Yearly Archives: 2010

Many people usually identify me with the color RED.

It is quite obvious, because almost in every occasion, I will always wear anything related to red color.

That has become one of my trademark.

But there’s another trademark that I have that many of people didn’t really know.

And I'm going to share with you today

Now, I want you to take a look at my logo carefully.

When you see this logo, what does the shape remind you of?
 

Yup! It looks like a butterfly.

I actually designed this logo myself.

Here's my original drawing:

And it was evolved from this 2 letters: M & R

There are 3 important elements in the logo:

1. MR

Which is a short form of my name: Merry Riana

 2. Butterfly

 To me this butterfly symbolize 3 things
 

a. Transformation

The butterfly’s life cycle is one of transformation. The caterpillar emerges from an egg, then, transforms into a chrysalis, the stage in which caterpillar’s body is broken down and changed into the adult’s one. It’s from this stage that the butterfly emerges.

And just like how butterfly transformed from a cocoon, so does myself.
From a humble beginning, I’ve struggled. And thru that tough moment in my life, I became who I am right now.

b. Actualisation

 
Butterfly represent beauty. It brings color and lightness to people’s life. And interestingly, each butterfly has its own unique color and shape. There is no ugly butterfly. Same like us, each one of us has our own uniqueness. We have our own strenght, passion and talent. To actualise means to know who you are, and to be the person that you are, every single minute of your life.

Butterfly also represent freedom. It can freely fly wherever she wants to go. No boundaries and no limits.

I’m blessed that I can now freely living my life. I know who I am, why I'm here and what is my life purpose. I'm enjoying every single moment of my live, doing what I’m passionate about. 
 

c. Inspiration

Butterfly gets their food by going from one flower to another. And interestingly while she does that, she also brings benefits to the flowers because she pollinate them. 

That’s exactly what I'm doing. As much as I’ve been blessed, I too want to be a blessing for others.While I’m doing my work, I eventually will touch more hearts and change more lives.  My aim for the next 10 years is to be able to create a positive impact to the lives of 1,000,000 people, especially women, in Asia. .

3. Cross

I added the cross symbol right at the centre. This is to remind me that God will always be the centre of my life, and in everything that I do. He is the only reason why I can be where I am today, and He will always be the main reason why I’m doing what I’m doing today. 

So, that's so much about the meaning behind my MR Logo.

That’s also the reason why I love the logo so much, because it is something that really personal to me and  I believe can truly represent me.

Well, now at least you know another interesting thing about me
Hope next time you'll see a butterfly, you will think of me :)  hahaha….

It is never too late to be who you might have been

                                                                                                  - George Eliot - 

What do you like to do on family holidays?  Go to the beach or spend a week overseas?  Or maybe visiting relatives?  Whatever you enjoy, family holidays are a chance for everyone in the family to get re-acquainted and spend quality time together. 

It's a chance for everyone to really talk with the other family members and find out what's going on in their lives.  It's important to keep the communication lines open, and a family holiday is a good time to do that. 

Research has shown that when families take holidays together, they are more likely to eat together and that definitely create good bonding.  They do not watch as much television because they are involved in doing things together.  

Me and my family just had our family holiday last month.

This year, we choose to go to Bali, one my favorite place on earth!

There were 8 of us, (myself, my husband, my daughter, my mom, my dad, 2 of my younger brothers, and also my future-sis-in law).

We had lots of fun together, and time flew just like that without we realised.

Here are some of our happy moments captured

I've uploaded the rest of my photos on my Facebook Fan Page

Just click on the link below … and don't forget to click on the 'Like' button too

Enjoy !!

The greatest treasures are those invisible to the eye but found by the heart

                                                                                                  - Unknown - 

To all the women who is reading my blog. This one is specially dedicated for you!

Affirmation for Women

I claim my feminine power now

I am discovering how wonderful I am

I see within myself a magnificent being

I am wise and beautiful

I have what I see in me

I choose to love and enjoy myself

I am my own woman

I am in charge of my life

I expand my capablities

I am free to be all that I can be

I have a great life

My life is filled with love

The love in my live begins with me

I have dominion over my life

I am a powerful women

I am worthy of love and respect

I am subject to no one; I am free

I am willing to learn a new way of living

I stand on my own two feet

I accept and use my own power

I am at peace with being single

I rejoice and enjoy where I am

I love and enjoy myself

I love, support, and enjoy the women in my life

I am deeply fulfilled by life

I explore all the many avenues of love

I love being a woman

I love being alive at this point in time and space

I fill my life with love

 I accept my gift of this alone time

I feel totally complete and whole

I givem yself what I need

It is safe for me to grow

I am safe and all is well in my world.

In a full heart there is a room for everything, and in an empty heart there is a room for nothing

                                                                                        - Antonio Porchia -

Very touching story about marriage.

Definitely worth your time to read.

When I got home that night as my wife served dinner, I held her hand and said, I've got something to tell you. She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes.

Suddenly I didn't know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the topic calmly.

She didn't seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why?

I avoided her question. This made her angry. She threw away the chopsticks and shouted at me, you are not a man! That night, we didn't talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer; she had lost my heart to Jane. I didn't love her anymore. I just pitied her!

With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company.

She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. The woman who had spent ten years of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her wasted time, resources and energy but I could not take back what I had said for I loved Jane so dearly. Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer now.

The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something at the table. I didn't have supper but went straight to sleep and fell asleep very fast because I was tired after an eventful day with Jane.

When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not care so I turned over and was asleep again.

In the morning she presented her divorce conditions: she didn't want anything from me, but needed a month's notice before the divorce. She requested that in that one month we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible. Her reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a month's time and she didn't want to disrupt him with our broken marriage.

This was agreeable to me. But she had something more, she asked me to recall how I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day.

She requested that every day for the month's duration I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door ever morning. I thought she was going crazy. Just to make our last days together bearable I accepted her odd request.

I told Jane about my wife's divorce conditions. . She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce, she said scornfully.

My wife and I hadn't had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mommy in his arms. His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes and said softly; don't tell our son about the divorce. I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outsidethe door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office.

On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest. I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn't looked at this woman carefully for a long time. I realized she was not young any more. There were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying! Our marriage had taken its toll on her. For a minute I wondered what I had done to her.

On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy returning. This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me.

On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing again. I didn't tell Jane about this. It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger.

She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few dresses but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my dresses have grown bigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin, that was the reason why I could carry her more easily.

Suddenly it hit me… she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart. Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head.

Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it's time to carry mom out. To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential part of his life. My wife gestured to our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly; it was just like our wedding day.

But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held her tightly and said, I hadn't noticed that our life lacked intimacy.

I drove to office…. jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind…I walked upstairs. Jane opened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Jane, I do not want the divorce anymore.

She looked at me, astonished, and then touched my forehead. Do you have a fever? She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Jane, I said, I won't divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn't value the details of our lives, not because we didn't love each other anymore. Now I realize that since I carried her into my home on our wedding day I am supposed to hold her until death do us apart.

Jane seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away.

At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife. The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote, I'll carry you out every morning until death do us apart.

That evening I arrived home, flowers in my hands, a smile on my face, I run up stairs, only to find my wife in the bed – dead.My wife had been fighting CANCER for months and I was so busy with Jane to even notice. She knew that she would die soon and she wanted to save me from the whatever negative reaction from our son, in case we push thru with the divorce.– At least, in the eyes of our son— I'm a loving husband….

The small details of your lives are what really matter in a relationship. It is not the mansion, the car, property, the money in the bank. These create an environment conducive for happiness but cannot give happiness in themselves. So find time to be your spouse's friend and do those little things for each other that build intimacy. Do have a real happy marriage!

If you don't share this, nothing will happen to you.

If you do, you just might save a marriage.Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.

The only lasting beauty is the beauty of the heart

                                                                                                                     - Rumi -

Goals are dreams with deadlines

                                                                                                  - Diana Hunt - 

Last Tuesday (14th Sept 2010) was Alvernia first day at pre-school.

After comparing and viewing so many different school around the area, I finally decided to put her in the Little Wood Montessori. It was actually recommended by my friend, Violet Lim. Her 2 kids are in that school too :) 

I'm so excited about it (I think I'm more excited than her … hahahha..) because this is going to be the 1st time for her to be in school alone, and I'm sure she's gonna love making new friends there.

We woke up 6am that day to make sure that everything ready before the school bus come. Turns out, we were already ready by 7am, so while waiting for the school bus to pick us up, we had a bit of time playing at home.

After everything is settled, now it's time to say goodbye.

Give her a huge hug and a kiss and told her that mummy is gonna come earlier to pick her up after school

It looks like she can really understand what I said and she didn't cry at all

As for the rest of the photos, it wasn't taken by me. The teacher had kindly asked me whether I want to leave my camera with them so that they can take picture for me so nice !

It was definitely a fun day! I can see that she really enjoyed going to school.

When I picked her up, the teacher commented how well behave she was. Alvernia said thank you when her friend help her with her shoes, and the teacher was pleasantly surprise

Vern, Mommy feel so proud of you !