Lights Off!

My office is always so ‘gungho’ and up for anything and everything.

Earth Hour is scheduled for tomorrow night, Saturday, 8.30pm-9.30pm.

My office is having “Earth Hour” right now – 5pm – 6pm. We were suppose to wear attire of blue, green or brown in color and bring a plant to the office. For the majority of us, the colour scheme was adhered to, but not the bring a plant to office mandate =) I have a plastic leaf like thing in my cubicle… does that count?

So I’m sitting in the office, in the dark. Outside, its about to rain, so there isn’t much natural light. I can’t actually do anything that is not on the comp cos I can’t see anything! Fooh.

Although this is all good, I think steps to conserving energy demands our everyday attention, not just a one hour off the lights gimmick. (Although it does count for a great source of fun… listening to Hitz morning crew discuss creative ways to be in the dark for one hour… anybody up for playing hide and seek?… or having the music theme of switching off lights… and you suddenly realise, wow, there’s actually so many hit songs out there that sings about switching off lights!)

Happy (be-early) Earth Hour everyone!

Day 01

Day 01 – Meeting the bride and groom to-be

Mood before: Excited and nervous at the same time.

Thoughts: Excited because… duh. its a wedding we’re talking about here!!! Nervous because… I have no clue what to expect out of this.

My portfolio with weddings only skimmed through being the bridesmaid & doing a wedding performance (for my own sister’s wedding), wedding decorations (for 2 weddings in the UK), wedding deco, booklet & slideshow (1 wedding in M’sia), emceeing a wedding ceremony/dinner and having to do chinese translation *faint*most stressful role thus far* (1 wedding in M’sia), last but not least, attend and eat (at numerous wedding dinners). Nothing as heavy as having to coordinate and make sure all goes well through the wedding ceremony.

Other than it being a great thing to do for a friend, my reasons for doing it (which I bet, when things get overwhelmingly stressful, is something I will re-visit) is firstly, to get to know the couple better… What better way to get to know them than to do this once-in-a-lifetime service for them? (hopefully this is an honourable enough reason to be doing this!)

Secondly, I always kinda imagined doing the coordination for my own wedding, and at the same time, I’ve always joked and imagined with some of my girlfriends how it would be like to be in the wedding planning business, or something along those lines (which of course, I am not realistically planning to do, considering the amount of professional wedding planning agencies are out there). So, although my role in this wedding is not planning their wedding, but just coordinating and making sure the wedding ceremony goes according to their desires, its one step up from my portfolio, and it definitely is a challenge I would regret if I had said no.

Music of the night: Getting to Know You (from King and I)

We both mutually got to know one another over dinner.

I got a feel of what their expectations are – both their expectations of the wedding ceremony, and their expectations of me would be.

Immediate action: Need to draw out a to-do check list and timetable (based on the excellent checklist from the bride-to-be… I like organized! =P)  so I know what I’m suppose to be doing throughout the countdown to D-Day.

Mood after: Excited! Its gonna be a blast working with them.

Key lesson learnt today: Its all about them. The Couple. Their wants. Their desires. Their dislikes.

There were many a times I wanted to suggest things that I myself would like in my wedding, and I refrained from saying it, because it isn’t about me. If I tell them about it because it is what I’ve always wanted and not because it benefits them more, then its imposing my wants, my desires and my tastes to their wedding. Which I believe is absolutely unforgivable (okok… not biblical… i know i know). I wouldn’t want someone to be doing my wedding imposing their preferences! I’d fire them man!

Weddings, are definitely the one event, that most women would have thought, re-thought, imagined, re-imagined, decided, re-vised what it would be like. So, in this respect, the involved party will definitely have at least a rough visual image of how the wedding ceremony would be like.

So, I’ve to master the skills of being silent, listen and getting an accurate interpretation of what they want. AND execute accordingly =)

Prayer: Lord, teach me to put others first, learn to discern their needs and execute with excellence. Amen.

Go SELCAT!

I’m so excited!

I can’t watch, cos I’m at work, but for those who can, better come witness these events, which I believe will go down in history of our nation!

As Hannah Yeoh, State Assemblyman N.31 Subang Jaya, Selangor, (Love Subang yay!) explains it clearly in her blogpost (the following is cut and pasted):

The first Public Hearing by the Select Committee on Competency, Accountability & Transparency (SELCAT) of the Selangor State Legislative Assembly is being conducted from March 23rd – 31st 2009.

Among the issues that will be investigated and heard in this session is the conduct of BALKIS (Wives of Selangor Assemblymen and MPs Welfare and Charity Organisation) and other cases of mismanagement of funds. Notable witnesses that have been summoned to appear before the committee are the former MB, Dato’ Seri Dr. Mohamed Khir Bin Toyo; his wife as President of BALKIS, Datin Seri Zahrah Kechik; and other state officials.

The entire proceedings are being broadcast live online for public’s viewing at http://multimedia.selangor.gov.my/.

I urge the public to watch this historic public hearing, never before seen in the history of our country where those who hold or have held public office are brought before a legislative committee in a public hearing to be questioned for all their actions and to be given an opportunity to be accountable for their conduct. The report of this public hearing will be tabled at the next State Legislative Assembly meeting.