others' plans, your plans & God's plans

i have a story to share.
but i would start with a humble opinion of mine.
which is, "being an excellent student is not always a good thing".

why do i have that kind of opinion?

okay, let me give you some examples.

example 1
miss A got excellent results for her PMR, straight A's.
she really wanted to get into non-science stream class.
she loved mathematics but not sciences subject.
but her mother didn't let her to do so, because ppl always have a perception that good students have to be in a pure science class.
so, there she was, continue her secondary education in a pure science class.

example 2
miss A got good results for her SPM.
she's interested in arts and she's quite a creative person.
she wanted to be an architect, so she put architectural courses as the first few choices in the UPU form.
but then she got an offer to get into matriculation.
she got to choose whether to be in matriculation or to wait for the UPU intake (the policy at that time, if one had chose to be in matriculation, she/he won't get a placement in the UPU).
normally, good students will get themselves into matriculation because it's a fast track for students to get into universities.
so, there she was, choosing to continue her study in matriculation after looked for some advices.

example 3
miss A got excellent results for the matriculation.
ohh by the way, she was a physical science student.
normally, excellent physical science students will choose to further studies in engineering.
just like medicine for excellent biological science students.
she wanted to get into actuarial science or quantity surveyor field but her father didn't let her to do so.
she was advised to get into engineering field.
so, there she was, choosing to continue her study in engineering field.
electrical & electronics engineering to be exact because that's the toughest one to get in.

so, do you see it?
being an excellent student is not always a good thing.

when you are an excellent student, the probability for you to "go with the flow" is the highest.

doing things that you don't like is not fun at all.
you can get good results, that's not a problem, because you are good in studies, remember?

ohh anyway, miss A successfully sailed through her degree.
she nailed her engineering degree courses and she passed with flying colors.
she didn't want to be an engineer because she got no passion to be one.
she wanted to be in academics line because that was what she loved doing, to acquire knowledge.
to share and to distribute the knowledge would be fun too, that was her thought.
she did apply for some openings for the post of lecturer.
and she failed because one of the minimum requirements is to have a master's degree.
she also did apply for a scholarship program named tenaga pengajar muda by uitm.
there was no opening for a master in engineering at that time, they only have places for phd students.
but still, she tried her luck, and again, she failed.
she decided to hold the ambition to be in academics line for a moment and she started something new.
she became an entrepreneur.
at the same time, she looked for opportunity to further her studies.
she got an offer for an interview to further her study in UK with mara's scholarship.
sadly, she had to forgo the opportunity because she just started with her business.
so when government announced a scholarship program, where the government will pay half of the studying fees, she grabbed that opportunity.
no way she would further her studies in engineering line anymore because she had enough of doing things that she doesn't like or wanted to do.
she got herself into a business study field.
she liked it so much because it was much fun and meaningful than her previous study field.
and she finished her master's degree with first class results.
her father asked her to work with him for many times, but as mentioned before, she had enough of doing things that she doesn't like.

so, as she has got her master's degree, she again tried to get herself into academics line.
unfortunately, she couldn't get into public universities easily because there's a requirement by an MQA, she got to have business background qualifications for both her bachelor and master's degree.
unless she already had experience in teachings or in industry for few years.
so, she chose to apply for a place in a private university college.
there's only one place in her mind.
she knew that the place is good since her fiance is a graduate from that university college and he can do his job well right after he finished his degree.
and some of her friends are lecturers in that university college, and they seem like enjoying their work over there.
the strongest reason is because the place is very near to all important places for her, home, future in-laws home, and also her other workplace (she's an entrepreneur, remember?).
so it's like a perfect place.
there was no openings or vacancies advertised by that university college by the way, she just tried her luck.
ohh and heyy she got the offer.

and the most important thing is, she didn't go with the flow anymore.
everything seems to work as her plans when she decided to further her studies.
some did not agree when she decided to further her study, but she is grateful for her stubbornness.
ohh anyway she borrowed her fiance and sister's money to pay for the fees, which she hasn't returned yet.

she always believes that God's plans are the best.
there are reasons why God didn't allow her to get into architectural courses right after school.
there are reasons why God allow her to start a business right after her degree.
there are reasons why God allow her to further her studies when there was no support from others.
there are reasons why God didn't allow her to get married last year or last two years.
there are reasons why God give her strength and faith to stay loyal with her fiance for a long time, despite the challenges that she has got to face.
there are reasons for every single thing that happened in her life.

the moral from the story is, you might not get what you have planned, due to external factors and forces.
but maybe it's because God has better plans for you.
be it others' plans or your plans, they are all part of God's plans.

ohh miss A in this story is just random and isn't related with anyone.

45-minute outdoor portraiture session for only rm42??

yes, with only rm42 you can get a session of 45-minute outdoor portraiture, baby.
not only that, you'll also get one FREE 8r photo and one FREE photo cd.

outdoor portraiture? for what?

this is a chance to capture the moments with your loved ones, friends and relatives.

ohh come on lovelies and especially bride-to-bes! tak perasan ke?
you can save a lot on your pre-wedding or/and your post-wedding photoshoots.
i never found any other promotion that is cheaper than this!
for less than rm50? are you serious, DFchannel photography??

ahh mengada lah kau.
orang bagi mahal tak mampu, orang bagi murah tak percaya.

normal price is rm135, so it's actually 69% off.
tak gila?

you can grab this great deal here, at milkadeal.

log in with facebook to claim rm5 milkadeal credits instantly!
so, rm42 minus rm5 credits = rm37 for a 45-minute portraiture session.
muahaha, mari gelak besar.

saya dah beli, anda bila lagi?
you still have 3 days+ before the promotion ends.

benci blog header

benci blog header baru ni.
sebabnya header image sebelum ni dah didelete oleh imageshack.
sekarang tengah takde mood nak design2.

sila bertabah dengan header sementara yang buruk itu.

update 24/2/2011: okay, dah cantik dah. tak perlu bertabah, cuma selalulah berkunjung ke blog ini. walaupun update jarang-jarang, tapi berkunjunglah selalu ye :)

centerpiece ideas

source: google

hoho.. tidak lah saya akan meletakkan table centerpiece sebesar ini.

centerpieces are among small-small things in a wedding that can create high impact to the overall wedding decoration.

finding the wedding table centerpiece ideas is easy-peasy when you have internet with you.
just google "centerpiece ideas" or "wedding centerpiece" or "table centerpiece" or "cute centerpiece" or whatever, will direct you to millions of beautiful centerpiece ideas.

but.. (yes, there's a but), they can cost you a bomb, especially if your wedding is big or you are too ambitious to put that giant centerpiece as in above pic on every table.

there is no fixed standard or rule for your table centerpieces.
they can be anything.. flowers, candles, candies, cuppies, kerepeks, kurmas, pictures of the bride & groom, etc.
basically, you can show your originality and creativity through centerpieces.

generally, it is about bringing the overall theme to each table.

for example, my majlis akad nikah theme will be "romantic & magical".
to bring the theme of "romantic & magical" to the table, i'm thinking of using candles for the centerpieces.

ohh i love candles.
sedih tak dapat bagi candles as wedding favors, jadi centerpieces pun jadilah.
you don't need complicated arrangements for candles.
just put the candle in a glass, place a mirror under the candle to amplify the glow, sprinkle flower petals around the glass, and that's it!
simple yet elegant, no?

source: google

and as for my wedding reception, the theme will be "modern vintage".
i love vintage wedding!
i just think that vintage wedding is a perfect timeless way for bride & groom to celebrate new lives together.
but to make the wedding preparations easier and to make it more flexible, i decided to merge vintage theme with modern theme.
ala-ala cheating sikit2 la.

for the centerpieces, i'm thinking of using doily papers to create the vintage look.
maybe just some flower arrangements in a glass on a doily.
and finish them off with a ribbon around the glass.
or use lace instead of ribbon to make it more vintage?

source: google

ohh pasal centerpiece ni awal bulan april baru nak finalize.

prosedur permohonan nikah bagi negeri selangor

prosedur permohonan nikah (lelaki)
- hadir kursus pra-perkahwinan yang diiktiraf
- lakukan ujian saringan hiv di hospital/klinik kesihatan kerajaan
- dapatkan borang 2a di pejabat agama islam daerah atau download borang di sini & lengkapkan borang tersebut
- dapatkan pengesahan penolong pendaftar nikah qariah
- dapatkan kebenaran nikah dari pejabat agama islam daerah
- serahkan kebenaran kepada pihak perempuan

dokumen sokongan yang diperlukan
- salinan IC/passport (jika warganegara asing)
- salinan IC/passport (jika warganegara asing) 2 orang saksi
- sijil asal & salinan sijil kursus pra-perkahwinan diiktiraf jakim/jais/jawi/jain
- keputusan ujian saringan hiv
- salinan borang permohonan 2a (jika nikah luar daerah/negeri/negara)
- surat pengesahan mastautin pemohon daripada penghulu/ketua kampung/nazir masjid/pengerusi jkkk/pengerusi jawatankuasa penduduk taman perumahan (bagi yang mempunyai perbezaan alamat tempat tinggal dengan alamat dalam IC)
- surat akuan bujang daripada majikan
- surat akuan cerai/kematian pasangan & salinan (jika duda)
- surat atau kad perakuan islam & salinan (jika saudara baru)
- surat kelulusan dari kagat/pdrm (jika anggota tentera/polis)
- surat kebenaran berkahwin daripada konsulat atau kedutaan & imegresen (jika warganegara asing)

prosedur permohonan nikah (perempuan)
- hadir kursus pra-perkahwinan yang diiktiraf
- lakukan ujian saringan hiv di hospital/klinik kesihatan kerajaan
- dapatkan borang 2c & 2d di pejabat agama islam daerah atau download borang di sini & sini & lengkapkan borang tersebut
- dapatkan pengesahan penolong pendaftar nikah qariah
- dapatkan kebenaran nikah dari pejabat agama islam daerah
- serahkan kebenaran nikah kepada PPN qariah
- akad nikah dijalankan
- ambil surat perakuan nikah di pejabat agama islam daerah

dokumen sokongan yang diperlukan
- salinan IC/passport (jika warganegara asing)
- salinan IC/passport (jika warganegara asing) wali & 2 orang saksi
- sijil asal & salinan sijil kursus pra-perkahwinan diiktiraf jakim/jais/jawi/jain
- keputusan ujian saringan hiv
- salinan borang permohonan 2c (jika nikah luar daerah/negeri/negara)
- surat pengesahan mastautin pemohon daripada penghulu/ketua kampung/nazir masjid/pengerusi jkkk/pengerusi jawatankuasa penduduk taman perumahan (bagi yang mempunyai perbezaan alamat tempat tinggal dengan alamat dalam IC)
- borang kelulusan berkahwin/surat kebenaran berkahwin bagi lelaki
- surat akuan sumpah nikah ibu bapa (jika anak sulung atau wali adalah abang lelaki sulung)
- surat wakalah (jika wali tidak dapat hadir semasa akad nikah)
- surat akuan sumpah kematian wali/bapa (jika sudah kematian bapa)
- surat akuan cerai/kematian pasangan & salinan (jika janda)
- surat atau kad perakuan islam & salinan (jika saudara baru)
- surat kelulusan dari kagat/pdrm (jika anggota tentera/polis)
- surat kebenaran berkahwin daripada konsulat atau kedutaan & imegresen (jika warganegara asing)

tips
- sijil kursus pra-perkahwinan valid for lifetime, boleh pergi kursus awal-awal untuk memudahkan urusan di kemudian hari
- keputusan ujian saringan hiv valid for 6 months, plan dengan betul supaya tidak kelam kabut dan last minute
- pilih hospital/klinik kesihatan kerajaan yang tidak ramai orang/tidak famous. sebagai contoh, kami pergi ke klinik kesihatan seri putra (located in bandar seri putra, bangi). we don't have to make appointment and don't even need to queue. kami berdua je yang buat ujian saringan hiv haritu
- nama PPN qariah boleh dapat dari pejabat agama islam daerah, no telefon biasa boleh cari di masjid PPN tersebut bertugas
- proses permohonan daripada pejabat agama islam daerah ambil masa sehari & kebenaran berkahwin valid for 3 months
- kalau kedua-dua pasangan dalam daerah yang sama, kesemua prosedur ini boleh dijalankan serentak. tak perlu berkali-kali pergi ke pejabat agama islam daerah yang sama
- kalau sudah berpindah & alamat dalam IC berlainan, lebih mudah tukar alamat atas IC di jpn berhampiran. tak perlu minta surat akuan ketua kampung dan sebagainya untuk mengesahkan pemastautinan kita

wedding favors

i was actually planning to share these after the big day.
but i'm excited to share a little project that i've made.

here's the sneak peek of the upcoming wedding favors.

oww don't you think they are cute?
ohh please say yes.

bunga pahar DIY

serabut ke serabut?