Dominic & Crystal - Living the Sacrement of Matrimony

A new Blog

2010-01-03T23:48:00.001-08:00

It's official! We’ve started a new blog site in October and may come back to this site only after July 2010 (If I have the luxury of time). We have now moved on to a new phase in our lives and our marriage. From Man & Wife, we’re soon to be Parents.

Please keep us in your prayers as we experience various major changes in our lives and journey to a greater tomorrow. God Bless you all!

The Ten Commandments (not suggestions)

2009-07-13T19:11:00.000-07:00

I read this note on Sharon Arasu's facebook and I knew that this was just the most basic Christian Living principles that I try my best to follow everyday. I hope it's as good a reflection for you as it was for me.

Exodus 20:1-17 lists the Ten Commandments which were authored by God and given to Moses on Mount Sinai.

As Christians, the Ten Commandments (found in the Old Testament) form the moral foundation of our belief; the "rules" of our religion, if you like. They are (in plain English):

(the first 3 govern our relationship with God)

1. I am the Lord your God. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself and idol.
2. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord, your God.
3. Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.

(the next 5 govern our relationship with others/humanity)

4. Honour your father and your mother.
5. You shall not kill.
6. You shall not commit adultery.
7. You shall not steal.8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.

(the last 2 govern our private thoughts)

9. You shall not covet your neighbour's wife.
10. You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbour.

Jesus simplified these commandments into two simple rules:

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the laws and the prophets." - Matthew 22:34-40

Now that's what I call dumbing things down!!

And yet, a lot of us struggle to keep these commandments (saying "it's too hard") and often think it's ok to pick and choose which of the commandments we will honour, and which we will ignore, on the pretext that it "doesn't apply" to today's circumstances (since the Commandments were handed down eons ago!).

In the New International Version (NIV) bible, Exodus 20:1 says "And God spoke all these words"; in the King James Version , the same verse says: "And God spake all these words"; and in the New American Bible, it says: "Then God delivered all these commandments",

Where does it say in the bible that the Ten Commandments are a suggestion??

So, keeping that in mind, please join me over the next few weeks as we spend some time breaking down each commandment into simple and practical actions for everyday living.

You'll need to check out Sharon's facebook for the details in the coming weeks. I'm just putting this here as an overview. Bear in mind, little changes in our lives will make a BIG difference! God Bless you all!

Oil Pulling

2009-05-22T19:14:00.000-07:00

Mum sent me an article lately, very similar to something Aunty Jenny sent months back. It's all about the benefits of Oil Pulling, something I found to be pretty far fetched the first time I read it. It originated from India and is related to Ayuvedic treatments.

Anyway, since this is the 2nd time I'm reading it, I decided to do a little research (thanks to good ol' Google!) and I realized there are so many benefits from it. They include Bad breath, head-aches, thrombosis, ulcers/diseases of stomach, heart problems, kidney problems, liver problems, lung problems, women's illnesses, diseases of nerves, prevent growth of malignant tumors and chronic sleepnesses (just to name a few).

So how does it work?
this treatment consists of swishing vegetable oil in the mouth. The healing process is accomplished by the human organism on its own. In this way it is possible to heal cells, tissue and all organs simultaneously; the body itself gets rid of toxic waste without disturbing the healthy microflora. Dr. Karach says human beings are living only half their life span. They could potentially live healthy to be 140 to 150 years old :-p hmmm..... I don't see people in India live that long??? Maybe 140yrs is a bit of an exaggeration?!

How to do this?
Step 1: The first thing in the morning on an empty stomach and before drinking any liquids (including water), pour approximately one tablespoon of vegetable oil (eg, sunflower, sesame, Coconut, Olive etc) into your mouth.

Step 2: Swish the oil around in your mouth without swallowing it. Move it around in your mouth and through your teeth, as if it was mouthwash. You'll find that the oil will start to get watery as your saliva mixes with it. Keep swishing. If your jaw muscles get sore while swishing, you're putting too much into it. Relax your jaw muscles and use your tongue to help move the liquid around the inside of your mouth. When you do this correctly, you'll feel very comfortable. Pretty soon, it will become second nature.

Step 3: As the end of the oil pulling session approaches, you may notice the oil/saliva mixture in your mouth has become thicker. This is quite normal, since it is pulling out toxins from your body. When 20 minutes is up, spit out the oil. I suggest spitting it into a bottle/tissue before throwing it away since too much oil in the drain pipe might clog it up.

Step 4: Rinse out your mouth a couple of times with warm water. This will rinse out any toxins which may be left in the mouth.

Will try it over the weekend & let you know how it went. Good Luck!

Doreen's Fantastic Article

2009-04-13T23:18:00.000-07:00

Doreen registered online for a writing practice 'class' where she gets an exercise every week and after submitting it to a mailing list, she'll get her critiques from others. For this week, her assignment was as follows:

In 300 words or less describe a single moment in time--a snapshot without using dialogue or action. Can you "show" the story behind the image? Try not to "interpret" the picture, instead describe it. Let the reader decide what all this adds up to. Remember to show, not tell.

So here's the piece she did that really touched my heart:

The pews are beautifully decorated with pink and cream roses, ribbons curled and threaded around the sweet blossoms. The bouquets line the aisle. Near the entrance, dozens of roses have been tumultuously thrown together to cascade down the sides of the pew. Green leafy foliage intertwines with the brown vines of the arch, here and there tendrils gracefully fall through.

Under the arch, his posture is straight, shoulders back. His immaculate black suit is complemented by a deep purple corsage on its lapel. Elbow crooked, his hand is turned inwards to rest on his jacket. The glint of his glasses partially hides the creases near his eyes, the shadow of a smile on his face. Although they are to walk forward, his head is turned and he has eyes only for the daughter by his side.

In her heels, she just reaches his shoulder. Her arm fits snugly through the crook of his arm. The long sweeping bouquet of lilies seems weightless in her lacily gloved hands. Nestled among bright green leaves, the big blooming flowers spill over her billowing ivory gown. Her jeweled choker sparkles in the light. Beneath the long white veil, her hair has been pinned and teased into many perfect ringlets leading up to a tiara. A single lock of hair playfully peeks out, framing her face as she smiles and looks ahead.

Written by Doreen Betty Ferns

Australia Trip - Part 3 (Finale)

2009-02-13T01:20:00.000-08:00

Day 7 - 24th January 2009

Our first stop was to China Town. Nice place for shopping (which obviously I couldn't tolerate for long). Can't bargain like how we do over here, unfortunately :-(

After Paddy's market, we headed to other parts of the city via our Hop on Hop off bus for half the day and ended up at Oprah House / Circular Quay / Harbour Bridge! Awesome site! Took loads of pictures. We found a 'river taxi' who was willing to take us for a 'sunset' cruise at a reasonable price.

Day 8 - 25th January 2009

Today is Blue Mountains day! After mass at a church a few blocks away from our hotel, We took the tramp to central station and from there a bus to one of the train stations (I can't remember the name now). From there, it was a train directly to Katoomba.

That night, being the even for Chinese New year and since the Casino in SunCity is opened 24hrs, us cousins diverted there after Darling Harbour! We only played the jackpot which seems the easiest. Levin won $10!!!! Dom won $5, which he gave me and i ended up loosing it all.... plus another $4 :-p hahahah..... I knew it was time to head back :-p hahahha......

Day 9 - 26th January 2009

Our flight back to Gold Coast was in the afternoon so we managed to slot in the Aquarium tour in the morning after breakfast. We saw some really nice fishes and a good number of whales! We even came across the Dugongs!

Guess what we did the minute we reached Cheers Backpackers!!!!! Get ready for our last swim in Surfers paradise, of course!!!!!! We couldn't resist! We were in the waters for hours..... came out only sometime closer to 9pm (since it gets dark at 8ish).

Day 10 - 27th January 2009

I couldn't believe the trip was over so fast!!! We needed more days.... :-(

Australia Trip - Part 2

2009-02-09T22:36:00.000-08:00

Day 4 - 21st January 2009

We were headed down to Coffs Harbour and were hoping for a few interesting stops on the way! First on our list: Tweed Heads!

Tweed Heads is the border between New South Wales and Queensland. I realized there was a time difference, but I didn't know that we LOST a WHOLE hour!!! :'( so after some pics, we got going further down south to Byron bay, a rocky promontory 107m high and the continent's most easterly point. One of the most attractive and powerful lighthouses in Australia stands on the cape, beaming its light more than 40km out to sea!!!

This (by far) was the BEST spot for me! I loved it so much! Levin & I saw a small school of beautiful dolphins swimming around the coast and moving further away. Unfortunately, we didn't have a camera! How frustrating!!!

Day 5 - 22nd January 2009

We took a very short drive to the Pet Porpoise Pool and made it right on time for the 10:30am show! We saw the dolphins and sea lion show and I was just blown away by it! You know how much I just LOVE dolphins :-)))) We played with the rubbery but soft dolphins after the show. We also saw Penguins!!! Could have fed them but they didn't look as white as I had seen on photos etc, so I gave it a miss and headed for the snake show!

Port Macquarie had the COLDEST waters I've ever been to in my lifetime!!!!!!! OMG!!!!!!! See the before & After picture :-p

Day 6 - 23rd January 2009

Sydney, Here We Come!

We only managed 2 stops: Newcastle & Nambucca Heads

We checked in at Woolbrokers on Allen Street (no. 22). Decent place. Very very clean, but extremely HOT! I couldn't bear the weather and the crowd and the.... CITY! hahahah.... Didn't enjoy it as much as the others.

After checking in, had just enough time to quickly shower up and get dressed for our dinner at Stephen's (Dom's friend) place. It is so nice of them to cook us up some yummy delicious chicken briyani and loads of nice Indian food! Their hospitality was sooooooooo sweeeeeeeeet.

Look out for the final part coming up in the near future :-)

Australia Trip - Part 1

2009-02-04T00:34:00.000-08:00

Here's a breakdown of our Australia trip!!!! I'll make it as brief as I possibly can..... but you KNOW how I tend to blab a lot! hahahah.... anyways....... here goes my Australian Diary:

Day 1 - 18th January 2009

We saw an amazing sunset from the flight a couple of hours before landing. Took a couple of shots. The Aussies are amazing bunch of people. So extra helpful and kind and friendly! Checked in at Cheers Backpackers. Not too bad. Place was clean and the common baths were bearable.

Day 2 - 19th January 2009

We're hiring an MPV until the Saturday after we reach Sydney. We had to make it to Paradise Country Farm for the 10:00am show so.... RUSH! RUSH!!! We saw our first Kangaroo & Koala Bear! Soooooooo cute! Unfortunately, the Koalas are such lazy buggers! They were just so fast asleep! :-p In the afternoon after lunch we headed into Brisbane, Mt Coot-tha Lookout. The view is amazing! I hope i took some nice shots here.

Day 3 - 20th January 2009

Today is the BEST!!!!! We started our morning with Movie World!!! So much to do, so much to see!!! I'll let the pictures tell the story :-) By the time we left Movie World, it was close to 5:30pm. So we quickly got back to our rooms, changed and headed down to the beach - surfers paradise! The waves are HUGE and STRONG! I've never experienced anything like it before!

Look out for Part 2.........

Our 1st Anniversary

2009-01-17T23:46:00.000-08:00

We both don't like being the center of attraction. That goes without saying :-p And knowing how excited our families can be and what they are capable of doing, we decided to 'run away' for the weekend to Bali! hahaha...

We've both been there before on separate occasions but didn't enjoy the place. This time, however, we surprised ourselves! I guess we went with very very little expectation and realized there's a lot we could do here.

Almost everyday, we went out to different spa places and enjoyed a massage or a reflexology! It was so reasonably prices. On the morning on our Anniversary, I even did a Mani & a Padi for under RM40! My manicure even had flower patterns on it!

To celebrate, we went on an offshore night party where we were entertained by dance performances, a mini live band and a cute comedy show :-)

Here are some fantastic pictures:

On my Birthday

2009-01-16T22:53:00.000-08:00

Following up from the previous post, I mentioned that my in law had come over for dinner and after party on the 26th December. The after party abruptly stop at 11:45pm when everyone had to 'suddenly' leave.

At midnight, the doorbell rang and as I opened it, everyone was there again, this time with a cake singing "Happy Birthday". I thought it was so sweet of them to spring this little surprise on me. Very very thoughtful indeed :-)

In the afternoon, hubby dearest and I had plans! We checked in at Palace of the Golden Horses; the same place we had our wedding reception! There was a couple spa appointment too good to miss, and a candle light dinner waiting for us!

We had time to sit by the lounge and enjoy a Malibu Pineapple while listening to the fantastic liver band before retreating to our room for champagne and a good movie!

Here are some pictures we took around the hotel:

Our first Christmas

2009-01-15T23:55:00.000-08:00

This page is long overdue for an update. I shall start with Christmas :-)

This Christmas is our first Christmas as a married couple! We went to SFX for midnight mass. It was soooooooo loooooong and … I can’t describe it! They should use more upbeat hymns at a midnight mass and not try to hypnotize us with lullabies! I tell you....! After mass, we visited grandpa for a short prayer and then headed to PJ house for cake & wine and round 1 of pressies!

We woke up early. So much to do since we're hosting dinner and not catering! I didn't think it was that much of work. Of course, my mother-in-law and the maid did most of the stuff while I just filled in the blanks! hahahha... The food was AWESOME!!!!! Everyone loved it! Take a look at some happy faces below:

The next day, the cycle repeats! This time, Dom's side of the family came over for some yummy home cooked food. Since they came early in the evening, there was lots of time to chat and catch up. We even played our favourite card game 'In-between'! I think I won some money, but not as much as some others!

At midnight, I got a very nice surprise.... I'll leave that for my next entry :-)

Looking for that Silver Lining

2009-01-11T19:55:00.000-08:00

It's been months since my last update and much have happened since! For one, after our Cherating trip, I found out that Motorola's Software Center has been sold to an Indian based company that's expending in telecommunications here in Malaysia. Satyam fully acquired us on the 1st of January 09.

It was a pretty easy decision for me to make. Of course I'll come on board! The base salary (although compensated most of my old benefits in Motorola) was higher and if I do intend to look for other opportunities, I'll get better offers! The people I'll be working with should be the same. I won't loose my regular lunch gang either. I was introduced to the Satyam Learning Manager here in Malaysia and he seems like a great person! There wasn't as many reasons for me NOT to join them as there were positive motivation!

We were just 7 days old as Satyamite and another bombshell fell on us! It's all over the news and we heard it first as rumours and read it from Indian Times before we received an official communication about what happened. Our (now ex) Chairman, Mr Raju has resigned and confessed to falsifying (vastly inflating) our company's figures! So 'we' though 'we' had more money then 'we' actually do?!?!!! Yeicks!!!! There's a lot more news on this that many of us read especially via Times of India (their news seemed the most juiciest and posible untrue!) that didn't really uplift our spirits.

Over the weekend, I kept thinking about that silver lining. Every bad 'thing' happens for a reason. I've always experienced it and somehow, I'll eventually see the blessing in disguise. I was just impatient to find out what that blessing is!

I had 2 calls for job opportunities. Of course, I'm not given the offers as yet, but considering the 'non-existing' recession Malaysia is experiencing at this time, is it wise to jump ship now? Then again, how secure am I as a Satyamite? If I stick around, would the old-school management style change to something we're more familiar with previously as a Motorolan?

Decisions! Decisions! I'm made up 80% of my mind....

(this post is to be continued)

Hari Raya @ Mabul

2008-10-27T22:43:00.000-07:00

It's my favorite! I can't help it! Sabah is just the BEST Holiday spot for me! I LOVE it! Everything about this trip was fantastic. I'm writing this a month later and I still think I could have done without the Kampong Style living.... I have no idea how to describe it. Pretty much mixed feelings about it now. I definitely learnt a lot from it, but wouldn't want to experience it again, you know what I mean?

Day 1 was a loooooooooooooong day! We were up at 4am, checked in at 6:20, rushed through McD's breakfast at 6:50am, almost missed our flight at 1:10am, arrived Tawau at 10:30am, got to Mabul at almost 3pm!!! We were exhausted and just wanted to sleep, but our homestay didn't have electricity until 6pm!!! We paid RM20 per night to upgrade our room so that we had our own private bathrooms. I can't imagine it otherwise! I shall not go into details. I would like to focus on the positive experiences!

After a short 'nap', we came out for sunset... beautiful! The waters are amazingly clear! Dinner was served at 7pm, after which we headed back to near our room to watch the starts and drink some Vodka Ribena (Dom's mix). Slept at 10ish.

Electricity went off at 6am and I was wide awake by 7am! hahahah... I know! awake at dawn on a holiday! LOL!!! We had breakfast and took our boat to Kapalai Island... our first snorkeling trip out! Before I start talking about that, let me just say that we felt so inferior! Everyone there came for diving... after all, it is a diving paradise! Anyway, a resolution for us (maybe next New Year) is: Learn to Dive! We have to make another trim there for diving. Ok... back to Kapalai: the resort is amazing! We saw really good corals and a huge variety of fishes! Such amazing creatures!

After Kapalai, we went back to Mabul for lunch and to the rooms for an afternoon nap. I still couldn't sleep much so I sat outside on the bench and read my book (The 5 people you meet in Heaven). Once everyone was up (around 4ish) we changed and went to the other side of t he island where we found a better beachside. The water was nice and warm. We couldn't really see the sunset from where were, but we still had a few more days... no issues!

By the end of the night, we could do with some baileys... we had it by the jetty! Every night at the jetty, we kept seeing this HUGE turtle coming in. We couldn't wait for Sipadan, knowing we'll see a lot more of them!
By the 3rd day, I figured out how to keep cool during my afternoon nap! Have a nice shower, wash my hair and change into something cool (the kaftan was my best friend!). I then used the wet towel as my blanket and left the windows open for the breeze to come in! Feels so heavenly... slept like a baby!!!

By evening, we walked to another part of the island and found one of the high end resorts. Got a whole lot of great sunset picture (which I'm selling, if anyone's interested to buy). Saw a baby sting ray at the water bungalow as well as a water snake! That night, we finished out bottle of Vodka by the beach watching the millions of stars above us and almost dozed off listening to the sounds of the waves. The 4th day, we all woke up with excitement thinking and dreaming about our Sipadan trip! a quick breakfast and off we were for our 8:30am boat to paradise! Never in my life have I ever seen that many sharks beneath me!!! Honestly, I was freaked out initially... then I realized they don't do much but swim around (wasn't lunch time... yet!). At the 2nd snorkeling point, we saw more turtles! So huge & beautiful! Sipadan has so many varieties of fishes! Their corals are AMAZING!!! It was almost mid day and we burnt ourselves nicely but it was sooooo worth it!

On our last day, we went back to Kapalai since we didn't want to waste time hanging around for our afternoon boat back to Semporna. I have to admit, after Sipadan, Kapalai was rather a disappointment! We still had a good swim anyway and saw this BIG blue spotted sting ray hiding among the corals. After a little encounter Dom & Guna had with the baby Tiger fish, we headed back to Mabul for lunch, packed out things and time to head home!

I would recommend this trip to anyone who loves diving, beaches, relaxing and the sea!

Thank You by Ray Boltz

2008-09-24T23:18:00.000-07:00

I heard this song over 'Yahoo! Music radio' and I couldn't stop thinking about it. It's very special and I pray it touches your hearts as much as it has touched mine.

You can hear it by clicking on this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzhFyNp3Ja8
It's just over 5mins long.

Moral is, never underestimate the small favours you do for others. "Great is your Reward". God Bless you all ALWAYS!

I dreamed I went to heaven And you were there with me;
We walked upon the streets of gold Beside the crystal sea.
We heard the angels singing Then someone called your name.
We turned and saw a young man running And he was smiling as he came.

And he said, "Friend you may not know me now."
And then he said, "But wait, You used to teach my Sunday School When I was only eight.
And every week you would say a prayer Before the class would start.
And one day when you said that prayer, I asked Jesus in my heart."

Thank you for giving to the Lord.
I am a life that was changed.
Thank you for giving to the Lord.
I am so glad you gave.

Then another man stood before you And said, "Remember the time
A missionary came to your church And his pictures made you cry.
You didn't have much money, But you gave it anyway.
Jesus took the gift you gave And that's why I'm here today."

Thank you for giving to the Lord.
I am a life that was changed.
Thank you for giving to the Lord.
I am so glad you gave.

One by one they came Far as the eye could see.
Each life somehow touched By your generosity.
Little things that you had done, Sacrifices made,
Unnoticed on the earth In heaven, now proclaimed.

And I know up in heaven You're not supposed to cry
But I am almost sure There were tears in your eyes.
As Jesus took your hand And you stood before the Lord.
He said, "My child, look around you. Great is your reward."

Thank you for giving to the Lord.
I am a life that was changed.
Thank you for giving to the Lord.
I am so glad you gave.

Books Galore

2008-09-18T23:25:00.000-07:00

Wednesday was a state holiday (Selangor) and while hubby dearest went to work early in the morning, I slept in :-) I did have some errands in KLCC so i meet up with him later in the afternoon.

He had a meeting at 5pm so i had about 2hrs to spare. I did try to do a normal girly gal thing: window shopping at parkson, Isetan and Vincci, but I just couldn't find anything that I really liked! I decided to have a cup of coffee at my favorite coffee place, StarBucks. Of course, when alone, a coffee without a book just seems soooooo boring! I decided to buy myself a book first from Kinokuniya.

My thoughts as I walked around:"What book would be interesting? hmmm.... Pillar's of the earth? I saw that on Opera the other day. Seems so interesting! Thick enough to last me a couple of holidays as well.... ok... let's get that."

Walking a little further and saw this book "The 5 people you meet in Heaven"

"hmmmm..... Kelly was recommending this highly! I read Mitch Albom's other book "Tuesdays with Morrie" and that was amazing. I'm sure this would be just as good!

Picked up the book and walked further:

"Since I'm here, I wonder if they have the other book recommended by Opera... I think I need a self improvement book anyway. Oh... Mr Mano also recommended it. Let me ask someone if they have the book"

Crystal: Do you have the book 'A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose'?"
Gal @ counter: Yes :-) We do.
Crystal: Thank You!!!

Crystal thinking after getting the book:"RM39.75? hmmm.... not too bad! Wonder if they have a discount? hehhehee....."

As I walk to the counter, I notice a book "Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus""hmmmmm.... I always wanted to read this book! Even Tania emailed me about it once years ago! ok... I'm getting it"

I walked out with 4 books!!! Just to have a coffee alone in StarBucks! hayoooo......!!! For someone who hated reading, I have to say marriage did change me.... It made me read... and I'm enjoying it!!! My Literature teacher (Ms Fu) would have been so proud!

I suddenly felt like a girly gal cos I spent that much (RM126) at one go! But on books? hehehheeee.... at least I know it's not wasted. I bought GOOD books at discounted prices and I know I'll read it :-) Also, if anyone wants to borrow them, let me know!

Have a great weekend!

Our Kuching Adventure

2008-08-26T01:53:00.000-07:00

It has been a very busy week for me.... month perhaps! Sorry for the delayed updates. We just got back from Kuching, Sarawak and we loved it! The people there are extremely friendly and so helpful! Dominic & I landed in Kuching 2hrs before JB folks and somehow we managed to check in to the Crown Plaza very easily.

The first day was a lot of walking along the river front shop looking for nice gifts or wooden stuff for the house. We saw pretty interesting items especially their local musical instruments. I love the sounds it made. We walked further along until we reached an Anglican Cathedral (St. Thomas). From outside, the architecture looked really beautiful. Such a long driveway and the compound was pretty big. We carried on walking past the cat museum until we reach the Roman Catholic Cathedral of St Joseph (Grandpa’s church?!) and oh my..... What a fantastic design it is! You can find some nice photographs of it here.

After the energetic & vibrant mass, we meet a local Indian family outside who were nice enough to invite us for a pilgrimage up Mount Sinai. Dominic, Doreen & I sighed when the wife said "We're leaving at 8:00am!" hahahahha...... so bad, right? You see, we already had our days planned for and there’s no time to waste (exception to sleeping in)!!!

On our 2nd day, we took a cab out to Damai Beach Resort. Wow!!! The beach is beautiful! It was an extremely hot afternoon, so the beach was rather empty. I'm guess they didn't have any European / American guest for the day? From there, we went to the Sarawak Cultural Village. We saw 7 different tribal homes and the local dances. I loved the company I was with but I think it would have been way too boring if Dom & I took the trip alone. Furthermore, RM60 per person is steep :-p Doreen & I were the only adults that day! Other’s got away with senior citizen’s rate & student’s rate.

Once back at the hotel, we had a quick shower and it was off for yummy seafood at Top Spot, Kuching's best halal seafood joint. We tried from ABC Seafood and the taste was fantastic, but I thought the price was a bit much...... was it just me? Everything here seemed expensive :-(

On the 3rd day, we left late morning for Bako National Park. Except for Dom, none of us knew what we were in for! I don't think I've even been on a proper jungle trek until then! After riding the boat through croc infested waters, mum was a bit upset the tide was too low for the boat to take us to the jetty...... we had to get a little wet, but we survived. Doreen kept screaming while walking on the sand with baby crabs running all over the place. hahahahha.... That was hilarious!!! See here a photo of us on our trail.

After 2 hot hours, we finally arrived at the cliff and the view made it all so worth it! See the picture below.

I didn't waste a moment changing once I got down from the cliff (another 15mins trail)! Straight into the water!!! Mum said "This is so worth it! I feel like we're in heaven!" and I couldn't agree more :-)))

That night, we met up with dad's friend who took us back to Top Spot at another seafood restaurant and treated us to a fantastic spread that included prawns & lobsters! Such a nice couple and I didn't know dad and him have been friends for at least 12yrs!!!!!

Oh well...... that was our adventure! I did leave out some luxurious details we enjoyed, but I'll leave that to when we meet :-) See ya!

Upcoming Trips

2008-07-11T01:02:00.000-07:00

So apart from the impromptu short trips around Peninsula Malaysia/Singapore, where else will we be going?

Since Doreen is schedule to leave us for a year to Hague, Netherlands sometime in August - September, we have to take a family trip somewhere. Based on latest discussions, it's going to be Sarawak! Our travel dates are from 16th - 19th August.

Dominic's 1st b'day after our wedding is on the 1st of September (Yes... We start counting from 1 after the wedding) and this date is shared with Uncle Lourdes. We'll be taking our first trip with the family to Penang from the 30th August - 1st September. It's practically an annual pilgrimage to Feringgi! hahahahaa......

Something we've planned months ago was a trip with Yasmin & Guna to our most loved place in Malaysia: Sabah! This time, it'll be further south towards Mabul Island, and most likely a day trip to Sipadan. I've seen so many pictures and read a few blogs about how perfect the place is and I just want to experience it myself. Our travel dates to Sabah are from 1st - 5th October.

For our 1st Wedding Anniversary, we're planning a honeymoon to Bali! Not just famous for the beach, we're also planning on checking out some of the nightlife there. Who knows..... a couple spa as well while we're at it? Travel dates to Bali are from 3rd - 6th January 2009

Dominic & mum have never been to a 'white man's land' and this is one trip we're looking forward to! We'll be going down under, landing in Gold Coast, driving down to Sydney past Coffs Harbour and back again to Gold Coast! The longest planned trip in this list ie. 9 days from 18th - 27th January 2009. We'll even be there for Australian Day!

That's about all we have planned at the moment. We'll update with in-between mini trips or add on to the list after 27th Jan 09! Happy Holiday-ing!!!

Uncle George & Diana's 25th Anniversary

2008-07-09T00:03:00.000-07:00

At the dinner, although subtlety warned, I was unprepared when called up to talk about the wedding! There were loads of things I wished I had said, if only I was a little more prepared so here's my revised 'speech'

I was only 3yrs old that day and honestly I can't remember it. All I know about that day are based on what was told by mum & dad... which is:1) I walked into the church without any problems. 2) I hung on to Sano from then onwards and refused to go to anyone else3) I didn't get my afternoon nap 4) I was cranky at the dinner5) I wanted to follow Uncle George & Diana back after the dinner :-p

hahahah.... as embarrassing as that sounds, it proved how attached I was to them and for the record, I still love you ALL soooooooooooo much ~with arms stretched wide!~

A wedding is never as important as a marriage and if there's anything I remember and know now, it's how Uncle George & Diana lived their lives from then.

When Dominic & I were planning our wedding, there was once mum & dad mentioned that the best mentor (apart from themselves) for me to look up to would be Uncle George & Diana.... and I know just why!

I have never witnessed a couple more involved in each others lives as they were. Uncle George is one person who gives and gives and gives without expecting much in return. God has given him the gift to heal and as a Doctor, that is just what he does his best to do - healing both the rich and even the poor. (Everyone talking about Diana so here's for you, Uncle George!)

A family who prays together, stays together. This is one family who certainly prayers together. I remember staying over once and saying the rosary together sometime at about 6ish in the evening (if I'm not wrong). Everything was automatic! "It's time for prayers"

I can only pray and hope that our marriage is as strong and happy as yours. God Bless you today on your actual anniversary ie.9th July 08 and for the rest of your lives.

Engagement Anniversary

2008-07-07T00:09:00.000-07:00

Exactly 1yr ago, on the 7th of Juy, 2007 (07/07/07), Dominic & I were officially engaged at our home in Johor Bahru. A pretty auspicious day, I have to say and one of the grandest Christian Engagement I've ever witnessed.

As an Engagement gift, Dominic had bought me 77 lavendar roses with my favourite character, garfield, on it. I still have it and I believe I'll be keeping it for many many many more years to come :-)

Happy Anniversary B! Love you loads! ~Muahz!~

MindWorks Weekend

2008-06-19T21:12:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was Phenomenal! Both Dominic & I attended the Mindworks program called "Empowering Minds - Creating a Winner's Mindset". This program was organized by Mindworks International and our facilitator was none other then Ms Frances Penafort! What an Excellent Trainer indeed!

What did we learn? Well, for starters, we found out that Dom is a typical left brain dominant person and I'm the complete opposite! hahaha.... I hope that after the program, Dom would learn to appreciate certain aspects of my so-called "Tidak Apa attitude" which I just prefer to call right brain cons! hahahahaa..... Well, he has begun to appreciate the pros la ;-) That's for sure!

We meet some really interesting people at the session! Dynamic, go getters, cooperative, fun, people person, helpful, friendly, positive & happy bunch! We're looking forward to sharing our testimonials will all of them on sometime middle of July (30 days after the session).

Since the program, we talk about our wonderful day and do an execise together to increase our endorphin levels before going to sleep... I'm refering to meditation!!! This has helped us get excellent sleep through the night! The new air-condition unit might have helped a tad bit as well! hahah... (Thanks for the air-cond darling!)

Until my next post, Love & Thanks and God Bless you all!

Indiana Jones vs. Iron Man

2008-06-04T00:41:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend, Super Six finally had a gathering, and what a good one it was! All 3 couples had a great time and have made plans to meet up ever month, maybe even take a trip to Gopeng (I have no clue where that is!) hahaha.... We ended the day with a movie: Indiana Jones & the Kingdom of the Crystal (not me!) Skull.

My Personal Opinion of the movie (Indiana Jones):
I liked the dry humor that Indi always had. The theme song still got me grinning from ear to ear. As a friend of mine mentioned previously, Indi doesn't pretend to be young, which is great! Unfortunately, I found the movie to be a bit too predictable :-(

What's up with the darn monkeys? hahahah........ hayoooo!!! I thought the ‘Tarzan’ part was rather cheesy. Also Mac's character of being the good guy turn bad guy turn good guy (double agent) then bad guy (tripple agent?) then good guy (or did he???) oh well..... weird!!!

The ending.... I shall not comment (although extremely tempted to do so)!

Monday night, Dom and I went to Berjaya Time Square for Iron Man. Before I start commenting on Iron Man, I have to say Berjaya is pretty deserted compared to what it used to be! What happened??? And the parking charges are ridiculous!

My Personal Opinion of the movie (Iron Man):
We both enjoyed this a lot more then Indiana Jones. Action all the way! It's definitely raised the bar (or in Motorola, they say raised the floor) for any action pack, superhero movie. It was a good STORY!

Tony Stark isn't just a wealthy big shot who inherits his father's business... he's beyond brilliant! He created a whole suit for himself with all the weapons and defense mechanism he needed to get out of the cave he was trapped in. Surprising part for me (since I didn't watch the trailer and know nothing about the comic book) was that he can fly! hahhaha.... Pretty cool stuff!

This movie is Interesting! Fun! Exciting & downright entertaining! Go Watch it and let me know what you think ;-)

Proud to be Godparents

2008-04-29T23:04:00.000-07:00

I had to wait over a week to post this blog entry mainly cos I needed to download the pictures first. Take a look at our god daughter, Neeneysha Ashley Anne Stephenson.

Born on 28th February 08
Baptized on 20th April 08

The week before, we attended a mandatory session for parents and godparents. They shared a lot of stuff that we already knew. To summarize:7 Sacraments - Baptism, Reconciliation, Eucharist, Confirmation, Matrimony, Holy Orders & Anointing of the Sick.

I always knew what Sacrament meant but If anyone asked me to define it, I don't think I'll be able to find the right words to explain such a generic term. I can explain each one pretty well, but the word SACREMENT just seems so big! In our Catechism classes, I'll tell (and elaborate accordingly) the children that in std 3, they will be receiving 2 beautiful gifts from Jesus
1) The gift of his Forgiveness
2) The gift of his body & blood

Anyway, in very simple words: Sacrament is an outward sign of inward grace. How beautifully explained. I don't think I'll ever forget this definition.

At baptism, Neeneysha is baptized with water to symbolize new life. Oil is anointed on her forehead as the Kings used to be anointed. This is a symbol of being chosen for a special task to live as a Christian in a loving way. A candle is lit by the parents as a sign of how the child will always try to live the way Jesus would want. After all, Jesus said, "I am the light of the world!"

God Bless you all!

A short visit to The Shrine of Annai Velankani

2008-04-25T01:36:00.000-07:00

At 5:30am on a Saturday morning, the cab will be picking us up to take us to the airport where we'll board the 8:20am Air Asia flight to Medan. Why Medan? We're going to visit the Vailankani Church, also known as The Church of Our Lady of Health.

I remember when we were younger, grandpa had made a few trips there and he used to bring back some red & black rings for all of us. Of course, he got them from the Vailankani Church in India, but I do wonder if they'll have the same in Medan. If I see those rings, I'm definitely buying some... more to remember grandpa then anything else.

The shrine of Annai Velankani was built in Medan, in the district of Sunggal. It was built by an Indian Priest, who explained the architecture of it to Dominic & his family when they went middle of last year. The priest also shared a wonderful miracle with the family. He had collected & saved a significant amount of cash for the building of the church in a bible when his home was burnt. Amazingly, the bible (with the money in it) was saved unscathed from the fire!

"The building consists of 2 levels. The first level is a meeting place, and the main mass room is in 2nd level. In total, the church consists of 7 levels, making it looks like more to a Hindu temple than a Church. Inside the mass room on 2nd level, there are statue of 12 apostles, attached to the pillar of the building. The ceiling is painted with teaching of God. The ramp to 2nd floor is painted with the story of world creation from Genesis."

We will also be taking a very short (less then 24hr trip) to Lake Toba. This is the largest Volcanic Lake in the world!!! I didn't read up on much of the history but I heard the weather there is similar to Genting Highlands. I bet I can get a whole lot of scenic shots!

We will be praying for the best of health of all our family, relatives & friends.

April Fool's joke on Hubby

2008-04-01T22:33:00.000-07:00

I don't usually do this, but I woke up on the right side of the bed (literally as well) and decided I had to pull his leg somehow.

I was all ready to leave the apartment for work while Dom was in the shower.

Crys: I'm leaving now
Dom: Ok... Take care & drive carefully!
Crys: Oh! Forgot to tell you last night.... my car has this huge scratch on the side!
Dom: What?!?!!!! Where?!?!!
Crys: Driver's side
Dom: You did it ah?!?!!!
Crys: No lah! It was there when I reached the car!
Dom: ~ grumble! grumble! ~
Crys: B......! Happy April Fool's day!

hehehheheee........! I also heard Dom's mum laughing in the front so I bet I got her good as well :-)

It's been 80 incredible days thus far!

2008-03-27T02:04:00.000-07:00

Last nite, Dominic & I went out to celebrate 80 days of matrimony!!! Why 80 days??? We couldn't wait for 100 days to celebrate... but I'm sure we'll honor that also! We tried this really nice Chinese eatery in KLCC called Spring Garden. I ordered fried rice with seafood gravy and Dominic ordered fried rice with shrimp. It was pretty good and I certainly enjoyed the seafood gravy on the fried rice. Something pretty unusual!

We were at the restaurant chatting for a while until 8:30pm then headed outside to see the water fountain. It was a very pleasant windy night and not really that many people around - perhaps since it's the middle of the week.

Our movie started at 9:30pm. Dominic managed to get tickets for 10,000 B.C. A lot of reviews were negative, but I personally found it to be pretty enjoyable! Not the kindda movie mum & dad would watch.... but still pretty kewl movie for us both. Overall, a simple but fantastic date!

Our Honeymoon Story (Part 3: Royal Island Resort)

2008-03-15T00:50:00.000-07:00

Early 22nd January morning, both of us left Male capital for the last time and headed back to the Airport Island. We had to take a sea plane from there to Royal Island Resort. Our first experience on the sea plane and we highly recommend this for anyone who takes Malaysian Airlines to Maldives! Why? Malaysian airlines to and from Male are night flights, so you'll miss the STUNNING view of the different islands and the clear Indian Ocean.

We checked our bags in and a bus took us to the waiting area. Royal Island had their own waiting room that remarkable. They even had a computer with high speed Internet access which we used to quickly send a brief message to all the Ferns with updates on what we've experienced thus far. We had to wait a little while for our flight out, but they made it worth while by serving us with pineapple juices and bananas! The toilet facilities are dazzling! They even have perfume!

The sea plane journey took about 40minutes. The view was beyond description. I simply can't find the right words to use. We landed on what seemed like the middle of the ocean! There was a small sandbank where we saw a few sea gulls flocking and probably looking for lunch :-) A speedboat was quick to pick us up. Another 20minutes ride to Royal Island Resort!

When we arrived, the staff there gave us Coconuts as welcome drinks. This island is pretty big! It took us about 45minutes to walk around the island. As we were walking by the beach, we saw a 'baby' shark and on the other side of the island, we saw a manta ray. These sea creatures come really close to shoreline. We didn't have to go far to see such magnificent sights.

Our room was massive! The back door opens to the beach. Can you believe it? We didn't have to walk far at all! It was almost like our own private beach area with our own 2 deck chairs. Walks around the island at night were completely breathtaking.

On our first night there, they served us a wonderful honeymoon candlelight dinner by the beach, complete with decorations on the table and excellent service. I found the food to be pretty good. The steak was nice and juicy! Back in our room, we found a nice turn down service with a bottle of champagne and 2 glasses. We enjoyed the drinks outside our room by the beach. What more could be more romantic!

Activities we tried during our stay apart from the best snorkeling, watching the picturesque sunset, swimming around baby sharks and looking out for jelly fishes included canoeing. You can canoe around the island in just over an hour (if you're like me and make the man do most of the work! hahahhaaa... )

On the whole, a great place to stay and the best honeymoon I could ever imagine. Never in our lives did we dream of having such a PERFECT honeymoon. ~ The End ~

Our Honeymoon Story (Part 2: Taj Coral Reef)

2008-03-08T20:27:00.000-08:00

On the 19th January, our private boat was ready to pick us up from Jetty 1 at 9:00am. We were really excited to visit our first resort ie. Taj Coral Reef. We sat on the top deck with our captain. They gave us a wet towel to wipe our face & hands followed by a range of soft drinks to have on our 1hr boat ride to the resort.

When we arrived, we were greeted by (oh my... I can't remember his name! Nice guy!) who brought us to the lobby and served us our welcome drink "Is lime juice ok maam?". "Of course!" I said :-) After checking in, he brought us to our room, took us on a little tour around the place and told us about a complimentary tea at the bar where some of their staffs will brief us on what we can do here during our stay and what to expect.

In our room, on the study table, was a personal note to us inviting us to enjoy our stay. It started with "Dear Mr & Mrs Dominic...". I loved the place already. Our outdoor shower was pretty cool! and overall, the room is pretty spacious! Outside, it looked as if each room had it's own big hammock! I couldn't help but think of Doreen when I saw the hammock (Only a few people know why)!

At 4:30pm, we went to the beach closer to the jetty where we met the sting rays!!! HUGE is the 1 word I can use to describe them! SO HUGE!!! We also met Kester & Marina who had already spent a few days there.

On our last day, we had to check out at the usual time (or pay extra for the room) which was 12noon. The staffs there were really nice. Knowing we were reluctant to leave, they got us a 9pm private boat out to the capital and allowed us to use ALL their facilities. We enjoyed happy hour drinks at the bar, played with the sting rays, watched the sunset, used the swimming pool, slept on the hammock, went for a private half hour herbal steam bath followed by a really nice shower and just watched the full moon above us from the beach.

A whole bunch of the staff waved goodbye to us as we set off into the moonlight. Another 1hr back to the capital. It was bitter sweet goodbye (sweet cos we had another Resort to visit the next morning).

Our Honeymoon Story (Part 1: Introduction to Maldives)

2008-02-24T02:31:00.000-08:00

We left on 16th Jan 08, Wednesday night. Our flight was delayed, but just for an hour, so no complaints! Dom bought me a prosperity burger at the airport. Yummy dinner :-) We arrived Male International Airport at 10:30pm Local Time. The airport is an island on it's own called 'Hulhule Island'. It's hard to believe that even here, the water is crystal clear! Dom claims he saw a baby shark at the jetty as well :-)

We took the morning boat out of Hulhule Island to Male capital. It was just USD1 for the boat ride! After a great loooooooooong nap, we had lunch and a walk around the city. Our first 2 days was at Male capital. We saw the famous fish market, the park, president's palace, president's office, the surfing area where we stopped for fresh coconuts, the man made beach, which looks great as well and a few other places! You can practically go around the island in half a day. Weather is about the same as KL, maybe slightly hotter. My skin was burning!

The next day, we noticed a nice building at the jetty and decided to explore. They sold tickets (boat ride) to a neighboring residential island called Hulhumale so we thought... "y not! Let's go and check it out!" The place is so quiet and there aren’t many people there. We took the local bus and stopped by the beach. I think we were the only tourist there! The beach looks amazing! There were evidence of some recovery work (since the 2006 Tsunami) and the people there live such simple lives. One of the residents we met on the beach even invited us to his home, but I guess we didn't want to take any chances and gracefully turned down the offer.

Pre Honeymoon 'Adventure'

2008-02-19T00:17:00.000-08:00

Ok.... So I thought that it's high time I wrote a little bit about our honeymoon adventure and I know just where to start:

On the 9th of January (4 days after the wedding) Dominic & I went to Putramas to pick up my passport since I didn't pack it in my initial bag to Sentosa Court. As I was opening the drawer, I suddenly though "hmmmm.... When does it expire. Let me check" and my face went a little pale when I saw the date 8th March 08. Yes... It's still valid, but I can't travel overseas unless the passport is valid for more then 6months! Oh god!!! And we leave a week later! What luck!

Anyway, on the 11th (Friday) Jan, we were already in JB so mum took me to the immigartion office, and I'm pleased to say we got it done in 2hrs! Thanks mum! ~Muahz!~

Wedding pictures

2008-02-18T21:54:00.001-08:00

We have finally collected our wedding pictures. There's only 1272 of them so I decided to upload those that I thought looked nice. Here's the link to them:

picasaweb.google.com/crystalferns/WeddingPicturesPart1TheMass

picasaweb.google.com/crystalferns/WeddingPicturesPart3Reception

We're Married

2008-01-13T19:06:00.000-08:00

It's been 8 days since Dominic & I exchanged wedding vows to each other. In that 1 day, we have loads of stories to share... I don't know where to start!

I was awake by 6am. Yes! I managed to sleep.... and it was good sleep :-) mum says it's just a gift dad & I have! hahahah.... The last time I was ever called 'Miss' was that morning by Aunty Ceta "Good Morning Ms Crystal Ferns! Did you sleep well?"

Lesson learnt: It's really not as easy as it looks to get into the car wearing a bridal dress that has a 4 feet trail! Doreen did a good job as Maid of Honour. She was running all over the place from that morning until the dinner was over! Bravo my dear!

I'm very proud that we managed to start the wedding mass on time. The bridal car was outside (across the street) for a good 15mins. The groom's procession first before we drove in to the church compound. As Dad & I was walking down the isle, I just couldn't wipe of the grin on my face. I don't think I could be any happier then I was then. We probably walked in a little fast, but I guess it's ok. I only noticed Dominic when I reached half way. He was wiping little tears from his eyes. After all, he never saw me in a white gown until that moment. For the record, he loved it... My Perfect Dress!

Father Simon is a blessing! He made the mass so personal to us. When he spoke during his sermon, he was so clear and spoke directly to us. We chose the wedding at Caana as our Gospel reading and Fr Simon's sermon was simple based on "Do whatever he tells you". Do whatever it is the Lord calls us to do. Christ is to be the center of our lives and marriage always. That is the reason both Dominic & I are there.

Everyone loved the lunch! We catered from Big Rajah! I would highly recomend them to anyone planning a wedding :-) From lunch, we went to Dominic's house (now my home too). We lit a candle at the alter, said some prayers and received blessings from every family member. I had 1 sip of the milk (I personally don't like milk), but Dom managed to finish it.

From home, we went to Palace of the Golden Horses! I had to wait a while before my bags arrived, but a good rest for me in our bridal suite. Dominic was still busy with the seating charts. This was one of the biggest headache during our wedding planning. It's ok if you're expecting a small number of people, but to do seating arrangements for 500 guest, it's not an easy task.

Once hair and make up was over, our photographer, Grant Corban & team came over for our potrait shots. We took some lovely sunset pictures. They did a great job. No outdoor shoot as it was raining :-( but I bet what was taken will turn out to be perfect. I'm wondering if people will think we took it in India! heheheheee....

The reception went so well. There wasn't a minute left idle. We had slide shows, very interesting speeches, suprise performance by 2 generations of the FERNS family, comedy entertainment and lots of dancing. Those I spoke to had a great time and that was exactly what we wanted to hear!
We're now looking forward to our Honeymoon in Maldives. We will leave on Wednesday (16th January) and will be back on the 24th January.

Thank you all for your prayers & God Bless!