Exactly one year ago,
we started off 11 December 2010 with a short Ashtanga practice at sunrise,

Upward dog

Heels over head

..a couple of hours before they pronounced us man and wife.

Above photos by Pretty Peektures

.   .   .   .   .

Yesterday, we celebrated 11 December 2011, 365 days of being married
by hosting an Ashtanga workshop until sunset at Upward, our pride and joy

..and surprised each other by accidentally getting the very same 1-Year Anniversary card for each other.

If that’s not MFEO, I don’t know what else is.

Yoga brought us together and this much I know,
it is yoga that is going to keep us happy and healthy together.
God willing, forever.

OK, my shallow for reading inside back cover of fashion magazines anyway but, you can’t live without your Blackberry? Really?

Not your breaths? Or brain? Or vision? Really?

I find that when I (keyword used here is, ‘I’. I don’t know about you..) resort to non-material things to be happy about, I’m always surprised of how happier I can be. Why accumulate unnecessary possessions that take up space, offer temporary relieve and most importantly, do not make me (and others) healthier?

I’m at my happiest when

• my husband makes me breakfast (well, that’s about everyday )
• I see new places
• I make new positive friends
• I witness smiles on my students’ faces after classes at Upward

and of course,

• when I’m upside down.

Banjaran Hotsprings (Oct 2011)

May all beings everywhere be happy.

I was on Manduka BlackPRO by Lululemon

The endorsement offer came mid February this year but I thought I should wait until Upward opens before I announce it here. It is not updated in Manduka’s website yet but I just can’t contain the cat in the bag anymore.

I am beyond proud and honoured to be representing Manduka
yet so small and so humbled to be in the same league with Kino Macgregor, Natasha Rizopoulos, Kathryn Budig, Simon Park, Twee Merrigan and my many other yoga inspirations.

I am counting my blessing, allowing them to keep coming and visualizing what the future and Manduka have for me and my yoga journey.

To a flying Monday and new week ahead!

I can’t get over my ‘baju kurung moden’ from House of WANPA
I wore to my friend Alena & Raphael’s wedding last week!

And it didn’t help that I came across this wedding reception invite with one of the most recited poems last decade, made popular by SATC The Movie (2008).

.. why can’t Malay wedding invites be more r-o-m-a-n-t-i-c like this?

And my favourite bit of the invite has got to be this..

‘Dinner, dessert & eternity to follow’

God bless and grant eternal love to the happiest couple I know

Check out their window display at Yonge St store, Toronto during my visit last summer

and their window display this Valentine’s (via Lululemon’s twitter)!

Love and yoga butts!

Ku De Ta, Bali (NOV 10)

OK so my last update here was posted some 40 plus days (after I got back from Bali in October) before my entry yesterday (errrrr, after I got back from Bali on Monday)..

Many girlfriends expressed, “We don’t know how you d-a-r-e-d go to Bali with Petrovsky – haven’t you heard of the Bali ‘forbidden love’ curse?”

Ubud Hanging Gardens, Bali (OCT 10)

Of course, I have

Bali ‘forbidden love’ curse is a myth that when couples that are not religiously / legally bound yet – go to Bali together, they will somehow break-up within 6 months (or was it 6 weeks?) upon their return.

But I refuse to buy it and let alone allow some cautionary tales rule my love life!

Although.. I personally know no less than a dozen couples / first-hand friends that allegedly broke-up after they got back from Bali.

And coincidentally – I was in one too..

Kuta Beach, Bali (SEPT 06)

But you know what – people break-up, relationships end ANYWAY when sparks die and two people are not in the same page anymore.

And come on, I was in (let’s say lahhhhhhhhhhh..) eight relationships before and the rest that ended ANYWAY, did not even need Bali to break us up – you get what I’m saying?

But just soooooooo if there is such curse anyway, Petrovsky and I prayed and dedicated our yoga practice and sun salutations every morning we woke up in the Island of Gods -  to the Highest Above that rules our universe, that sets our Destiny, with the intention that we cherish going to Bali – to celebrate our love and gratitude for each other, at one of the most beautiful islands He created for us all to share.

* * * * * * *

UPDATE:

* * * * * * *

And in the end..

Hard Rock Cafe, Bali (APR 10)

There is no other place I’d rather be, no other man I would want to marry..

And perhaps, because he asked me for my hand to start a family & to be together til death do us part IN Bali, maybe we ARE blessed and will live happily + healthily ever after   InsyaAllah.

Love and breathtaking sunset.

To my 28th and last birthday as a single girl

Alia & Radzi

Radzi’s KL Invite

Alia’s Kuantan Invite

Alia & Radzi Videos Credit to: John Hafiz & Pidosan

Nadia & Hamzah Alang

Pre-Wedding

Wedding Receptions

Nadia & Hamzah Videos Credit to: Manggis Productions

The vows I take will be forever
I’ll love you all my life.
There’s no part way, no holding back
Once we are man and wife.

The choice is made, and now I swim
In a far different sea,
The shores of which are bright green hills
Raised up for you and me.

Our love is like a mountainside
Awash in lovely flowers:
It is our home, our solid rock,
Where all bright things are ours.

And though of need we often must
Spend our days apart,
Our love will always be with us,
Held within the heart.

~ Nicholas Gordon via Juliana Ibrahim

Is it just me or wedding love really is all around?

This photo is best viewed from this position, good luck !

All these years of dating and blogging, I have (finally!) learnt to not kiss and tell ALL (kesian Supertall, korang masih lagi Search dia).

I am sorry to disappoint you but I don’t think you will ever find any more photos of Ninie Ahmad’s boyfriend online, at least not here! And I will pretzel and hang them upside down those who do post us in their blogs / Facebook, LOL.

But what I can’t help to not share is – why I fell for (let’s just stick to calling him) Mr Petrovsky.

• His ‘platinum’ hair that makes him look errr, wise.. Not Mikhail Baryshnikov 60-years-old old wise, but you get the picture.
• HE IS NOT ON FACEBOOK, DUDE (don’t get me started with Twitter)! Who else can say as much?
• He took me to watch Sex And The City in New York City (that’s 3 million brownie points!)
• He speaks French, jangan marah. Ok, you can come back to envisioning Aleksandr Petrovsky.
• He loves yoga and is ZOMG good at it! Plus he looks so good on his mat, it tingles my orange chakra
• He makes pancakes! And cooks, yo! Fancy dinner! For me!
• He recycles! And uses organic everything!
• Since he cooks and recycles and DOES YOGA, it’s a no-brainer that he is not our typical Malaysian man (fine, he is French not Malaysian – happy?)

As much as I can’t wait to leave KL, I don’t know how can I leave such a wonderful man here when I am not sure if I want to ever come back, when I don’t know where my next home is..

‘And the wheels just keep on turning,
The drummers begin to drum,
I don’t know which way I’m going,
I don’t know what I’ll become.

For you I’d wait ‘til kingdom come,
Until my days, my days are done,
And say you’ll come and set me free.
Just say you’ll wait, you’ll wait for me.‘

~ COLDPLAY