Tales of a Candle Princess

There is a Malay idiom called puteri lilin, or candle princess. It really means someone who is unable to stand heat or is afraid of it. And I am one, I have always been.

So even when it's really not all that sunny, I will shield myself from the sun with either my hands or a parasol. When it is really sunny, there is no question that I would have sunglasses or a hat at hand (there are days when I am paranoid about dirty, germy sunglasses rims but that's a story for another day).

People who are with me when they see this phenomenon can't help but raise their eyebrows. Many friends openly remark that they do not care about going under the sun and why should I. The fact is, I truly dislike the feeling of going under the sun. It makes me lethargic, hot and bothered, sometimes sweaty and sleepy. I do of course appreciate it some days but most of the time it is unwelcomed.

Since a little girl, my favorite days had been those moody, melancholic days where the sun is nowhere to be seen. On these kind of days I remember feeling happier and more energetic. I'm faring better these days with the sun and heat, learning to let go a little now and then. To enjoy any God-given day.

And if do you catch me trying to shield myself on a not-so-sunny day, you'll know why - I'm what they call a candle princess. As cheesy as that sounds.

with You by my side

"Surely I am with you always, to the very end of age".

                                                                                                                      Matthew 28:20

I never realized how pretty

grizzly bears are.

My Best Friend's Wedding.

For the past year, I had been whining that I will never be a bridesmaid before being a bride. My closest friends were not thinking about marriage at that stage yet, and I had a wedding sometime in the near future. But things took a turn recently and my best friend got engaged. She had asked me to be her MOH, and I couldn't be more honored. You don't hear me whining now.

My reasons for wanting to be a bridesmaid before a bride are probably trivial and nonsensical. Here are some:

1) It's nice to actually know what you're supposed to be doing in a wedding before planning your own. It'll give you a headstart in getting familiar with wedding-related-things. I know some brides who take tremendous pleasure in the planning part but the more I delve into it the more I would rather leave it to the groom, or at least split it up 50/50. Perhaps because I find planning to be too... planned. For the lack of a better word. I just don't see why we need to put a whole year's work into a one-day event.

That said, what would a wedding be without all that work. Chaotic at best? I'm sure there are ones that are just as beautiful with no big, crazy planning involved and I guess that's how I'd like mine to be. Without all that fuss. Definitely no ice sculptures.

2) It's a lot funner (is this a word?) to plan someone else's wedding than your own. Not that my own wedding planning is going to be funless, but things gone wrong can be a real party pooper. It pays to be an experienced MOH/bridesmaid, so you'd know what to pack in the bridal-emergency-kit.

3) I've always thought I would get married after my friends since they're all a few years older, and this sort of stuck with me up until today. I'd rather "marry them off" first. As mentioned, my reasons are highly likely to be nonsensical. But I wouldn't have a problem if it works out the other way around either.

4) I want to experience a wedding up close and personal first before my own. I've played in many weddings before, but providing music isn't the same as carrying a train.

So here's a toast to my best friend's wedding.
And to their lives after.
And to no more whining.

skullduggery

My mother.
My sister.
The expert.

forgot: Past tense and a past participle of forget [fəˈgɒt]

i've forgotten
what's it like
since it's been
awhile since
and it's really
mindbogglingly
simple