This week, Malaysia entered its second nationwide limited-movement lockdown (with the exception of a few states) as a way to combat the new wave of Covid cases. I have to mention this because coincidentally:
Of course I wanted to look decent on my brother's special day! With some of the makeup products I have here in Johor already expiring, I had to make a stop at a pharmacy (where affordable makeup brands are stocked in Malaysia) to get some old faves and other products necessary for my brother's special day.
PS: KissMe mascara never fails for me!
1. My big brother got married last weekend
And on the same day this second CMCO is announced, too. My brother Hisham and his wife Cu had gone on quite the rollercoaster of emotions prior to last weekend: first, they had to change the original date and venue of their wedding during the first nationwide lockdown, which started in March. After a few months, we all relaxed a little as cases went down to a single-digit daily, and my brother and her then-fiancee's new late November wedding plan seemed achievable.
But the cases then spiked horribly, causing Hisham and Cu to rethink their wedding plans again. In the end they moved up their solemnization a couple weeks early, with only about ten guests allowed from each side during the ceremony. Letters from the police and careful travel planning were involved, as my family had to travel hours to the venue, which was the best part of their solemnization: the beautiful beach of The Westin Desaru. The hotel is very near to where Shah and I currently live, which made planning all the more smoothly for our family.
It might have been on a spectacular beach but it was also one of the most low-key, loveliest solemnizations I've ever been to, where thankfully the early morning sun was hidden beneath some clouds so it was nowhere near as hot as we feared. We all had our masks on, with distance between guests, and everyone had a delicious breakfast buffet afterwards (in which guests did not take their own food from the breakfast bar but had the food passed to them — SOP still all around in place for the event!). Hopefully, I'll get to share some photos of the special day in a post here soon, but if you're interested in a sneak peek, check out this Instagram post.
On that note, I can only imagine the feelings of future brides and grooms who have had to postpone their wedding plans due to the pandemic, but I can understand not wanting to wait anymore to embark on that lifelong journey together when you've found the right person to do it with. I pray that they be granted ease in planning their future in these tough times.
2. New Old Makeup
Of course I wanted to look decent on my brother's special day! With some of the makeup products I have here in Johor already expiring, I had to make a stop at a pharmacy (where affordable makeup brands are stocked in Malaysia) to get some old faves and other products necessary for my brother's special day.
PS: KissMe mascara never fails for me!
3. My Two Newest Netflix Obsessions
I'm not sure if "newest" is the right word here as I finished both TV shows in the past two weeks but "obsessions" is the correct word alright. I don't remember how to play chess anymore (oop) but that didn't stop me from appreciating the suspense and all of the grandeur The Queen's Gambit has to offer. Such a beautifully made show that I would recommend to anyone, regardless you're into chess or not. Anya Taylor-Joy definitely did not disappoint here, and the young Isla Johnston is tremendous.
Another show I was surprised to obsess over: Cobra Kai. I thought the original Karate Kid with Mr Miyagi was just OK, which is why I didn't expect the spin-off to be so addictive. It's nostalgic to see Ralph Macchio and William Zabka back as Daniel and Johnny but the actors playing the main students of the dojos in the show are the real stars to me, and I love Courtney Henggeler as Daniel's wife. (She also played Sheldon's twin sister in The Big Bang Theory, by the way.)
4. Back To Reading
I've been staying at home SO MUCH and it's just puzzling how I've managed to put reading off as long as this; wondering how did I even let this happen to my bookworm-self? I was on such a roll with Jack Reacher earlier this year so I am so pleased to be back on it with Gone Tomorrow, the 13th book in this Lee Child's series.
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So, what's been happening with you?
Hi bookworm sis! Heheh, it's so nice to read on the computer these days that I forgot it can never take the place of a book. In fact, I went to the bookstore masked on to be around books just now and I found a book by an Irish author named Donal Ruane that I seriously need to read! It's lovely that your bro's wedding took place at the beach and it was held in a very socially-responsible manner. As for the makeup, I'd love to see you do a tutorial on the whole look if you're into it! :D xoxo
ReplyDeleteOof I haven't done a post on makeup tutorial in so long, but I'll see what I can do!
DeleteThis is the first time I've heard of Donal Ruane. Did you just browse and found that you like his (or her?) book? I had a conversation with a friend on Instagram about authors we like, and I was saying I have a habit of sticking to books written by authors I already love. Can't remember the last time I picked up a book just because it looked interesting - I'm sure I'm missing out on so many good books!