Closer Draws the Day

Today is the day the wedding rehearsal was held in the church where the marriage will be solemnised next week.

We do not really have a role to play as it is the bride and the bride's father and the page boy and page girl together with the bridesmaids that have to know when and how to enter the church.

We ourselves had only a registry wedding where both fathers were present and acted as witnesses. That said, I wasn't a Christian then.

My dresses are ready and so are my shoes. However my handbag will be the same one that has been doing duty for the last few years.

I will be wearing a sarong and kebaya for the church wedding and a long gown for the dinner. It's quite exciting to have an occasion to dress up for and this is an occasion indeed, the wedding of our only son.

In fact, there were five Dragon ( the Chinese lunar year ) babies born in our family that year (1976). My siblings had their babies that year too so we had two male dragons and three female dragons. All of them are married and our son is the last of the Dragons to get hitched. The girl dragons already have their own babies but the boys haven't yet. My Dragon nephew based in the UK is a very busy doctor with an amazing musical talent. He wont be able to make it for the wedding as he has to present a paper on that same day.

All my siblings except one will be present to witness the marriage of our son and I'm very moved by their support. We've always been a close-knit family, thanks to our late mum. I'm sure she's very happy too in the next dimension. She looked after him for 6 months when I was too ill at that time to look after him myself. Am looking forward to the weekend and will have lots of photos to post after that. I'm delighted to be able to share my happiness with my readers and I'm sure you are happy for me too. Cheers!

Borneo Orchid Show

Borneo sounds exotic and more often than not conjures images of unexplored jungles,
primates and in the minds of the uninitiated, people still living in tree tops.

However the reality is quite different. On this large island are three different nations, the largest of which is Kalimantan, a part of Indonesia and the sovereign nation of Brunei sandwiched between the two Malaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah.

Just a few days ago the Borneo Orchid Show was officiated by the country's TOurism Minister. It was showcased in one of the shopping malls in Kota Kinabalu, the capital of East Malaysia.
The air-conditioned premises made it more comfortable to view the displays of many varieties of orchids in Sabah.

Indeed the different species of orchids are beautiful to behold.
Some blooms were large while others were tiny, just about one centimeter across.



The Slipper Orchid, a very rare species,
has been chosen to be Sabah's official bloom, just as the red hibiscus is Malaysia's national flower. Its beauty is ethereal compared to the rafflesia, the world's largest bloom.



Flowers are always associated with beauty and different flowers carry messages, for example, the red rose symbolises love which is why on Valentine's Day, red roses are de rigeur. Orchids have always been regarded as exotic blooms, rare and expensive, a highly valued gift and to have a hybrid named after one, is indeed an honour. How would you like to be compared to an orchid?

Counting Down

At last the invitations have been sent either by post or hand-delivered.

RSVPs have started coming in. Almost every invited guest has confirmed their attendance except for a few who had more than one invitation for the same date.

I've sorted out the table seating, putting friends together on the same tables so that they will enjoy the evening better. Relatives and siblings have also been placed at tables where they can mingle with guests and make new friends.

The little details have been attended to. The marriage will be solemnised in church in Singapore, so the program there has been taken care of by my son and his wife-to-be. They have done a marvellous job of organising the function and their friends have rallied round to help.

It's wonderful of my siblings to go all the way to Singapore to witness my son's wedding and I'm most appreciative of their support and love.

We will have another dinner in Kuala Lumpur a week later and the tea ceremony which is the formal introduction and acceptance of the bride into our family will also be held that weekend.

I've seen the wedding photo shoot but will not be sharing at the moment as the marriage has yet to be solemnised. Once it is done, I will share the beautiful photos with you, and some will be posted on FB so that the Australian branch of the family can see them as well.

I'm getting nervous as the day draws nearer, although I'm only the mother of the bridegroom!!

Old Times and Old Friends

The past two days have been spent catching up with old friends, one of whom had flown in from Ozie Land.
The last time she was here in the Land below the Wind was more than two decades ago and the many changes, mostly positive, created a favorable impression on her.

Reminiscing the past and present whiled away the hours all too quickly. Have you ever noticed the ease with which old friends slip into the joyful camaraderie of old, the years dropping away and picking up where you left off a long time ago?

So it was with us, as we first chatted over toast and coffee and lataer strolled through the mall, browsing among the displays of colorful apparel. She made a couple of purchases with which she was very pleased.

The following day another old chum treated us to lunch and an update of her family with lovely family photographs. The hours simply flew by and it was time to say adieu with promises to catch up once more but in Down Under, where we have standing invitations.

Good friends are hard to come by and tested friendships should be treasured till the end of time.