HarmonyUs Sovereigns

103~ Our Tweentieth Monthsary

2008-11-10T15:00:00.001+08:00

: A HarmonyUs Sovereigns Love Day Out :

Honestly, this time we had both forgotten about this month’s monthsary. We were so caught up with our uni work; worrying about assignment deadlines and tests that eventually took a toll on our memory. Fortunately, NorMala had recently celebrated her 26th birthday in the same month and was uploading some photos when she came across some of the pervious monthsary pictures. It immediately had struck that we had not celebrated this month’s one and what’s’ worse was that it was actually her turn to organize it. So we’re just more than delighted to have remembered to celebrate our Love again this month.

To appreciate the opportunity, NorMala thought it would be a great idea to release some tension from work by spending a day out doors. After attending our friend Yassin’s wedding, we prepared to set off to a carnival that was held in the city. We have never been to a carnival together and this was one of our first-togethers. We met up with some pals and scoured around to explore what was in store. Equipped with our Hot Chicken Rods, Hot Coffee Bun and Dreamy Extra Choc Ice Cream, we kept entertained and still at watching the performances for a few hours. Near sunset, NorMala then invited SyazWan to enjoy the set of the day with her at The Empire. With no object, Syazwan agreed and we then made our way there.

On arriving, we headed to the pier and sat by the sea shores that waved our welcome. It had been while since we had enjoyed the sunset beach side together, and we deeply missed how it really soothed our souls. The sun set on the far left side this time, reminding us that would have to always come back to enjoy the sun set from every side. Familiarly, rain started to drizzle after the orange day faded and we then headed off to meet up with our friends at the golfing range, further continuing our exploration of the day.

Golfing at the range was indeed another first- together which we thoroughly did enjoy, almost to a point that it would prove a potential addiction. It was great! And we would perhaps very much likely go again. Swing after swing, our golf balls would fly as expected and mostly unexpectedly, skills definitely commanding much practice to improve on. After an hour, we continued foot printing our day out enjoying some local delicacies on a stick- which actually seems to be the main theme of the day we thought- receiving things on a stick, no pun intended. LOL. Good satay is always nice- Beef, Chicken and Ostich please! And later that evening, after sending off some take away home, we ended the day by going to the movies for a light comedy show to tickle our tumms.

Although it had perhaps taken some time to celebrate our Love this month, it certainly lived up to its events to make up for the lost time making it quite the unique one- a surprise we are glad to have stumbled upon.

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri!!

2008-10-02T23:00:00.000+08:00

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri Maaf Dzahir & Batin to all friends and family out there. We are very grateful to celebrate this day again with all of you. We we would like to apologize to each and everyone of you for all the mistakes that we have said or done (or both) to all of you. Hope we are forgiven. Enjoy your Aidilfitri celebration with your families and friends too. Enjoy all the food that are going to be serve, enjoy each moments you will have and hopefully this years celebration still going to be a very eventful one and left a very beautiful memories. Last but not least, "minta ang pao ih" =p

Once again,

SELAMAT HARI RAYA MAAF DZAHIR & BATIN

103~ Our Seventeenth Monthsary

2008-08-11T01:11:00.000+08:00

: Our Romantic Picnic at The Beach :

The car engine stopped and whaddaya’ know- Pantai Muara! NorMala’s guess was right. SyazWan had planned a secret mini beach getaway to celebrate Our 17th monthsary. It has always been one of those things that us HarmonyUs’ look forward to every month. Since it was SyazWan’s round to plan this months’ monthsary celebration which he had so thoughtfully and carefully maneuvered with great success, NorMala easily displaced it into her subconscious mind. Being swamped with her work and busy dealing with her transition into Uni, there were plenty that occupied her. Hence, there isn’t a wonder why she had completely forgotten about the monthsary until the greeting text msg she got from SyazWan that midnight. Thankfully, SyazWan was absolutely generous to have forgiven her. The next day, SyazWan returned from his inter dept. football tournament that morning to prepare the amenities for the celebration. On his way to fetch his already eager and excited fiancé, he made a short pit stop to the florist. When he arrived (with his perfect gentleman behavior), he lead her to the car and opened the door for her. NorMala could only smile away and played along. His first question was if she wanted cakes, which took her quite a while to answer but eventually resulted a yes-of course! We drove to fluer d’lys and picked out our Favs. We then started making our way to the surprise getaway where NorMala never stopped guessing and looking for clues. SyazWan would feed her false info to leave her to her curiosity and forbid her everytime from looking into the backseats where he had placed all the preparations. But as soon as we got nearer and nearer to the destination, it obviously revealed itself. It was the beach! Be it any beach or perhaps just a strip of land with water horizon scenery- you’ll be sure to catch NorMala’s breath. She absolutely loves them. So you can imagine her delight to finding that the surprise was this. She smiled at SyazWan and thanked him for being so sweet. We unloaded our stuff and chose a shady spot by the beach coast. SyazWan then laid all the things in place while NorMala helped. He came well prepared, complete with the rug, his guitar, food and a bottle of bubble for us to have a wonderful romantic getaway at the beach. And it certainly was. With all the stress happening, the beach view and breeze was altogether therapeutic and romantic, especially when you’re with your fiancé. It was a great idea and totally what we needed to kick back and relax. When we were about to take out the food, SyazWan surprised NorMala again with a red rose which he had hidden in one of the containers. She awed with sweetness and thanked SyazWan again. We then cracked open the bottle of sparkling grape and cheered on to celebrate our 17th Month of Living, Laughing and Loving together. We took short clips of us soaking in the sun and kept each other busy for the rest of the day.

103~ Our Sixteenth Monthsary

2008-07-10T22:37:00.000+08:00

: Sizzling BBQ Hot Lovers Day :

It’s Our 16th HarmonyUs Monthsary and being NorMala’s turn to treat, she gave Syazwan two options of either treating him to throw a bbq or a weekend hotel sleepover with friends. Syazwan didn’t take a minute to pause and immediately admitted to wanting the bbq. It was the perfect time to throw one since many of his friends had just come back from UK and the semester holidays had just fallen through after their exams. Unfortunately, it was only a great convenience up until we had to move it up to Friday afternoon, 9th of July, from the Thursday night actual plan, because of Our weekly Thursday night Tahlil at his grandma’s house. It would’ve been great to have it at night to avoid the hot weather and clashes with wedding functions. We also decided that it would be nice to collaborate it with his siblings to share the moment with us since we decided to have the bbq at his place.

So, with everything in plan, we took to the supermarket and got our groceries a day before the bbq. It was never really directly displayed as our 16th Monthsary bbq party or said as such in the invitation texts but really only mentioned when guests asked why we decided to have one. Wearing our matching lover shirts that we bought on our holiday to KL, we welcomed the guests with our smiles and worked together at spending time with our friends. The menu that day was of course bbq chicken, sausages, and crab sticks together with some seafood balls. Special in the house was the chef help who so nicely offered his service to bbq them for us and also create the juicy lamb chops which were absolutely crazy delicious! Besides that we had fried noodles, sandwiches, brownies and fun donuts. As entertainment, we had board games, playstation, karaoke and good company to offer which we all had great fun with along the day. There were guests coming at every hour on the hour which actually lasted up until midnight with SyazWan’s friends. Although we had completely exhausted ourselves throughout the day, we were happy just being able to spend the Monthsary together and celebrate it by throwing the bbq. It was a pleasure to have spent the celebration with our friends and Fam for the first time and we look forward to having some more in the future.

103~ Our Fifteenth Monthsary

2008-06-11T04:00:00.000+08:00

: Lovely Lunching :

HarmonyUs Sovereigns 15th Monthsary at Matadoe

“So will we be celebrating tomorrow?”, Normala asked Syazwan while sticking her head out of the sliding doors. “We’ll see”, replied Syazwan. And that was the last of Our plans for our 15th Monthsary celebration which was actually nothing at all infact. This week is right smack in the middle of Syazwan’s semester exams and as predicted from our last episode, Syazwan is too busy and occupied revising to plan anything for our Monthsary hence not expecting any real celebration was a given thing. But thankfully, Syazwan found some time to bring Normala out for lunch at Our Fav place Matadoe. He only texted her that morning saying that they would meet up after work for a simple Lunch Celebration. Normala was happy to just have the chance to celebrate. On our way there, Syazwan apologized for being too busy to organize anything and admitted that the lunch was not going to be anything great. Normala assured him that she was totally alright with it and she couldn’t be more pleased and thankful to him for just finding the time for it.

So as we arrived, being the usual gentleman he is, Syazwan opened the doors for Normala and lead her towards the restaurant. The waiter opened the door and we made our way to Our Fav spot in next room where there were some sofas and enough seclusion. We were the only ones in that seating area. Since we had already known what Our Fav dishes were, it didn’t take any time for us to go through their tangy coloured menus. We ordered the Baked Macaroni with chicken and olives for Normala while Syazwan had its delicious Beef Lasagna. We personally think Matadoe serves the best Lasagna in Brunei. Absolutely and with no doubt! And as for drinks; we had the Tea Tarik Float and Blueberry Fizz; perhaps you can guess who had which drink.hehe.

While waiting for our orders, Normala got busy to adjusting good angles for her camera and Syazwan replied his never ending text msgs. Luckily, we were both done with them in time when the food arrived. In between bites, we shared stories of the morning’s agenda and not long after were up to one of Our normal doings of cracking jokes and minor flirting heee~ Like always we had a good, fun time there and like always we left with a take away box in our hands. We always have a hard time finishing our meals there as these gourmet dishes are always extra filling. As a tasty treat for our eyes while settling our tums, we spent some time visiting the Haus Interior Designs shop just next door and fiddled around with their sleek cushions and albums. After that, we left for home and Syazwan headed off to his Study Group to continue his revision.

The Monthsary celebration this month was wonderfully appropriate and simple yet very pleasing. We both agree that we could have celebrated it better but taken the circumstances that have arisen this week; we are very mutually content with it. Especially since we know we’re in for a great 1 week together for Our June Vacation abroad, excitement and fun is what we’re already definitely going to endure soon hence something simple is perhaps perfectly called for now. We can’t wait! =)

~ Good luck to Syazwan for his semester exams and hope you do well! Amin~

103~ Our Forteenth Monthsary

2008-05-10T23:00:00.000+08:00

: A Night of Lovers :

Our very dear BFF Fariha and her fiance, Shahrin, is getting married this 16th and incoronation; NorMala and some friends held a pre-wedding party for them. It actually started as a plan to throw her a bachelorette soiree but with her decision, she agreed to just have the party instead. Without much choice; it just so happens that it had to fall on the same date as Our 14th Monthsary. It was NorMala's turn to plan something for this months' monthsary but with all the bussiness happenening around her, she could'nt plan much. She talked it over with Syazwan days before and asked for opinions on what he would like to do, but even though he was determined not to contribute any of his ideas, he was thankfully forgiving for her lack of time and preparation for the Monthsary. And with enough sweet talk and love candy NorMala successfully bribed Syazwan to allow her a pass. So, we eventually decided that we would just celebrate our 14th Monthsary alongside with the pre-wedding celebration, thus it was literally going to be a night for the loved ones.

On the morning of the day, NorMala was worried and checked up with Syazwan again to reassure everything again. In the midst of the morning rush hour, she explained herself to him in the car on the way to work. It started with the Monthsary greet and later to how sorry she was for not being able to prepare anything great. There was a plan to surprise him in the morning- since it was the only part of the day We had time for eachother, but since she hadn’t enough time to prepare the day before, there was no way that the plan could’ve worked. Syazwan just smiled away and told her that there was no need to fret at all since he didn’t mind and understood everything very clearly. He praised NorMala for thinking of such a sweet gesture to surprise him in the morning and added that it would’ve been really great if it had fallen through. But even though it didn’t, things are still just as great just being able to meet up. He also mentioned that it would be exam time next month for him so perhaps the same fate would later ensue him too.

It was a packed day and though we could only catch seconds together, We were quick to make up for the quality time lost. Believe it or not, We celebrated by bonding through Our IM’s throughout the day were We concentrated on the important values of Our love together and got down to the core of defining the moment. An instant dose of refreshing yet romantic and lovely boost of greatness for Us both We think :) Then later that evening, We only met up again that night in time for the party. The party was held in the Damuan Room, at the Aneka Rasa Restaurant in Kiulap, which was a nice comfortable space especially reserved for private functions that accommodated up to 50 guests. The floor ran through indoors and outdoors of which the veranda had served as the buffet area, the tables were decorated with floral arrangements and a karaoke bar service was also included. It was a perfect homely comfort getaway for a moderate pre-wedding party with friends, just enough to thread out tension/stress the bride and groom had before their big day.

Since NorMala and her BFF's were having a sleepover/mini bachelorette party at the Palms Garden Hotel that night, we prepared there before the party and met up with Syazwan at its Lobby. Shahrin was caught in work bussiness and had to join us later. So, a few minutes before eight, we left the hotel and made our way to the restaurant where we were welcomed by the Sheff Girls. Fariha was also welcomed with a tiara for her title as the queen of the moment and ex-housemate, Hawa handed her a lovely flower bunch made by herself to match it. Much of the organising was thankfully arranged by Hawa, and we all extend our greatest thanks to her. As soon as we sat at our seats, NorMala and BFF Zanna smiled in excitement seeing their masterpiece banner already put up on the wall. It was a joint project/gift for the bride-to-be that took half a day to complete and a list of mixed ingredients of laughter, glitz and smoke! haha (I'm sure Zanna would assure). We had lots of fun doing it and it certainly was'nt a waste of our effort. It looked gooooD! We've yet another project to accomplish for our wonderful babe on her special day- Can't wait!

So as the crowd mingled on, the event processed along to reading the Doa for praise to God. Then Fariha clinked her goblet and gave a speech, thanking everyone and feeling very touched by the efforts made. We love you too Far! Hehe. Later, she was asked to play the game of finding her gifts which was firstly found behind some large speakers and secondly under a table of flowers. Everyone enjoyed the thrill of watching her hunt out for them, shortly after, we finally dined. By now, Shahrin had returned to Far and the king and queen of the moment were then reunited. The menu included delicious corn soup, fried rice, beef curry, sweet and sour fish, honey chicken, steamed mixed vege and beancurd stir. And also traditional malay cakes, fresh fruits as well as coffee and tea as refreshments. They were all very yummy to the tummy, and as entertainment we had karaoke performances from the queen of the moment herself to yummy our ears. She sung love songs for her fiancé and also to her beloved guests which continued to cheer her on throughout the night. Some others also had a go at the karaoke bar, including Us; HarmonyUs Sovereigns. We attempted unfamiliar duets and thankfully got out of them alive hehe and later some solos alone and with others too for fun. We Love karaoke hehe!
Not long after, a surprise cake-cutting session took place. Hawa brought out a lit up choc cake from the back and the crowd sung Allah Peliharakan Kamu to the bride and groom-to-be. Afterwards, everyone continued taking turns at the karaoke bar and many laughs were shared at the joke of making the day rain.

And as the party dwindled down to the strike of eleven, we packed up our stuff and before leaving took pictures for memories then bid our goodbyes to everyone. NorMala and her babes made their way back to the hotel and as Fariha and Zanna went to the room, NorMala bid her Monthsary goodbye with Syazwan to end Our day and stayed to see him off. For the sleepover, we stayed up chatting and laughing it up in the room while watching a love dvd and continued the mini soiree of three with breakfast and a brief company of the bride-to-be to her wedding fitting the next day.

As a reminder of Our 14TH Monthsary, We share a text from Our IMs sent between us:

My dearest fiancé, your apology accepted, I also want to apologise to you for every mistake that I’ve done and for sometimes not being the man of your dreams. But I will never give up to be a better man than the one in your dreams. And with how there’s things that you control me of, I’m greatful to you and Allah for turning me into a better man. I appreciate that you never gave up on me and made me the happiest man alive; you are the most special gift to me ever! I will love you for eternity xoxo- Syazwan, 10th May 2008.

PS. We would like to wish Our very dear BFF Fariha and Shahrin the very best of luck for their special day and our sincere congratulations for tying the knot and thanks for their invitations and true friendship. Lots of love, eternal happiness and babies hehe- We toast to the bride and groom!

103~ Our Thirteenth Monthsary

2008-04-11T03:16:00.000+08:00

: Newly Engaged In Romance :

Thursday, 10th of April, 2008; marked our 1st Monthsary together as fiances', it is Syazwan's turn to organise the days celebration and there had been no surprise to what his plans were. He had suggested that we just have some luxury dining at the beach or seaside to enjoy its wholesome scenes but he also wanted to try out the Red Canopy; a place he managed to scoop out from his BruStu's. NorMala had always heard of the restaurant but never got to try it out since she thought that it was a Chinese restaurant, but in actual it is'nt. NorMala left the decision to Syazwan to choose the location because she was ready to be surprised with anything.

That night Syazwan picked NorMala up from her BFF gather and after staying for a while, we bid our goodbyes and drove of to the cinema to pick up our movie tickets. Syazwan had surprised NorMala with that, she had no idea that they were going to watch a movie yet alone what it was they were going to watch. But she rather just played her cool and sat back. Once we got them, we then made our way to the Red Canopy. Again NorMala had no idea what was to be expected except a restaurant with small curtains; a detail hint that Syazwan had told her before.

When we reached there, we went in and walked in to find a waitress already waiting to lead us to our table. It was the furtherst one there, NorMala already excited after noticing the special treatment and curtained partitions bound for each table; she was even more surprised to see the table. Syazwan had actually been up to planning a romantic candle light dinner for them. There set up a lit up candle, specially folded napkins and at the end a rose bouquet. A delightful surprise indeed, especially for the deep romantic such as NorMala, her face glowed and her eyes twinkled! hehe. NorMala thanked Syazwan right away and praised him for his perfect effort. He confessed that he had went to buy the rose bouquet and checked out the restaurant first before he booked the table to be set all special which was all done in secret during NorMala's tuition class. Syazwan also stressed that he knew how NorMala just loves the idea of seclusion for a special, private and intimate meal for two so the curtains were a wonderful touch. The serves were well and the company the best! Thus we had a great time there. We left for the movie and watched 'Street Kings', a solid movie we thought. Being late, we headed home and said our goodnight. The next day came and we were happy to remind each other again of the great time we had last night, we just kept on smiling non stop hehe.

103~ Our Engagement Party

2008-03-16T10:00:00.000+08:00

: One of Our Grand Moments in Life :

HarmonyUs Sovereigns Engagement Party at The Palm, By Saffron

Thank God it was possible for us to have our Engagement Party on the weekend of our Engagement week thus allowing Us to have all our Celebrations bundled into one week. We just loved the idea of celebrating Our Anniversary prolonged to a week and the having it differently just couldn’t be minded. For our Engagement Party, we also had the requisite list of things we did; i.e. bookings, shopping for deco and accessories, etc. all of which were well prepared even before our Engagement Day. Hence it was only up to the actual day to set everything up.

That Saturday afternoon, once NorMala had come home from work, she met up with Syazwan; who was already at her house busy preparing the banner for the night. Then we packed all that was needed for the occasion and loaded it into our cars and planned to meet up at the location at 2pm with our relevant crew. We had booked ‘The Palm, by Saffron’ as the location for our Engagement Party. It is a perfect place for the reception, just enough space, charm and seclusion for a private HarmonyUs Sovereign Engagement Party for sixty and bands. NorMala was the first to reach there and upon her arrival, the bands and Syazwan’s BFFs were already there to offer their lending hands. We unloaded our things and the girls started with the decorations while the guys checked in to the rooms. We thought it would be great to have small sleepover amongst our group at the Hotel and besides this it would be of so much convenience to our preparations towards the event.

It was wonderful to have the restaurant close up half of its area to us in order for us to prepare everything before hand and also be helpful with setting them up. They were great service. We set up the table decorations and blew out the balloons while the band equipment was prepared. It was a sexy pink and black theme. At every black covered table sat a center piece of either pink flowers with a strawberry scented tealight or crystal runners with pink hearts confetti. And with every seat came a favor; a black covered square box tied with pink ribbon and thank you label. We also left some pink and black message notes for the guests to leave a note for the Newly Engaged couple if they had felt like it. Other decorations included the alternate pink and black balloons that were stuck on every wall. And as the main attraction; we had the pink and black banner placed at the feature wall which was later festooned with heart shaped red, silver, black and pink normal balloons. We must admit there’s no denying that we did a fine job at it, the place looked spectacular!

During the preparations, when all the table deco was set up, the girls started to progress to their saloons to get ready for the event. NorMala went to the near by Kathy Chai Saloon situated just beside the restaurant and hotel. She had her hair washed and curled ready for the big night. Syazwan was the first to finish getting ready and was the first on the welcoming scene. In his smart black suit, collared shirt and shoes and sleek pink tie; he handsomely welcomed everyone with his charm and good looks. A combination of NorMala falls weak in her knees for hehe. And as a celebrating surprise for the men, Syazwan handed out chocolate flavoured cigars from his jacket, just like a mafia god father he might add :)

A few minutes after eight, NorMala came down from her hotel room ready to join her fiancé. As a perfect king and queen who reigned the night; his lovely bride-to-be was of course perfectly matched with him. NorMala wore a black strapped pretty pink silky knee length dress that had black velvet tiny dots and patterned designs at the end. And to glamour up, she added matching black accessories and shoes. She absolutely felt like a star that night, a fame shared with her fiancé later on when camera shots started flashing as soon as they were reunited. Syazwan welcomed his beautiful fiancé and whispered how wonderful she looked; she held on to him and returned the praise. With their sincere greets and mega smiles; they escorted their guests to their placements. During this, the first band ‘Devine Intervention’, strummed their tunes and the waiters and waitresses started serving the drinks from the bar. After a while; Syazwan and NorMala took to the seats at the featured wall and enjoyed the melodious sounds played by the bands. The songs played were mixed Malay and English Love songs and both local and abroad. After the first, ‘A Band Once’ took on the performances second followed by the 'Three Act Tragedies' a rock band known to be champions of the Bruneian Battle of the Bands. The rock band was especially suited for the rockers at our party that didn’t mind waiting` til later. All the bands that played that night were brilliant, truly talented and very much appreciated for their wonderful performances.

In between the entertainment, the Newly Engaged formally greeted their guests, thanked them for coming and then invited them to start the buffet dinner. The feast included a main course of roasted chicken, fried rice, veges and noodles, then fresh fruits and orange peach punch for refreshments. They were all splendidly delicious. After everyone had finished their dinner; Syazwan and NorMala then welcomed the cake cutting ceremony. The cake was sent to their table by Syazwan’s Uncle; where some people had naughtily sung a birthday song as a joke for the couple as they cut the cake together. The smiley couple then fed each other tiny portions of the cake and sent it off to be cut for everyone to have a taste. The performances then continued throughout the night with additional surprise performances from the Newly Engaged couple.

In the first instant; when ‘A Band Once’ was playing Eric Clapton’s; ‘Wonderful Tonight’, Syazwan surprised NorMala by taking her hand for a dance. With not much option, NorMala took to the front with Syazwan and slow danced as much as she knew how hehe. She felt incredibly shy but at the same time was completely taken by Syazwan’s sweet gallantry move that tears of joy were formed. Syazwan whispered in her ear the words ‘I love you’ and strengthened his clutch holding her hand. It absolutely was Our Romantic Moment that we surely will cherish forever. After we returned to our seats and enjoyed the performances again, it wasn’t a while after that we took to the front again to perform our songs. We introduced our duet song and with many nerves kept at bay; NorMala started singing then Syazwan. Though stage stiff, we were determined to rock the song to our liking which we did do with fun, especially since it was Our Song. The song is called, ‘Shy That Way’ and was created by Fav musician couple Tristan Prettyman and Jason Mraz. We are both big fans of them. This song was introduced by Syazwan when we first got together and mostly depicts how we both love to keep things shy between Us as it leaves much to the mystery and drives us crazy in love for each other. It’s a beautiful sexy tune too. After that, Syazwan sang another song, but this time solo and most especially for his bride-to-be. It was called ‘Love Song’ made famous by 311. Having done our part there, we checked up on how our guests were doing and rotated around the floor. Then stricken eleven, everyone started to leave. Each guest, thanked Us for the invitation, dropped Us some comments to how they enjoyed the night and bid us many congratulations. With much gratitude for coming, we said goodbye. Alongside everything, we had our handy and keen, well talented photographers, C Bui (who was our Photographer for our Engagement Day) and his colleagues from CPS Photography taking our pictures, making sure we didn’t miss any memory. We took several pictures with our guests and by ourselves, inside and outdoors (including a photo of a reenactment of the HarmonyUs Sovereign Proposal. It was much like a whole photo shoot session and thus very glamourous! Hehe.

When everyone left, We and some friends stayed back to remove the decorations that we wanted to keep while Syazwan dealt with the payment. We took more pictures to end the day and returned to our Hotel Rooms for an extended party of our own which actually didn’t last too long as we were already in much exhaust.

Our HarmonyUs Sovereign Engagement Party was a success and we are very happy it turned out well. Now that all that we have wished and hoped for so far has now come true, we will wait patiently until the next time our other prayers are granted again and the already accomplished greatly treasured as Our Grand Moments Together forever.

103~ Our 1st Year Anniversary

2008-03-11T10:15:00.000+08:00

103 HarmonyUs Sovereigns Engagement

: We Got Engaged!!! :

With no surprise and plenty of preparation building up to this day, we are now finally getting to live this a waited moment. It was certainly very fortunate for Us to get Engaged on the very same day as Our 1st ever Anniversary which marked an excellent start for our most golden moments for life.

From the very beginning of our relationship, we had always known that we both were very serious with each other and were already at intent to seek marriage in one another despite Syazwan’s young age. We only needed time and fate to tell us when. The very first mention of an Engagement between Us came as just a mere question at first. Then, when we discussed it; NorMala hadn’t realised that Syazwan was actually being serious about it. He said that he had already made the decision to get engaged at least after a year being together. And NorMala couldn’t think of a better and more appropriate plan. We did however make more specific plans to have it after his graduation but we realized that waiting until then didn’t make more sense than having it earlier. Since we were having our 1st year Anniversary soon, we thought it would be grand to have it on the same day; we just didn’t want to waste the gloriousness of the special day.

Therefore when the time came, Syazwan waited until after his birthday to break the news of his plans to get engaged. It was his first time at asking something this important to his parents. Even though quite confident in confronting them with it, his only worry was that he didn’t have any idea to how he would start the conversation. It took him a few discussions with the entrusted before he finally came out with it to his Fam. It took two weeks to roll and come back to us with a definite agreement and we were both very delighted to hear it when it was determined for good. Thankfully there were no problems- no problems in the decision of the couple to be engaged and the tentative dates and time settled upon. It was going to be a Monday night function, a school night and also during the monthly test period for the kids; but this was a minority since the main guests were to be the elderly anyway. So gratefully enough, things were all on a go.

The preparations started with the most exciting part~ Choosing the Rings! We had secretly been scouting for the rings even before the final agreement had been made with the aim of Syazwan getting NorMala two rings; a golden one for the ‘Pembuka Mulut’ and another white gold one for ‘Bertunang’; a choice made according to NorMala’s taste. Though the male side isn’t supposed to get a ring according to our customs; but NorMala decided that she wanted to get one for Syazwan too, perhaps as just a gift symbolizing a joint sign of love. Syazwan loved the idea and got into the excitement of choosing his ring too. After many journeys to several jewelry dealers we found our Fab rings and booked them to size and date.

Next, we got our heads together and thought of possible plans for our Engagement. We made the decision to host two events namely our ‘Bertunang’ and Engagement Party with the intention of not missing anyone out. We wanted to have one event for each of our Family and Friends circles respectively. Once we dreamt up our desired Engagement receptions and with both parents consent on everything; we were never endingly busy on the go looking for the best possible deals. We made caterer orders, camp bookings, photographer bookings, accessory bookings, restaurant bookings, band bookings and what have you. And in the midst of all this; we were also doing our invitations, preparing the decorations and favors and also visiting the tailors for fittings. Indeed things would’ve been a hundred times simpler if we had everything done up to a coordinator but then again; we were persistent in having our engagement HarmonyUs Sovereign Signatured all throughout. And we really enjoyed the whole experience of working together and being hands on with everything full of our personal touches anyway, honestly it was a lot of fun! But might I warn anyone who is wishing to do the same; packing some extra patience would do a lot of good.

Counting down the days towards our engagement and as keyed up as we were, we couldn’t forget to remind each other again of our excitement to getting engaged. Be it the regular sweet texts or just the silent profound glances we manage to signal one another in secret; but as a rule we loved doing it out in the open clandestinely. Singing and dancing, having our own parties before the actual day; we were deliriously happy and as funny as it may sound; it absolutely felt like we were in a fairytale animation or bollywood movie hehe. Then reached day zero, when all that we had worked for was put to the test and the only time when everything would start to take its real form. Undeniably, the day would have to be the busiest where all the necessities were expected to arrive, to be picked up and put up. Of course there were the normal few odd problems here and there, which were obviously beyond our control like timing and rain right before Syazwan’s entourage arrival; but then again there were just as many miracles that night too. One instant is how the rain magically disappeared the second they prepared to leave for NorMala’s house. Thankfully, everything went down harmoniously right.

Indoors, NorMala was busy getting dressed and prepared for her entrance in the hall. But this didn’t omit the occurrence of a small merry soiree enjoyed with her closest friends and colleagues which with much appreciation accompanyed and delightfully entertained her during the wait. Though this was enough to aid her nerves at calm, NorMala remained close to Syazwan by being well in contact with him through their cells. In our patience; we eagerly waited until the signal for the entrance. NorMala was to exit her room with an elder escort along with three young maidens that bared gifts for Syazwan’s side and make her way to the hall where the females were located. In her sweet pastel pink French laced self designed and tailored modern baju kurung; NorMala demurely made her entrance by carefully making her way down the steps of the stairs and on to her seat at the white golden beaded square consecrated mattress. Within the slowed minutes of her entrance, detailed close attention could not possibly have been ignored. NorMala’s dress had red, blue and yellow beaded accents with a compromised youthful matching veil that sat trailed on her shoulders and it was uniquely adorned with an ivory bronze floral tiara at top. She received many lovely comments on how she looked that night; one of which also included her looking like a fairy, a perfect suit to her flutter of happiness in the enchanted otherworldly enfold.

As soon as the discussion amongst the elders had dwindled down to the switching of bared gifts from either side, NorMala received her Rings along with a bowl of assorted ‘Harmony’ Chocolates. Then on behalf of Syazwan, the mother of the groom-to-be; Syazwan’s Mother, slipped them on to her left and right forth fingers respectively to seal the agreement. NorMala then enthused around the room to shake her guests’ hands with many thanks and plenty chit chat prior to the function proceeding to dining. NorMala took some pictures before greeting her guests’ goodbye and waited for Syazwan to come over and take more pictures with her.

Syazwan at home, stayed indoors with his closest friends too. They played ps games while waiting for the entourage to return home. When they did, they immediately handed his gifts from NorMala. It was a ring, a cake and a tray of assorted traditional sweets made of rice and herbs. His Mother slipped his Ring on for him and they cut the cake and gave out the sweets to taste. It took Syazwan a while to finally make his way to NorMala’s place but as soon as he did; We took pictures during Our own moment of exchanging the Rings. Later, We enjoyed our first dine together as fiancés devouring our catered dishes and finally ended the day chatting and watching the recorded clip of Our Engagement with NorMala’s Fam.

The HarmonyUs Sovereigns Exchange of Rings

Star Light Star bright,
The first star I see tonight,
I wish I may, I wish I might,
Have the wish I wish tonight.

For what a wonderful night it was, A Holy bond witnessed underneath the Luna moon and glittering stars, with our loved ones to rejoice, and a great pleasure for Us to share, May Our Almighty protect and persist our HarmonyUs Sovereigns as one until their nuptials be said and forever after. Amin! :D

103~ Our Eleventh Monthsary

2008-02-11T06:00:00.000+08:00

: He Proposed! :

Let’s have it at the Palm! We both broke into the same suggestion at the same time and since then it was official that we were going to have our 11th Monthsary at the Palm Café and Restaurant. We had gone to the Palm’s for a couple of meetings already before this with its manager; Robert, to discuss our Engagement Party plans. Being Malay, all our major events are made through a whole manner of disciplined mutual agreements hence likely missing the greatness of moments like getting proposed- like in the movies. As usual, before deciding anything, everything must be in line with every elder. Thus, since everything about Our Engagement was all settled already, NorMala had no idea what she was in for this Monthsary, except her mention that it was one of her dreams to have a proper proposal for her engagement.

On that afternoon, Syazwan picked NorMala up all suited up smart and handsome. NorMala found it a bit strange at first but let it go by reassuring her suspicion by thinking perhaps he had just wanted to make the extra effort. We made our way to The Palm’s and ordered our lunch meals as soon as we were comfortable. We decided to have our Monthsary there mostly because we wanted to have a try at its food and service. So far, it was all good and up to our standards. The place is compartmentalized into two dining areas; one hemmed with wide clear glass windows and doors, there is a bar in the middle and just outside sits a charming pool. The pool is mostly used for the fitness facility above the restaurant but private function hosts are allowed to use it to their advantage too. We had never been to the pool area and NorMala suggested that perhaps it would be a good idea to check it out after Our lunch. At first, Syazwan rejected the idea, afraid that we didn’t have time since we had a previous engagement to attend after. But, as soon as he started to notice that there were a quite a number of people coming in, he abruptly changed his mind and took NorMala up on her offer. Then she had begun to realize that something was really up; judging by how her finace- to- be was acting so differently. She asked him why the weirdness? He replied nonchalantly that he merely wanted to see the pool and take some pictures there. NorMala just played along with his plans. We got up from the table and walked outside to the pool, it was empty. We watched the ripples on the water and stared through it looking at the patterned mosaic tiles. We noticed a seating area with umbrellas on a leveled veranda and Syawan requested we take Our pictures there. After we were done, we sat there for a bit just enjoying the noon breeze and that’s when it all happened.

Syazwan called out NorMala for her attention as he took out a small red box and got down on one knee beside her chair. NorMala just smiled and covered her mouth with surprise, realizing what it was all about now. She laughed shyly and Syazwan took her hand and uttered the words, “Siti Normala Binti Haji Awang Damit, will you be my wife?” gleaming a wide smile while holding out a ring. It was her old ring that he had given to her from the beginning of their relationship. NorMala had given it back to Syazwan for safe keeping to bare her fingers from any rings which was just another self preparation for their coming engagement rings. She smiled excitedly looking at him and replied “Yes! I will”- followed with a giggle. It was really all quite funny how everything was played into the whole proposal especially being in broad daylight, this didn’t help in making the moment more romantic than it should’ve been she thought. She had always pictured a romantic scene to be at night view rather than day light. Syazwan did think the same too and actually did plan for Us to have the celebration that night but since unavoidable circumstances forced us to move it up to lunch time, it was inevitable. Furthermore, since it is never in our hands that things take a change in plans sometimes, it is nevertheless considered to be the norm. Syazwan carefully took the ring out and slipped it on NorMala’s finger. After that, he led her down the steps of the veranda and we left for home to prepare to go to the football field. Syazwan had a family game to participate in. We all then went out for dinner for some good local ‘soto’ soup noodles after and as soon as we were washed up from the days’ events, we cribbed in for a dvd the rest of the night just resting ourselves or perhaps preparing energy for the next months big day! Oh Boy, we can’t wait! :D

With special thanks to Syazwan for wanting to make his fiancé-to-be, NorMala’s dream come true~ and know that it did, just because it was you at the end of that ring :) Also for making the 11th Monthsary mean so much more than just another Monthsary to Us.

103~ Our Tenth Monthsary

2008-01-11T06:00:00.000+08:00

: We Are Our Own Lobsters :

There goes a saying that every lobster has one for itself in its whole life- no matter how long lived, like a soul mates, these couple of lobsters will always be and stay together everywhere as if in love. So as the saying goes, Syazwan is NorMala’s lobster and NorMala is Syazwan’s- We are Our own lobsters for life!

However, disregarding the saying, another thing about lobsters is that they make fine sea food. As we picked up the menu, we noticed the extravagant seafood section. We swooned over the dishes that we had never ordered, which was the lobster and crab. The pictures looked so good and tempting, so in our excitement we decided that we were going to go for them. Nothing else looked better to eat at that moment. And it was official that we were having a seafood celebration this Monthsary.

On that Sunday afternoon, we thought we’d celebrate the Monthsary early in daylight during lunch time and thought that it would be nice to just have it somewhere close to home. We went to the newly opened WYWY restaurant branch nearby and when we arrived, there weren’t that many people, a perfect solitude for us, we notioned. After the waiter took our order, we took some time chatting away and telling jokes to each other. It did take quite a while for Our food to arrive as our orders where quite the complicated ones, but when they did; it was all worth the time. They looked spectacular, dressed just like in the photos. And fortunately enough, they tasted just as good. We had the Chili Lobster and Black Pepper Crab. When we started with the Lobster, we thought that we had to roll up our sleeves for it, like what we did for the Crab but it didn’t require any of that hassle at all. It was already skinned off from the flesh and its meat was just hidden under its shell which was by now, cut into small pieces and made into tiny fillets. No wonder it took a while to cook!? The Crab was as usual, required some work and we were very blessed to have sat secluded from the rest- hence reducing us getting embarrassed by our jovial eating habits hehe. We must admit, our lunch did take some time and it was definitely wasn’t the type of dishes to order in a hurry. Luckily, we had time to spare until our next appointment. But being large portions, we just could not devour all of it; we settled for perhaps a little bit more than half and decided to take the rest home. It was great food for a great occasion and we certainly hope to do it again some time.

After our lunch celebration, we picked up Syazwan’s little bro, Anz from home and headed of to his Aunt’s to welcome her home from her hols in the UK. In between, we met up with NorMala’s BFF n fiancé; Farisha, and purchased a movie to relax to after, one of Our Fav things to do together (if you hadn’t already noticed that). And as we unwounded the days’ events, we still could not forget the sight of the lovely red delisc Lobster we had, reminding Us again to the start~ how We Are Our Own Lobsters for Life and Beyond! :D

103 10th Monthsary at WYWY

103~ Our Ninth Monthsary Overseas!

2007-12-11T11:00:00.000+08:00

Spot the 9?

: On Cloud Nine :

It was in our greatest fortune to have our 9th Monthsary fall very close to our second holiday in Kota Kinabalu. We flew there on the Thursday and our Monthsary was on the following Monday, so we decided to celebrate it on the weekend in KK. It was going to be our first overseas Monthsary celebration and indeed in its own self respective way would be one of the most special. We were there with Syazwan’s Family and were on a role to attend his relatives wedding. But before that, we went wild on shopping and enjoying the scenery and more distinctly the Islands they have. We went snorkeling to experience the spectacular marine life and visited its sandy blue beaches. It was certified fun. Specifically for our 9th Monthsary, we dined in the infamous Secret Receipe at the new Square. Syazwan being a ridiculous Hot fan, ordered the Chicken Noodle Tom Yam Soup and NorMala opted for its famous Beef stew. While waiting, we chatted about how wonderful the holiday had gone and how we loved our snorkeling experience. We took several pictures of experimental ways to form the number nine with our food and appreciated our newly bought matching watches. We thought it suited the occasion very well. Once our dinner was over, we headed off to the water front to meet up with the rest and later shared coffee at the nearby Star Bucks. A celebration we will always remember-Snorkeling, Secret Reciepe and StarBucks all wrapped up in a day! :)

HarmonyUs Watches

103 9th Monthsary in KK

103~ Our Eigth Monthsary

2007-11-11T06:00:00.000+08:00

HarmonyUs Sovereigns

: A Traditional Affair :

That Saturday afternoon, Syazwan picked NorMala up from work like every other Saturday. We have been doing this since we started going out; Syazwan sends and fetches NorMala on every Saturday so that we can spend more time together and go out for lunch straight away after work. Besides this, we also think that this would be good training for Syazwan in the long run ;). When he arrived, NorMala surprised him with a small tiny love letter. Since it was his first, he wasted no time to open it. It said, “Happy 8th Monthsary, I love you & I can’t get enough of you! Hugxoxo”. He thanked NorMala and greeted her back lovingly.

On this celebration of our Monthsary we decided to go traditional. We had been craving for ‘Ambuyat’ for quite a while now and thought that it would also suit well with the months’ monthsary since we have never celebrated it traditionally. We went to The Aminah Arif Restaurant (a restaurant specializing in ‘Ambuyat’ packaged menu deals) and ordered a bowl of the traditional delicacy. Along with it, was Syazwan’s Fav Kang Kong Vege Stir Fry, Beef Stir Fry, Steamed Fish and some raw veges with chilli salsa. There were a moderate number of people there, all enjoying the Bruneian dish as well. When everything arrived on our table, impatiently, we dug into the steamy bowl with our ‘candas’ ( thin long slender wooden tongs) and yanked out a stretch of the rubber-like glutinousness, then expertly coiled it to our tastes and dipped it in its hot sauce. Delicious! We must admit that those couples who can’t share this delicacy together, it’s really a waste because its one experience we recommend not missing, after all sharing is always best with your loved ones. Another thing about ‘Ambuyat’ we think is that it’s addictive. When you start with your first taste you just can’t stop. Perhaps it’s the after effect you get when you swallow it down, the warmth of it sliding through your throat or the aftertaste of sweet sour hot chili that releases explosions in your mouth and head; but either way it’s awesome! If you’re lucky enough to get it hot enough, you’d get a runny nose and start sweating. We think this a sign of really enjoying it. Syazwan is so much more of a hot craze than NorMala, perhaps a trait descended in his fam.

After we settled our tanks and paid the bill, we headed of to the grocery store to get some ingredients for the nights plans. Every Saturday Night we like to get together with some friends and hang out. This Saturday Night we thought that it would be nice to stay in for some cooked dinner and watch a dvd. NorMala cooked her special wet noodle pak choy chix dish (always promoting her greens to Syazwan) (and friends!) hehe. Then, in the middle of the movie we had a short warm milo n cake break, feasting on some cakes that we had bought earlier from a Fav bakery, Bakerlyn. Celebrating on work days are always made simpler just because we always fall exhausted fast at the end of the day. But, we felt the celebration went really well and was more than satisfying, there would’nt be anything more left to ask for than just to have a great time together ;)

103~ Our Seventh Monthsary

2007-10-11T09:00:00.000+08:00

: A Fasting Celebration :

103 7th Monthsary in Fasting Month

Today marks our first Monthsary celebrated in the fasting month. We both realized this from the beginning and exchanged opinions in excitement to what we would do for it. After our sixth month, we had been preferably making our decisions together, always checking with one another first with every single thing, perhaps a trait followed on after choosing matching colours for our Hari Raya clothes. And perhaps the best thing ever since thinking is just half the run hehe. Since it is the fasting month, the celebration only started after the break. NorMala thought that it would be nice to break our fast at a hotel for a big buffet and Syazwan made the bookings. We tried many hotels, looking for table vacancies and choosing menu deals at the same time. Eventually, we managed to book a table at the Orchid Garden Hotel where they were serving a spread of Western dishes. We made our way there that evening and hurriedly found our parking space after hearing the ‘azan’ start. We made it just in time to our table and quickly nibbled on our dates, we didn’t even get to see who were sitting on the other tables. In no time the buffet tables were completely flooded with people waiting to get their share of bites and we joined in at the appetizers stall. We took almost everything, an attempt to taste all the dishes but as usual, it didn’t take much to fill our tum tums. As soon as we were having our desserts, we started noticing everyone around us. We spotted many acquaintances including NorMala’s Sister, Liza whom on our way to out, managed to call Us to run by some last minute errands for the coming Hari Raya celebration. After that, we bought some decoration light bulbs and retreated home. We both worked on Hari Raya preparations together for the rest of the night putting up the decoration lights. It was a bit like decorating a house of our own, we fantasized, Syazwan with his white Haj hat hammering away and NorMala with her hijab holding on to the ladder, a sight worth remembering for nostalgia. With Lots of Love and Appreciation to Syazwan for having such a generous helpful heart! The lights look great!:D

The First 6 Monthsary

2007-09-12T12:40:00.000+08:00

103~ Our Sixth Monthsary

2007-09-11T08:00:00.000+08:00

Half AYear!! Sssuuuurrrprriiisee!

NorMala was excited to host our 6th Monthsary and did itinerary the days’ events knowing that it would be marking our half-year monthsary. However, as excited as she was to see it all pan out as planned, the day also coincided with Syazwan’s Fam BBQ in Lambak. So, the plans were all forcibly in for a change. Because of its special occasion, NorMala decided to surprise Syazwan with a gift. She hurried off after work and got them at the last minute, luckily there were two little helpers who made the surprise feasible. Thanks! As soon as everything was ready and possible, she sneaked into Syazwan’s room and left it on his bed. NorMala has noticed how Syazwan has been moaning all week about how difficult it has been at work and thought that this would cheer his spirits. Since Syazwan started his attachment, he had been complaining about the long hours, the work load, the difficulties of juggling time and traffic during the rush hour and many others. We also noticed how it lessened our meet- up time and it was all a bit of a shim sham in the beginning really. Fortunately, we eventually learned how to get by it. That day, Syazwan made his daily weekday return home; turned into the drive way, parked up his car, took his keys out and made his way to his room to change for the BBQ. Then as soon as he opened the door, there laid a bouquet of red roses endorsed with one of his most Fav colours; green. And beside it was a heart shaped box with red rose imprints that enclosed some of his Fav Hersey Kisses. Syazwan smiled at the surprise and wondered how it got there, but he suspected a few details.

Syazwan picked NorMala up and drove to the BBQ but he didn’t utter a word about the surprise. NorMala just pretended that she knew nothing. Then before they left the car to harvest the sizzling lamb chops on the grill, NorMala couldn’t wait another minute to know what his reaction to the surprise. We both started talking about it at the same time! We cracked out with laughter while wooing each other of how we knew that we both were pretending not to know anything. Syazwan loved the gift NorMala gave him and thanked her for it guiltily confessing that he hadn’t gotten her anything. Remembering that he had gotten NorMala a gift just recently, which were a pair of work shoes to replace the old worn out ones, NorMala assured that he didn’t have to anyway. We celebrated the rest of the day sinking our teeth barbarically on lovely delicious BBQed meat..yumm!

103~ Our Fifth Monthsary

2007-08-11T07:00:00.000+08:00

: Piece of Cake :

Since our last Monthsary left us with such tummiful gloriousness, in fact a bit too overwelming maybe hehe :), we decided that this time we would make sure that it was just a simple sweet and short soiree. It was Syazwan's turn to organise it and coincidently his pockets were only half full from our short holiday to Kota Kinabalu in June. Luckily it was perfect timing. He was worried and a little bit embarrased that NorMala would'nt be happy with what he had planned for the day as it was'nt going to be as luxurious and warned her of it from the very beginning. She lightly laughed and assured him that she did'nt mind a bit because obviously, it's always the thought that counts. So, on went the show! We headed off to fleur d' lyss first and bought our Favs; Blueberry Cheese Cake for Syazwan & Carrot cake for NorMala.

103 5th Monthsary at Empire

After that, Syazwan drove Us to The Empire Hotel where we went to watch the Sunset at the hillside cliff. We sat there and had a nice small cake picnic for two hehe. We both love watching the sun set/rise and thus decided that it would be a good idea to record it. We both took turns recording the sun set in until the night came and later made our way to Excapade to attend a dinner outting in account of Syazwan's Dad's Birthday. Gobbling up the d'lisc chilled 'Free' Sushi and just devouring the moment and atmosphere, we were afraid that we could not afford to stay longer. Knowing that we are a very busy couple LOL, we had to make it to another function, which was to a BruStu BBQ gathering. Syazwan was happy to meet up with his long term web pals and we briefly enjoyed the melodious accoustic tunes that were played by his friends there. We then had to go again and make our last destination of the day We jetted off to catch a movie. It surely did sound that we had made a lot of stops that day and indeed we did, nevertheless, it was exhilirating-not only because of the adrenaline pump we got out of it but also because we succesfully managed to fit in a start and end of our own special plans.

Last but not least, we thank Syazwan's Fam and the BruStu'ers for making it a fuller Monthsary with complementary dinner;D

103~ Our Forth Monthsary

2007-07-11T10:00:00.000+08:00

HarmonyUs 103 Sovereigns

: A Feast Fit for a King and his Queen :

For Our 4th Monthsary, we went to Rizqun Hotel for a dinner buffet. It was NorMala's idea and treat. She had thought that just a special dinner would suffice as things were getting hectic around her schedule and there just was'nt enough time and effort to spare in preparing any thing more, luckily the Mr. was forgiving enough. Even so, we still had a good time and definitely strectched our tummies for this lot. The buffet was served inclusive of so many dishes under its Western theme, we could'nt possibly get a bite of everything as tempting as they all were. We think perhaps after this we might want to consider eating at a fast food restaurant next time just to break the taboo of dining heavy. Although we both had our episodes of runting, regreting how full we got- the constant pleasure of enjoying the whole thing together put us at ease, we held hands throughout the rest of the night and lightly conversed on plans to make our next one simpler and more importantly less filling ;)

103~ Our Third Monthsary

2007-06-11T10:00:00.000+08:00

103 3rd Monthsary at Matadore

: Once, Twice, Three times a Couple :

Obviously, it was Syazwan's turn to host the evenings' celebration and this time he thought of the theme of 3's. We decided to celebrate our 3rd Monthsary as a triple date thing. We invited two other couples; namely Syazwan's BFFs, long term partners Azim and Dyjie and Zizi and Ernny to join us for dinner at the Matadoe. Matadoe is another fine cafe and restaurant that we love to go to, especially with the initial of the place being an M -(for Mala ;P). It's a nice cool place to hang out with anyone. Besides this, it is also located next to our Fav places to visit-as-hobbies IKEA outlet store and HAUS interior designer furniture. With its Spanish feel of splendour in its designs you can't help but look around. However, places of such beauty meat fine dining and this meant paying abit more but this was'nt something the Mrs. needed to worry about. We had a splendid time, just reminiscing our school day memories and chatting along about other stuff and of course not short of telling jokes.

We were glad to have shared our special night with others. Giving might be the only way we know how to delight our humble hearts and truly you can say that it was quite a refreshing celebration. Perhaps we should do it every 3rd Monthsary of each year??

Azim & Dyjie

Zizi & Ernny

103~ Our Second Monthsary

2007-05-11T10:00:00.000+08:00

: A Romantic Candle Light Dinner For Two Please :

It was the second month of Our Love and this time NorMala was the organiser. The 1st Monthsary was a blast and according to her this meant that it was more pressure on her. Who were we kidding; celebrations at expensive luxurious hotels were not to be made a custom for. But since it was Our 1st it was an exception. This time NorMala gathered up her wits to organise a romantic candle light dinner for two right in her home garden. It was the perfect step to humblise our celebration. Just a sweet and calm fine dining between the two, enjoying home cooked meals made by herself. What better way to make things more personable and special as nothing beats originality. Fortunately, dinner at her home garden was possible with the existance of a beautiful arrangement of her Mother's orchid garden and a suitable outdoor stone table and stools. NorMala cooked Syazwan's Fav Dish Vege Tom Yam Soup with tangy Char Sui Sauce Chicken and for dessert a Longan Fruit Macaroni Chilled Salad. Syazwan was so thoughtful to suprise her with a bouquet of roses that night and in return he was also surprised by a gift in his goblet. It was a ring, a token of their Love together. NorMala had received hers' the week before when Syazwan came back from his holiday with his brother and friends. She wanted to give him one as well, so the surprise came when she asked him while he was swallowing down his drink, "Whats that in your glass?". Beneath the ice cubes was buried his ring and Syazwan's face slowly lit up with a big smile. NorMala just cracked up into a giggle and wished him Happy 2nd Monthsary.

We just love surprising eachother and enjoy the thrill of seeing our smiles. Under the stars and moon of the romantic night it was a very lovely special night that we will not forget.

103~ Our First Monthsary

2007-04-11T10:00:00.000+08:00

: 103 1st Monthsary At Empire :

Today marked our 1st very ever Monthsary, 1st Month of Our Love together and by this we decided to celebrate it extra special. We agreed to celebrate our Love Day every month and promised to take turns in oganising it. This 1st monthsary, Syazwan gets the turn. The idea is that who ever is the organiser, thinks of the whole days' plans for the celebration and is also responsible for coming up with the payment..=) cool right?

Well, for our 1st Monthsary, we celebrated it at the most presteigous luxurious Empire Hotel. We went there for a lovely dinner together right after enjoying the amazing seaside sunset and caught a movie at its nearby cinema. There was nothing quite nonchalant about the whole celebration- we were excited the whole time and made jokes all throughout the evening. Perhaps it was the thrill of the celebration at an amazing place or just the current beautiful setting of the atmosphere but more importantly we're sure it was because who we were with that night that did it for us we think ;) We loved it so much there that we continued the celebration the next day by coming back again to go for a swim at its pools. We definitely had lots of fun, perfect for a 1st Monthsary celebration and would most probably do it again perhaps more often than we think. Syabas! to Syazwan for making it a wonderful experience for Us.

Our Love Story

2007-03-11T11:00:00.000+08:00

: An Ever Ever After :

'The Greatest Thing In Life would be To Love and Be Loved in Return'

'The Best Advice for Life is to Love, Love & Love'

There would be so many quotes to choose from to allow but just a hint of the description of our infinite Love together but never would we dare say that it would be well suited for such a devine harmony so rarely found by Man. Only God was our saviour, witness and sole creator to the destiny of Us and thus HarmonyUs Sovereigns. Therefore, we are endlessly and greatfully thankful for drawing fate to bring Us together, for saving each other for Us. We are forever in his debt with the happiness we have found and only pray that

May God will continue to protect and prolong Our Love Together even until the after life..Amin!

Within our love set hearts, Our moment of instantaneous harmony was realised and captured for ever ever after. We put our minds together and built Our Sovereign. Through our finding, the 10th of March 2007 was when all this destiny happened, thus it became our proclaimed Love Day :D. There were so many dates that marked the beginning of Our Love but 103 was the most suitable.

February 23rd, 2007- Syazwan First Asked NorMala Out

February 25th, 2007-First Real Get To Know

March 10th, 2007- Official Birth of Our Love

March 17th, 2007- First Official Date to Commemorate Our Love Day

On the 17th of March 2006, we decided to go out for a special date for the first time as a couple to commemorate the Birth of Our Love. We dressed up, Syazwan played the perfect gentleman- picking NorMala up, welcoming her with an esthetic pink rose stalk gift, and openned doors and chairs. We went to Charcoal for the romantic evening, ate yummy tender beef ribs and lamb steak and enjoyed our mocktails to harvest our celebration. We had a wonderful time together just as how it felt like how it should be.

103

~: Meeting The Family :~

Syazwan wasted no time in wanting to share his good news of finally finding his Love for Life to his Family. He grew up very close to his Mum's side of the family and considered them to be his immediate family too.
He invited NorMala to meet his Aunt who was staying at the local Empire Hotel that weekend and his whole family was there! This was her first meeting with the Family and of course was nerve racking for both of Us, but perhaps more especially for her. However, we managed to get through it well. After meeting them at the pool, we slipped away for a walk at the sea side. Being at one of Our Favourite places to be, we had a great time! We took lots of pictures together and played in the sand with our sticks. A beautiful day for a beautiful start to our Journey together.

Our Love Story (2007- A Year Of New Beginnings)

2007-02-24T09:00:00.000+08:00

: Chapter 1 :

Cupid Chose Us and Struck the Arrow Later On

Syazwan-

It was a usual Sunday routine hanging out session at the Taurean Too Café. There she came and sat 2 seats away from me. I was immediately mesmerized by the way she talked and laughed from a far. Her personable smile, character and actions- everything about her was so cute. My first ever clear sight of her, unlike Mala’s of mine, was in fact the very 1st moment I had a crush on her. Since then, we had met for a few times and every time we did, my heart raced. I felt really excited. I literally could not tear away from staring at her gorgeous face. Then one time, after meeting up again for a coffee and movie, I decided to do something about my feelings for her. When it was time for everyone to go home, finally I gathered the guts to confront her and ask her out. It was a gamble I was willing to take and was ready to accept any answer given. I said, “Would it be weird if I asked you out?”. She only smiled and didn’t give the answer straight away. She said that it felt kinda weird since I was few years younger than her and added that she could be old enough to be his older sister. A few days later, she gave me her answer through an email message saying:

“Yes it would be weird and I cannot go out with u, but you seem like a very nice person and I like you, so I would'nt mind just hanging out as friends. I meet you sometimes anyway kan..so if you don't mind with this, I don’t mind either...”

I felt really excited at first but as I read on, it somberly disappeared. Well, at least I tried I said to myself accepting the dissapointment, but nevertheless, I felt glad that we were going to be friends. However, after a few times hanging out with her more, my feelings for her grew deeper and stronger. And a few weeks later, we both realized that we had similar feelings for one another. Like cupid had just struck us with his arrow to enchantly bound our hearts, minds and souls together.

NorMala-

Having just come out from our separate break-up’s, broken-hearted; we were in no state to go anywhere near a serious relationship (at least that’s what we thought) but on a given day and given hour and second, perhaps cupid chose us and we had met. It was never a falling in love on the first site thing. We met just as mutual acquaintances up until Wan got up the urge to ask me out. I was of course flattered but very doubtful of him especially since I knew he was a few years younger than me. I had never known of such a relationship nor did ever come close to know how it would ever happen or work. For me, it felt like as if I was going to be going out with one of my small sister’s friends and I was ready to not accept it at all counts. So, I told him that we can just be casual friends that hang out with one another and he agreed. It seemed so easy and accordingly at the time but as soon as I engaged a closer bond with him after getting to know all his sides, I fell just as hard and fast as he was for me. It didn’t take anytime for us to feel naturally destined for one another and at that very moment of our harmoniousness we knew that we were in for something so much more. A feeling we had never gone through with anyone else, a feeling that we both have been looking for all our lives and gladly found in each other.

Some pictures taken during our times together hanging out as friends:

Syazwan's invitation to 'Work' at the Stadium & meeting his friends.

NorMala's invitation to help out with her Sister, Liza's wedding reception.

A PROLOGUE to Our Love Story

2006-12-31T16:00:00.000+08:00

: Beautiful Things Come From Bad Experiences :

Syazwan-

It was such a lovely day yet it felt like the rain just won't stop falling. The raining and typhoon season added up the worries of his feelings. He, who had not yet moved on from his just broken relationship, just can’t stop thinking about her-whom was distant in the Philippines. He thought a lot about her even though they were not together anymore. Long distance relationships are really tough and he never believed in such relationships. But when he was with her, he couldn’t care less. He tried everything to get over her. Meeting new people, went out on dates and other possible ways to move on to forget her but it proved uneasy. All he could remember was how long he had waited to be with her, they started as close friends for years and soon fell for one another along the way. Finally, came that faithful day when the balloon tab on his notebook alerted him that she had just signed in. He greeted her and talked to her as if they had never met before. They talked about all sorts of stuff- The inevitable awkward small talk and finally ending with a more serious conversation about their relationship. About how both of them still couldn’t move on, how they were still in love, the truth behind all the lies and sacrifices- everything. Then with all said and done they decided to get back together as soon as some prior engagements got cleared. Having been apart for a while, he had been seeing someone. It was a bit of a situation to get out of in the beginning but eventually dismissed well. Unfortunately, bad luck struck. He received a discerning text message from his hopeful girlfriend-to-be about issues of trust and loyalty. It shocked him and he tried to call her but she wouldn’t answer his calls. He decided to wait for a while to let her cool down before finally sending her an email. She replied a few days after, saying she needed no explanations from him and wanted to end everything. She was tired of the long distance relationship, tired of waiting and tired of everything. He couldn’t find the heart to continue making her think that their relationship and he was a burden, so he agreed to end it there. But of course he had not moved on.

NorMala-

She presses the red button on her cell, covers her already teary face, turns and shoves against the cold crisp pillow of the dawn. It’s late yet she can’t sleep after receiving another disappointment to her love life. She blames it only on herself for letting herself go through such torment to dare love again after getting hurt countless times. They have been going on for nearly a year now, it was a beautiful close friendship turned to love. There’s no denying that the relationship between them changed and had turned a struggle since it was made official. It’s funny how people are different when you are in a relationship with them. But on her part, she was ready for all this, no matter what, giving everything she had left of herself and promised herself that she would try her best. As long as he was there standing beside her- it was enough happiness for her to persevere anything the strong winds brought. Nothing in this world is what it seems, things change and fate can be cruel- something she is already accustomed to in blood and understood well too familiarly. After spending a good winter together, distance took over once more and they had only been greyer days, an unsolvable love autopsy. He doubted their happiness together and leaves. But she refused to give up and wanted another chance to try. Hope and faith was her mighty sword. However, fight as you may, no victory can ever be achieved alone. When you give someone everything, and when that someone leaves, you are only left with nothing. And this was what she had felt at the time. As devastating and hurting it was- she still remained in contact with him as friends for the sake of their friendship. But soon this proved to be too hard for her to bare when she was still much in love with him and things were still getting worse every time. In secret her heart broke more and more out of disappointment. Getting through a break-up was a feeling she most hated to go through, the constant memories often bugged her. She had tried to patch things up to get back with him but it was just impossible at the time. However, after a couple of months passed, he agreed to give their relationship another try but by then she had too much hurt and felt unstable to continue to go through the drama again. She felt too much was going on besides getting through the rough break up and was comfortable enough to stay just as friends.