IMG_001

Let me start the meaning of 'Guo Da Li' (pronounced in mandarin) by showing this picture. Nice eh! Haha! Last Sunday (31st August 2008) was my 'Guo Da Li' day and it so happened to coincide with our national independence day. Now some of you may wonder why did we choose such a date, well, we didn't. We followed the chinese traditions of picking prosperous dates according to our family characteristics, etc by a chinese elder.

'Guo Da Li' is actually a day where the bridegroom's family members represented by the eldest/respectable member of the family brings wedding gifts to the bride's family members to express their son's intention to marry the other family's daughter. Now that was in the ancient days. In the modern context, this is the day where we bring gifts and money to the bride's family and also to seal the 'deal'. This event usually takes place one or two weeks before the actual wedding day.

IMG_002

Now the pair of live chicken is a very important item here. It is to be presented to the bride's family. And in return, the bride's family will also present a pair of live chicken so that it will 'lead the way' back. During the actual wedding day, the live chicken is to be released under the bed. There we will have many beans and grains to attract the chickens. It is Chinese belief that the couple will bear their first son if the rooster comes out from under the bed first. Lets move on.

Part of the gifts, we have vegetables (together with the roots), a pig's front legs, etc. The vegetables mean life and the pig means something else which I am not familiar. Hehe! My immediate family members were also here to help out!

Everybody was so busy packing up while I was busy shooting photographs so that I can keep a record of the things to do when my future son gets married. Hehe! Pictures are easier to remember than a long list of meaningless items.

IMG_009

While having some time to spare, I spotted my niece peeping around. There she is, very cute girl.

IMG_010

Tying of the vege. I don't know what that means but it should be something to do with prosperity, etc. What else the Chinese wants? Hehehe!

IMG_013

Thats me taking pictures with all the gifts prepared

IMG_014

A picture with everyone before we set off to the bride's house.

There! One truck load of stuffs. We actually needed two cars just for the gifts! We didn't want to stack them together otherwise they will be squashed.

Then 15 minutes later, we have reached the bride's house. See below! We have unloaded all the gifts.

IMG_018

IMG_019

Then we proceeded to the bride's house which was on the 2nd floor of the shop lots, where Sharon stays. There we were greeted by the bride's family and their elders.

IMG_025

So one of the very first things I was required to do was to present a gift to the eldest family member of the bride's. That is Sharon's grandma, oldest in the family. 85 years old! She came all the way from China when she was just 14. Very strong woman.

IMG_026

Next, it was my mother-in-law's turn. I am also required to present the 'ang pau' money to the bride's family. This is where we usually pay the dowry.

IMG_027

Lastly, it is my mom's turn to present the 'lai lai's gifts to her daugher-in-law. In Chinese tradition, the bridegroom's mother is required to present her a bangle made of gold as the bride's wedding gift. A pair of ear-rings are also presented.

IMG_028

Here's a family photo! A union of two families.

IMG_029

Up next, Sharon's auntie pay the respect to their idol, KuanYin and also to seek blessings to the couple and their family.

IMG_030

Here's a picture of the gifts prepared by the bride's family in return for the bridegroom's gifts.There are many things here so let me go through them one by one. First the two golden bowls in the yellow box. This is symbolizes the fortune that we will earn and to provide the entire family with food. Next to it is the sowing kit for the bride. In the ancient Chinese tradition, the wife must know how to sew in order to become a good wife. Next to the sewing kit, the two whitish cake is called Kai Tan Kou. It is a cake made out of beaten eggs. On top of the two cakes are the grains and seeds. These are required to be placed on the bed later during the actual day. See the two golden coconuts? In Cantonese pronounciation, they are called 'Lou Ye' meaning old coconut. The tone however, is also similar to how the bride calls the bridegroom's father, father-in-law in Cantonese.

IMG_032

Here's a picture of my wife, Sharon and her niece, QiQi!

Here's a picture of the gifts loaded into their baskets.

IMG_036

Here's a picture of the sewing kit.

IMG_037

The golden bowl and a properity packet.

IMG_038

Chinese wedding delicacy.

IMG_039

Seeds and grains.

IMG_040

The Chinese wedding customary biscuit, 'Ka Lui Peang' and some orange tangerines.

IMG_041

Chinese mushrooms and some veges.

IMG_042

Facial towels to be distributed to the bridegroom's family members during the actual day.

IMG_043

A lotus's roots.

IMG_044

And finally in this last picture, we have the oil lamp (electric operated by the way, hehe!), the potty, facial bucket and the larger one where we use to bath our babies. All these have different meanings. In Chinese pronunciation, the lamp is called 'Deng' and it is very similar to the calling of sons, 'Ding'. So lighting the lamps signifies the addition of sons to the family. The potty however is for the youngest son in the family. He required to 'pee' (pardon the pun) into the potty. That was the olden times, but now he is simply required to break the opening and collect an 'ang pau' placed inside it. Depending on different ethnic groups of Chinese, they can be different too.

So here you go, my Guo Da Li. Offical big day is just less than one week away! Thanks for viewing. Watch this space too!

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

There has been a long silence since the last time I posted any updates. Here's a sneak preview my pre-wedding photos. This means we are currently in the final phase of the preparation and in full mode for the coming event.

IMG_008.jpg

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

The News

Officially Mika has been spayed. Good news for us and bad news for her. The good news is we can now let her roam freely in the house in the presence of Kenji instead of confining her into the cage. Besides she don't need to worry of her monthly chores (more like our chore) to do the clean up job. The bad news is she cannot bear any puppies and will have to be confined in the cage with no bathing for 2 weeks.

09062008138

Why?

Sharon had it planned out before bringing her home. We knew Kenji is around and it will be a mess to have Silky-ShihTzus walking around. Not an entirely nice breed in my opinion. You should see one of those and have a good laugh. Kekekeke!

09062008140

The veterinary procedure is pretty simple. Anaesthetic is administered and she is allow to pass out. A small incision of 2 inches is cut on her lower abdomen near her vagina (I don't know what is canine's called). Then the womb is easily identified because it is just below the tissue and fat. Tubes are cut, vessels are partitioned and fixed. Then the whole womb is removed. The incision is 'stitched' using platlets-based adhesive liquid to allow fast recovery and mark free healing.

09062008139

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Have you ever played with helium filled balloons? I still remember many years back when my parents bought me one. I bought them again for my pre-wedding photograph session. A little costly for a balloon but they are reusable. The best thing I ever found. Now that the session is over, I thought of having some fun by asking Sharon to pose for me with the balloons. Here are some of the shots I would like to share:

Pic (1)

Pic (2)

Pic (3)

Pic (4)

Pic (5)

Pic (6)

Pic (7)

Pic (8)

My favourite picture of all...

Pic (9)

Pic (11)

Not an entirely smooth session though. My parents' house is under renovation and its hard to find a nice spot without the dog coming into our way. Like this one:

Pic (10)

Have a nice time...

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Well, you guys would be a little dissapointed with the previous post coming and going without any photographs to connect to. I will not disclose anymore information to my pre-wedding photographs until it is finalized and ready for viewing. Don't worry, they will first debut on my blog when the time comes.

I am extremely excited with my pre-wedding photography session which took place last Thursday and Friday. Me and Sharon first reached RedBliss bridal house early Thursday morning to meet the crew. Joey Chan was our wedding assistant in-charge of making sure everything goes according to plan and to assist us with any issues with the work crew. Then we have another Joey, a very kind hearted and patient lady who is Sharon's make-up artist. She is extremely helpful and always on standby for Sharon when she needs touching up on her cosmetics. Then our videographer Pei Ling, a tiny wonder hahaha! Everyone calls her Xiao Xiao meaning small. Finally our photographer who is in-charge of everything including the concept that I have been telling you all about. She is Apple. Yes a female photographer and an all female work crew. I was a bit skeptical when I was told a lady will be our photographer but I am impressed in the end.

This two days has kinda bonded us together although we had some language barriers initially (everyone spoke Mandarin, not my game, hehehehe!) but we manage to communicate with body gestures and some simple instructions in Mandarin. I'm not an entirely banana person actually.

The first day was an indoor photography session. Nothing really special but it was easy going and relaxing. Sharon and myself changed a few times and we took many poses together. Most of the poses were pretty simple except for a few that is more complicated. Then half way into the shooting, Sharon's parents came for the family portraits. My mom came at the same time too with Mika and Kenji, our pet dogs! How could we not take our wedding photographs without including a place for our beloved dogs. It was a moment of fun for everyone. Mika was extremely well behaved and followed through the session flawlessly. Kenji somehow knew he is getting is photographs pictured and acted like a model. Hahaha!

After the first day, we continued shopping to make sure we have all the props the photographer instructed us to buy. Second day was the big day. This was the day I am so excited of. It was our outdoor photo session at Port Dickson. Me and Sharon reached RedBliss early in the morning before sunrise so that Joey could prep Sharon for the journey. 8am sharp we departed for PD and reached there around 9.30am, well a little late but still ok according to Apple. Apple is a very talented and experienced photographer who obtain most of her skills in Taiwan before coming back working for RedBliss. She is the only photographer covering the PD location and needless to say she knows every spot of the beachline. We started at the grass plains with some pretty nice shots.Then the sun came and I got me worried. Luckily the weather has been very nice to us. Soon it became a little cloudy when we reach the beach. We had a lot of fun there playing with our inflatable boat, balloons and some props. Then we proceed to another spot where the tide was low. It was under a jetty where the rocks and shoals are. It was slightly dangerous because of the slippery surfaces but it was a good spot. The wind was strong which added a lot of drama to the ambient.

Then we walk a kilometre along the beachline to another spot where the mangroves are. The tide was low and it reveal some very interesting terrains. Fallen tree barks and roots. Apple made us climb those trees!!! It was so high and I can't remember when was the last time I climbed trees. Sharon was nervous too hahaha! But Joey came to her help. Then we went to a petrol station to change before proceeding to another spot. Ooh, I haven't mentioned that we change in the car several times, hahahaha! It was tough but doable. The last spot was on another beach along the coastline. The sun was already high up in the sky and it was scorching. Apple was really creative and all of us just follow her instincts and guidance. This place was where we had some of the toughest pose and moves. We worked with kites, Sharon sat on my shoulders, playing with the wind, playing with fabrics, etc. This is also the place where I got most of the sunburns. Hahaha!

But it is definitely worthed it. Apple is processing the photographs and it will take another week before things are ready. I really hope everything will turn out just excellent.  

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

I am so glad that last week has came and passed. It was a week where everything came in so close with each other to a point of falling apart. Imagine having the whole week from Monday to Friday filled with events and no breaks in between. Well, no big deal to some people but lets consider the following:

Monday - Wednesday daytime: Meetings to attend and issues to fix at the workplace
Monday - Wednesday nighttime: Revision for my MBA test
Wednesday night: Send Sharon to TheCurve to have her finger nails done
Thursday: Studio shooting
Friday: Outdoor shooting at Port Dickson
Saturday morning: Job interview
Saturday afternoon: Employee Relations Strategies examination!
Saturday evening: Dinner with Sharon's parents

It was something I have not attempted before. I am not someone who would risk screwing up especially when it comes to examination week. I am someone who take things one at a time, not all of it together. But I had no choice. I scheduled my pre-wedding photographs 3 months before. Things that can go wrong will go wrong when I found out 3 weeks before the day, my examination will conincide with the week. Then 2 days before the day, a company called me up for an interview! Exams!!! Interview!!! Photographs!!! Lots of stress.

However, the Lord has blessed me and answered my prayers. He guided me through each and every step of the way. There were some minor hiccups here and there but I am grateful that everything eventually went well. I've promised myself never to have such crazy arrangements again!

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

So towards the later part of the day, me and Daniel decided to do some shots of the most important thing of all. The wedding ring. I think this has been done by countless photographers without any sense of repetition. The point is, its the trend over and over again. The shot just doesn't get bored. So we didn't want to re-invent the wheel, we want the exact same shot. A macro product shoot based on a background of pebbles. Like this one...

Pic (33)

This is the end result. I choreographed it all with the help of Daniel and his tools. We covered the ground with pebbles at my dad's garden. We stacked them together as naturally as possible. Took out the Manfrottoes and set it up for a low low angle shot. No flash was used because we have enough available light with the help of the sun. Cameras was on LiveView and that helps a lot of framing at such difficult angles. Av priority was used with the aperture reduced to a high aperture number, 3-second timer mode and lockup mirror mode. All was done on a Canon EOS 40D coupled with one of Daniel's fine lenses - EF 24-70mm F2.8, a classic in its own right. Results turn out quite good for a beginner like me.

Pic (34)

Pic (37)

Pic (35)

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Pic (1)

Well, it has been 2 months? since I have updated my blog. If you remember my previous post, Sharon has finally accepted me! Ever since, both we and our family has been extremely busy in all the necessary preparations. Its really exciting for us because this is the first time my family is experiencing this. We know nothing but want to know everything. Nevertheless, we all went into the shopping mood. Guys, you never know the hole on my pants can be so wide open. I mean really wide open ripped off broke!

A wise-man once told me, why marry a cow when you can get free milk everywhere? Well, that statement kinda applies financially but in the real world of today. We don't have farms anymore. The cows walk in the polluted streets you know. You never know when you could get allergic to cow milk. Not so wise anymore, eh?

So lets fast forwards, and tah dah!!! There pops up the My Registration of Marriage. We chose The National of Registration (JPN), Putrajaya because I have been there before on a business field trip and I find it quite a pleasant place to be. Most importantly they had individual rooms to conduct the signing ceremony as oppose to some branches which was held on a open hall accessible by the general public. This is more private.

Pic (2)

Pic (3)

Pic (4)

Pic (5)

Pic (6)

My dogs were extremely excited too!

Pic (7)

Pic (8)

Pic (9)

Pic (11)

We finally reached National of Registration Department, Putrajaya - an entire 45 minutes of monotonous drive along the highway. The weather was extremely cooperating. Usually the sun over there would scorch like it own the whole place. Surprisingly it was cloudy and cooling.

We went straight to the registration counter to report ourselves. Earlier in the month of April, we went to apply for ROM. Things was smooth and in 5 minutes, we got our queue number. We had some free time do we decided to do some shots. 

Pic (13)

Pic (12)

Pic (15)

Pic (14)

Pic (16)

Pic (17)

Daniel, my best man proposed a pose like the above for Sharon. Its really dramatic and full of love. I however decided to check it out what was so special about it. Mine turn out quite good - foolishly though.

Pic (18)

Few minutes later, our names we finally called.

Pic (20)

Pic (21)

Pic (19)

Pic (22)

Pic (23)

Pic (24)

Pic (25)

Pic (26)

Pic (27)

Pic (28)

Everything was done and completed in just 1 hour! How smooth was that. Anyway it was too early for lunch so we drove around Putrajaya for some photographic moments.

Pic (29)

Of course this is not what we took. It was a test shot.

Pic (30)

Pic (31)

Pic (32)

Not bad, eh! Hehehe!

Anyway many thank to my best man and fellow photographer, Daniel. You deserved to be mentioned over here. This is the one behind all the scenes you saw above.

Pic (38)

Aint that a pretty smile of his. Hehehehehehehe!

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Last Tuesday, me and Sharon took a day off from work to do some planning and making the first few steps of our special day preparation. Actually we already had most of the ground work done thanks to my equally excited parents. We were all first timer in these things and we sought a lot of advices from friends and relatives. The excitement actually began in the middle of last year. That time, me and Sharon was still in the blur but yeah, we know we are getting married. I'm not gonna reveal more information regarding this till later stage or episodes of 'Wedding Preparation' series that will be on the run from today onwards.

Haribo kiss

So back to topic, we took a day off so that we could go to the Civil Registration Department, Putrajaya to make a reservation for an official date of our civil marriage registration. Things very smooth on that day and I had my GPS set to bring me to where I should go. Was so prepared only to realize we didn't had our Passport Sized Photo done! Haha! So we had to stop by Presinct 8 to get it done. Fast forward, we made it to the counter only for the building fire alarm system to run off! No way! No fire is gonna stop us! We didn't give a *shoot* about it so the official in charge lock our data into the system. There done. Now the fire can start. Burn. Do it...do it... do it... Kekeke! Ok I was joking. The fire alarm was joking too at least.

Next on the 'to do' list was to head to SS2 Petaling Jaya to pick our bridal services for our wedding photos. Well, we already knew what we want so it was easier this way. GPS all the way, 30 minutes later, we're there. We selected RedBliss Bridal Services. Reason is simple, concept. We wanted a unique concept that is timeless and none other than what we usually see from other bridal services products. Remember those wedding photos taken of beautiful couples only to be spoiled by pictures of them in Japanese, Korean, Chinese Emporer, my gosh... ok STOP. We wanted something that is natural, in monotones, abstract and minimalist. Most importantly we want a concept that best descbribe me and Sharon. That concept will ultimately flow to my wedding theme and its derivative concept. Yes, I am very picky but its really a pretty simple. Fortunately simple is easy these days.

Redbliss

So if you guys are interested, please head on to www.redbliss.com.my for the details. Each and every client will be on a different concept based on the RedBliss concept. If you want something funny and in digital art, then RedSense should suit you more. They're all under the RB Marriage Services Group.

Again, I'll share with you the concept probably next month when we have our picture session taken. More information till then. Good nite.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend