, "Ok, we'll do whatever you want. But you have to tell me what time the plan starts" 

"After Zuhur" (Read: Open timing with no exact time) 

So the next day, I went on with my plans, had a good long family breakfast before I continued to do YCM work and got really into it. At 1pm Aiman called "This is a quick one, the YCM CEO Series this week bla bla bla...can you email me the details. Ok thanks bye". STILL NO INDICATION on the TIME. At 1.30pm I called him to let him know that I've sent over the details for YCM, and whilst at it asked him "where are you?" 

"On the way to your house (and about 5 minutes ish away). Also, change in plans, we're not going to Bangsar, we're going to Subang to collect something from my sister" 

(5 minutes?! Seriously?!)

-_____________________________________- 

I was comfortably in my PJs and had to go rush to shower, get ready and by the time he got to the guard house, I have yet to pray. He called to say "Sayang, the guards said you didn't call them to let me in. How?" 

"What how? You have my access card, masuk je la" 

"That's the something I'm supposed to take from my sister actually, she has it" 

-______________________________________- 

30 seconds later after I've called the security guards, he called  "I'm here outside, let's go!". 

"No, I still have to pray first" 

"WHAT?!" 

What "WHAT?!" ? 

No more random no-time kinda weekend ever again. I can get high blood pressure.

Of course afterwards, he knew how to make up for it. By fattening the both of us up with crazy ice cream marathon! Haagen Dazs, Baskin Robin and Inside Scoop. All in an hour.

I think he forgot we have our own wedding to attend in a few months. Or maybe he thinks it's a cute idea to be chubby couples.

Oh Aiman. 

aliaaiman - Make up artists

I'm probably not that adventurous when it comes to exploring new people for wedding. It's always I-see-their-good-work-at-a-friend's-I'm-going-to-book-you-for-my-wedding kinda engagement.

So the same went for my make up artists, I've always had my eyes on 2 particular make up artists. I think they do an amazing job all the time! So the time has come for me to choose which one I want, I went to approach both.

...and I've decided to take BOTH.

I wonder how long I can last using this whole I-cannot-decide-I-want-everyone-let's-hire-everyone tactic of mine! :)

A much needed break

Sometime earlier this year, we planned for a trip to Greece when Sya finishes her exam. However, the world was shaken by the recent MH 17 incident and so many had advised for us to stay put until at least things have settled down. 

So instead of Greece, we decided to go to Tanjong Jara instead. We stayed at the YTL hotel and  did activities just within the resort. It's a very very nice resort, I'd go back again and again! So relaxing and beautiful all at the same time, The water was clear, the beach was clean, the company was nothing short of perfect :)

A very much needed break.