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KISS & BLOG
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So in honor of life, I give to you,
the visual diary of blah |
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There comes a time in everyone's life when they meet their soul mate, the person that's going to love and accept them for the rest of their lives, the one person who is unlike any other. The moment came for Cheryl 17 years ago, when she met me. (Sorry Yan Hao!)
For those of you who don't know me, I am Jessica, Cheryl's unbiological sister and Yan Hao's next block neighbour. I met Cheryl when we were 11 and have stuck together ever since. Growing up together, I've learnt that Cheryl is different. She is a sensitive soul who doesn't have it easy in this world. Despite this, she has never put her heart in a concrete bunker or lose the ability to love - and this itself, is pretty amazing. Cheryl is a compassionate person, she believes in the good, in forgiveness, generosity and acceptance. Around her, I can be myself - unapologetically. Many would describe Cheryl as skinny, but to me, her big heart makes up for the lack in body weight. Cheryl is a beautiful person inside out and I can honestly say that I don't know where I'll be without her. She is the sister I never had (and I have 2). I may not say this enough, but thank you for being all that you are and putting up with a nutcase like me. It is a privilege to have you in my life. When Yan Hao came into Cheryl's life, he only amplify it. I can't say how he was like before getting together with Cheryl, but as for Cheryl, I've seen her grow in the relationship. She became more confident, grounded and happier. It is impossible to not see the love, respect and genuine friendship between them. And Yan Hao, although my best friend has abandon me permanently for domestic bliss, I couldn't be happier because it is with you. I just want to say thank you for treating her so well, you truly are a gentleman. According to some maid of honour speech template I found online, now is the part where I should tell some embarrassing stories of the bride, but after careful consideration, I realise that Cheryl has a lot more dirt on me than I have of her, so we'll skip this part. I was gonna give you guys some marital advice but I've only been married for 2 months so I am not the expert in this. What I do know, is that God brought you both together for a purpose. Love is powerful, it is the virtue that holds all others together. In this world of uncertainty, know that He gave you each other to weather the storms as a team. They say "happy wife, happy life", some of my suggestions for you Yan Hao, is to keep Cheryl well fed, periodically bring her on holiday - she does like that, and the single most important advice I can offer you is if Cheryl wants your opinion, she just wants you to tell her she's right. I am so happy for you guys and I wish you both everlasting happiness. Labels: maidofhonor, roycherylweds, speech |
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By the end of my trip I felt, more acutely than I have in other places. Myanmar made me feel the most out of my element, and pushed me to grow, even in just a few days. Everyone says Myanmar will be different in a few years' time, and being on the ground there, I get the sense that this is true. The places I visited pulsates with energy, commerce and change.
I am thankful for the experience, but am also saddened to think of how life will change for the people when the number of tourists increases. While tourism provides economic growth and employment for many, it will likely also lead to the destruction of existing market and cultures. Although I strongly encourage anyone to visit Myanmar, I hope those visiting can respect the existing cultures and travel responsibly.
Many seemed to focus on the poverty of the locals but I beg to differ. They may have lesser in terms of material wealth but the Burmese are genuine and traditional people who are not (yet) tainted by the lure of western capitalism and want for material wealth, who possess inner wealth in spirit and open hearts, and the gift of living in the present moment. If you think we are in any way richer just because we have more papers in the bank, then you are wrong. Countless are blinded by greed, choosing to lose their inner compass and virtuous conduct in exchange for more said money. We live in poverty too - extremely poor in character.
The past 5 days left me feeling bittersweet. It was a privilege to meet numerous kind hearted people during our short stay. Like so many places in the world, there are many reasons for outrage and despair. If I return to Myanmar, and I know I will one day, I don't want to go simply for my own benefit. I want to do something, not just witness the struggles and poverty - but the hope, kindness and strength that will carry the people of Myanmar forward.
 Labels: burma, emotions, feelings, getaway, myanmar, reflections, thoughts, travel |
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It was definitely love at first sight. I love Bagan so hard it's not even funny. It is hands down, the most spectacular place I've ever been to. I call this ancient city My Unicorn Land (yes, it's that magical to me). We only had 2 days in Bagan but I would quite happily spend 2 weeks here.
Bagan is the site of a ruined city in central Myanmar that was a powerful capital nearly a thousand years ago. At its peak there were over 10,000 temples, pagodas and stupas in the city. Today, there are only just over 2,000 remaining. What makes Bagan so remarkable is that there is always a temple in viewing distance. With so many temples scattered everywhere, it was impossible to visit all of them. These are the key temples we visited during our short stay.
Built in 1105 AD, the Ananda Temple is Mon architecture at its finest.
 
Built in late 12th century, the Dhammayangyi Pagoda is usually associated with King Narathu, who built the temple during his ruthless 3 years tenure. Legend has it that the the evil king (he killed his father, brother and wife with his own hands) demanded the temple brickwork to be fitted together tightly so that even a pin could not pass between 2 bricks. Failure to achieve this resulted in the slaves being killed as it was assumed that they lacked work efficiency. The Dhammayangyi Pagoda is the biggest temple on the plains of Bagan.
    
We enjoyed a beautiful meal with the extraordinary Irrawaddy River in sight in Sunset Garden Riverside Restaurant, which is known for having the best riverside setting.
Bagan surprised me in every way, the pureness of the nature, the picturesque scenery, the simple lifestyle. It is hard to imagine a place so ancient and unchanged in the modern world of Southeast Asia. It was a privilege to be able to walk through this former empire.
   
I have read on blogs that at some point, you get "templed-out" or simply tired of seeing the same Buddhas, temples and sunsets. After 2 days, I still wasn't "templed-out". I felt like I could have repeated the days I spent there over and over again and never get tire of it.
Everything in Bagan felt romantic, and this oldness was something I dreamt about. There is nowhere in the world like wonderful, magical Bagan.
Labels: bagan, burma, family, getaway, holiday, myanmar, reflections, thoughts, travel |
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Mandalay is known as the economical hub connecting China and Myanmar, and is home to many ancient monuments. The former city of the kings is also the hub of transportation, as this is where numerous motorways, railways and waterways from various parts of the country are linked.
We started our trip at Amarapura, a township of Mandalay which is mainly known for its silk and cotton weaving and the world's longest teak wood bridge - U Bein Bridge. Constructed in 1850 and standing at a length of 1.2 km, the bridge offers stunning views, with both locals and tourists crossing it the whole day - monks, kids going to school, couples in love, self taught artists.
We then drove to the Mahamuni Temple, the holiest pagoda of Mandalay and considered the second holiest place in Myanmar after the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon. The pagoda is huge with several entrances and hallways leading to its center, where the gold-covered 4 meters tall Buddha statue sits. Only males are allowed to enter the center. Females can catch a glimpse of the statue from the outside or from the televisions mounted on the walls - a policy that has been subjected to
Our next stop was the Kuthodaw Pagoda, otherwise known as the world's largest book. There are 729 alabaster marble slabs, each housed in its own small stupas and relaying the entire 15 books of the sacred Tripitaka scripture. Each of these white stupa contains one page.
From here, we visited the Shwenandaw Kyaung. This structure was initially built within the palace walls in Amarapura as a residence for King Mindon. After the king died in it, it was converted to a monastery and moved to its current site. This saved it from being destroyed by allied bombings during World War II, making the monastery the single remaining major original structure of the original Royal Palace. It is notable for its teak carvings of Buddhist myths, gilded pillars and ceilings, and the atmospheric interior.
We concluded our tour by catching the sunset atop Mandalay Hill, where the Sutaungpyi Paya (Wish Granting Temple) perched high up at the summit.
What I learnt: The people of Mandalay obviously lives by the motto "Go Big Or Go Home".
Labels: burma, family, getaway, holiday, mandalay, myanmar, reflections, thoughts, travel |
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Yangon was swelteringly hot, full of crumbling colourful Colonial facades. Certainly there were slums in Yangon, but the city has many faces, as most do. The roads were chaotic but unlike in most other Southeast Asian cities, there was not a scooter in sight - they are
Contrary to what I expected based on TripAdvisor and travel blogs, (I read the internet was unusable, buses and trains were uncomfortable and unsafe, power cuts were frequent and long lasting, food and water were unclean and caused dysentery, the absence of toilet paper in toilets) Yangon is really not that bad. It is actually a pleasant city.
My favourite part aside from pagoda-hopping across town, is eating. I developed great joy and an
What I learnt: Never form an opinion of a place before you arrive.
Labels: burma, family, getaway, holiday, myanmar, reflections, thoughts, travel, yangon |
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Although we had to sky dine on the Singapore Flyer instead of the cable car due to my motion sickness, I will always be the metal cable to your cable car. Thank you for never failing to go the extra mile for me, for saving up to surprise me with this, for always putting me first. I was indeed stunned like vegetable. Happy 9th Anniversary, 9 years but you are still unbelievable.
  Labels: anniversary, love, singapore flyer |
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It was a good 3 days taking a complete hiatus from all things online and having a mind detox which I so desperately need since my mind is usually scattered with irrelevant junk.
      Labels: getaway, holiday, kukup, malaysia, road trip, travel |
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This weekend, I was honoured to be a bridesmaid in my best friend's cross-cultural wedding. The celebration was a 2 day affair with the Malay ceremony on Friday and the Chinese ceremony on Sunday. Being quite a creative person, I was more than happy to help out in the DIY projects as some of the off-the-rack decorations do not come in the hues of the colour scheme.
I am very pleased with the backdrop we did for the Malay ceremony. It took us over 5 hours of fluffing, poking and sewing to put this piece of "wall" together but we did pretty amazing I must say.
 
Preparations for the Chinese ceremony started off at 4.30 am in the morning. Aung and I cabbed down to Ying's house at 3.30 am after having just 2 hours of sleep as we stayed up to rehearse our Master of Ceremonies speech. The bridesmaids went on to prepare the food for the gatecrash while Ying was having her make-up done.
Most bridesmaids need to crack their brains in coming up with food that are supposedly difficult to stomach i.e delicacies for the customary gatecrash. Since the groomsmen are our respective partners, we had our work cut out for us. The delicacies were basically food they dislike which in our defence, are healthy food - tomatoes, corn and porridge. We were indeed feeling very kind that day.
After gatecrash, we left for Zul's house at the chosen auspicious time.
   
It was a huge honour being asked to serve as Master of Ceremonies for the wedding banquet, but truth to be told, there is a lot of pressure that comes along with the job. It was the first time I've pulled MC duties - I am more experienced in the flower girl and bridesmaid department. Fortunately, Aung and I both had fun being awkward on stage. One of the perks of being an emcee is getting to sabotage anyone we want, and we would like to thank the newly weds for giving us the opportunity to do so.
Before the banquet began, we asked our friend KJ if he is willing to lead the "Yum Seng" toast - he happily agreed. When asked to come onstage, he skipped down with a big smile plastered on his face. Aung and I then announced to the guests that KJ is going to do a special native dance for everyone in honour of this very special day. Such a pity only some managed to witness how his expression changed - from a state of pure excitement to plain horror before it progressed to total bewilderment. It was good entertainment all right. Aung and I had a little too much fun.
    
I feel happy and proud for this union because it felt like victory - victory over the past 10 years of trials and tribulations they faced. Every relationship has its own difficulties but a cross-cultural one is another level altogether.
To so many who are against a cross-cultural union, I hope they learnt that different isn't always bad. In fact, it can be really good. When left to ourselves, humans tend to have a very narrow perspective on things. We get so opinionated and confident that we are blinded. "Different" can teach one to be more gracious, understanding and less arrogant. It also reveals blind prejudices.
In the end, a marriage within two different cultures has no secrets. You need equal or even greater effort to make things work just like in any relationship. These cultural differences can be what bring a couple or simply humans closer, and I believe the world needs more of this - less of intolerance and discriminatory thoughts and actions.
Labels: cross cultural, love, marriage, mixed marriage, reflections, relationships, thoughts, wedding, zulyingwed |
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"Let me tell you this - when the world looks at me, all they see
is this uncle with a receding hairline. They find me unattractive. No one
is infatuated with me; except you."
My boyfriend says the darndest things.
Labels: boyfriend, conversation, funny, quote |
