I will not forget you, auspicious 2008

Goodbye, auspicious 2008. U have been a wonderful companion for me. I'll never forget what had happened throughout the times u were around. It all started when i decided to let everything go. Before i came to know u...i really had a bad life, infact the worse. Bcoz of u, i get to know, how to let go...how to put aside and to start anew.

When i first embrace ur presence, i told myself, i'm gonna be someone better, someone new. With ur help, i managed to change myself. With ur presence, my life transformed. Miracles happened, love came, efforts were repaid.

Academics, i tot would end in regrets. Instead, i managed to get the best out of it, i din believe myself. For the 1st time and only once, and that was the last semester, i got dean's list. I never had the time for academics, as my time was given to everyone else.

An accident happened, i could have lost my life..thanks to Lord Buddha, i was saved by His blessings. Miracle happened, i escaped unscratched. But moments before, it could have been the last thing i remembered in life...the spinning of the car, the roll and impact, window shattered and flashes of memories in the past. I began to appreciate things even more...my family, my friends, my companion...everything around me, my life.

Then came love, u gave me a new hope as i was giving up...u brought someone special to my life, someone who had taken away my heart. She was just perfect, and everything i needed. She gave me happiness in life, appreciation and spirit, motivation and determination. She became a companion where i finally can share my ups and downs with.

Friends u became, and friends u brought. As i was leaving campus, u showed me that i do have friends around. People who appreciated my presence, my help and my friendship. However, it was slightly too late as everyone are heading their own paths. But the moments spend with them, are unforgettable.

Happiness u brought to my family too, i get to be involved in a wedding i'll never forget. My only brother's wedding...in a truly malaysian manner. A mixed culture wedding, though its not new, but its an everlasting memory. Happiness filled the air of my family.

But life is fair, u never let anyone go away with good things in life...u let me taste near death, u let me suffer loss, u let me embrace embarrasement. U brought down my ego, u put my heads low, and u let me suffer loneliness. I understand...bcoz u are just being fair. But i wonder, how fair it would be, when ur younger sister takes over from u soon. Now u r leaving me...soon, very soon. I hope ur sister would treat me just as nice, just like u, 2008. Ur older sister, 2007 treated me badly, but i understand...that she wanted me to change. Then u came, and i'd changed. What more can i ask from u? I just hope 2009 will teach me more, but not harshly. i know...it will be a tough ride. Thanks for all that u've given me. I appreciate it, i treasure it. I'll never forget u, 2008. Goodbye and viva forever...

Eddie's Wedding: The Mixed Malaysian Culture Detailed Story

On 6th Nov, the biggest day of my beloved and only brother, Eddie Lau, (now known as Fahim Lau) as he would wed his beloved Arnida Arsam. Their wedding is simply special, because they had a three day wedding celebration with a mixed ceremony of the Malay and Chinese culture.
The wedding started with a Malay culture of akad nikah and bersanding on the first day, at Arnida's house. I was involved directly as i'm Eddie's best man. It was started with sending the hantaran, where my cousins all the way from NZ were among the few to carry the hantarans. The akad nikah went well, Eddie managed to continued get thru the akad nikah just once. Both the bride and groom, looked gorgeous and stunningly attractive.
They looked even more matching and attractive when they came out with new set of clothes for bersanding. Then my family especially, managed to experience 'merenjis' for the very first time. 'Merenjis' is done by sprinkling water and placing flower petals on the hands of the bride and groom. It is done to bless the married couple.
The wedding is continued with Chinese tea ceremony the next day. According to the chinese custom, we can't see the bride and groom face to face before they enter the house...so all of us, immediate family stayed in the house right til my bro and his wife step into the house. Then we also experience kid jumping and rolling on the groom's bed...believing that it will bring children to the couple. The ceremony continued with tea ceremony..."cam cha" to the elderly.
The last day, was the lunch reception. It was held at Community Centre in Bukit Damansara. It was a nice place and had a nice setup. The entourage of the couple arrived in a very grand manner, followed by kompang beats at the back. The couple and their immediate family had the honour of having lunch on high table, making them feeling like king n queen (That's where the Raja Sehari phrase comes from i guess, haha).
Being his brother, its a once in a lifetime experience to get involved in the ceremony. My family, have been waiting for such a long time for this moment to arrive. I would expected this day soon, however, not that soon. But nevertheless, I felt so happy and excited for my brother, as he has proven that pure Malaysian culture still lives on. A culture where Malay and Chinese were put together in on occasion. This should be the ideal concept for Malaysian not only today, but for as long as Malaysia exists. Never had i thought my family would practise the true Malaysian spirit...

*frustrated coz cant upload photo,duno what's the prob*

Eddie's Wedding - The Mixed Malaysian Culture

6 Nov - Akad Nikah and Bersanding

7 Nov - Tea Ceremony

8 Nov - Lunch Reception

On 6th Nov, the biggest day of my beloved and only brother, Eddie Lau, now known as Fahim Lau as he would wed his beloved Arnida Arsam. The wedding started with a Malay culture of akad nikah and bersanding on the first day, continued with a Chinese tea ceremony the next day. Being his brother, its a once in a lifetime experience to get involved in the ceremony. My family, have been waiting for such a long time for this moment to arrive. I would expected this day soon, however, not that soon. But nevertheless, I felt so happy and excited for my brother, as he has proven that pure Malaysian culture still lives on.

More detailed story will soon to come in this blog, as I now have only a short time to drop some words here.