When There's Good Lighting We Snap Photos @ Pine Tree Hotel, Batu Pahat, Johor (November 2011)

We obviously spent quite some time at the hotel's bathroom. =D

The Story of The Friend Who Always Fails to Attend Weddings & Ewa's Wedding @ Pine Tree Hotel, Batu Pahat, Johor. (November 2011)

Assalamualaikum Readers,

FYI I am the offender of friend-who-always-fails-to-attend-friends-wedding. Yes guilty as charged. I always receive invitations even from only friends on Facebook especially when I have a full account. As much as I am honoured for the invitations, sometimes I have bridal make-up jobs which clashes with the invitations, and well most of the time I always have excuses (valid I hope) such as family gatherings and other work for not appearing at these weddings or engagement parties. Yes! I know it's bad! Schoolmates even reminded me (intimidated me) by saying that there's a huge possibility for other friends not to attend my wedding since I don't attend theirs. *sigh*

Am I anti-social? Well not really, it's just that I always feel I have very few trustworthy friends, and fewer friends whom I feel comfortable in my own skin. So sometimes I just drag on the idea of attending one's wedding. For example, I have promised my friend, we're not so close, but she's good to me, in Johor Bharu. I have PROMISED her I will attend her wedding, and she was ecstatic. But on the very day itself, my friend who was supposed to accompany me to JB, he fell sick, like very high fever he claimed, so automatically Ummi did not allow me to drive 5 hours to JB and 5 hours back to KL on the same day. I tried all my resources trying to find a replacement, but it was the infamous date of 20.11.2011 where all my other friends were attending other weddings as well. By 1 pm, it was impossible for me to leave for JB right? In the end, I ended up accompanying Ummi visiting Dr. Nooraini since Ummi was having terrible coughs. Somehow, some way, I always end up at clinics and hospitals lately. Now I just have guilt for not attending that friend's wedding, though my best friend Mira said it was totally understandable, but I really feel like crap. So now I just Like that friend's newly wed photos on Facebook without commenting anything. I feel terrible. I am pathetic.

However yes, the lovely couple above in the photo, the bride was my schoolmate at MRSM Kuala Kubu Bharu. Her name is Sharifah Shahira but friends call her Ewa. Her wedding was held 3 hours from KL, somehow I managed to attend with another schoolmate, Famiza. Ewa was not close to me at all, we only bonded for a short while during a camp at school but just until that. Nevertheless when she invited me, somehow I was positive I could and will attend. And alhamdulillah I did. (yay!)

Ewa had a combined wedding ceremony with her elder sister, and since they choose an English theme, both of them looked so so gorgeous, quite Grace Kelly-ish. Honestly I couldn't keep my eyes off of her when I met her that day. Her make-up was flawless, and her upper and lower lashes were so suitable with her eyes. I especially love the hair-do with headband (I just love headbands). Just lovely. Best of all, Ewa's expression when she saw me the ever bubbly her shouted "Sue! You came!" and that was worth the drive. Well at least, I feel like I have redeemed myself A BIT for attending her wedding. But then again failed on 20112011. *sigh* I will do better insha Allah for more invitations which I could afford to attend.

As for Ewa and her husband, may your marriage be blessed in this life and in the Hereafter amin. =)

Jom Jalan-Jalan! & Jom Makan! Mee Bandung & Otak-Otak @ Muar, Johor (Saturday, 12th December 2009)

Salam,

After the bridal make-up jobs on my client were done, before leaving for Kuala Lumpur, Ummi and I drove to check out Muar, the town next to Tangkak. FYI Muar is the bigger town compared to both Tangkak and Segamat. If you want to exit for Kuala Lumpur using the PLUS Highway, you must use the exit at Tangkak Toll. However if you want to head to KL using the old road from Muar, you will use the road going through Melaka but the distance is still quite the same. By the way I laughed when on the way I saw a residential area named

Taman Suraya *LOL*

Muar is slightly more developed than Segamat and many government buildings are located in Muar as well. There's a quite wide river named Sungai Muar (Muar River) therefore there are more activities in Muar. Fairuz told me that there is a river cruise service that charges RM 10.00 per head. I was attracted with a few of the old buildings which are influenced with English architecture in Muar. I was informed by Ummi that the Johor Royal Family is closely connected with the United Kingdom since the Kings were among the earliest Kings sent for studies in the UK.

For example, this majestic looking white (though I saw on the net some photos show that the colour is very blue in daylight, at night I saw more of a bluish white) mosque really caught my attention. It is the Masjid Jamek Sultan Ibrahim (Sultan Ibrahim's Jamek Mosque) which architecture is rich with the influence of British colonial designs instead of having the typical Middle-Eastern elements of most mosques.

This mosque is located nearby with Jeti Tanjung Mas (Tanjung Mas Jetty) and also quite a walking distance with another beautiful colonial design building named Bangunan Sultan Abu Bakar which unfortunately I did not snap its photo.

The breathtaking architecture of Masjid Jamek Sultan Ibrahim.

That night, Jeti Tanjung Mas was flooded with throngs of people since famous radio station, Hot FM conducted an event, Hot FM Night Jam where many of infamous celebrities lined up to perform including Malaysia's #1 Songbird, Datuk Siti Nurhaliza.

I just went to the vicinity to check out the crowd, but did not intend to watch the performance.

Dark Blue, Red & White Johor flag.

The crowd at Hot FM Night Jam.

Of course when you come to Muar, it is not to be missed for you to try their infamous local dish called Mee Bandung (Bandung Noodles). As many of you know, Bandung is a place in Indonesia but I never encountered Mee Bandung in Bandung anyway :p

Oh yes, Muar has lots of packed eateries, especially a few Medan Ikan Bakar (Grilled Fish Food Court) where there are rows and rows of grilled fish stalls. We decided to go to the food court which is located nearby to the bus terminal.

Ummi ordered Mee Bandung which the specialty is in its corn flour gravy . I insisted on eating Fried Rice (which was so bland and only filled with vegetables). The Mee Bandung is priced at RM 4.00 per plate. Ummi said the taste was normal, nothing special, the gravy was not thick enough so there was not enough kick in it. Also, the portion of yellow noodles was not very generous.

Mee Bandung

While eating dinner, we could not help to sympathize a bride named Teh Afifah who lost her newly-wedded husband, both 23 years old, in a tragic car crash in Perlis. It was so traumatizing for her to lose her husband, her parents-in-law and a friend. She lost him for only 3 hours after their Akad Nikah (solemnization ceremony). The fact which gave me goosebumps was when the newspaper the next day reported that her husband texted her saying 'Do not be surprised when you check out what I will wear tomorrow.' He intended he was going to wear a really nice groom's apparel since she has not seen it before, but fate decided he was going to wear the Kafan cloth for the passed away.

I cried pondering at her fate, because the bright couple, who was separated in UK and New Zealand for further studies, both doing engineering, basically had their love relationship online due to the distance. Teh Afifah was still in her final year pursuing a degree in Chemistry Engineering when she returned home for her wedding. Her husband, was due to report for his job as a lecturer at UiTM a few days after their wedding.

Though Teh Afifah refused to be interviewed by the media, the father informed that she accepted this as an obstacle from Allah to test her Imaan towards Him. I truly respect her for her patience and perseverance after reading her statement.

I pray for Teh Afifah to be blessed with strong Imaan and al-Fatihah for her husband, parents and friend.

Ummi watching the news about the ordeal of Teh Afifah.

Khatam al-Qur'an & Bridal Make-up @ Segamat, Johor (Saturday, 12th December 2009)

Salam,

Today was the day I did the make-up for my client. The eldest of 8 siblings, so the occassion was a big one for her family. My client here, is a teacher who wedded her sweetheart since her matriculation college days. She loves to bake and is a very nice, simple woman. She kept texting me because she really wanted to look the best on her wedding day.

She was involved with an auto accident a few years back and that resulted to a permanent scar on her eyebrow. She was really anxious on looking the best so the scar worried her the most. I comforted her insha Allah with heavy duty make-up her scar would not be visible.

Alhamdulillah, not only her family and her loved the make-up, but it was really satisfying when her friends were astonished when they could not recognise her at all. Many complimented saying that she resembled the beautiful actress Tiz Zaqyah who played Nur Aminah in Nur Kasih. I felt that a little too, especially when I recalled that in the phenomenal series Nur Kasih, Nur Aminah wore the exact same ruby maroon on the wedding day. Coincidence perhaps? =)

For you to view more of my bridal make-up work, please log on to my make-up website www.surayanuar.com and click BRIDAL MAKE-UP under the MAKE-UP EXPLORATION tab.

Before

After

Nur Aminah from Nur Kasih? =)

Below are some photos of the bridal gifts on that day.

Oh yes before I did her bridal make-up, traditionally Muslim brides would take part in the Khatam Al-Qur'an ceremony. Since the schedule was made much earlier, I only managed to make very simple quick make-up on her, but sufficient to give her the 'pure' look since this is a religious event.

Before

After