Our Wedding Day - Joleen & Jerry Get Married

Weddings... It's always a funny day this one. Butterflies in your stomach and last minute panics with bursts of bridezilla moments. I think I did quite well (well, in my mind at least I wasn't a diva).

The morning started out quite cruisy really. My 3 bridesmaids (maid of honour Melanie, sister Edeleen and cousin Alicia) said they've got everything sorted and I fully trusted them. There's nothing more I could do except to let things go and just enjoy my big day.

We got to Wairakei Resort at 9am so my girls could do some last minute set up with the tree. Mel did my makeup and Jess Wall did my hair. Love both my makeup and hair btw, the girls did an amazing job.

Getting ready...

My handsome Daddy xx

The pics made it look so calm but by the time we got to getting me into my dress, we were frantic as we were running late and my guests had been sweltering for 20 minutes under the hot Taupo sun. At least it was better than windy rain and cold!

We finally got me all laced up and down to my handsome daddy. Oh he looked radiant that day. So happy he's walking me down the aisle xx

We walked in to none other than Ed Shereen's Thinking Out Loud which I so love because of his beautiful lyrics of mysterious ways people fall in love and how they will keep on loving each other till they are 70 (and beyond...). I was gripping my dad's hand very tightly as I was feeling so nervous and excited at the same time.

It was a magical feeling walking down the aisle, passing all my family and close friends, to my handsome husband to be. Quite surreal actually.

Daddy gave me a peck on the check and handed me over to Jerry. It's happening!!

If you are ever looking for a celebrant, I will highly recommend Belinda de Lautour from The Wedding Angel. She will take care of you from the beginning planning stages, and hold your hand all the way until the end. She was so amazing. Made our ceremony so beautiful and personal. I couldn't help it. I teared up and mucked up my makeup after our vows when Belinda was doing the blessing of the hands.

Tearing up *sniff*

Pronounced Man & Wife

We performed a beautiful sand ceremony where we poured two different colours of sand (red representing me and black representing Jerry) to symbolise the coming together of our two cultures and individuals as one - and as the grains may not be separated, so would our lives be intertwined forever.

Sand Ceremony

Mum closed the ceremony with a touching reading and it was all over and done in half an hour. Felt like time had passed so fast! We had some amazingly fun shots with the bridal party by our lovely photographer Krystle from Bespoke Photography. Love love it!

 

It was on to speeches and a BBQ lunch before the next round of guests arrived at 2.30pm. Jerry's soccer team, my colleagues and friends shared our day with us as we cut the cake, did a yam seng and had our first dance. Thanks to best man Ray for getting Jerry to agree to the first dance!

Yam Seng!!!

Our guests xx

Check out all our pics here...

Pre-Wedding Pics in Taupo

It's been ages since I wrote in this blog. A lot has happened since 2012!

Jerry finally proposed at 23:05 on the 23.05.15 (on my birthday) at the lovely Chateau Tongariro.

I said YES!

At first I wanted to do our pre-wedding pics in KL but I didn't think Jerry would like being in a suit for hours in 30 degrees much. We decided to take our pics in Taupo instead with the lovely Krystle from Bespoke Photography as our photographer.

Loving her photos xx

View the rest of her pics here...

In front of Taupo's Floatplane

At the Taupo Harbour

Hilton Lake Taupo here I come!

The power of the Secret and the Universe definately works. All the signs were there. At the door when Julie and Penny said put your business card in there are plenty of goodies to be won to Shona rubbing her luck off me (coz she's been winning lucky draws at the last few events).



The best prize was a night's stay at Hilton Lake Taupo, overlooking the magnificient lake and mountains of Taupo in the background. Hilton GM Clinton reached into the bucket, I channeled my energy and visualised him picking my card. Sure enough, a DGLT card with the Taupo macron was chosen - whose could it be? Mine, Christine, Ness?? Clinton looked at me and said my name. Yes. The power of the Secret does work.

Thank you Taupo Chamber of Commerce and thank you Clinton, my favourite person in the world.

Malaysian Prawns in Taupo

Saturday 3 September 2011

Bought a GrabOne deal for half price on the Huka Prawn Park in Taupo but found out later that locals get half price anyways so felt slightly cheated but nevertheless.. since both of us have not been to Prawn Park, I thought it would be great venue for a date.

Saturday came and we were there on the dot for the hourly guided tour around the centre. Check this out - the prawns here are actually - wait for it - MALAYSIAN prawns. What the hell right??? Steal our prawns and make it a tourist attraction hmpph!!! But they're doing a great job at breeding them so they're forgiven.

Macrobrachium Rosenbergii otherwise known as Giant Malaysian River Prawn

The species is called Macrobrachium Rosenbergii (Giant Malaysian River Prawn) and was chosen because they are good for commercial production. Basically because they breed fast and grow big - can be harvested at 8 months. Our guide told us that their largest prawn was named “Horse” - an amazing 68cm. He died of old age at 2 years old.

Old Horse

Coming from tropical waters, the prawns won’t be able to survive in the cold Taupo waters so the park uses the nearby geothermal water to heat up the fresh Waikato River water up to 20c which they then circulates throughout the ponds. Their bill would be $40000 each month if they used electricity to heat the water up!

Our first stop was the educational tour through the Nursery & Hatchery where more than one billion babies are born each year. There are quirky signs placed at the various stages of their growth. A male stud has SEVEN girlfriends who spawn up to five times per year - a 50-gram female can produce up to 50.000 eggs. Had fun hand feeding the baby prawns – very geli and they bite.

How true

Ouch!

Our guide showed us how to fish for prawns too. You need to be VERY VERY patient to fish for prawns which I am NOT. Draw in the line THREE minutes after you feel the first bite coz they want to take the bait away, run and hide, then only start eating. It was torture waiting.

This is how you do it...

Waiting, waiting, waiting...

Another popular attraction is “Shawn’s Walk” which incorporates an Interactive & Educational Hatchery Tour where guests can stroll through the park experiencing Shawn’s Jumping Rocks, Riverside Nature Walk which includes feeding wild trout and a Geothermal Foot Bath where visitors can soak their feet and enjoy fantastic views of the Waikato River.

Quick before I get wet!

I was getting hungry so we headed to their Riverside Restaurant where you can sample their whole prawns and other prawny dishes. The place was filled with Asians! Hahah. Goes to show how adrenaline seeking we Asians are :P

Prawn platter

All in all, quite a good date. And the number of prawns we managed to catch – ONE.

Beautiful Lake Taupo

Woke up to a cold cold frost this morning and was cursing that it's too bloody cold here. Missing my warm humid weather.

But the sky was clear and the sun was out. It was a beautiful day.

Moments like these, I appreciate Taupo again.

Check out the awesome view. Mt Doom is the cone-shaped one in the middle.

And I wore only 1 layer today :)

Workouthon - Less Mills style

Saturday 14 May 2011

Why would anyone in their right mind want to drive 6 hours so that they can exercise for 4 hours straight?  If it's crazy people then I'm one of them.

I've been on this wonderful journey of becoming a Les Mills Body Balance instructor all because Fiona, the owner of Empower Fitness, asked me last September 2010 if I was interested in becoming one. I was sussing out Taupo at the time so I said I'll come in to see her again when I move in February 2011.

February came and to my delight, Fiona's offer was still standing. What a blessing. To be doing something you like and getting paid for it. I have Fiona to thank for that.

Here's Fiona teaching Body Balance

Being an instructor is not as easy as I thought. I've been practising yoga and pilates so body balance was not something really that new. But it's one thing to be practising, it's another thing all together to be teaching. There are choreographed routines to remember, knowing what to tell your students and setting them up with cues & follow ups. And then there was that whole confidence factor. Who am I to tell other people what to do? How if I screw up? What if I forget my routines? What if people don't like me? Instructors. RESPECT. Damn it was tough. 

Still remember my first few times on stage. Fiona said I was quiet as a mouse! And I messed up a few times - like repeating the right leg in the sun salutation sequence 3x and left 1x instead of 2x each for each leg. I didn't even realise it until Fiona told me haha. And always confusing left from right as we are mirror imaging the students. But the goings been good and I think I'm picking it up fast enough.   

One of the benefits of being part of a franchise is that Les Mills has an excellent support system with workshops and trainings and what nots. May 14 was my first Les Mills workshop up in Auckland. Went up with the rest of the Empower Fitness team Ro, Brooke, Marie, Martina, Mike & Emma. So yea. Drive 3 hours up for a 11am - 6pm workout and drive 3 hours down right after that. Poor Ro. She must have been really tired driving us up and down.

Ro walking in front of Les Mills Auckland

  

Les Mills - one of the better group fitness programmes I've been to

I've only been to one workshop with Revathi (Zumba, belly dancing, bollyjam, etc) and it was exhausting but oh so rewarding! I knew this Les Mills one would be so much better and I was not disappointed.

This workshop was for instructors from all over to check out the new releases that have just come out. For $25, you can get to attend ALL of their classes. What a sweet deal. They also introduced their new programmes, CX30 (core work) and Sh'Bam (dance). I was greedy as usual and wanted to pack in as many classes as I could. Ended up going to CX30, BodyStep, Sh'Bam and BodyBalance which ran back to back. Wanted to go for BodyJam but it was getting late. Was I ever exhausted after that. But oh so happy and satisfied. Am I weird or what?

 

Participants waiting for BodyStep to start

I must say that it was such an opportunity to attend classes by master trainers and even the choreographers for the programmes. The instructors are extremely inspirational. Makes you wanna be like them. To strive to bring your standards to where they are. I have a long way to go yet but I'll get there.

Seriously thinking of taking the module training Brooke was telling us about. She did her BodyStep module up in Auckland. After you complete your module, you have to submit a film of your class and in order to get certified. Whole process would take up to a year. BodyBalance would be a 3 day workshop costing me $400. Just found out there's a training on May 21 up in Auckland! Too soon! Couldn't find another one on their calender. Sob. Hopefully they'll arrange one after this May 21st one.



Teaching BodyBalance and loving it


Fiona said she's thinking of inviting the trainers down sometime in Sept so maybe I'll just wait for that. At least I don't have to bother about transport & accommodation.

It was an awesome time up in Auckland with an awesome team. So glad I was part of that. And I'm grateful I'm still enjoying the journey.

My new baby Puku

Tuesday 26 April 2011

Today we are delighted to welcome a new addition to the family, a little black kitten whom we adopted from the SPCA. I actually wanted a puppy but Jerry said a dog's meant to work on a farm. hmmph! But he's being practical. It will be hard for someone to take care of him when we go on long holidays. Cats are much more independant and easier.

Poku was abandoned at Taupo SPCA with her mum and brother. She's all black with a cute adorable patch under her chin and is about 4 months old. Quite pricey to adopt here NZ$65 (RM156). Puku means tummy in Maori and we thought the name sounded cute. At least I didn't go Pookie.. No, she doesn't have a fat tummy or anything like that. Here she is.

Princess Puku

Was not really much of a cat person but I'm liking her. She's very sweet a bit like a dog. Curls up under my comfortable and sleeps on the couch with me. Loves being cuddled and stroked. And follows me around the house too. I feel needed and loved hahha.

House training her now. Have to keep her indoors for at least 2 weeks before I let her venture out.

Grow up nicely my lovely.

Sleeping on the couch